Filed under: Family time, Food, Fountains, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Herbs, Hummingbirds, Landscaping & Gardening, Love, Nursery, Outdoor Lifestyles, Waterfalls | Tags: Blackberries, Blackberry Winter, Blackberrys, cold morning, Cool Morning, Cooling Down, Crazy Weather, Mark C., Picking, Picking Blackberries, Sunday, Sunday Breakfast, Sunday Brunch, Sunday Gardening, Sunday in the Garden, Sunday Inspiration, Sunday Morning Coming Down, Sunday Mornings, Sunday Reflection’s, Sunday Reflections
West Tn. weather is crazy, but still very seasonably predictable… The blackberries are in bloom once again & boom 💥 here comes a cold front that drops the temps overnight. Cool and crisp this morning and it feels SO GOOD 😊 I love me some ‘Blackberry Winter’…
Enjoy this day and this lovely little cold snap… knowing that soon, Summer Heat will be upon us! And, it will be time to pick blackberries once again 😊
“I see blackberry winter’s here
that very special time of year
when thorny vine’s small pure white bloom
announces colder weather’s doom.
It’s cold enough to wear long sleeves
to ward off spring’s last chilly breeze
yet warm enough up in the day
to show that cold won’t long hold sway.
The flower of this lowly berry
reminds that summer won’t long tarry.
This mini-season won’t last long
so don a coat and tag along.
We’ll both enjoy this evening’s nip
hands in each other’s loving grip
and gaze into each other’s eyes
as stars replace the clear blue skies.
As whippoorwill gives serenade
from ‘cross the pond in brushy glade
beneath a blanket we’ll start to plan
vacation on the ocean’s sand.
But in the back of cozy mind
all thoughts of winter left behind
tiny voices, soft and sweet
reminds that next comes summer heat.”
~ Stan Holiday
I’m off for an adventure… Y’all have fun 🤩
~ Mark C.
Filed under: Family time, Food, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Herbs, Landscaping & Gardening, Love, Nursery, Outdoor Lifestyles, Sunday Reflections, water garden | Tags: Coffee, Cover Plants, Crazy Weather, Family, Family Breakfast, Family time, Feels like Spring, Frost Warning, Garden, I Love My Family, Late Frost, Morning Coffee, Plant care, Spring, Sunday, Sunday Breakfast, Sunday Brunch, Sunday Gardening, Sunday in the Garden, Sunday Inspiration, Sunday Morning Coming Down, Sunday Mornings, Sunday Naps, Sunday Night, Sunday Reflection’s, Sunday Reflections
This morning was cold and crisp and damp and it felt like early Spring in March… But it’s April 23rd.! The entire hill and holler is green and in full bloom 🌺 My Nursery is fully stocked as well… And in the morning, we are looking at a very late FROST 🥶 So yesterday evening a LOT of plants got moved in and covered, the rest was left until today 😊 Such is the life of a gardener 🪴 “Till it, plant it, water it, weed it, move it, then move it again… But, what’s the alternative? Chance? Or a lost season of growth? Less plants?…. I think NOT! Let’s get to moving plants!
But, I don’t want to gloss over the fact that we are actually having a Spring this year! Spring is so exciting and changing and renewing… So we will gladly play along 😊
A bit more coffee, then back to it!
“The sun was warm but the wind was chill.
You know how it is with an April day.
When the sun is out and the wind is still,
You’re one month on in the middle of May.
But if you so much as dare to speak,
a cloud come over the sunlit arch,
And wind comes off a frozen peak,
And you’re two months back in the middle of March.”
~ Robert Frost
Have a wonderful Sunday!
PS: Frost tonight! Cover & protect your tender plants 🙏🏻
~ Mark C.
