Sunflowers and Water Lilies

Water Lily from the Italian Gardens at Biltmore  7/31/17

George and I just 'had' to stop by the BILTMORE ESTATE in Asheville,  North Carolina, on July 31, 2017,  so that we could see their Italian Gardens  (Water Lilies and Lily Pads) and their Sunflowers....We were on our way to Virginia  (Shenandoah National Park) for a few days to celebrate my big birthday.

We have season's tickets to Biltmore ---and love to visit there about 4 times a year in order to see their different flowers in bloom in different seasons.   Going in July/August each year is a tradition since we never tire of seeing the Sunflowers and Water Lilies --along with the Walled Garden and the Conservatory.   Since we were heading on to Virginia,   we didn't stay longer than about 3 hours ---but we got to see everything we had planned to see.   Hope you enjoy today's pictures...

Beautiful Red Colored flowers  (unknown plant) in the water at the Italian Gardens at Biltmore 7/31/17

Water Lily from the Italian Gardens at Biltmore  7/31/17

I like this grouping of the tall Water Lilies. Look at those huge leaves!!!!   7/31/17  

Water Lilies from the Italian Gardens at Biltmore  7/31/17

Love the Color of these Lily Pads  7/31/17

Unique Lily Pads for sure!!!!  7/31/17

Water Lilies from the Italian Gardens at Biltmore  7/31/17

Love love love these Lily Pads;  Let's hop on and take a ride!!!!  7/31/17

After leaving the Italian Gardens,  we stopped here at one of our favorite places on the lake to get some pictures of the BACK of the huge Biltmore House,  before checking out the Sunflower Fields...  7/31/17

Here is one more picture from that area showing the sky reflections on the lake (with the Biltmore House in the distance).   7/31/17

The Sunflower Fields at Biltmore are now long and narrow---so we could enjoy them from the road for a long time...  HOWEVER,  I used to like taking pictures here (in the Sunflowers) when there were rows and rows and rows all in one place...Nevertheless,  they were still gorgeous and we loved checking them out.

Bees and Birds LOVE to eat the sunflowers....   Here's a picture showing some of them closer.... 7/31/17

And one final picture of these beauties.... Oh how I love them!!!!!   7/31/17

Hope these Flowers today brought a smile to your face.... Have a great week, my Friends.

Hugs,

LET'S THINK GREEN ----plus a WEDDING

Our HOME 5/22/17

I love this quote:  "Green is the prime color of the world, and that from which its loveliness arises."  I usually put an emphasis on the colors in our yard --but this year, especially after our terrible drought last year,  I am in love with the GREENS in our yard!!!!!

Today I want to share more of our yard and more of the 'greens' we have.   Hope you enjoy seeing the beauty in all of this GREEN....

Our Ivy/Periwinkle (Vinca Minor) BED on the upper side of our front yard (6/8/17)

Hosta Plants around the dogwood tree in our front yard  (6/12/17)  NOTE:  Deer munched on the one on the right!! Darn!

Another view from the opposite direction of our English Ivy and Periwinkle (Vinca Minor) bed on the upper side of our front yard  (6/12/17)

Hostas among the Ivy/Periwinkle (6/12/17)

First Hosta Blooms of the summer  (6/12/17)

Another Hosta among the Ivy/Periwinkle (the one which is blooming);  (6/12/17)

Continuing on the upper side of the yard toward the back,  this is mostly Periwinkle with a little Ivy;  See George in the background hiding????? ha.... (6/12/17)

Another picture of the upper side of the yard toward the back;  The Periwinkle is so thick here --and even though it takes years to get THIS thick,  it is a great ground cover since it eats up the weeds!!!  (6/12/17)_

This Hosta was our largest hosta plant UNTIL this year...  It is now in 2nd place --but is still pretty (on the upper side of the yard)  (6/12/16)

This is now the largest Hosta we have (on the lower side of the yard);  SO pretty!   (5/18/17)

More Green --with colors among the greens  (Roses and Day Lilies)  (6/8/17)

My favorite Hosta Bed this year  (lower side of the front yard)   (5/16/17)

Same Hosta Bed as above --a month later (6/12/17) ----IF these keep growing,  I'm gonna need a bigger bed... ha

Lower front yard under the big Red Bud tree  (Want to come and sit on our bench with me?) (6/12/17)

Another picture of the lower front side yard, looking back to the road   (6/12/17)

HOME  (6/8/17)

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Meet Mr. and Mrs. Mark Wilhite;  Married 6/12/17 in Galveston, Texas;  Congrats to both!!!  (Mark is my middle son, and he and Debbie have just returned from a Caribbean Cruise.  I am so happy for them and love them both so very very much.

