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, April 18, 2011

Eye Candy from Biltmore

As I mentioned last week,  George and I took a one day trip to Asheville,  North Carolina,  last Thursday to see some of their gorgeous Spring flowers at the Biltmore House and Gardens.  We are SO glad we went.

This time,  we stayed outside and did not go into the Conservatory.  Instead we walked through the Azalea Gardens and  went down to Bass Pond to see the Bass Pond Waterfall.  Then we went to the Walled Garden to see other flowers (such as a few Daffodils left,  Pansies,  Peonies,  and LOTS of Tulips).  We had a wonderful day ---with sunshine,  a nice breeze,  and temperatures in the 70's.  Life is Good---what else can I say?????

Today I'll share some of the beautiful colors from Biltmore taken on 4/14/11.  Hope you enjoy this 'Eye Candy'.   Above is a picture of a White Dogwood,  a Hot Pink Azalea and a Reddish Orange Azalea.  Pretty, huh?




This picture of all of the gorgeous TULIPS was taken in the Walled Garden.  There is a very nice arbor in the middle of these gardens.




Here is another picture of some of the beautiful Azaleas we saw while walking through these beautifully well-maintained grounds.




I took this picture from the arbor in the Walled Garden.   I loved this picture of the Tulips --with the white Dogwoods in the background.




This is just one of the fabulous white Dogwoods blooming all around the grounds at Biltmore.




This  picture was taken inside the arbor.  The beautiful red Tulips and the little Pansies had been planted along both sides of that walkway.  They were so pretty.





Finally, this may be the largest PEONY bloom I have ever seen.  The bush was filled with these beauties.

Hope you enjoyed seeing more from Biltmore House and Gardens.  There are many more blog posts to come from here.  We hope to go back in May to see more flowers.  I am so glad that we bought seasons'  passes.  This is the best money we have ever spent!!!!!!!   LOVE it!!!!

Hope you had a good weekend.  I offer prayers for those affected by the tornadoes and storms.  We got lucky here in TN --although we did have FIVE inches of rain in about 12 hours.
Hugs,

60 comments:

Beth said...

Wow! Sensory overload of the best!
They are all so beautiful. But I think my favorite is the first one with the three different azaleas and the one with the orange tulips and white dogwoods in the background.
I agree that buying the season tickets was very smart thing to do.
Hope both are weeks are good!;)

Anonymous said...

Hi Betsy, Very pretty photos from the Biltmore Gardens. I have always loved tulips and they really have some beauties. Thanks for sharing your visit with us. Glad you had a warm, bright day to visit.

diane b said...

Eye candy is the best description. It sure is colourful. The gardeners have created a canvas. It must be great to have a pass so you can visit often and overload on eye candy.

RoeH said...

I'm loving all these tulip and springe trees back here. T'would that I could have these in Arizona.

Ruth Hiebert said...

This is the perfect way to start my day.All that color is a treat for the eye.I get excited when I see another post from the Biltmore Gardens,knowing that I'm in for a treat.Thanks.
Sounds like a lot of rain,but I am thankful you were spared from even more severe weather.

pam said...

I have only been there at Christmas, and while that was lovely, I do so want to go and see their gardens.

Kelly said...

Eye candy is right, Betsy! I've seen the grounds many times, but not this early in spring. The flowers are gorgeous. Glad you and George had such a beautiful day there!
hugs...kelly

Deb from WhatsInMyAttic said...

Azaleas, tulips, and dogwood are beautiful! I've never been to Biltmore in the spring, but it sounds like a trip we need to plan. The peonies, though...just my total favorite. Something about the almost translucent petals all crunched in and tight together ... I love them.

Fred Alton said...

"Eye Candy", indeed! I'm glad you and George bought season passes to Biltmore so that we can see all the beauty without having to leave our house. ☺

mamahasspoken said...

I've never been there before. Thanks for taking me there even if it's in photos!

MadSnapper said...

so brilliant all those colors. i was thinking that was a really weird wall in the first shot, so i am glad you took a photo from inside the arbor, now i can see the wall is the arbor, i went back and stared at the first photo for a while and that is one really neat arbor.

From the Kitchen said...

Lovely! I don't see a lot of azaleas around here so it was a treat to see such beautiful ones. The peony is my favorite (well, one of many) flower. They are abundant around here but not until later in the summer. Your photos are great--I could almost smell the blossoms!