Filed under: Family time, Food, Fountains, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Herbs, Hummingbirds, Koi, Lake and Pond, Landscaping & Gardening, Love, music, Nursery, Outdoor Lifestyles, Sunday Reflections, Videos, Waterfalls | Tags: Autumn, Autumn Color, Autumn Leaves Falling on Water, Autumn Poem, Autumnal Equinox, Colorful Foliage, Cooler Weather is Coming, Crazy Weather, Fall Color, Fall Gardening, I Love My Family, If You Don’t Like The Weather, Love, Love and Meaning, Love Thy Neighbor, Love Thy Neighbor As Thyself, Predicting Weather, Seasonal changes, Seasonal Interest, Sunday, Sunday Breakfast, Sunday Brunch, Sunday in the Garden, Sunday Inspiration, Sunday Morning Coming Down, Sunday Mornings, Sunday Naps, Sunday Poem, Sunday Quote, Sunday Reflections, Sunday Songs, Sunday Sunrises, Sunday with Family, Sundays, Tennessee Weather, Waterfall, Weather Lore, Weather Signs, Woolly Bear Caterpillars
Good Morning! ☀️ What a storm we had last night! ⛈ ⚡️ 💥 Here we are changing seasons… Bye bye Summer, Hello Fall 🍁🍂 We have literally been on a West TN weather seesaw… It was 100 degrees on the last day of summer, So Hot 🥵 Then the next day a 51 degree morning… Then back up close to 90 today, but guess what – down into the 40’s tonight😮
Oh well, again the old saying holds true, “If you don’t like the weather, just you wait”…
Now it’s on to breakfast and then a little work in the Garden! I Love ❤️ Fall!
“In the garden, Autumn is, indeed the crowning glory of the year, bringing us the fruition of months of thought and care and toil.
And at no season, safe perhaps in Daffodil time, do we get such superb color effects as from August to November.”
~ Rose G. Kingsley
Watch this short for the cutest puppy ever 👇🏻
Have a great Sunday!
~ Mark C.
Filed under: General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Outdoor Lifestyles | Tags: #throwbackthursday, A Ray of Lightning, Crazy Weather, Lightning, Stormy Weather, Strange Feeling, Strange Happening, Strange Things, That Tickles, Throwback, Throwback Thursday, Unexplained Phenomenon, Wow
This popped up as a Facebook memory today from 7 years ago… So, boom 💥 heres a very memorable Throwback!
There was a heck of a lightning storm going on and I was trying to photograph some lightning that was striking the ground right behind the house across the street (I know – real smart:) All the other lightning was shooting strait down but was in long strait bolts. This one was just as bright and vivid, but much larger and as you see, ‘beam like’…This picture was pretty cool – the lightning was much more vivid than the picture shows and it came down almost like a cylindrical barrel of lightning… Never seen anything quite like it.
That strange ’ray of lightning’ gave me the weirdest feeling! A close lightning strike will make your hair stand up etc., but this one took my breath… I still remember the feeling of not being able to draw a breath in, for what seemed like a minute. Strange and Awesome feeling! My offering for #Throwbackthursday!
Mark Carter
Carter’s Nursery, Pond & Patio
2846 Old Medina Rd.
Jackson, Tn. 38305
Ph.# 731-424-2206
http://www.cartercountry.com
Filed under: Family time, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Herbs, Lake and Pond, Landscaping & Gardening, Love, Nursery, Outdoor Lifestyles, Pond Tips, water garden, Waterfalls | Tags: Best Local Nursery and Garden Center, Carters Nursery Pond and Patio, Changing Seasons, Cover Plants, Crazy Weather, Feeding the Soul, Frosty Morning, Gardening, If You Don’t Like The Weather, Life is Good, Love, Love and Meaning, Moment of Zen, Morning Zen, outdoor lifestyles, Outdoor Living, Place of Zen, Predicting Weather, Quality Of Life, Robert Frost, Seasonal changes, Seasonal Interest, Seasonal Water Garden, Spring, Spring Gardening, Tennessee Weather, Weather Signs, Zen, Zen state of mind, Zen Waterfall
If you are like many Gardeners and live by the ”Last Frost Date” given in the Almanac or in your local paper, you may be very disappointed this morning… I’m getting ready to go out and uncover the hundreds of plants that I have under blankets, sheets and in a big cold frame greenhouse.
Why does it ’sneak up’ on us so often?
