(Note: This picture may be enlarged by clicking on it using Control-click or right-click.)
This picture was taken several years ago — we still don’t have much color here in the Glade this year. We also don’t have quite as many trees inner yard since a wind storm blew two of these trees onto the house. (Fortunately the damage was relatively minor and quickly repaired.) But we have memories of the beautiful color in the past, and we’re hopeful of more autumn color in the days ahead.
(Note: This picture may be enlarged by clicking on it using Control-click or right-click.)
We had a beautiful Spring weekend here on the Plateau — the weather was warm (almost hot Sunday) with nice breezes and blue skies. Spring can be absolutely beautiful in Tennessee.
(Note: This picture may be enlarged by clicking on it using Control-click or right-click.)
Actually this picture was taken a couple of nights before Christmas, but our living room is ready for a visit from St. Nick. We have so many ornaments that hold special memories that we have two trees instead of only one.
Betsy has so man fireplace babies that I’m a little concerned that Santa won’t be able to get down the chimney and out of the fireplace, but I’m hopeful he’ll find a way around that problem.
From our house to your’s — Merry Christmas!
(Note: This picture and all others may be enlarged by clicking on it using Control-click or right-click.)
Over the past few days the iris in our yard have been putting on quite a show. We’ve had such a problem with the deer eating our roses and daylilies that we have been planting iris around the outer edges of our property. Deer don’t like iris, so they can grow and bloom pretty much in peace.
We have many different varieties, but I have chosen three to feature in this post,
The first is Picasso Moon, a bold yellow that is Betsy’s favorite yellow iris. I’m not sure how it gets its name, but it sure does stand out.
The second iris is Second Fiddle. We’ve had this iris for several years, and it is a favorite. In my opinion it plays second fiddle to no other iris.
Daughter of Stars is a new iris for us this year. It is very vibrant and stands out in the flower bed. I’m sure this will become a new favorite.
That’s it for now, but we have many other beautiful blossoms that I will most likely be sharing in the future.
(Note: All pictures may be enlarged by clicking on them once or twice.)
When the periwinkle in our yard starts to put on a show, we can be fairly confident that Spring has arrived. We may still have a few days of cold weather ahead, but these beautiful flowers mean better days are coming.
(Note: All pictures may be enlarged by clicking on them once or twice.)
It’s been a while since My Beautiful Bride and I forced ourselves to get up before dawn to walk the back nine of the Druid Hills golf course, but we’ve talked about getting started again. Not only is the exercise good for us (and allows us to be socially distanced when out of the house) but the scenery is often absolutely gorgeous. This picture was taken on a January morning a few years ago. What a magnificent way to start the day!
(Note: All pictures may be enlarged by clicking on them once or twice.)
We really didn’t have chestnuts roasting on this fire, but we did still have a wood-burning fireplace when this picture was taken. (We switched to propane when the Old Man got too old to keep cutting and splitting the firewood).
But even if these weren’t any chestnuts, I like the peaceful setting of this scene in our home on a cold December night.
(Note: All pictures may be enlarged by clicking on them once or twice.)
My mother had sempervivum in her flower garden when I was growing up. Of course, back then I didn’t know they were sempervivum — she always called them ‘Hens and Chickens’ since the mature plant was surrounded by smaller, younger plants.
My Beautiful Bride and I discovered sempervivum when we moved to the Glade and had many rocky spots where nothing but weeds seemed to thrive. Sempervivum thrived there as well, and so we planted some around your yard.
Sempervivum get their name — ‘always alive’ — because they survive all seasons. Even when everything else in our yard has turned brown in winter, the sempervivum are still colorful.
We’ve been surprised at the wide variety of shapes and colors in the sempervivum. That makes it hard to pick a favorite.
(Note: All pictures may be enlarged by clicking on them once or twice.)
I’m sure it comes as no surprise that Betsy and I love flowers and we enjoy having them in our yard. But what type of flower works best for us? Betsy loves tulips, but so do the chipmunks that live around us. Roses are beautiful, but they take a lot of work. We both like lilies, but so do chipmunks and deer. As you can see, finding the perfect flower to grow here in the is not easy.
We have had success with iris however, and this year they have been putting on quite a show. The iris above is Eugenia King.
Bountiful Harvest is one of Betsy’s favorite irises. She really likes the colors of this one.
Cantina is one of my favorites. I love the purple color with the steaks of blue in the falls.
Eggnog has a vibrant color, but I almost always get thirsty when I see this iris.
I really think Goodnight Kiss is a beautiful iris, but I really like the goodnight kisses of my Beautiful Bride much better.
Spring is now officially less than a week away, and some of us — myself included — are thinking of green grass, fragrant flowers and warm days. We’re glad to leave Old Man Winter behind.
Others, however, (and I’m not mentioning any names) are less happy to leave Winter behind. As most of you know, my Beautiful Bride loves snow. She really likes it when she can watch it snow through the day, and when it clings to trees and bushes.
Betsy says we never get enough snow here in the Glade, and I will admit that other places around here get more than we get. But we do get snow, even if it’s not a memorable blizzard.
I put this slideshow together to help Betsy remember the snow we got year. The pictures were all taken around our house or on our morning walks on the golf course. Hopefully it will help her get through the long months before Old Man Winter pays us a return visit.
