Clivia ‘Good Hope’ is a show stopper. It is too big to be ignored.
I look forward to its giant inflorescence each spring.
It is the yellow of dreams. Just the right mix of butter and cream.
Clivia blooms come in orange, pastel, yellows and even greens.
The strap-like leaves may be striped or tranversely highlighted.
Folks with space collect these, but I have room for only one…
‘Good Hope.’
Flower
I am a plant enthusiast, so I tend to focus on each individual plant.
I do notice when plant groupings and arrangements are done well.
Here are some scenes from the Biltmore Conservatory that I appreciated.
I always delight in seeing new plants and ideas when I visit Biltmore Estate in Asheville.
FLOWER
P.S. TOMORROW IS SPRING!
If spring has not sprung where you are, you may want to visit a conservatory.
I had the great pleasure of visiting one of my favorite places over this chilly weekend.
We swung by the conservatory of the Biltmore House in Asheville, North Carolina.
We drove straight past the mansion to the gardens.
I will share only my favorite photos of plants in a collage. The orchids will be in a separate post.
CLICK on an image to enlarge it if you wish.
I did encounter one fairy on the grounds. She agreed to have her picture taken.
It was a marvelous afternoon under glass. I enjoyed my sample of spring at Biltmore.
FLOW
When the wind blows, I hear their voices.
Calling me back to the me before.
The strong me, the young me, the whole me.
The chime from my friend Mary Lynne sings of smiles and giggles.
Mrs. Robbie’s chime sings high notes of spring.
Each spring we gave each other a gift to celebrate Easter. (This chime was one.)
My cousin Mark’s chime sings of our precious grandparents and our sibling mothers.
All three sing together. Reminding me of love I had and hope I have.
Even in rain they sing. Even in darkness they harmonize.
In the worst storm they sing the loudest. Calling me through my past.
Singing me home to myself.
FLOW
Here are this year’s amaryllis plants blooming together.
It is the first blooming for the two pinks in the middle.
The second blooming for the two red and whites on the ends.
From left to right are Santiago, Pink Surprise, Pink Pizzazz and Spotlight.
My next post will feature Spotlight again. My first post did not do it justice.
This is how I survive winters. These beauties will go out in the garden.
They need a flat spot in full sun and a lava rock nest to thrive.
Flower surviving February
I ventured out into the cold this morning because I saw this straight line of crystals across the top of this glass table. I feared a crack had formed.
When I touched the line, I discovered the crystals were not on the top of the glass. They were underneath.
There was no crack, maybe just an invisible scratch.
I am puzzled by the lovely patterns formed by the crystals.
Every day brings a new mystery!
Floe
I gave this amaryllis to friends as Christmas gifts.
It was the star of the garden last May.
Most amaryllis flowers are big and showy, but this one stood out.
Its blooms are bigger than an outstretched hand. The stalks are around fourteen inches tall. The color is a watery, deep pink.
Okay I confess…it reminds me of watermelon.
Here I am on a dreary day in February, being reminded of yummy watermelon.
Surprise!
Flower
I sat down to delete pictures from my phone today. As I was scrolling and clicking, a picture caused a pause.
We had taken snow pictures at the farm. The picture I thought was of the tracks made by the neighbors’ roaming dogs and cats triggered some memories.
“Two-toe triangle.” and “Four forward.” These are my terms for coyote tracks. I had not even considered coyote tracks, because I wasn’t looking for them.
We do have bobcats and coyotes here, so I should have looked more closely. I was busy thinking of other things as we checked for damage in the snow.
I am not surprised by the presence of coyotes at the farm. I am, however, surprised that I did not remember my track tips. Maybe I am no longer alert, now that my bunnies are gone.
FLOW slipping in the snow (mentally)
I have spent the evening under an electric blanket, because I spent the afternoon on ice.
I have always thought ice was beautiful. Ice sculptures are especially fascinating to me.
I briefly watched an artist carving a giant block of ice to demonstrate this skill.
Many of this year’s Blowing Rock Winter Fest displays were molded ice shapes with business logos embedded. This is a new type of ice art.
There were also true pieces of sculptured ice which had 3-D shapes and varied textures.
It was a wonderful way to get out of the winter funk.
Flow in Snow
floweralley 