River walk

This evening we're up and over the bridge to visit a little place called Daniel Island---hang on, here we go!!!

The island is between the Wando and Cooper rivers, about 15 miles from Charleston.

The land here used to be a private hunting reserve and was used for farming and ranching, (the first public roads on Daniel Island were built in the early 1700s and the land was used for cattle ranching and dairy farming) it was sold around 1997 and the land was developed and turned into this community with homes, a country club, and the big Family Circle Tennis Center.
 I think I read the population is about 10,000. The whole area is about 4,000 acres.
 It's a planned community, nice, but I wouldn't want to live way out that far from Charleston myself--I would feel like I'm out in the middle of nowhere. LOL
The neighborhoods looked safe and children played freely, probably an attraction to people raising families. There are football and soccer fields here and I've read that the kids ride their bikes to school.
They have their own schools there, banks, restaurants, groceries, doctor offices, churches, salons, etc.

The average price for a single family home is around 850,000 and many of the larger homes go for the millions. (several sold for over two million last year). The lot sizes are very small, with a half acre being considered "huge".

You can find a small condo for about 350,000 up to a million. You might get lucky and find a small under 2000 square foot 3 bedroom home for about 600,000 but your yard would be less than a quarter of an acre.
If you want a waterfront home with a dock---you'll spend about 4.6 million.

Pretty little community---the brand new houses are built to look "old and historic".

Love the decorations on this house and the next one!--many still out from 4th of July!

the path is nice!

Lots of outdoor recreation here.....many boat docks, boats, a pirate-theme playground for kids, swimming pools, parks, creeks, kayaks, lots of fishing and crabbing, places to play tennis and golf, as well as paths for both walking/running and biking.

Daniel Island is named after former Colonial Governor of the Carolinas- Robert Daniell, who invested in the marsh and river area way back in the 1600s.

Yay!! there's a BREEZE!---helps with the darn "skeeters"!! (air jaws! LOL)

nope, that's NOT an alligator there---that is a person taking an evening dip!

this little one is learning how to do it!

they are having fun!

I didn't go stand on the thing to have my "butterfly" picture made--maybe next time

I love to view the river and the people and boats on it

love this big old twisty gnarly old tree! Bet it's seen lots of hurricanes

the walking boardwalk is very nice. We made it near the end.....but had to turn around as it was getting dark and the "air jaws" were coming to life.

LOVE all the delicate Spanish moss drifting down from the trees!

and if you're tired of walking......there is a swing to rest in!
......so---let's REST! Who brought the lemonade, ice and cups? I brought the sweet tea and the straws! LOL

Summer seeds

"mary mary quite contrary, how does your garden grow?"

Our caladiums bloomed! I didn't even know these plants did bloom!

Our orange lilies did great! I love them!

vinca, I think

My first year for clematis...........I just love them!!!

well, I was very excited to finally have a canna bed.........

They came up and they looked great! I was so happy and then.....they vanished overnight.  I think we have only 2 left. Something dug them up and ate them I guess. We are going to re-try

Pumpkin patch. Excited to grow "punkins" this Fall!

I've waited many years for these hollyhocks......just have not had any luck growing them anywhere......THIS YEAR they came up, Yay!! My Ma-Maw told me years ago that they will not bloom the first year.....and i think that is what happened the last hollyhock bed I had many years ago. The second year they bloomed like crazy.....HUGE AND so colorful and big and I was just thrilled with them! (mine looked like the ones pictured above. I had the double bloom ones and several different colors as well as the candy-pink ones) So that means maybe next summer I will get my hollyhock blooms again. 

hollyhock youngsters

I think these are moonflowers?

We put lots of marigolds in our kitchen garden. I read that they help the tomato plants so we will see.....we put marigolds in so many of our pots and hanging baskets too....just put them all over---love the splash of yellow and orange! And they are SO HARDY, even in the hot hot summers here.

one of my favorites!!--just planted

baby four o' clocks up now!

Clematis and Cyclamen

Baby red peppers

(below) our first green pepper of the summer:

Mr. Front Porch made me a pretty pot of flowers for Mothers Day.

(above and below, my Mother's Day pot)

I love those little "fairy trees". LOL I did have to transplant them.......
Because.....this is what happened. The petunias got so big and thick, you could no longer see the fairy trees! LOL (below--same pot)

Sweet "Tater" vines....I've rooted about a couple  dozen of these this year, started them from lil babies...

below, same plant a few days later. It's now cascading over the front of the pot. We have them in most of our pots and in our windowboxes too. I LOVE MY sweet tater vines! LOL

Sunny yellow mums blooming in the spring

Some type of coleus and maybe some sort of purple sweet tater vine? I love the colors in that coleus.

I hereby give ALL THE CREDIT for our gardens to Mr. Front Porch, who digs them, takes care of them, feeds them, etc. etc, plus MOWS. I enjoy starting the gardens, picking seeds, rooting vines, and deadheading and he does the rest plus keeps them all watered really well. He does the hard work, not me.
Soooooooooooo, what's growing in YOUR garden?