The Happy Cottage

Small Garden Journal

This blog began in Jan. 2017 on a cold bright winter day in our 1945 cottage home in Durham, NC. Photos of the Spring 2016 garden inspired me. Winter is after all, the perfect time for gardeners to daydream of Spring. Monthly posts highlight what's happening in our Zone 7 Piedmont garden which includes small wildlife and occasional updates of what's happening inside the cottage. In 2015 we renovated the house next door and are enjoying starting garden beds there as well.

Visit the Butterfly Compendium to see a catalog of pollinators in the garden and host plant information. View this and other favorites in the Featured Posts section of the blog (to the right of the most recent post).

Gardening/lifestyle ethos at The Happy Cottage: support Mother Earth and yourself by being as natural as possible. Avoid the use of synthetic chemicals and weed instead of spray. Include host and nectar plants for pollinators. Favorite garden medium: organic mushroom compost. It's the soil that mushrooms were grown in. Full disclosure: We do use biological mosquito dunks.

My gardening style has evolved over twenty years to include scent, food for pollinators, butterflies, birds and shelter for small creatures. A multi-dimensional garden will bring you years of enjoyment!

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Welcome Autumn Equinox

Fall rolls in at 9:54 p.m. EDT tonight. I am ready for cooler temperatures and gentler weather. I know that people Southeast of us are ready to say goodbye to Florence and hello to recovery. The seasonal wheel turns again. I'm in a bit of a mystical mood. I made it a point to see an open hibiscus blossom in the pond and a white moon flower on the rose arbor. The hibiscus blossom will be closed before nightfall. The window to have both blossoms open at the same time is

Florence Comes to Northgate Park

As everyone knows the Southeastern part of North Carolina has suffered devastating flooding. Donations, physical help and prayers are needed. Here in the northern part of the Piedmont we have been relatively unscathed. This morning we woke to flash flood and tornado warnings. Late night Sept. 16 our neighborhood had steady to heavy rain. As of 10:00 a.m. Sept. 17th we had a total of five inches. It's still raining as of 10:52 a.m. The Florence rain bands brought us abou

Butterfly and Moth Compendium

This post catalogs butterflies and moths found in our yard in Durham, NC. Providing nectar and host plants plus avoiding insecticides and herbicides such as pre-emergents produce the best conditions for your flying beauties. I've included Common Host plants in our yard or area for each. I'll be adding photos as I record more species or better photos. Spicebush Swallowtail Common Host plants: Spicebush and Sassafras We must have these nearby as we see quite a few Spicebus