Filed under: Family time, Food, Fountains, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Landscaping & Gardening, Love, music, Outdoor Lifestyles, Sunday Reflections, Sunrises, Sunsets, Waterfalls | Tags: Beautiful Bride, Bond, Bring Your Friends, Friends and Family, Friendship, Fun, Good Friends, Harp, Harpist, I ❤️ My Friends!, Life is Good, Live Music, Living the Life Abundant, Love, Love and Meaning, Love Thy Neighbor, Memories, music, Natural Beauty, Old Friends, Old Memories, Outdoor Wedding, Sunday in the Garden, Sunday Inspiration, Sunday Mornings, Sunday Poem, Sunday Reflections, Sunday with Family, Sundays, Wedding
What a beautiful morning! I have been looking through pictures of this last week and really reflecting on all the good things that happened. There is and will always be bad things that happen in life, but I try to focus and reflect on the good ones… Business is good, our gardens are flourishing, and one of my oldest friends just got married to the girl of his dreams ❤️ I was his best man to boot 😊 Darn good week!
I LOVE outdoor weddings! And this one stole the show ❤️ Perfect weather, music, food, friends and family… Thats what its all about!
Congratulations Matt & Esther Brown!❤️
“Understand, I’ll slip quietly
Away from the noisy crowd
When I see the pale
Stars rising, blooming over the oaks.
I’ll pursue solitary pathways
Through the pale twilit meadows,
With only this one dream:
You come too.”
~ Rainer Maria Rilke
Mark C.
Filed under: Family time, Food, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Lake and Pond, Love, Outdoor Lifestyles, Sunday Reflections, Sunrises, Sunsets, Waterfalls | Tags: Lightning, Love, Love and Meaning, Petrichor, Rain, Rainy Days, Rainy Morning, Sound of Rain, stormy night, Stormy Weather, Sunday, Sunday Breakfast, Sunday Brunch, Sunday Inspiration, Sunday Morning Coming Down, Sunday Mornings, Sunday Naps, Sunday on the River, Sunday Poem, Sunday Quote, Sunday Reflections, Sunday Sunrises, Sunday with Family, Sundays, The Smell Of Rain, There will come soft rains, Thunder
What a storm last night! the power went out around dark and shortly after a big storm hit ⛈ ⚡️ What a light show 😯 We were sleeping in a cabin with a tin roof… ie; We got some Good Sleep!
“Here in the deep tangled forest
All is quiet and still,
While far to the west the thunder,
Re-echoes from hill to hill.
And the lightning’s flash, ever vivid,
In great gashes knives the air;
The rain comes down in torrents,
A deluge everywhere!
Bathing the heat-sick flowers
That they may bloom once more;
Painting the grass a greener hue,
That grows by our cabin door;”
~ James W. Whilt
Enjoy this day ❤️
Mark C.
