Flamenco Rose

 

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One of the newer roses in our yard is Flamenco.   It’s a bright beautiful rose which is always a joy to see in bloom.  This picture was actually taken last year, but I like it so much that I couldn’t resist using it.

Sempervivum Flower

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We have sempervivum (hen and chickens) in several places around our yard.  We like them because they are always green, regardless of the weather or season (‘sempervivum’ means ‘always alive’).  One thing we didn’t know was that the hens, just before they die out and are replaced by chickens, flower.  The flowers are small and delicate, but still beautiful.  I got this photo of a flowering hen in out front yard.

Crescendo Rose

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After some unusual weather in February (warm) and April (cold) our roses are recovering and starting to bloom.  This beauty is Crescendo and I got this photo last month in May.

Summer of Love Rose

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I know it’s Spring --although it has seemed like winter the past couple of weeks -- but our roses are starting to show new growth and promise lots of color in the days ahead.  Last year our roses were blooming in April; I don't think that will happen this year.  I got this picture of Summer of Love after an April shower last year.

Star Struck

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The Star Struck day lily in our yard has one of the largest (and prettiest) blossoms of all our day lilies.  It is always a welcome sight.

A Rose About Betsy

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I like it when the roses — and other flowers in our yard — have some connection with Betsy.  This pretty rose is called Something Special, when does a great job of describing my Beautiful Bride.

Dogwood Blossom

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The pink dogwood in our yard always presents photographic opportunities when it is in bloom.  I got this picture of a blossom on April 13, 2017.

Roses from Our Garden: Beautiful Dreamer

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Although Betsy and I always hate losing a rose from our garden, replacing a rose gives us the opportunity to enjoy new ones.  A new rose for us this year is Beautiful Dreamer.  I tried to give it a ‘dreamy’ look in this photo, but I definitely do think it is beautiful.

Roses from Our Garden: Saint Patrick

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I have quite a bit of Irish in my background, so I just had to have this rose — Saint Patrick — in our yard.  It’s a little hard to tell in this picture, but when the blossom first opens the outer petals have a touch of green to them.  I guess that explains how it got its name.

Roses from Our Garden: Malibu

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We may not make it to California to see the beauty of that state in person, but at least we can enjoy this gorgeous Malibu rose right in our own yard.

Freedom's Glow Lily

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Betsy and I are fortunate to have flowers blooming almost continuously from Spring through Autumn.  While roses are our very favorites, we also enjoy some beautiful lilies this time of the year.  This beauty is called Freedom's Glow.  I love the color.

Floor Show Iris

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Betsy and I have been pleased with the display that our irises are putting on this Spring.  I think we’ve had more blossoms this year than we’ve ever had.  We’ve had about 20 different varieties in bloom so far.  This beauty is called Floor Show.  It, like most of our other irises, is a rebloomer, so we hope to enjoy another display in the autumn.

Snowy Golf Course Under a Blue Sky

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Someone who shall remain nameless says we never get enough snow here in the Glade.  I agree that we don’t get much, but what we do get snow it can be absolutely beautiful.  I got this photo of a snow-covered fairway under a brilliant blue sky from behind our house.  This photo was taken February 13, 2014.

Worse than Snow

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If you follow us on Facebook, you know that Betsy and I were without power for about 50 hours because of an ice storm that hit our area.  Our yard looks like a war zone with broken tree branches all over the ground, so it’s not pretty in our yard.  I got this picture of an ice-coated holly bush during a break in the storm.

Rose of the Week: Rio Samba

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This is another in the series featuring a rose from our yard.

We’ve had Rio Samba for several years.  The bush is relatively small, but the blossoms are beautiful.  It is difficult to find a single photo that does justice to this rose, as the blossoms change colors as they age.  This picture was taken the day after the blossom opened fully.  Older blossoms would show more red.

Rose of the Week: Summer Surprise

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This is another in the series featuring a rose from our yard.

Summer Surprise was one of our new roses this year.  As you can see, it’s a beautiful rose, but it is prolific and the blossoms hold their form and color a long time.  This rose has quickly become one of our favorites.

Rose of the Week: Pink Promise

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This is another in the series featuring a rose from our yard.

Pink Promise is one of the roses in containers along our driveway.  When the bud first opens there are thin pink edges on the petals.  As the blossom opens more and gets older, the pink spreads.  Betsy and I think it is a beautiful rose in any stage.

Rose of the Week: Ronald Reagan

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This is another in the series featuring a rose from our yard.

President Ronald Reagan signed the legislation that made the rose our national flower.  This bicolor beauty was named in honor of the President to commemorate the event.  We’ve had this rose for a several years and it quickly became a favorite.  We thought we had lost it during last winter’s harsh weather and we even got a new rose to plant in its place.  But after replanting Ronald Reagan rose in a container and giving it some loving attention, we were rewarded with this beautiful blossom.

Rose of the Week: Alec's Red

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This is another in the series featuring a rose from our yard.

Red roses are the traditional symbols for love and romance, so I think it’s appropriate that we have several varieties of red roses in our yard.  This beauty is named Alec’s Red.  I don’t know for sure who Alec is (or was), but I think he may have been the hybridizer who developed this rose.  All we know for sure is that this is a beautiful addition to our rose garden.

Rose of the Week: Sedona

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This is another in the series featuring a rose from our yard.

Sedona is one of the roses in our newest flower bed, the one nearest the road.  It’s said that the colors of this rose are similar to the red bluffs and high desert sunsets of the American Southwest, which accounts for its name.  All we know for sure is that we really like this beautiful rose and are glad to have it in our yard.