As Summer Settles In

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

We are settling into our home in the mountains of North Carolina where we look forward to spending the summer and fall.  We decided to stay in Florida until after Mother’s Day to spend it with our daughter.

Peonies are my favorite flowers and I have sweet memories of rocking on the porch of my friend, Karen’s home in North Carolina, and enjoying them. They don’t grow in Florida and Karen’s peonies were the first I had seen. Before she passed away, I asked if I could take a piece of one of her plants, so that I could savor the memory of those summer days in the coming years. Since we were late arriving in North Carolina, the flowers were past their prime, but I did cut some and bring them in. The white ones are from Karen’s stock.

Our daughter gave me two raised bed planters for Mother’s Day. They come complete with a watering system. My husband set me up with tomato plants and built a perfect height table to place them on. I am thrilled with the table. It will save my back and hopefully discourage the nasty tomato worms.

It’s good to be back in the mountains. The mornings are soft and I enjoy watching the mists float across the peaks and down through the valleys. The hydrangea are starting to bloom and will last all summer, along with the roses.

Life is good in the mountains!

Tags: Flowers of summer, Friendship