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...

Friday, January 27, 2012

Best of 2011: BILTMORE

As most of you know,  George and I have season's tickets  to the Biltmore House and Gardens in Asheville, North Carolina.   If you are new to my blog and want more information about Biltmore,  click HERE.  We made SEVERAL trips there during 2011---at different seasons of the year.  Today I will share with you just a FEW of my favorite pictures from Biltmore in 2011.

Above is one of my definite favorites... It was taken from the LAGOON during late Fall --looking at the back of the Biltmore House.  We had hoped to see  the Mums in bloom --but missed them in 2011.  Maybe we'll get there at the right time in 2012.  Be sure and click on the photos to see larger views.




During the Winter,  I would recommend a visit inside the conservatory at Biltmore.  During the Christmas season,  they feature alot of Poinsettias and other 'reds' of Christmas.  They also have a room that is filled with ORCHIDS.  The picture above and below shows only two of the gorgeous orchids from Biltmore.




This ORCHID's color is just awesome I think.




I love HYDRANGEAS also..   This one is pretty --and I loved the pale blue one which they also featured at Biltmore.




As Spring approached,  we took another trip back to Biltmore to see the spring blooms.  This picture was only one of MANY that we took of the DOGWOODS and AZALEAS.  The grounds are at their prettiest in spring I think.




Here's a close-up of one of the AZALEAS.  Isn't the color just gorgeous?




The joy of being at Biltmore in Summer was seeing the fabulous SUNFLOWERS in bloom.  There were so many in that big field that they just took my breath away.   So beautiful ---and definitely worth a trip to Biltmore in summer.

I could have chosen 100 (or more) pictures from Biltmore to share with you.  We love that place.  We're so in tune with the gardens and all of the other facilities that we haven't taken much time (only once) to go inside the home itself.  We hope to do that soon --but no photos are allowed inside.  SO--we won't be able to share that part with you.

Have a great weekend and I'll see you on Monday...   Maybe the rains will finally stop for awhile and give us a BREAK....  Hopefully,  I'll have time to work on my Genealogy this weekend!!!

Hugs,
Betsy