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...

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

More from the Biltmore Conservatory

I have so many gorgeous pictures from the Biltmore House and Gardens Conservatory from our 2/14/11 visit.  Today I will share more with you ---this time showing of the 'overall' views in the conservatory.  The conservatory is one large building composed of several different rooms ALL filled with gorgeous flowers and plants.

The picture above was fascinating to me how they used that big barrel and the little balls floating in water.  How creative!!!   At Christmastime this area was filled with lots and lots of poinsettias... I think I even posted a picture at that time.





I thought this was a pretty display.





I liked the look of this area --using several different plants.





The ivy surrounding the bottom of this big container was neat I thought.





The minute I saw this picture,  I thought of my friend DARLA .  Darla is  the "Gardening Guru"  ----and is so creative in her big garden.  She uses all kinds of things --even old shoes--to plant flowers in!!!!   You can see why I thought of her when I saw the way this plant was displayed.





Finally,  here is one more beautiful picture from the Conservatory... I wish each of you who love flowers and plants like I do, could visit the Biltmore House and Gardens.  It's in Asheville, North Carolina ---so if you ever get near there,  stop by!!!!!!  I can't wait to go back when the outside flowers (like the tulips and daffodils) are blooming.  Wow!!!!

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We were gone all day yesterday... Visited George's parents,  ran some errands,  and met some great blog friends for dinner in Lebanon (at the Cracker Barrel). Pictured above is blog friend NEAL,  his beautiful wife, Patti, and daughter, Allison.  They live in Indiana and are headed for a short vacation down the Natchez Trace.  It was great to see them again.  IF you get a chance, check out Neal's blog.  He posts some incredible photos.

Because of our busy day,  I haven't visited any of your blogs yet... I will try to catch up this week!!!!  Have a great day.

Hugs,

49 comments:

Elettra said...

Consevatory the Biltmore is a place really beautiful, congratulations to your friends from Indiana, hello Betsy

Darla said...

Oh my stars! That Bromeliad in the second photo is beautiful...love the spilling ivy under the palm and did my eyes bulge when I saw the airplane/spider plant trailing out of that birdhouse.....thanks for thinking of me, you were right on!

Ruth Hiebert said...

This place is gorgeous.Some people ae so talented in displaying things.I follow Neal's blog,yes,he has some beautiful pictures.Have a great day.

Thoughtfully Blended Hearts said...

These gorgeous photos make me want to garden!!! They are beautiful...and so are your blog friends!!!
Have a beautiful day and maybe we will see some sunshine!!!

Beth said...

Those are lovely plants, Betsy. Biltmore is indeed a beautiful place. It certainly won't be long now until the outside plants there are in full bloom.

Your blog friends look like very nice folks---I'm glad you were able to get together with them.

From the Kitchen said...

Thanks for more beautiful Biltmore photos. I love all the different plants and seeing how they are displayed. It gives me great ideas but I'd need a number of gardeners on hand to keep it up.

Best,
Bonnie

diane b said...

The flowers and plants are lovely. I can see many tropical ones that grow here in the gardens. It must be tricky growing tropical plants to survive your winters.I guess hot houses are used. It is fun meeting up with bloggers, I must go visit Neal and Daria.

Catherine said...

I bet it smelled good in the Conservatory!
xo Catherine

Unknown said...

You know, at this point in our dull gray existence, I will even perk up at a lot of bright green color! So cannot wait for spring flowers to start popping up around here. WE are probably 3-4 weeks from it, but I need color NOW! Off to check out Neal's pics!

Hugs!

Susie Swanson said...

These are beautiful pictures. I love the Biltmore Gouse, I've visited it several times and there's always something more to see. I love the Conservetory. I'm partial to that Ivy too. Susie

Arkansas Patti said...

I do love bromeliads and miss them. In Florida they were outside plants.
Such beautiful displays. Thank you for sharing a place I probably will not get to see.

floweringmama said...

Good morning, what a great way to start the day!

Glad you got to visit with friends and have a great day!

RoeH said...

What a beautiful place! I've heard of it and it's on my list of things to do. However that list will proably outlive me. :)

Snap said...

Everything about the Biltmore is big and beautiful. Lovely shots. How nice to spend time with friends .. especially blogging friends!

MadSnapper said...

truly a beautiful garden to visit. you are like i am so many photos not enough days to post them. i always go crazy with photos in a garden like this. i love the big urn. i am headed over to check out Neal

LV said...

You are allowed one day off. You share such beautiful things that we can see them twice and still enjoy it again.

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

Love the photos from the Biltmore. Makes me want to grow something. So nice to spend the day with friends!

Ginny Hartzler said...

The pictures are fabulous, I'm thinking for every one you posted, you had 20 more! I would have taken hundreds!! My favorite is the last plant picture. Good to see Neal, I do follow his blog. Come to think of it, I haven't seen a post from him on my sidebar in quite awhile, I'll have to check that out...maybe because he's on this trip. How are George's parents doing, still acclimating? Drop me a line and let me know. How is George's daughter, I'm just as concerned about her.

