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...

Monday, December 6, 2010

More from Biltmore House and Gardens

If you missed my first post showing some of the gorgeous Poinsettias in the Indoor Conservatory at the Biltmore House near Asheville, TN, click HERE . Today I will show you more of the beauty from Biltmore... Above is a picture of the house (which has 34 bedrooms ---yipes)---and below are more from the indoor gardens.





Christmas Cactus





Love these little fuzzy worms; Anyone know this one's name?





Here's a picture of some of the gardens.. There were rooms and rooms and rooms which looked like this.. AWESOME!!!




Beautiful, isn't it??? I have had one of these before--but cannot remember its name.. Do you know????





Another beauty; There were several of these cactus-like plants around, but it was hard to get a good photograph looking up toward the light.





Finally, here is another Poinsettia tree... I love seeing the different colors together.

Visiting these beautiful gardens was so special for us --and made the beginning of the Christmas season such a joy. Hope you get a chance to visit the Biltmore House sometime...

Hope you had a great weekend. We certainly did ---and are enjoying all of our Christmas decorations here at home--inside and out. I am very excited since I hope to see two of my sons and some of the grandloves during Christmas this year... YEAH RAH!!!





Here's a picture of our "BIG" snow yesterday... It snowed here all day long and was so pretty to watch --but it just blew around in the air, and the most we got could be called a 'dusting'..... I did enjoy it though --as little as it was!

Hugs,
Betsy

56 comments:

Catherine said...

I bet it smelled so good in that garden house Betsy! Hope you enjoy your dusting of snow! :)
xo Catherine

Beth said...

I'm so enjoying taking this trip with you! The Biltmore truly does look amazing.
I esp. love your picture of the Christmas cactus--you caught the reds so well.
Your back deck looks quite festive and pretty---I hope you take more pictures of your decorations.
We got some snow over the weekend, but nothing big. However, it is coming down hard now and sticking to everything. My rural school district is on a two-hour delay. (I needed that).

Anonymous said...

Hi Betsy, Beautiful photos of Biltmore. I especially love the poinsettia tree. I bet it was enjoyable to watch the snow fall yesterday. It was really cold and windy here and today promises to be the same. Stay warm!

diane b said...

What a great old house, so big. The gardens are stunning especially the poinsettia tree.Your house is looking festive and you must be so happy to be having family visit at Christmas time.

Unknown said...

The 3rd picture I think is another specie of a Cat's Tail.

The fifth picture is called Anthurium -- my mom used to have these flowers in her garden.

I love the picture of the house with 34 rooms. It looks like a castle.

Valerie said...

Yep, we are back to our winter wonderlad atmosphere here - cold, blowing and more cold.

The green and reds in your photos were so refreshing to me after searching thru all the white snow pictures I took this weekend.

I love your dusting! Just enough to enjoy and not be overwhelmed!

Stay warm and safe!
Valerie

Ruth Hiebert said...

That house is huge.Did one family live in it?I would love to tour the gardens some day.
Blessings.Ruth

A Brit in Tennessee said...

The Biltmore is truly one of the most decidant stately homes this side of the pond. It's almost impossible to imagine the resources and wealth, it took to create such a masterpiece.
I'm craving to step through those doors again, thanks to you and George, I've had a little peek :)
We had snow too ! Just a dusting...
Loved this post.

NENSA MOON said...

Hi Betsy,
Again here to enjoy your beautiful photos..
Love the huge house and also those beautiful flowers... But the last pic was fascinated me... I really loved the scenery snowed there... very beautiful!!

hope you have a great Christmas with your loved family!
hugs,
nensa

Beth said...

We have snow here, too, Betsy. And schools are closed for the day. I do hope this is not a harbinger of the winter to come. I'm not too eager to have a repeat of last year's blizzard and five days of no electricity at Christmas.

Your pictures of Biltmore are lovely. It's funny that I live so close to it, but haven't gone there since I was a child. It is certainly a grand place to visit, and I appreciate you letting me vicariously share your visit. I was just catching up on your posts, and I hope you don't mind that I giggled a bit about your wine-cork soup. :-) You were a good sport, Betsy. What a great story! It definitely sounds like something that would happen to me.

Cheryl @ TFD said...

Your visit to the Biltmore was a fantastic way to start the Christmas Season.

Your deck looks festive and the dusting of snow is just the right kind of snow, as far as I'm concerned!

Hugs,
Cheryl

Sharon said...

