Welcome to JOYFUL REFLECTIONS. Also welcome to MARCH!!!! My header picture this month is a photo I took of the pretty Crocus blooms in our yard... The Crocuses and Daffodils are the first signs of spring here in Tennessee. I am definitely ready for SPRING...

Sunday, May 31, 2009

Mountain Laurel in North Carolina


We are home from a couple of days with our good friends, Judy and Charlie, at their vacation home in the mountains of North Carolina. To say we had a wonderful time is an understatement... We had the most awesome time EVER. These are such great friends ---and this particular trip was the BEST.


I will share more about this trip with you in days to come. Today, I want you to see what we saw ALL around their yard and their entire area... None of us had ever seen the Mountain Laurel as gorgeous as it is this year. I felt like I was in heaven --with all of this laurel ALL over the mountainside in that gorgeous area... It was truly awesome.


Both George and I took a 'trillion' (ha) pictures of the laurel ---so I was able to pick out several to show you... Just look at these pictures and imagine yourself totally surrounded with these beauties. There were white ones, light pink ones, light purple ones and dark pink ones... Absolutely amazing....
































































Hope you had a good week. We certainly did!!!! More to come about this trip!!!!!

Hugs,

38 comments:

Unknown said...

that is very pretty, I've never seen it before.

RA said...

Really awesome! I am happy to read that you had a great time. The name "Joyful Reflections" suits your blog so well, Betsy :). Have a wonderful week. Hugs and love from Indonesia.

This Is My Blog - fishing guy said...

Betsy: The mountains were ablaze with color, so nicely shown.

T said...

So lovely - I miss the Mt. Laurels.

Great shots as always - glad you guys had such a great time!

Midlife, menopause, mistakes and random stuff... said...

Oh my gosh Miz Betsy.........what beautiful, vibrant and vivid snapshot!!
Sounds like a wonderful visit with friends surrounded by beauty :)

Steady On
Reggie Girl

Jayne said...

My dad got a sprig on a trip to see me in college, and now has a beautiful white mountain laurel growing in his yard. He jokes that it stands as a testament to my getting through college and what an accomplishment that was for HIM. :c)

Diane AZ said...

Betsy, I'm so glad you went to visit Judy and Charlie when the Mountain Laurels were blooming so you could share the experience with us. I had never seen mountain laurels in bloom before. The stamens look like ribs of umbrellas. So delightful!

Arkansas Patti said...

Weren't you lucky to see it in bloom. Lovely shots. Wonder if it grows in the Ozarks? Will have to check.
Welcome back.

Shelley said...

All these flowers are so pretty - looks like its very bountiful in the area! Glad you had a safe and fun trip! Looking forward to more photos!!

Small City Scenes said...

Mt. Laurel is one of the most beautiful shrubs or trees around. The flower is exquisite. I have one called mountain fire is is pink with red ribs. How lucky you are to see mountain sides full of them. It sure sounds like you both had a wonderful time with gracious friends. We all should be so fortunate.
I am going on a day trip to the Yakima Canyon. Hope to bring back some super pics. MB

Karin said...

We fondly recall our days of living in Massachusetts and Connecticut. Living there was the first time ever we got to enjoy all this beauty, which we had never seen out west. These are such gorgeous photos of these lovely blooms. God is just so extravagant in giving us all this beauty to enjoy! I wondered what use this plant has as it is poisonous to ingest it. There is so much on Google about it. Very interesting!

So glad you had a very special time with friends! Enjoy your Sunday and the coming week. Thanks for your note - my outgoing E-mail is not working and my son has to let me know what to do - as we changed providers.

marmee said...

so glad you had a blast...it's great to have those kind of friends. those flowers are so amazing and beautiful...there is just something magical about being in the mountains.

Beth said...

Oh my goodness, Betsy---that IS lovely! I love mountain laurel, but unfortunately we don't have any growing at my house. Your friends are fortunate indeed. Your pictures, as always, are lovely. So glad you had safe travels and a good time with good friends.

Ruth's Photo Blog said...

Oh my goodness,Such beauty in one place.I am glad you are allowing me to share a small part of it via pictures.Glad you had a great time.
Blessings,Ruth

NCmountainwoman said...

This has been one of the best years in recent memory for the mountain laurel. They surround our house and are just beautiful. Best of all, when they are finished, the rhododendron will start blooming.

Glad you had such a good time. Welcome home.

Connie said...

Betsy, I've never seen Mountain Laurel before so this was a real treat! So beautiful and to see so much of it at once must have been amazing. Thanks for sharing this. I'm glad you had a good visit with your friends. Happy Sunday to you!

~Daisy~

A Brit in Tennessee said...

What a beautiful flower, I can only image an entire mountainside covered in it.
I'm sure you and George had the BEST time, don't forget to share your pictures with us !
Hugs;
Jo

Femin Susan said...

wow !!!
you are very lucky......they really are magical.....i have never seen this kind of flower....
does it have any fragrance ?.....
if so it would be a great place to go....
cheers!!

Cedar ... said...

What lovely laurel!

Diane said...

We don't have mountain laurel here, it looks positively gorgeous. Does it smell good, does it grow wild? Have a great Sunday.

Diane said...

We don't have mountain laurel here, it looks positively gorgeous. Does it smell good, does it grow wild? Have a great Sunday.

Betty said...

Beatuiful!!!
They remind me of our rhododendrons out here.

Grammy said...

Welcome back, big hug. My dad loved the laurel of West Virginia. He talked about it allot in the spent time I spent with him. I have never seen it my self as I have never been there at the right time for it. Your photos are truly awesome. We have rhododendrons here.

Carol Murdock said...

Betsy...the Luarel pictures are beautiful!

Deborah Godin said...

Oh! Are those for real...or were you out there all night with a flashlight, hand-painting them for us!!!

EcoRover said...

Thank you for the wonderful mountain laurel photos. I grew up in the Alleghenies where we celebrated things like the opening day of trout season, the first feast of leeks (aka ramps) and ham, and the blooming of the mountain laurel.

There as with my life of 20 years in Montana, there was/is no favorite season--each has its special treasures.

Janie said...

The mountain laurels are just gorgeous. So glad you had fun with your friends in North Carolina.

Mary said...

Beautiful, beautiful! Would love to have one of those in my yard somewhere.

Rose said...

I am glad you had a wonderful time....that laurel is sure beautiful!

Busy Bee Suz said...

I am so happy you had a good time!!!
They are so lucky to have so much color around them.
Take care, suz

Tina said...

These are wonderful photos, Betsy. So glad to hear you had a great time and hopefully had great weather.
Nothing like the mountains and all that beauty!!

Anonymous said...

I especially love the deep pink one you photographed. Looks like a lovely place. Have a nice week!

Dorothy said...

The Mountain Laurel is awesome! I would like to visit that area when it's in bloom.

Mother Nature said...

Gorgeous photos of mountain laurel! I want to add some to my garden. My BIL lives on a lake and when the ML blooms it is spectacular.
Donna

Kelly said...

...what a unique-looking flower. I've never seen one up close. Upside down they look like a Southern Belle's ball gown.

Pigeon said...

I am not familiar with mountain laurel. It's very beautiful!

Joy said...

Thanks for posting these pictures
I love them.

Joy

Tammie Lee said...

beautiful images of a gorgeous flower!