Filed under: Boutique, Family time, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Landscaping & Gardening, Love, Nursery, Outdoor Lifestyles | Tags: Best Mom, Carters Nursery, Carters Nursery Pond & Patio, Carters Nursery Pond and Patio, Family, Family Pictures, Family time, Fertilizer, Love and Meaning, Mom, Mom is Special, Mother’s Day, Mother’s Day Gifts, Mother’s Day Ideas, Mother’s Day Lunch, Mulch, Plant a Flower, Plant Sale, Present, Roses, Stop and smell the Roses
The Rolling Stones guitarist Kieth Richards famously wrote in a song ”Send me Dead Flowers” 🎶… I say don’t send dead ones! Say it with LIVE Roses 🌹
A bouquet 💐 of dead roses for Mom? Or a couple of LIVE roses bushes that will make memories for years!💥
Come by and get a rose bush for Mom! Help her plant it, you will both enjoy it for years to come…
PS: You can thank me later 😉
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, Fountains, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Herbs, Landscaping & Gardening, Love, Nursery, Outdoor Lifestyles, Pondless Waterfalls, Sunday Reflections, water garden, Waterfalls | Tags: 7 Days a Week, Best Wife Award, Garden Chores, Gardening, God, God Bless, God Bless America, Gods Classroom, Gods Country, Love, Love and Meaning, Love Your Pets, Nursery, Nursery Work, Plant care, short handed, 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 with Family, Sundays, Taking Care of Business, Together, watering
I got up with the sun, fixed coffee, put on my garden shoes on the porch and haven’t been back inside yet… Again, short handed at the nursery and so many chores to do… even on the sabbath 🙏🏻 But I feel good with it, (see Luke 14), when Jesus demonstrates to the Pharisees that some emergencies must be dealt with immediately, even if it means breaking the sabbath to do so… Ox in the ditch… Or in our case, watering to keep plant stock alive… And to beautify the landscape❤️
Even tho we are working 7 days a week right now, I know at the end of the day that I’m a very lucky and a very blessed man! 🙏🏻
“Come, fill the Cup, and in the Fire of Spring
The Winter Garment of Repentance fling:
The Bird of Time has but a little way
To fly–and Lo! the Bird is on the Wing.”
~ Omar Khayyám
Have a wonderful Sunday Afternoon!
Mark C.
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: Family time, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Herbs, Landscaping & Gardening, Love, Outdoor Lifestyles, Sunday Reflections, Sunrises, Sunsets, Waterfalls | Tags: Believe, Dogwood, Easter, Easter Sunday, Easter Sunrise, Easter Weekend, God, God Bless, God Bless America, I Love My Family, Jerusalem, Jerusalem Donkey, Jesus, Lamb of God, legend of the dogwood, Love, Love and Meaning, Love Thy Neighbor, Love Thy Neighbor As Thyself, Peace, Peace on Earth, Pray, Prayer Garden, Prayer in the Garden, Prayers, reflection, The Presence of God
I was thinking of the stories of the bible we learn from childhood and how they meld into real time in our lives… It’s Easter weekend and I wanted to share these two stories that I have always loved that tie into Easter.
‘All purebred donkeys are born with a cross on their back. A legend says it is the gift our Lord gave to the humble donkey that carried Him into Jerusalem. According to the legend, the little donkey so loved his Master that he followed Him to Calvary. Grief-stricken at the sight, he turned away but remained at his station at the foot of the cross. The shadow of the Cross fell upon him and from that day all purebred donkeys wear the Master’s Cross on their backs.’
Jesus rode in on a donkey… Then he walked and prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane during the last days of his life. He knew what was about to happen to him and I think he chose a Garden to spend his last days in to give him the Peace, Clarity & Strength that he needed leading up to his arrest and Crucifixion (on Good Friday).
The blooming plants and feeling of Spring in the Garden bring Peace & Calm to the mind & Spirit, and in turn aid in ones thoughts and reflection…
There is going to be a LOT of Reflection for me during this weekend, and I hope to do much of it in my garden. I truly find peace and a clear mind outside within the garden. I hope you do too.
Have a Blessed Easter Weekend,
Peace 🙏🏻
Mark Carter
Filed under: Family time, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Landscaping & Gardening, Love, Outdoor Lifestyles, Sunrises | Tags: After the Storm, Be Ready, Carters Nursery Pond and Patio, clean up, Cover Plants, Frost Warning, Frosty Morning, I Love My Family, Late Frost, Loss of power, Love and Meaning, Love Thy Neighbor, Love Thy Neighbor As Thyself, Storm Damage, Stormy Weather, The Calm After The Storm
The rising sun revealed varying amounts of damage. Some lost trees, lots of roof damage, hail damage on cars, limbs and debris all over… Thousands still have no power this morning. BUT, in many ways we dodged a bullet! I haven’t heard of any deaths related to last nights storms! 🙏🏻 And it really brought many people together helping each other out, checking on neighbors, picking up debris, etc…
Here are a few images that local people posted of storm damage and a map of power outages that are still being repaired.