Anonymous said...

Hi Betsy, So glad to see what awaits me when I do get to the Biltmore House. Have a wonderful day!

Ann said...

what a beautiful place that is. I think I would like to just get lost in there for a day or two :)

Sey said...

I like the flower display on the top. Seems like you had a great trip.

Anonymous said...

I really like the displays with different things stuck together. I try to do that in Nature but play with things that would normally go together.

Leontien said...

The pictures look great! Another spot to put on my map "to see"!

I am glad you had to laugh when reading my blogpost! Hope that i can make you laugh lot's of times!

Leontien

carolina nana said...

I love to get planter ideas from places like the conservatory. Love that while bird cage idea.
I like to get companion ideas on planting several plants in one container so I enjoyed your pictures very much.
It has been a rainy yucky day here. They said we wouldn't get much rain but they were wrong,oh well that doesn't surprise me.
Have a blessed day
Marilyn

Mary Isabella and Kiley too! said...

Awesome pictures. Have a great day!!!!

imac said...

Another great time you all had, and its so nice to meet and greet blogging friends.

Anonymous said...

Betsy...the photos are just beautiful...now that's the way I'd like my little patio to look! On my way to visit Neal...hope you're having a great day to!

eileeninmd said...

Hello Betsy! Your photos from the Biltmore gardens are just lovely. The barrel and the floating balls is neat! the flowers are all gorgeous. I love walking around places like the Biltmore gardens.

Connie said...

Such neat ideas they have there, Betsy. I enjoyed seeing all the creative ways they displayed the plants. Must be a fun place to visit. :)

Shelley said...

Such a beautiful place - and I love those barrels! I think I need one in the garden of my cabin!
Hugs to you,
Shelley

Anonymous said...

I would love to visit Biltmore again. There is a motorcycle rally in Maggie Valley in May. I wish we could attend the rally. I have to work though. It's our busy season; no one is allowed to take vacation in May.

Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti said...

You are lucky to live close enough to the Biltmaore to see it often, Betsy. It looks ao beautifully maintained inside and out, The conservatory plants were all wonderful!

Linda at To Behold The Beauty said...

These are so beautiful, Betsy. It looks as if that season pass is paying off. :)

Anonymous said...

Betsy, thank you for sharing the beautiful flower displays at Biltmore. I am happy you were able to meet up with blog friends and their daughter is beautiful! I know it is a long day for you and George when you visit his parents. Take care.

Rose said...

Beautiful shots from the Biltmore, Betsy...and I had totally forgot Neal was going to be gone this week...they looked like they were having fun...I guess you have discovered he is a big tease.

Deb from WhatsInMyAttic said...

I haven't been to the Biltmore in years...this makes me want to go back!

Tracy said...

Betsy,
So glad you had such a fun day...we all need to get out of our ordinary schedule and just 'seize the day!'

My husband would love to have every single one of those plants in our house being the green thumb person he is. He tells me I can touch them; fine by me!

Andrea said...

The arrangements in the conservatory are beautiful, but since i can see mostly tropical plants, they dont appeal to me much, as they are very common here! What i appreciate even more is the new phase of your site, the lavender color which lingers while uploading the contents. I love it.

Shug said...

I am a plant addict and you now are an enabler to my addiction. You should see me when I go with my husband to the Nursery conventions...I'm like a wild woman!
thanks for sharing the pictures...
Blessings
Shug

Diane said...

Very beautiful shots of the plants and arrangements of them. The green is wonderful.

Glenda said...

Looks heavenly!!

Glenda said...

Looks heavenly!!

JDS said...

Gotta love the Biltmore. Everything they do, they do superb. That's a nice picture of the bromeliad (the red one) and it's great that they have them indoors...because down here in FL, bromeliads collect water in those folds and become big-time mosquito hatcheries!

Cheryl @ TFD said...

I love plants of all kinds and these are great photos of them. I've told Hubby that we just HAVE to visit Biltmore sometime soon. Have a wonderful day.

mudderbear said...

I think it's so great the way you get out and meet your blogging friends. And the photos as usual are fabulous. Living in an apartment now, I have to remind myself that there is no need to worry about planting pansies or whatever. We will just take what we get.

SquirrelQueen said...

All of the plant displays are so pretty but the bromeliad is my favorite. I can hardly wait for things to start blooming here.

Lynda said...

Great pics as always! That ivy around the bottom of the pot in your photo - - - - it is an invasive plant in our backyard!

Janie said...

The conservatory looks like a beautiful place with a lot of creative arrangements. I enjoyed the photos, Betsy!

KathyA said...

I really love these photos, Betsy! Seems we have the same appreciation for all things flora!!