ROSES in Autumn

Dear Friends,  As you know George and I have a lot of flowers blooming in our yard throughout the year.  Most of them only bloom for a few months.  The Roses, however, bloom from May until November (or later --depending upon the first hard frost, which we have not had yet)...  

George 'loves' and takes such good care of all of our beautiful Roses and I am so fortunate when he brings a rose inside for me to enjoy,  almost every day... Hope you enjoy this group of ROSES today.  In order to see the names,  "mouse over" each picture.   Hope you enjoy the Roses in Autumn!!!!

WELL---what's your favorites??? This last little jewel named Violet's Pride  is named after Violet --in Downton Abbey,  one of my all-time favorite shows.  SO--at this moment,  Violet is a favorite.  The first rose at the top, Double Delight,  is one that has been with us for about 20 years now--and she will always be a favorite.  

Have a great week, my friends...  I am getting ready for some surgery next week ---so I'm anxiously awaiting it --and hoping for good results...  Prayers please. I just want to begin to feel better!! Thanks!

Hugs,

Betsy💝💛💚💕

 

Did you make someone SMILE today?

Dear Blog Friends,   As you know,  I love our Day Lilies --but didn't realize that I hadn't posted any of them at all until Sept. 28... Click to see that first Day Lily post: The Link

When thinking about Day Lilies,  I think about all of the blooms they produce for us...  No matter what the circumstances (too hot, too dry,  too rainy/stormy, critters nibbling on them,  etc.), the Day Lilies always bloom and continue to smile at us (and make us smile). 

So when thinking about the Day Lilies (and all flowers) ---I have to ask myself what have I done to make someone smile??????  We all have good and bad times in our lives. Even at times when we are  sad, weary, tired, sick or just 'down' ---we still need to smile and share that smile with those around us...  AND --if we do that,  it will actually make us feel better also!!!

Hope you enjoy more pictures from this summer's  Day Lilies...  Some of our oldest plants really put on a big show each year... Those older plants are in the bed near the road, which I call our Road Bed. Each of those plants give us about 50 or more blooms each.... AMAZING...

Hope you 'mouse-over' --or place your mouse on each picture without clicking,  to get information about each picture... I always enjoy sharing my pictures ---but I always want to give a short explanation about each one....  There's nothing worse (to me) than someone putting a bunch of pictures on their Blog  with no information or explanation....

Can you pick a favorite (or 2-3) of this group?  My favorite is Francis Joiner --since I love the Double Day Lilies --and the color of this one is so pretty... 

 Have an awesome week ---and don't forget to make someone  SMILE!!!!

Hugs,

Betsy💝💛💚💕

 
 

Who is SMILING at YOU?

2020 DAY LILIES in our YARD

 

Dear Blog Friends,   Can you believe that I never posted these pictures --nor ANY Day Lily pictures this summer????  I guess it was meant for me to wait until now to post these to make you (and ME) smile!!!!!  I needed this today since I've had a rough week.  Hope you enjoy seeing these little Sweeties!

We have had a lot of flowers to bloom in our yard  this year--and I've posted many groups of them  (including Daffodils, Tulips,  other Spring flowers and shrubs,  Irises,  Roses,  and Lilies)...   I'm sure the Day Lilies feel left out --so hopefully,  I'll make up for it by picking out some of my favorite ones to share with you.  By the way,  I have a lot to choose from since we have more than 70 Day Lily plants in our yard now, each with many, many blooms... Wow!!!!  Hope you enjoy the beauty of these wonderful little flowers!!!!!  I am smiling....  Did I see a BIG smile from you?????

To see the name and date the photos were taken,  put your mouse over each picture (don't click; just hold) and the info will pop up!!!

Hope you enjoyed the Day Lilies today... I'm sure I'll post more soon!!!!  

Life is hard these days for so many of us... In our country,  we have been dealing with so many changes since Covid-19 started...   Not just Covid  problems,  but anger/bitterness/demands/protests/violence --and HATRED is all around us threatening our freedoms, choices, and our lives!  On top of all of this are our upcoming political elections.  All of this wrapped together is hard for us.  We are a country DIVIDED--and it just makes me so sad....  God Bless the USA.

Have an awesome week ---and do as I'm trying to do:  PRAY hard, and find ways to SMILE!!!

