It’s not the same hat, it sure ain’t the same body, but that’s still moi, loving another day on the Crystal Coast. Gosh, I was once skinny…and it looks like my hat was a better match. Oh well, one of the advantages of being old: you’re supposed to weigh more and who cares if your clothes clash?

Another advantage of being grandma age is I’m mostly exempt from the end-of-the-school-year madness dubbed “Maycember.” What with moving kids home from college, class parties, awards banquets, middle school dances, high school proms, etc., etc., May has become a second December, full of celebrations along with stress. These days, I get to watch from a distance, as in pictures on Facebook.

Instead of hounding children to study for final exams and renting tuxedos, I can concentrate on the beauty of my May “garden” (British for “yard” here). There’s so much to appreciate as I stroll around outside.

For example, I am beyond grateful that my backyard hydrangea bush, which most years doesn’t bloom at all and some years gives up just a bloom or two, looks to be on the verge of bustin’ out all over. Thank you, Lord!

Why more blooms this year? Maybe the aggressive cutting back of the wax myrtles nearby allowed more sunlight to hit the hydrangea. Or maybe the bush somehow got more water or the winter was milder or I didn’t prune. I really don’t know. One of the many mysteries of nature.

Another gardening mystery is this pot of fall flowers which continues to bloom profusely. These pansies look better than they have all winter. And that fall ornamental cabbage I have staked is now going into its second summer. I know it looks a little scraggly, but as long as it has vibrant green leaves, I hate to rip it out. Its longevity has become a little bit of a gardening experiment for me, too. Has anyone else ever had an ornamental cabbage live through an eastern North Carolina summer?

You may have noticed the tines of the white plastic forks in the picture above. I hope to deter squirrels who love to dig in my pots and bury their nuts, uprooting my flowers in the process. Once flowers in a pot grow to fill it, squirrels usually leave it alone, but vacant growing space early in the season seems to beckon to these tree rats: “There’s room in this pot; come and bury your nuts.”

This broken begonia will need to be replaced. I should have used forks. Arrrgh!

On a happier, squirrel-free note, this year I’ve planted something of a butterfly garden. The milkweed I showcased in my last post is still alive (with yellow blooms to the left in this picture), although I must confess I haven’t spotted any monarchs flying around laying their eggs on the leaves. (I guess that’s the way it works?) I’ve added bright flowers and am hoping I’ll see different types of butterflies landing in this area, whether monarchs or some of those more common yellow and white varieties.

The zinnia crop is coming along. Somehow, I’ve stumbled on and joined a Facebook group devoted to growing zinnias. Who knew there was such a niche? I guess you can find anything on FB. Anyhow, according to folks who post, there’s nothing easier to grow from seed than a plot of zinnias. Just sprinkle the seed on some lightly chopped dirt and get out of the way.

I’ve done just that with two small packets of seeds, one I bought at Lowe’s and another given out at a garden club meeting. And voila, I have seedlings. I did buy a six-pack of more mature, blooming zinnias the other day at the nursery. I couldn’t resist that beautiful salmon color.

Another flower I bought on impulse is something the plant identifier app on my phone tells me is pentas, more commonly known as Egyptian starcluster.. According to Flora Incognita (my plant app), the blooms appeal to hummingbirds and butterflies.

And even more enticing, for some reason on that particular day at the Lowe’s Home Improvement Center in Cape Carteret, each pot was only $1.00. I quickly decided I needed at least ten for my butterfly garden …and anywhere else I could put these in my backyard.

In this merry month of Maycember, I’ve decided to ignore the holes dug by the squirrels in my begonia bed, instead just checking now and again for uprooted flowers I need to replant, if possible.

Instead, I’ll concentrate on all the beauty of the month, look for butterflies, and hope the hummingbirds will return to their feeder in the midst of the blue-black salvia.