With me its all about staying in tune with the particular season. Spring here in West TN fluctuates from sweaty 80’s weather to 60 mile an hour winds with frost and snow ❄️ BUT, that relationship you form with the seasons and the changes is where the Zen lies…
But, its tough to wait! As soon as the forsythia and the daffodil 🌼 blooms I’m already setting up my planters and pots 🪴 And, I try to be ready for people coming in to my Nursery early, which means we spend a month or more moving plants in and out of the greenhouse… 😊
Finding balance and Zen within ourselves is found within our own Gardens…
PS: The good news is, I think we are past Frost now for real!
“The first day of spring is one thing, and the first spring day is another. The difference between them is sometimes as great as a month.”
~ Henry Van Dyke
Have a great Tuesday!
Mark Carter
Carter’s Nursery, Pond & Patio
2846 Old Medina Rd.
Jackson, Tn. 38305
Ph.# 731-424-2206
http://www.cartercountry.com
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Filed under: General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Herbs, Landscaping & Gardening, Love, Nursery, Outdoor Lifestyles, water garden | Tags: Best Local Nursery and Garden Center, Carters Nursery Pond and Patio, Cover Plants, Crazy Weather, Flowers, Frost Warning, Frosty Morning, gardening 101, Gardening answers, If You Don’t Like The Weather, Nursery, Protect Tender Plants, Protect Your Plants, Roses, Shrubs, spring fever, Spring is Here!, Tomatoes
I’m the worst about planting to early before the “Last Frost Date”… Depending on who’s frost chart you use, our last frost date is somewhere between March 31st. and April 15th.
I normally wait until April 15th before planting my tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, squash, melons, etc… But as a Nurseryman, I have to be ready with plants in stock! So we have moved plants back inside – tender growth shrubs, flowers, hanging baskets, flats of sedum, roses, and so much more! AND, I still have to get the rest of our houseplants back inside… UGH!!!
This isn’t a ”Late Frost” by any means… It has just been so warm that this is a Surprise! So I thought I would share the news, just in case you havent heard 🥶
📢 Spring is Here! Cover your Plants! 😊
“The first day of spring is one thing, and the first spring day is another. The difference between them is sometimes as great as a month.”
~ Henry Van Dyke
Mark Carter
Carter’s Nursery, Pond & Patio
2846 Old Medina Rd.
Jackson, Tn. 38305
Ph.# 731-424-2206
http://www.cartercountry.com
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Filed under: Family time, Food, Fountains, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Herbs, Koi, Koi Ponds, Landscaping & Gardening, Love, music, Outdoor Lifestyles, Sunday Reflections, Sunrises, Sunsets, Waterfalls | Tags: Beautiful Sunset, budding trees, Cabin Fever, Crazy Weather, Family Pictures, Family time, Family Traditions, Get Outside, I ❤️ Spring!, I Love My Family, If You Don’t Like The Weather, Outdoor Living, Spring, Spring Bulbs, Spring Fest., spring fever, Spring Flowering Bulbs, Spring Gardening, Spring is Almost Here!, Spring is Coming, Spring News, Spring Planting, Sunday, Sunday Breakfast, Sunday Brunch, Sunday Gardening, Sunday in the Garden, Sunday Inspiration, Sunday Morning Coming Down, Sunday Mornings, Sunday Naps, Sunday Poem, Sunday Quote, Sunday Reflections, Sunday Sunrises, Sunday with Family, Sundays, Sunsets, Tennessee Weather
We are 2 weeks from the time change. We “Spring forward” Sunday March the 13th at 2am! Then only a week after that BOOM 💥 1st day of Spring! Rain and more rain 🌧 Wind 💨 Ice 🧊 Snow ❄️ – But still, Spring is Coming! This lingering winter weather and slow build up and transition is always what causes my Spring Fever 🌼 🤒 🌼
If nothing else, this energy for Spring gets me up and moving! Its Sunday and I’ve already done a full days work! 😊 The week ahead looks promising! I have a LOT of work to catch up on!
Even the Psalmist writes of a yearning in the scriptures – “I yearn for the Lord, more than watchmen do for the morning, yes, more than watchmen do for the morning.” ~ Psalm 130:6
Spring is Coming!
