Mad Hatter's Tea Party and Garden Walk

Just found this event happening tomorrow in Wake Forest - Mad Hatter's Tea Party and Garden Walk!

Have tea with the Mad Hatters of the Wake Forest Garden Club. Wear your own "mad hat" and get a free raffle ticket. Visit The Rabbit Hole Gift Shop. Stroll the historic gardens of N. Main Street and be inspired by garden vignettes created by area artists and designers. Enjoy flower arranging demonstrations by talented floral designers. Talk with Master Gardeners and Landscape Designers. Sponsored by the Wake Forest Garden Club.

http://www.wfgardenclub.org/

Blooming Alliums Make Me Happy!

Alliums are blooming! The rest of my pot is a total mess, but I'll settle for the alliums looking great for a few days! Time to start think thinking about what summer annuals will follow those ailing pansies.

Fearrington Gardens

Last May, my husband and I made an overnight dash to the Fearrington House Inn. It was our first night away with out the kiddos. Our accommodations were as comfortable as they were beautiful and the dinner, breakfast and afternoon tea were delightful. However, what we enjoyed the most was the grounds and gardens. I loved the pathways, fences and open spaces. Here are some of my favorite garden scenes and pictures from our stay at Fearrington - and its a good thing I captured them on camera as it will likely be awhile before we are free to go back!

Love these purple alliums against the horizontal siding on their rustic old barn. My gladiator alliums at home are about to explode and I can hardly wait!

A white peony bloom about to burst.

Coreopsis?? Not sure, but we loved that our camera captured the hair-like center of this flowering perennial.

Their white garden. Anyone who knows me, knows that I do love a theme! Their geometric formal white garden is gorgeous and inspirational.

No opportunity is missed. This could have been a mere sidewalk between a restaurant and the driveway, instead its gorgeous with its horizontal brick path boarded by perennial beds and a picket fence. The birdhouse in the distance also makes for a pleasant visual resting place.

Up close and personal with a Cone Flower - one of my favorites!

The main courtyard in the Inn portion of the property. I love the formal hedge, the rusty hues of the Maple tree and the spikey foliage of the iris' reaching up towards the water pump style fountain.

If you are ever near Chapel Hill, its worth a drive out there to see the gardens even if you don't or can't spend a dime! Its a wonderful day trip from Raleigh.

Missing My Mason

This weekend I lost my best gardening buddy, my beagle, Mason. He was with me in the yard, following me where ever I went, for more than 10 years. I miss him!

Next to a pitiful looking pot of pansies (in retrospect) as a puppy.

This is from a few years ago when I was working on drainage for a pot. I'm sure he was quite perplexed why I was putting all of the balls he'd like to be fetching in a pot!

Gardening with me in Charlotte. And yes, in those days, I did garden in a tube top (don't ask)!

Spring Plant Sales and Tours

Here's what happening for gardeners in and around Raleigh this Spring:

Plant Sales

• Ongoing - NC Botanical Garden Plant Sale (Chapel Hill) 
• April 7th - 11th - Wakefield High School Plant Sale (Raleigh)
• April 9th - 10th - Pi Alpha Xi Plant Sale (JC Raulston Arboretum, Raleigh)
• April 15th - 17th - Raleigh Garden Club Plant Sale (NC State Fairgrounds, Raleigh)
• April 15th - 17th - Gardener's of Wake County Azalea Sale (NC State Fairgrounds, Raleigh)
• April 15th - 17th - Herb Society of Wake County Herb Sale
• April 15th - 17th and 22nd - 24th - Herb Fest (Wake Forest)
• April 30 - Duke Garden's Plant Sale (Durham)

Tours

• April 9th - Rita's Garden Open House (Apex)
• April 30 - May 1st - Historic Oakwood Garden Tour (Raleigh)
• April 30 - May 1st - Plants Delights Open House (Raleigh)
• May 1st - Gala in the Garden (JC Raulston Arboretum, Raleigh) 
• May 14th - Conservation Garden Tour (Durham)
• June 11 - Larkspur Party (Raleigh) - The garden venue and tour is worth the trip to this pottery festival.

Looks like the Chapel Hill Garden tour is off until 2012 and the Fuquay Varina tour will be held in the Fall.

Hope to see you out and about!