Once you leave home, it's never the same when going back...

Welcome to Susan's "Outdoor Wednesday"~

Please be sure to visit all the other participants today by visiting "A Southern Daydreamer"

This week I'm sharing a familiar visit that most of us have encountered at one time or another, visiting an old home we've owned when we're back in town.

As I drove through Harrisburg, NC about 10 days ago, I couldn't resist driving by the former homestead that was our first when moving south from PA. Camera in hand, I snapped a few from the curbside...even on a rainy day it still looked grand. Of course everything (the trees we'd planted) seemed so huge. The Deodora Evergreen tree to the left of the house foundation was planted only nine years ago, and it now is higher than the home. I still remember standing there and getting my picture taken with it and sending to my Beloved to show him. (he was working in AZ at the time on business). The yellow Forsythia on the back side of the home blooming was planted from a root of my mothers from the home I was raised in from PA.

This is the house from the front curbside., I never thought of painting the door blue when I owned the home...isn't it lovely? The Inkberry Hollys planted in front of the bay window were purchased from the local grocers at the time for only $2 each., they look so pretty and delicate, exactly why I wanted them there. The flower beds were all created by my Beloved and myself...and we miss seeing the perennials blooming.

This is the right side and rear view of the home. Here is a red birch tree that we planted, it's in the forefront of this pic. I still remember the day when I seen my husband standing by the tree feeling all smug because he'd pruned the two large suckers that had grown up on the side of the tree. I dropped my head and said, Honey...those weren't suckers, they were part of the Birch tree...Birches are supposed to have three trunks... We both laughed...and the tree grew big and strong despite him cutting two thirds of it away. ;) The trees we planted in the rear have blossomed since we left. What great memories of all the hard work, sweat, and sometimes tears when we'd work all day in the gardens.

In the rear of the home was a small hill that backed up to the main entrance. In the summer it's all nice and green. We were given three Mimosa tree shoots from my brother in law and planted them on the top of this hill. These are the naked Mimosa's that will soon be getting their leaves. Everyone said we'd regret planting them because their messy, but we loved them mess and all. A Mimosa tree in bloom is so gorgeous to me and the tree really lends itself to such an exotic feel in a garden. On the other side of the bank it was completely covered with ground covering shrubs.

Thanks for allowing me to share my memories of our old home with you. It's never the same when we go back, but it's nice to reminisce and remember the joys our family shared there together.

Those memories never die...

~CC Catherine