“Is the Spring coming?” he said. “What is it like?”… “It is the sun shining on the rain and the rain falling on the sunshine”…
~ Frances Hodgson Burnett
Have a great Sunday!
Mark C.
Filed under: Family time, Food, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Lake and Pond, Landscaping & Gardening, Love, Nursery, Outdoor Lifestyles, Waterfalls | Tags: Chance of Snow, Cold Weather, Crazy Weather, Day Off, Happy Dog, Happy Dogs, I Love Dogs, Snow, Snow Day, Snow Falling, Snow Pics, Snowed In, Snowy waterfall
What a beautiful day! Snow was falling before the sun rose this morning and continued till well after lunch ❄️ So we checked on all the features at the Nursery, fed all the animals and took a Snow Day!
Its been a long, cold, FUN day! 😊❄️☃️
Stay warm ❄️
Mark C.
Filed under: Food, Fountains, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Herbs, Landscaping & Gardening, Outdoor Lifestyles, Pond Tips, water garden, Waterfalls | Tags: 4/20, Bad Weather, Be Prepared, Carters Nursery Pond and Patio, Chance of Snow, Cheech and Chong, Cold Weather, Cooler Weather is Coming, Cover Plants, Crazy Weather, Frost Warning, Frosty Morning, Garden Preperation, If You Don’t Like The Weather, Late Frost, plants, Predicting Weather, Snow, Spring Gardening, Tennessee Weather, Weather Signs
Hot, then cold, then windy then SNOW ❄️ Then FROST… WHAT? Yes, you heard me right! Gardeners prepare! Your about to get FROSTED on 4/20!
Things we can do –
- Bring in potted plants
- Cover tender plants with sheets and/or plastic!
- Cover veggies 🍅 🌶 🌽
- IF you have an irrigation system, time it to come on before sunrise and run till after. The thermal properties of water are amazing.
- We can’t change the weather, but we can be prepared!
We have to move all tender plants back in the cold frames and cover all sorts of things… I even cover my Japanese Maples! Lots to do, but it’s worth the effort! This has been an eventful weather year, but fret not! We will get past this & see smooth sailing soon 🌞
It always pays to be ready when you live in West Tennessee! Crazy weather… But hey, it’s Springtime in Tennessee! So we got that goin for us!
Have a great day & be ready! You have been warned…
Mark Carter
Carter’s Nursery, Pond & Patio
2846 Old Medina Rd.
Jackson, Tn. 38305
Ph.# 731-424-2206
http://www.cartercountry.com
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Filed under: Food, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Herbs, Landscaping & Gardening, Nursery, Outdoor Lifestyles | Tags: Be Ready, Cold Weather, Cooler Weather is Coming, Cover Plants, Crazy Weather, Freezing Temps., Frost Warning, Frosty Morning, Greenhouse Report, If You Don’t Like The Weather, Late Frost, Predicting Weather, Protect Tender Plants, Tennessee Weather, Weather Lore, Weather Signs
This is just a friendly warning to be ready… We have 2 nights of below freezing temperatures coming and 3 mornings of probable frost! Be prepared!
Many peoples ornamental trees have started to emerge (Japanese Maples) as well as perennials and have even set out peppers and tender annual crops…
Things we can do –
- Bring in potted plants
- Cover tender plants with sheets and/or plastic!
- Cover veggies 🍅 🌶 🌽
- IF you have an irrigation system, time it to come on before sunrise and run till after. Waters thermal properties are amazing.
- We can’t change the weather, but we can be prepared!
I even cover my Japanese Maples! Lots to do, but it’s worth the effort! This has been an eventful weather year, but fret not! We will get past this soon. Don’t you just LOVE Tennessee Weather 😊
Have a great day & be ready! You have been warned…
Mark Carter
Carter’s Nursery, Pond & Patio
2846 Old Medina Rd.
Jackson, Tn. 38305
Ph.# 731-424-2206
http://www.cartercountry.com
YouTube pg. –
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Carter's Water Garden 