Walled Garden Tulips

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For many years Betsy and I have made a Spring trip to the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina.  We go primarily to see the tulips in the Walled Garden of the estate.  Seeing all those beautiful tulips tells us that Spring has truly arrived.

Sempervivum Flower

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We have sempervivum (hen and chickens) in several places around our yard.  We like them because they are always green, regardless of the weather or season (‘sempervivum’ means ‘always alive’).  One thing we didn’t know was that the hens, just before they die out and are replaced by chickens, flower.  The flowers are small and delicate, but still beautiful.  I got this photo of a flowering hen in out front yard.

Thoughts of Spring

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It’s amazing what sunshine and mild temperatures can do for the spirit.  After several weeks of rain and cold weather, the sun finally made an appearance on the Cumberland Plateau.  It’s probably too early to declare that Spring is finally here, but hope springs eternal, and both My Beautiful Bride and I have been doing yard work for the past couple of days.  If this keeps up we’re going to have to head to Biltmore to enjoy the Spring flowers in the Walled garden.  The above photo of the Walled Garden on the Biltmore Estate was taken a few years ago.

Tulips in the Walled Garden

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Since Betsy and I have seasonal passes to Biltmore, we try to get there at least once each season.  And although we would be hard-pressed to pick a favorite season, it’s hard to beat Spring.  I got this photo of tulips in bloom in the Walled Garden in April of this year.

Freedom's Glow Lily

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Betsy and I are fortunate to have flowers blooming almost continuously from Spring through Autumn.  While roses are our very favorites, we also enjoy some beautiful lilies this time of the year.  This beauty is called Freedom's Glow.  I love the color.

Floor Show Iris

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Betsy and I have been pleased with the display that our irises are putting on this Spring.  I think we’ve had more blossoms this year than we’ve ever had.  We’ve had about 20 different varieties in bloom so far.  This beauty is called Floor Show.  It, like most of our other irises, is a rebloomer, so we hope to enjoy another display in the autumn.

Quail Daffodil

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I’m posting this photo very much after the fact, but in early April I got a picture of some of our bright, cheery Quail Daffodils in the early morning light.  The blossoms on these daffodils lasted a very long time, and brightened our yard for many days.

Rhododendron Blossoms

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Betsy and I are confident that Spring has come to stay when the big rhododendron by our deck bursts into bloom.  It has beautiful pink blossoms that are always a welcome sight.

Biltmore's Walled Garden

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Betsy and I visit Biltmore House and Gardens several times a year, and we always stop by the Walled Garden.  The lower level is the Rose Garden, while the upper level (seen above) is planted with seasonal flowers in geometric patterns.  The panorama above was taken during our visit in August of this year.

Betsy's Favorite Iris

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It's sometimes difficult to pin Betsy down as to what her favorite is when it comes to some of our flowers.  But there is no doubt that her favorite iris is Tennessee Vol.  I'm not sure if she's attracted mostly by the name or by the color, but in any case it's a beautiful iris.

Betsy's Mother's Day Flowers

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Betsy really hit the jackpot on Mother's Day.  She got flowers from her son Jeff and his wife Dawn, and from my son Bob and his significant other Melissa.  I took this photo of my Beautiful Bride with her beautiful flowers last week.