Finding Rhododendron

Hey..I hope you're have a great Wednesday.

My quest yesterday for mountain laurel left me then wanting for Rhododendron.

I think I was also in need of some solace and I usually  find that in the woods for some reason.

I did run across some tall and scraggly Rhododendron. 

Most of the time, you will find it in some mountainous region a whole hill or mountain side covered and the limbs and leaves will be plum to the ground. 

What I found wasn't that way but I'm assuming if I walked much further up this mountain we live at the foot of I would have come across a much more substantial find.

I saw these two yesterday when I was digging up some mountain laurel. Today before I went to the woods I looked up Rhododendron on line to see how to gather some and get it to take root. Nothing I found exactly applied to me for the simple fact all the branches are so high and I was really not seeing any evidence of new growth at the ground.

After pulling back some leaves I saw these shoots. A few of them had a small dark green leaf on them. I felt pretty sure it was baby Rhododendron. 

I took my spade and dug up not much more than a handful or two. I also snipped a few clippings from the branches with some leaves and may try to root it. 

I'm not sure it will take. They are mighty tender and sometimes things just don't do well once disturbed. 

 If it's meant to be hopefully I'll see some growth. 

Oh my word, I know it will be a lifetime before seeing any real return on this endeavor but it has been fun to see what may come of it all.

Thank you for stopping by to check in on my unconventional gardening methods.

I wish you a very

Blessed Day!

Foraging for Mountain Laurel

Hello and Good Thursday!

Here in Stuart, Virginia we are enjoying an absolutely glorious day. Yesterday, was much the same and I have to say I am ready for these warmer temperatures. 

The past week was filled with a good bit of sunshine but between the high winds and the deep drop in temperature during the night it was basically chilly. It didn't make me desire to do much outside or gardening. I'm glad today is another story.

What I've had on my mind today was Mountain Laurel. If you travel here in the mountainous south you will see it hanging over a rock wall or peeking out the side of an old country road. It's especially glorious on the Blue Ridge Parkway. 

It strikes a genuine heart-note for me. I love it! I love to see it. As a child many days was spent in it; making playhouses or playing hide-and-seek. For quite sometime, I have been wanting some of it here at the house;

mainly here, at this patch of ground between 

our driveway and the neighbors driveway.

I got a little stand of hostas started from some when my sister split hers a couple of years ago.

I was a bit stingy with it. I spread it a little thin as I put it all the way along the whole side of the driveway but it's starting to make a pretty good show of itself. 

I really want this to take on a look as if it just came along on it's on anyway. There's some rambling rose and some forsythia that blooms here as well. As it probably shows I don't really do much in the way of maintaining. At least not like a bona fide flower bed. The mountain laurel should work real nicely to help and a little more privacy and backdrop. 

Once Jack was on the bus, I finished my cup of coffee and gathered my tools to take to the woods to dig up a stash I found a few days ago.

My short(broke) handled shovel, limb snips, and my trusty maddox .

The maddox is my go to tool!

I will remind you to be sure not to gather your plants off the side of the public road or out of any of the parks.

You would stand a good chance of being fined.

Here a nice pic of Rhododendron which also grows wild here in the mountains and foothills. I wish I had found a good patch of it 

but 

I had to go with what was here. 

It can be somewhat mistaken for each other but side-by-side pictures you can see how much smaller the leaves are.

I will say they both grow quite towering and full.

This is a small little bunch and a little scraggly

but I think it will come along.

I start my easily raking the leaves and sticks away to start to determine where the root is running. It's not really as much digging as it is pulling away the dirt. 

You wouldn't want to take a big swing or plunge right into you root and cut or break it off. 

Looks at my little find as I pulled the leaves away.

That leads me to another caution.

Do be mindful of other reptiles such as snakes before just reaching in to grab.

They really don't want any part of me and I don't want any part of them either but these are the kinds of places they like to be.

Pulling the dirt away deep enough you can see 

I've found a good strong piece of the main root. 

When I went to plant back at the house, I  dug up this old license plate from 1955.

I thought that was kind of neat so I wiped the dirt off and scrooched it in here with one of the plantings.

I do hope the next year or to I can share some pictures of my  little bank filled with blooms of roses and mountain laurel.

I also want to thank you for stopping by for a look at my cheap and come along gardening style.

Be Blessed!

Good Luck, Prosperity, & Good Health

You're lookin' at my New Year Meal.

