Enjoy the blooms of springtime in NC!

Oprah concludes each issue of her magazine with a column entitled “What I know for sure.” That little phrase resonated when I read Our State magazine’s story of the Van Staalduinen family who settled near Pantego (where I grew up) more than 70 years ago. The family emigrated from Holland and began growing cut flowers on the rich Beaufort County farmland.

A prosperous mail-order bulb business evolved when my grandmother was the postmistress in Pantego. She and Mr. Van Staalduinen became good friends. Keep in mind this was long before UPS and FedEx! Whenever I see or smell peonies in the spring, I remember those beautiful flowers he often brought to her at the post office. “What I know for sure” is that the language of flowers knows no boundaries. They brighten our landscapes, our homes, our joyful celebrations and our sad occasions.

My husband, a native of Minnesota who moved progressively east and progressively south during his career, recently shared with me how surprised he was to find a flowering bush in his yard in December when he arrived in North Carolina. We simply take those winter sasanquas and camellias for granted. “What I know for sure” is that sometimes we just have to pinch ourselves as we remember how lucky we are that naturally flowering specimens grow all year long here in North Carolina!

Enjoy the beauty that surrounds you, especially the gorgeous spring and summer blooms.

Thanks to all visit NC concierge guests for joining us this spring on our day trips to Edenton for Easels in the Gardens and to Washington to visit The Estuarium, as well as our three-day, two-night trip to Asheville.  Be sure to view our upcoming fall tours and make plans now to join us in Charlotte, New Bern & Bath, or Raleigh!