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The Tiny Train Universe

| Flower Roberts

I am a miniatures enthusiast. You may have picked that up from my fairy posts. I totally lost myself in the Model Train Museum at the Smoky Mountains Railroad.

The walls were lined with every type and size of model train imaginable. The middle of the huge building had train towns set up and running. Whistles were blowing, lights were flashing and tiny people were in action.

Everywhere I looked there were little scenes set up of events. It was a dynamic diorama!

There was a tiny policeman pulling over a reckless driver.

A forest fire being put out by firemen. Oh, I hope those two are okay!

A drive-in movie was being enjoyed by its tiny audience.

A mechanic was fixing his itty bitty delivery truck…

See what you can find in the following photos.

I was so carried away looking at the tiny trains that I almost missed my ride on the real one.

Rose wanted to ride the train as part of her graduation celebration. We are here a few months early. No pressure Rose. You got this girl!

Stay tuned for our adventure aboard the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad.

ALL Aboard!

Give Me a Cabin by the Side of the Road

| Flower Roberts

We made a mountain run this weekend. We had to move Rose home for three weeks before she moves back to college.

The local hotel was full, so I found a cabin on vrbo. ( vacation rental by owner)

We found a diamond among stones on Pumpkintown Road.

It was a sweet little piece of heaven. It had porches, gliders and a swing for enjoying the babbling brook across the road. There was music from birds and the baying of hounds to add to the ambience.

The back of the cabin was tucked against a steep rocky slope covered with spider worts, mosses, ferns and lichens which could be viewed out the kitchen window.

The renovations were ingenious and fitting with the decor. Reclaimed wood was used everywhere.

Tree trunks served as stair railing.

No space was wasted.

The little details made mountain magic in every nook.

The new stove stood where the old wood stove had been. If these walls could only talk!

I took close-ups for a mosaic in case some of you are into clever re-purposing.

I hope you enjoyed this tour of a mountain cabin by the side of Pumpkintown Road.

Stay tuned for a train ride, a model train museum and some floating houses. Wow, we are tired!

FLOW

The Voodoo Trio

| Flower Roberts

Gardening is such an emotional past-time. It is like leaving your children outside to fend for themselves. I have had several scares with my new Voodoo lilies. The latest involved the baby.

I now have three Amorphophalus konjac plants, thanks to the Popes. The big one came first, then a medium and a small. The small baby dried up soon after arrival. I was worried that my plans for a Devil’s Tongue Triangle had been foiled. The baby finally sent up a new shoot.

New green-tipped shoot to right of stick.

I am happy to report that its leaf has emerged.

Baby Voodoo lily with my toes for scale

Now the three are visible and the triangle is complete. It reminds me of the story about the three bears which makes me Goldie Locks.

Three Amorphophalus konjacs

I am pleased to say that the “Voodoo Trio” is thriving under the fig tree from my godmother. Sounds like a fairy tale doesn’t it?

Goldie Locks/Flow

Sunday Scenes

| Flower Roberts

I took photos as I wandered around the yard donating blood to the mosquitoes.

It is hot and dry. Our sprinklers and soaker-hoses are preparing our gardens for another scorcher day in North Carolina.

Instead of featuring a single type of plant today, I have chosen to post a sampler of what my plants are doing on this sultry Sunday morning.

One of the Night Blooming Cereus is making buds along its leaf margins.

Some sunflowers are glowing and buzzing while others are nodding with heavy seeds.

The largest butternut squash are mellowing in color.

The orange hibiscus is blooming again.

The begonia has blooms hanging low.

The Sweet 100 tomatoes are ripening faster that I can pick them.

The Creeping Fig is creeping over the Lily and Moss statues again. It should be called Leeping Fig!

Happy Sunday from Flower Roberts

Devils in the Ground

| Flower Roberts

I hate to admit that it has taken me this long to select a suitable site and plant the three Devil’s Tongue plants that were gifted to me by my friends, the Popes.

I have moved them around in their pots to try out various locations. They seemed the most at home under the fig and beside a clump of Japanese Sacred Lilies.

I hope they will thrive in their new home.

Leaves emerging from Amorphophalus konjac stalk

Are wondering what configuration they are planted in? I bet you could guess. A triangle of course!

FLOW

Flyer Meets Flower

| Flower Roberts

When flyer meets flower

Swallowtail butterfly on Stargazer lily

they both get a treat.

Bumble bee on blue lace cap Hydrangea

The flower makes some seeds

Swallowtail butterfly on Tiger lily ‘Splendens’ Double

and the flyer gets to eat.

Blue Crown Passion vine with unknown bug

FLOW

Teeny Tiny Nests

| Flower Roberts

Fluted Bird’s Nest fungi look like the nests of teeny tiny birds, but these ‘eggs’ are really spore cases called periodoles. The ‘nests’ are actually splash cups called a sporocarps.

The scientific name for these tiny, wondrous fungi is Cyathus striatus.

The immature nests are a lighter color and have a thin skin on top, so that the ‘eggs’ will not get launched out by a raindrop before they are ready.

Fluted Bird’s Nest / Cyathus striatus

The mature nests are darker brown with gray ‘eggs’ ready for takeoff during the next rain.

This last shot shows a mix of mature and immature nests. Nature is beautiful and magical.

Cyathus striatus

FLOW on Fungi

Peach and Plum Mullein

| Flower Roberts

I cut an advertisement out of a magazine for Burpee’s Southern Charm Verbascum in 1995. It has been in my files since then. I finally found one in 2020. This Flower plays the long game.

This Verbascum/Mullein has not been happy here. I have moved it… I thought. Now a struggling plant is in the old spot and another in the new location. I will keep moving it until it is happy.

Southern Charm Verbascum and tiny bee(right)

In the mean time, I will enjoy its scraggly spikes with the color combo that I love and the tiny bees that fascinate me.

The anatomy of this bloom is not the usual centered symmetry of stamen and pistil. The stamen look like purple pipe cleaners.

It struggles along but survives. I know how it feels.

Grow(and bloom)where you are planted.

FLOW

Grandfather Mountain

| Flower Roberts

We took a trip to Grandfather Mountain last week. I wanted to see the new Wilson Center.

We also wanted to see the animals in their habitat-mimicking enclosures.

There are Bald Eagles and cougars(not pictured). Also otters, elk and black bear.

We have a favorite picnic spot with a great view.

I took my eyes off my child for one second and look where I find him!

The Mile High Swinging Bridge is a big draw for Grandfather Mountain.

The twisting road up was the site of a scene in the Forrest Gump movie.

I hiked all over this mountain as a teenager. It requires grit. My dad was an avid hiker.

If you are craven some adventure, you may want to swing by Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina.

http://www.grandfather.com or email habitats@grandfather.com

FLOW