Hugs,

Betsy💝💛💚💕

 

 
 

LILIES in our YARD --Part II

Dear Blog Friends,   Happy Labor Day!!!   This is a National Holiday in our Country celebrating all of the hard-working laborers.   Growing up in the coal mining areas of southwest Virginia,  I always think of all of the men and women who work in those mines. They are definitely laborers.  Today we honor them --and many, many others who work hard each and every single day, many of them doing difficult jobs which many of us wouldn't choose to do.  God Bless our Laborers.

Today I am featuring Part II showing the  beautiful Lilies in our yard.   Part I was featured on 8/3/20.  IF you missed that post (or would enjoy seeing it again),  click Here 

As you know,  I love our LILIES.  We used to have many more of them planted all over the yard.  BUT--the deer would destroy them before we could even enjoy them...  SO a couple of years ago,  George put some of our favorites in containers and brought them to the deck.   So far,  that has worked well for us... I can enjoy them from inside and also from the deck ---and the deer have stayed away!!!!

Above was another collage that I made.   Below are some of my favorite pictures of specific groups of Lilies.  If you put your mouse over each picture,  I added the names and dates when I took the pictures.

Hope you enjoy seeing these beautiful flowers.

I miss seeing them now --as the summer is winding down with only the ROSES and a few re-blooming Day Lilies and Irises in bloom in the yard now.... 

If you are on Facebook with me,  then you know about our hard day Saturday.   IF not,  WELL--here is what happened:  We woke up during the night early Saturday morning to find water gushing all over the place in our large bathroom.   A pipe had burst under the sink!!!!   George got the water turned off --but the damage was done.   IF that was not bad enough,  the stress and anxiety of that happening put me back in A Fib...   Being in A Fib is worse than a bathroom leak... The leak can be repaired  (and has been) --but A Fib cannot....There are no cures!  VERY frustrating!!!! 

BUT--despite our hard time that Saturday,  God provided us with an amazing  "Autumn-Like Day" here... When I walked outside on the deck that morning,  I just had to take a minute and smile -- and thank God for this wonderful blessing.  As I have said many times,  when we experience the RAINY Days (hard times) in our lives,  God provides a RAINBOW of hope for us.... Thanks be to God.

I am looking forward to a better week ahead....   I will close with another Facebook Post I wrote recently when talking about the love of flowers.... Think of all of these LILIES above.  Flowers are amazing.  They bloom no matter what is going on around them.  They get along with all of the other flowers.  Their message is to send love, joy and peace to ALL.   Maybe we humans should be more like flowers.... God Bless us ALL.

Hugs,

Betsy💝💛💚💕

COLORS from Biltmore Home and Gardens 7/23/20

Dear Family and Friends,  Hope you enjoy some Summer COLORS from Biltmore today.  We always go to Biltmore during most every season of the year.  In Summer  (we were there this year on 7/23)--we specifically visit the Walled Gardens,  the Conservatory,  the Italian Water Gardens (to see the water Lilies and Lily Pads),  and the SUNFLOWERS  (a favorite Summer flower of mine).    I had way too many pictures to share --so I made some collages for you today... ENJOY!!!!

 

We are so fortunate to have Season's Tickets to Biltmore ---so we can go for short periods of time  and enjoy different areas of that amazing place during all of the seasons.  Due to Covid,  we missed our SPRING visit (which is always a favorite) ---so we just had to check out the Summer flowers.  The good news was that there were fewer people around which made "Social Distancing" easier.... 

Hope these pictures brought a smile to your face today--like they did to mine!!!!

Be sure and read the explanation of why my Header Picture (at the top of the page) this month is so SPECIAL to me.... The explanation is below the picture!!!!! 

I wrote a couple of paragraphs about my struggles with all of the changes Blogger is making (with no instructions or information)--but I deleted them....You don't need to hear my bellyaching --especially when we all need to stay as positive as possible during these hard times in our wonderful country.

Welcome September ..... I am NOT fond of the hot summers, so as you can imagine,  I'm really looking forward to some Fall Weather and Colored Leaves  ----and of course,  my PUMPKIN SPICE coffee (along with Pumpkin Spice EVERYTHING ELSE IN THE WORLD)..... ha ha

HUGS,

Betsy💝💛💚💕