One more collage from the wedding last Monday of my son, Mark, and the love of his life,  Debbie;  They just returned from a Carnival Cruise to the Caribbean. These two Sweethearts have more fun together than anyone I know.  The key to their deep love and their relationship is LAUGHTER.   I am so happy for them, and I KNOW that they enjoyed every single minute on that cruise,  and will have an extremely happy life together FOREVER!!!

Hope you enjoyed today pictures of the greens in our yard... AND I hope you enjoyed seeing these pictures of two very happy people in love.... I love them both with all of my heart!

One more thing:  Hope you had a great Father's Day Weekend.... IF you would like to read some about my sweet Daddy,  click HERE.

Hugs,

MAY in our Yard ---2017

Mr. Lincoln Rose  (5/18/17)

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY TO ALL.  Whatever you do today,  stop and say a Prayer of Thanksgiving for those men and women who gave their lives so that we can have the FREEDOMS we enjoy so much today.. God Bless them and God Bless America.

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After the terrible drought last year,  we have been blessed so far this spring with an abundance of rain..  Our yard LOVES it ---and we are thrilled to see everything which was totally brown last Fall turn green again...

Today,  I wanted to show you some of this GREEN  in our own front yard...  BUT--I didn't want to stop with just the greens of spring... SO--I included some of this year's ROSES which are now blooming BIGTIME... Hope you enjoy this post as much as I enjoyed putting it together for you to enjoy...  Click on the pictures for enlargements.

A Green House and a Green Yard (5/18/17);  Lilies beginning to bloom --but the Irises are finished for the season;

Flaminco Rose (5/22/17)---one of my favorites (out of many fav's)

From the garage and driveway area,  looking across the yard toward the road (5/18/17)

Melody Parfumme Rose  (5/18/17)  Love this color!

Looking across the front yard toward the Ivy Bed;  Isn't the grass just beautiful?  (5/18/17)  George added some Rose Containers in front of the Ivy Bed this year. 

Gemini Roses --love the 'triplets'  don't you?  (5/18/17)

A close-up of the Ivy Bed and the Rose Containers;  Even the Ivy and Periwinkle (which struggled during the drought) has come back nicely!  (5/18/17)

Wildfire Rose  (5/22/17)

In front of the big Rose Bed -you will find two other smaller beds.  The bottom one contains this year's Pansies and Petunias.  The one above it contains  Day Lilies,  Irises, Daffodils, etc...

Paradise Rose  (5/18/17)

Oregold Rose  (5/27/17)   Oh--how I love YELLOW Roses!!!

Here's a close up of my little Pansy/Petunia Bed...  I usually plant Panies in the Fall and they will last through the winter until it gets hot in July.  However,  due to the drought,  I didn't plant any last Fall..  I planted them a couple of months ago --and am pleased with all of the pretty colors... Do you like them?  (NOTE:  I don't usually plant Petunias but this year,  I loved their bright pink colors.  SO--I just had to get some.   See them?)

Cabana Rose in our yard  (5/18/17)   We have four different 'splotchy' ones like this --and I love them.

Now you can see almost all of the front yard  (at least the upper part above the driveway);  I could almost sleep on that grass!!!!  (5/18/17)

Double Delight Rose  (always a beautiful Rose,  and one of my all-time favorites)  (5/22/17)

Peace Rose  (another all-time favorite of mine);  (5/18/17)

I decided to close with PEACE --since we desperately need peace in our world now... Prayers for Manchester --and around the world where people are getting killed for NO reason.

Hope these pictures brought a smile to your face today...  Do you have a favorite Rose out of today's group????

Hugs  and enjoy Memorial Day Wherever you are!