Best,
Bonnie

linda m said...

Betsy, I so needed to see pictures of flowers. It is snowing here, again, and sometimes I think I will never see flowers. Thank you for sharing your beautiful pictures.

Reanaclaire said...

Spring is the best season of the year!!

Catherine said...

So many beautiful colors here today Betsy! Oh I am jealous about it to be sure. I am tired of the white stuff.

Thank you so much for sharing your photos ~ it will help keep me going for another day or two. :)

xo Catherine

Janice K said...

I could almost smell that poeny!! What a wonderful time of the year to be there.

amelia said...

The flowers are so lovely and everything looks like summer down there!!
We had snow and storms all weekend and it's still -6 this morning.
We are not going to try to grow anything this year except the perennials which will come up anyway.

Debbie Taillieu said...

Yes, Betsy I think you are going to get your monies worth with the season pass! So beautiful and ever changing I'm sure. One day I hope to see this for myself. I did get to enjoy some gardens here in Belgium though. I hope you check out my post and see some more bulbs in bloom!
Have a fabulous day!
Debbie

Out on the prairie said...

What a lovely area, the tulips were a favorite.

happyone said...

What a beautiful place to walk surrounded by such beauty. The pictures are all wonderful and I did enjoy them all.

Karin said...

You've done it again - started my day off with such beauty!! Delicious breaky with hubby, prayer and devotional readings, and then your blog full of delightful blooms! AND - the sun is even shining outside! Can't be beat - especially when we got more snow yesterday!

You are certainly getting your money's worth for the season ticket! Great photos Betsy! God bless! Hugs!

Tracy said...

Betsy,
Azalea's are certainly beautiful...I love mine and every year try to plant a few more; you can never have enough!
I hope you are enjoying your day...we are home since we still can't get to our school with the downed power lines and trees, so we'll see about tomorrow!
I love your photos...the tulips are outrageous! just rows and rows of them! WOW!
hugs dear...

Thoughtfully Blended Hearts said...

Gorgeous photos Betsy!!! Such color is an instant "spring fix"...
Have a beautiful day!!!

Busy Bee Suz said...

I was so sad this morning when I finally put on the tv and saw the sad news...mother nature can wreak havoc.
THOSE TULIPS!!!!!!! I love 'em!!!!

Becca's Dirt said...

Betsy it is beautiful. Those are some fine azaleas there.

The weather was horrible so many places. I didn't have any damage and but it wasn't far from me where a tornado touched down. But at my place it didn't get too bad.

Ginny Hartzler said...

I'm just LOVING these!!! My favorites were the tulips till I saw the last pale pink, wow to that!!! And I would NEVER wear red and pink together, but it looks just beautiful when God dresses Mother Nature that way in the first picture! We were supposed to go to a huge tulip festival yesterday, but I wanted to snap pics of the tornado damage instead, it was a tough choice. Only one more weekend for the festival, though.

KathyA said...

Absolutely gorgeous!!!

Cheryl @ TFD said...

Beautiful! I want to go to Biltmore in the spring time. And I'd like to see the mountains in that area in the fall. What to do? I'm so glad you can go as often as you do because you generously share your wonderful photos with us! Thanks! Have a great day.

Dar said...

Oh Betsy, what delicious Eye Candy. Just look at those tulips, and I can smell that gorgeous peony. Thanks for taking me along... sure am wishing I lived by you so I could actually catch a walk-about once in awhile.
BlessYourSweetHeart and George too!

Linda at To Behold The Beauty said...

Just beautiful, Betsy. And non-fattening, too. :)

I Am Woody said...

Wow! You picked the perfect day to visit. Perfect weather and perfect bloom!!

Unknown said...

The peony is Indiana's state flower, and one of my favorites. I love their smell, but you do have to give them a good shake if you bring them inside. Ants love them too! Thanks for the beautiful pictures!

Gardener on Sherlock Street said...

I can always count on you for beautiful photos. Someday, I hope to go there too!

SquirrelQueen said...

Looks like you and George picked the perfect day for a visit. I love the field of tulips with the dogwoods in the background, that is gorgeous.

Small City Scenes said...

Beautiful pictures, Betsy. The Azaleas are gorgeous. the rain has beaten most all the flowers down out here so I will just have to enjoy yours.

Now in Eastern Washington where we were the weekend it was sunny and very warm. A welcome change but that is the difference that divides this state. MB

Lady Di Tn said...