Gorgeous plants and flowers! A very pretty place!

We didn't get a flake here. It is my kind of snow, when it blows around and looks pretty and then disappears! :-)

Have a great Monday!

Connie said...

It looks like a lovely place to visit, Betsy. Beautiful photos. I like the fuzzy worm one too, but I don't know what it is called. Happy Monday to you!

Arkansas Patti said...

No way any one family should call that place home unless you rule a country. HUGE. Glad it is now available to the general public.
I am just hooked on the Poinsettia tree. Darling.
I am jealous of your snow and know you are as daffy about the white stuff as I am. Enjoy. Maybe soon we will get some also.

Sunny said...

Amazing gardens. I'm glad I don't have to change the sheets with 34 bedrooms! Haha!
Have a great week.
☼ Sunny

Out on the prairie said...

Very nice shots, I need to visit. Gary had your plant ID, the last was a bromeliad.I wasn't aware of your background, and have worked for the UMC at varying levels, mostly with youth.I currently go to a community church, I like the music.As you say it is where you hang your hat, but I enjoy finding new ones in my travels.

Dorothy said...

Gorgeous pictures, Betsy! Makes me feel in the mood for Christmas!
I loved their greenhouse!

Jen said...

that looks like the right amount of snow for me. :)

Velvet Over Steel said...

34 bedrooms?!! Wow!!!! The house is HUGH!! I would so love to visit it someday... on my bucket list for sure!! :-)

Loved all the pictures as usual, Betsy!!! Beautiful!!! :-)

Have a Wonderful week!!!!
HUGS,
Coreen

Busy Bee Suz said...

The gardens are gorgeous.
If anyone deserves some snow, it is YOU.
SO happy you will see your family at Christmas!!!!!

Big Dude said...

Looks like you had about 50 flakes of snow more than we did.

DIGITAL WORLD PAGES ARCHIVE said...

Hello! Very beautiful post!

DIGITAL WORLD PAGES ARCHIVE said...

Beautiful photos!

DIGITAL WORLD PAGES ARCHIVE said...

The Poinsettia tree is very beautiful and interesting...
I have not seen it before...

Darla said...

Glad I'm not the cleaning lady there! Beautiful garden photos. and I love seeing your snow..

Thoughtfully Blended Hearts said...

Such wonderful photos Betsy...I would love to visit here...with lots of camera cards!!!

Anonymous said...

As I read blog posts, I can see the snow falling and continuing to pile up outside. When your post opened and I saw the picture of Biltmore, it surprised me to see the blue sky and the green grass. I guess the surprise occurred because all I have seen since Friday is a gray sky and snow and more snow! My world looks white :-) The beauty of the Biltmore mansion takes my breath away.

I Am Woody said...

I have always heard the fuzzy worm plant called chenille. Don't know if that is official though!

Debbie Taillieu said...

Hi Betsy!
I've heard so much about the Biltmore and I've been close to it but never there. Your pictures are amazing and making me want to visit!
Thank you for sharing another one of your amazing trips!
Have a fabulous day!

Karin said...

What an amazing place to visit. Thank you so much for sharing these gorgeous photos with us! Not sure if those 'worms' are a chenille plant - because the 'worms' grow to be much longer. The anthurium plant has a stunning flower too! My Christmas cactus is not blooming - just wondering if it is an Easter cactus instead. Love that poinsettia tree! Have a great week!

KathyA said...

I'm sure you've learned the name of that plant by now -- at first I thought it was lipstick plant, but I'm wrong. I'll keep searching though.

What a beautiful mansion! We toured Longwood Gardens this weekend -- although didn't tour the house.

Sciarada said...

Ciao Betsy, great colors for a great nature and a festive Christmas, everything is sublime!
A hug for you!

Anonymous said...

Hi Betsy, I really love your shot of the Anthuriums! Those red heart shaped waxy blooms are common in Hawaii. They are tender and don't like to be cold at all. I had a plant in my Southern California home a few years ago. Have a wonderful Monday and stay warm!!! Brrrrr.

Diane said...

The greenery, poinsettias and other flowers are very beautiful. It would be nice to go there just to see that! Glad you got some snow. Diane

Kim@stuffcould.... said...

I Love the Biltmore! The beauty is hard to describe, but your pics do a great job!

Anonymous said...