All our local workers are cleaning up and repairing damage as I write this. Things like this really bring things into focus. We must all count our blessings 🙏🏻
Now, heres an old cliche’ for ya’… ”If you don’t like the weather, just wait a minute, it will change”! Temps in the 70’s and tornados yesterday – Frost warning Tonight! 🥶
Have a great day! Count your Blessings! Love thy neighbor! And cover your plants 🪴 😊
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: Boutique, Family time, Food, Fountains, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Koi, Koi Ponds, Love, Nursery, Outdoor Lifestyles, Sunday Reflections, water garden, Waterfalls | Tags: 1st Day of Spring, Aquatic Plants, Art, Art in the Garden, Art Show, Artistic Waterfalls, Flowers, I ❤️ Aquatic Plants, I ❤️ My Art, Love, Love and Meaning, Love Thy Neighbor, Love Thy Neighbor As Thyself, plants, Spring is Here!, 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 Songs, Sunday Sunrises, Sunday with Family, Sundays, Sunsets, Vernal Equinox, Water Garden Maintenance
Good Morning! And, ”Happy Vernal Equinox! I’ve been hollering ’Spring is Coming’ since February, and finally – here we are 🌼 SPRING!
Yesterday we held our annual Spring Workshop and Customer Appreciation Day and so many people came out! We talked gardening, water gardening, Koi, and more. We ate some Wonderful Craft-made Pizzas 🍕 and saw some beautiful Art Displayed by a wonderful local artist – Matt Brown.
The Sun finally popped out late in the day and we saw the Full Moon after dark 🌝
Now that Spring is here, its time to go to work!
“Oh, give us pleasure in the flowers to-day;
And give us not to think so far away
As the uncertain harvest; keep us here
All simply in the springing of the year.
Oh, give us pleasure in the orchard white,
Like nothing else by day, like ghosts by night;
And make us happy in the happy bees,
The swarm dilating round the perfect trees.
And make us happy in the darting bird
That suddenly above the bees is heard,
The meteor that thrusts in with needle bill,
And off a blossom in mid air stands still.
For this is love and nothing else is love,
The which it is reserved for God above
To sanctify to what far ends He will,
But which it only needs that we fulfill.
~ Robert Frost, A Prayer in Spring.
Y’all Have a Beautiful Sunday!
Mark C.
Filed under: Boutique, Family time, Food, Fountains, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Love, music, Outdoor Lifestyles, Sunrises, Sunsets, Waterfalls | Tags: Be My Valentine, Best Wife Award, Flowers, Koi = Love, Love, Love and Meaning, Poems, Present, Quality Time, Special Day, Special Gift, Special Night, Valentines Day
Have a wonderful day, and don’t forget to tell the one you Love how you feel! I try to do this every day, not just on Valentines Day 😊 But today, its a must…
Guys, my advice – keep it simple… Take her out to lunch or dinner. Get her flowers 💐 or even a simple card. The biggest thing in my book is just let her know shes your special Valentine 💘
“If I had a flower for every time I thought of you… I could walk through my garden forever.
~ Alfred Tennyson
Happy Valentines Day! 💘
Mark C.
Filed under: Family time, Food, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Lake and Pond, Landscaping & Gardening, Love, Outdoor Lifestyles, Waterfalls | Tags: Cabin Fever, Late Winter, Love, Love and Meaning, Poem, Poems, Saturday, Saturday Ain’t Cheap, Saturday Morning, Saturday off, Saturday Poem, Saturday Song, Saturdays Are Special, spring fever, Spring is Almost Here!, Spring is Coming, What ever happened to Saturday night
Saturday’s a mystery
Any other day, less interesting
Vacation day?
Holiday
Lazy day!
Later today… ?
Cold day!
Melancholy day.
Saturday Schmaterday…
Teetering on the edge of Spring.
~ Mark C.
Mark C.
Carter's Water Garden 