Cute saying "Eye Candy" and yes they are all sweet treats for the eye. What a spectacular array of colors. I have yet to venture to the Biltmore but it is on my bucket list. Peace

Anonymous said...

Hi Betsy, Excellent pictures! I just adore the one of the Peony. Have a really great rest of the day and a super nice evening.

Sally Wessely said...

My husband's nephew was just telling me on Saturday night that we should take a trip to North Carolina. He stressed that we visit the Biltmore if we were able to make the trip. I think he is right. We must visit this place.

Big Dude said...

That place is just incredible

Rose said...

Oh, Betsy, they are all so beautiful. I bet I would take a gazillion pictures if I were there...

Glenda said...

Oh, wow!! Indescribable beauty!! And season passes to Biltmore certainly is money well spent in my opinion! Just to live close enough to visit is a blessing, too!

Ann said...

Holy smokes, those are gorgeous. All those tulips, what a sight. I can almost smell the scent from the peony. I can't wait for mine to bloom here.

Janie said...

The gardens are just lovely, and so colorful. The pictures alone are enough to make me eager to see some spring color around here.

~mel said...

Gorgeous!! So I wonder how much money I would have to spend to get that amount of mass plantings done in my yard?? I wonder too how many full time horticulturist and gardeners it takes to keep that place maintained. Yes ~ I'm jealous:) I'm happy too that you have a seasons pass and share it with us!

Cheryl said...

Oh my goodness, what a beautiful post! Gorgeous flowers everywhere, oh so heavenly. Thank you for sharing these stunning photos. You've made my day!

JDS said...

Love the tulips! They are Erika's favorite flower. When we went on our honeymoon, they were blooming all over Williamsburg and she would sit in the flower beds and I would take pictures of her surrounded by them.

Shug said...

Hi Betsy...
there are NO favorites for me...I love every single picture. Glad the weather was nice the day you took your pictures...

Sure wish you could send some of that rain our way...We so need it, but I suppose God has a better insight as to what we need, than I do...

Warm Blessings....
Shug

The Retired One said...

just gorgeous! We have friends living in Ashville and they keep asking us to visit..I may just take them up on it next year.

Diane said...

What beautiful grounds and flowers Betsy. I bet it smelled divine. It would be wonderful to have a place like that nearby to stroll through and just enjoy those gorgeous blooms. Diane

Lynda said...

I like the first comment - - - sensory overload! That does about sum it up. Too, too gorgeous! Thanks, Betsy, for sharing some of the best of the season!

Unknown said...

Absolutely breathtaking! So many beautiful flowers, and a great job with the photography!

Lola said...

What wonderful pics. So pretty. Eye candy for sure. Glad you all got season tickets too. That way I can see the changes. I was there yrs ago & thought it beautiful then. A wonderful place to visit. Even tho it would take more than one day to see it all.

Anonymous said...

Gorgeous flowers...I'm so happy you have a season passes too! The Azaleas really bring back memories from when I lived in Tidewater Virginia and would go to the Azalea Gardens out near the airport.

nanny said...

Your pictures are beautiful ! Aren't tulips so special? Yes, I'd say those tickets were well worth their money!

Cicero Sings said...

My oh my, is such colour possible? All remains quite drear here ... except my crocus did bloom.

Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti said...

The Biltmore is such a beautiful plac with such magnifenct gardens! We hope to see the azalia exhibit at the NY Botanical garden wHEN we get back home from Colorado next week I am in grandma heaven! :)

Betty Manousos said...

Hi Betsy, fabulous captures!
I love the colors of those flowers.
Amazing flowers!!

What a great start to the day!

Betty xx

Loren said...

Oh My Goodness Betsy! The flowers, the grounds everything is just BEAUTIFUL!! I would have to agree it was money VERY WELL SPENT indeed!!! What A gift for you and George and then you allow us to see all the beauty! Thank you so much!!

Connie said...

Betsy, these pictures are breathtaking! Really, they are so spectacular. I bet you had a great time there. I know I would have. I hope you are having a good week! :)

Carletta said...

So much beauty! I hope heaven's gardens look like this. :)
All beautiful Betsy but I LOVE the last shot of the tulips along that screen and that peony - wish it was in my yard!
My nephew told me Sunday that he and his wife are going to visit there in a couple of weeks. I hope something is still in bloom when he gets there.