Here in my part of the south, this is the typical January 1 meal. I'm not a superstitious person so this meal is more out of tradition and remembrance of my Grandma Dorothy. She had very definite things she expected done. 

"Decent folk do certain things"

She would always be reminding us of what decent folk "do or "don't do." 

Grandma Dorothy's New Year's Meal always, always, consisted of black-eyed peas for luck, collard greens for the money, and hog jowl for health and it better be on the table at 12:00 pm.

"On the Dot!"

I always do a version of her meal. It will usually consist of the peas, a green, and some pork. I often will go with pork chop or even sometimes it's been thick cut bacon. I thought of which direction I was going to take with it, when discovering the hog jowl was either sold out or maybe they don't supply it anymore. Many food items that were so common can't even be found, lately. 

So I went with another old-time favorite...fatback!

I bet those health conscience folks out there are rolling eyes and thinking they are reading total insanity.

If you haven't had good ole salty fatback you probably don't know where it's at!!

I made no great preparation for this meal; my peas and collard greens came straight from the can. I did chunk a good bit of ham in the peas with some salt & pepper. My collard greens are

Margret Holmes brand. If you must buy greens in the can, they are the ones to want for.

Glory brand is good as well but you just about can't beat Margret Holmes for the seasoning. I drain just a bit of the juice off and cook them down in the iron skillet I had cooked the fatback(cook on medium heat unitl it's nice and golden) in.

Potato cakes made from some leftover mashed potatoes and a cornmeal muffin.

As Grandpa Jones would say,"Yum, yum!"

Are you asking yourself how this meal could be good for you at all?

I too questioned such a meal

but

I honestly have been nursing an extreme cough for about 3 weeks. I awoke to a full nights sleep and have had the slightest of coughs so far the morning....

I don't know....

Maybe the money's on the way too..LOL..

BE BLESSED!

Ballgame at Mt. Top Park

Lovers Leap

Patrick County, Virginia

How lucky to get to see this view so often!

Jack loves the view, too!

Hot dog and a ice cream cone at the
 Poor Farmers Daughter is always
        brings the smiles.

The old man(husband ) relaxing; waiting 
           for our game to start.

Mt Top Park

Meadows of Dan, Virginia

Thanks for the visit.

Have a very 

Blessed Week!

Old Mill Love/Mabry Mill

MABRY MILL is one of my favorite Patrick Country treasures.

This is no doubt on of my favorite places to just knock around. I enjoy going up on the parkway the way a teenager enjoys going to the mall.

The sun was shining like crazy here at the house so I thought it would be a great day to steal away up the mountain and work on my photo skills. Surprise, surprise I was fooled again by the time I made the quick drive, instead of sunny winter day everything had taken on a cold, winter grey.

I am going to boast that Mabry Mill is undoubtedly the most pictured mill ever.

(this is not confirmed...)

I see our beautiful mill everywhere. It's on greeting cards and calendars. I've seen it one postcards, painting, and various other artworks. Many times, it will be pictured as if it's connected with something or somewhere else but it's ours. That doesn't bother me because it's nice to know that others appreciate it's simple serenity.

Ducks on the pond

And I enjoy the different views 

of the old mill.

Here's a picture of the cabin where E.B. Mabry and his family lived.

Looks like it's time to mosey on down the road...

Sometimes window shop from this computer screen..

Sometimes I take a trip...

Thanks for tripping with me!!

http://www.virginia.org/Listings/HistoricSites/MabryMill/

Apple Dumpling Festival

Here you go!

Stuart, Virginia's Annual

Apple Dumpling Festival

Great turn out!

Lots of Artisans!

Yum..

Yum, yum

Local grown apple

                                               The guest of honor..Apple Dumplings

How 'bout Homemade ice cream atop those dumplings?

Music at the amphitheatre

C.C. Coates Band

Am I in the warm sun in the middle of the day?

Or..

Some dimly lit corner?

Great Blues Band!

What a way to enjoy an autumn day? This is just one of a few festivals that Stuart puts on but it definitely is a favorite. Nothing screams the turning leaves and the brisk air like the Apple Dumpling Festival. As you can see folks turned out from all over. Definitely a stopping point for many traveler. This little town is at the foot of the Blue Ridge Parkway and makes a wonderful place to stop on your next leaf watching adventure. I thank you for letting me share my day with you and thank you for stopping by 

Southern Direction.

Be blessed.