1st of all, that place is beautiful!
2nd that's a beauty of a blue sky! =)

The flowers are... WoW! And I would imagine that seeing such a wonderful place definitely puts ya in a Christmas mood! =)

MadSnapper said...

if you gave me the choice of having your home or this one, i would much rather have yours. 34 bedrooms is a scary thing to me and this is not a HOUSE but i don't know what it would be called. not a castle so maybe estate. beautiful but i would not want it

Becca's Dirt said...

The snow is beautiful. So nice to cozy up with a cup of hot chocolate next to the fire and watch the flakes fall. Have a nice warm day.

Ginny Hartzler said...

O.K., don't be mad, but honestly my favorite picture is your lovely deck with the snow, and red bow, lights and garlands!! Yes, the plants are lovely, nevertheless...your fuzzy worm is a chenille plant. Those fuzzy worms can grow up to 18 inches long!! They can be grown as a houseplant but tend to get spider mites.

Neal said...

Gorgeous pictures Betsy. That really is a beautiful house isn't it?

Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti said...

Wow Betsy ...the Biltmore is so pretty this time of the yeasr! The pointsettias are so beautiful! It's hard to believe you had snow already! I bet you'll have a white Christmas! It's nice you'll have family visiting for the holidays.

From the Kitchen said...

Snow that blows around in the air is the best kind. Ours decided to lay about on the ground and it's still there!!

What lovely indoor gardens. Gee, they are just like mine except my Christmas cactus isn't blooming!! =)

I'm so glad you are having Christmas visits with the boys and some of the "grandloves"--what a charming name for them.

Best,
Bonnie

Unknown said...

So pretty! Our dusting turned into FIVE inches and a two hour delay this morning due to wind making the roads icy! Woo winter! ;-)

amelia said...

What is or was the Biltmore House? Is it a hotel or a private residence? It's very imposing and impressive whatever it is and the plant life is pretty!

I hope you get more snow as I know how much you love it! We have lots to share if you don't have enough!!

Tracy said...

You know Betsy, I've been in NC for 13 years and have yet to visit the Bilmore House; shame on me!

I enjoyed the 'dusting' as well...but my son was hoping for more :)

Rose said...

I cannot imagine the staff that it must have took to keep the Biltmore house running. It sure is something...I love the gardens you show.

Your dusting of snow made everything pretty....though you didn't get a deep snow, at least you probably don't have the cold, cold temps we do.

Anonymous said...

I always thought I would go to Biltmore but have not made it yet. Thanks for the lovely tour you gave me. We have about 3 inches of snow and windchills at 6 degrees here.

Fred Alton said...

You have captured much beauty during your trip to Biltmore. Those flowers are especially attractive and we've had some of those in our gardens in Africa (at least looked similar) but I have no idea what they are called. Nice picture work Betsy!

Bobbie said...

Beautiful!! Love the fuzzy wormy ones the most. I've never seen any like that before.

Andrea said...

That Bitmore house certainly looks lovely and majestic, and your flower photos awesome too. I think maybe what you described as "cactus-lile" is a bromeliad.

amy @ Life in Pink Hi-Tops said...

The Biltmore sure is pretty. My Christmas cactus certainly isn't as pretty as theirs.
If we have snow, I hope it's only a "dusting". I heard them say on the radio that today was the coldest day we've had since February a year ago. And tomorrow is supposed to be colder. I'm going to freeze my toes off.

Twilight Man said...

Wow! That's a huge mansion with so many rooms! So lovely, isn't it...
The anthurium plants are tropical and we have plenty overhere in red,maroon, pink and white too. But I noticed the ones in your photo showed the flower curling up. So unusual. Thanks for the lovely photos!

SquirrelQueen said...

Biltmore House is beautiful and what an amazing garden it has. I love that poinsettia tree with all its lovely colors.

The fuzzy worm plant does remind me of a chenille plant which I have also heard called a red cattail. But like someone said above I thought the worms were a little longer.

You did get snow, a dusting still counts. I just glanced at the local weather on your sidebar, goodness your area is colder than ours right now. Brrr! Curl up by the fire and stay warm.

Hugs,
Judy

ratieh said...

love those pics..very awesome!

and oh, for the little fuzzy worms, they looks like caterpillar, don't they? i really2 don't like it. i have a phobia of it. =P

Kirigalpoththa said...

Interesting flora they have there!

Janie said...

The flowers are beautiful, Betsy, but I sure would hate to have to clean all the bedrooms in that big old house!
Pretty snow dusting on your porch.