I love all kinds of flowers. I can blame it on the extreme WASP-ness that three direct relatives have been Garden Club President at one time or another (Mom and both Grandmothers). And the fact that I grew up on a farm doesn't hurt either.
My mother bought me the books by Englishwoman, Cicely Mary Barker, who grew up in Croyden, England. When she was 13, in 1908, she had artwork exhibited. Seriously! Isn't that amazing? She lived until 1973, and had a long, fulfilling life. The people at Kew Gardens would help her coordinate in finding special flowers she couldn't find on her own, and she was widely successful in many publications.
Here is one of my favorites - the Almond Blossom fairy from Flower Fairies of the Trees:
When I was growing up, we frequently went to The Homestead and The Greenbrier for Sunday brunch, long weekends, and vacations - and their landscapes are gorgeous:
The Homestead Resort in Hot Springs, Va
The Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, WV
I also love visiting houses with special meaning, or with great stories behind them. Like Swannanoa in Afton, VA and Maymont in Richmond, VA - both owned by the Dooleys in the 20th century. Grove Park Inn and the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC are two other great landscapes...
But on to the main question posed.... What are my favorite flowers, you may ask?
*aster
*delphinium
*hydrangea
*chrysanthemum
*zinnia
*muscari
*dahlia
*stephanotis
*ivy, trailing
*gardenia
*dogwood
*ladys slipper
Lots of blues and ivories in there.... with maybe a hint of pink and green!
Cicely Barker photo+fairy picture from: http://www.ortakales.com/illustrators/barker.html
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