50th Annual Homes Tour

Blowing Rock's 50th annual home tour is next weekend. We will be getting the gardens of Miramichi, a Cherokee word, meaning happy retreat, ready for busloads of visitors.

Miramichi was restored in 2006, we began restoring the gardens in November of that year. At the time they had suffered from years of neglect and two years of construction.

With the help of Graham, Michael and Robbie, who befriended me when they were working at Shadowlawn, which is also on this years home tour. I was working in a small garden across the street.

Robbie's dog Sophie was Finn's first friend. She patiently taught Finn how to puppy play, while we worked in neighboring gardens.

We dug out massive overgrowth of Iris, orange daylillies, Black eyed Susan and blackberry. They helped me bring in loads of good soil, spread mulch, and hauled away mountains of debris.

It was like digging for treasure, in an archaeological dig, peeling out columbine babies from massive networks of ancient Iris roots. We kept plenty of the plants found in the gardens while sifting through the overgrowth. The peonies, baptisia, fragrant Hyperion daylillies, trillium and Turkscap Lilles, Iris and Phlox. We added Helleborus, Hydrangea endless summer, Echinacea 'Big Sky' , bleeding heart and ferns.

Last Fall we added two 'Million Dollar Red' Trellises, matching the trim on the house for the massive 'New Dawn' Rose and Clematis used to screen the generator. Which I just realized I have never photographed....

But, the gardens are coming along nicely, and ready to be seen.

This is the last big event we have to complete from our spring agenda. I am also putting a beautiful new coat of paint on the walls in the basement. A project I have put off for way too long. It is cooler down there, and after today I will have a beautiful and cool studio to paint in. I have come come a long way since the basement flood two weeks ago. After this wonderful but demanding spring, I think I need a vacation~

Saturday I am heading to Cape Hatteras for a week with the family by the ocean. Finn has never met the ocean, he will love it, as I will love spending time with my family and granddaughter. I will be packing my watercolors.