First signs of Spring are slowly sprouting up out of the old dry branches of the hydrangea bush in front of the house. It’s odd to see old and new life together, but it’s also wonderful and beautiful. It reminds me that God has made me a new creation …
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
“And the one sitting on the throne said, ‘Look, I am making everything new!’And then he said to me, ‘Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.’”
God said it, and I believe it. He makes everything new, even the plants, flowers, … when He said everything, He meant absolutely everything is made new.
Location: Home Garden; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. May you be blessed with new adventures, new friendships, and an abundance of happiness. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Location: Cramerton Drugstore Landscape; Cramerton, North Carolina. USA
God Bless. Get Outdoors. Enjoy Nature. Have a wonderful week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Location: Inside Chick-Fil-A; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Stop and smell the Flowers. Bring a Ray of Sunshine’s Beauty inside. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Lost Hollow is a section in Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden specifically designed for children. It is also known as The Kimbrell Children’s Garden.
Trumpet pitcher Sarracenia
The garden incorporates nature-inspired play spaces that encourage exploration and interaction with the surrounding environment. The Lost Hollow features an amphitheater, sunken pond, Moonkeep, play spaces and more for the imagination. This garden has been expanded since we last visited. It now includes a 0.4 mile Adventure Trail and Prairie Castle Playground for children to explore and enjoy.
Sarracenia flava
Sarracenia (Trumpet pitchers) are carnivorous North American plants with hollow, trumpet-shaped leaves that trap and digest insects. They lure prey with nectar and bright colours by using slippery, downward-pointing hairs and digestive fluids to capture and absorb nutrients which helps to supplement their diet in low- nitrogen environments.
Yellow Trumpet
The Yellow Trumpets (Sarracenia flava) have tall yellow-green pitchers with red veins which can reach up to thirty (30) inches. Their colouring often changes from yellow-green to a bright yellow in the Springtime. These particular Yellow Trumpets grow near the pond in Lost Hollow.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S18-55mm lens
Location: Lost Hollow; Kimbrell Children’s Garden; Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden; Belmont, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Admire the Flowers and the beauty found in nature. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
For the Lenten Season which began on February 18th, I decided what better selection than the Narcissus pseudonarcissus to post. The Narcissus pseudonarcissus, is commonly referred to as the wild daffodil or Lent Lily.
Lent Lily
I captured this Lent Lily with my iPhone in February of 2024 (during the Lenten season) at The Schiele Museum of Natural History. It was growing in The Farm area near one of the historic cabins.
Location: The Farm; The Schiele Museum of Natural History; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Take time to observe the Flowers and nature’s beauty. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF75-300mm lens
Location: Glencairn Garden; Rock Hill, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Admire the Flowers and the beauty found in nature. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
God Bless. Admire the Flowers and the beauty found in nature. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
God Bless. Admire the Flowers and the beauty found in nature. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
This week Terri WebsterSchrandt of Second Wind Leisure Perspectivescombines her Sunday Stills Challenge with her Sunday Stills Monthly Color Challenge for a theme of Amethyst. She has also created her The #Flower Hour post using shades of Amethyst flowers.
Spring has not yet sprung in our area as of yet, therefore, I perused my photo archives to find appropriate images to use for all three challenges in one.
Here are my contributions …
Platycodon grandiflorus; a species of herbaceous, Aka balloon flowerPurple PansyHydrangeaSeaside PetuniasViola bertolonii aka Bertoloni’s pansy
God Bless. Have a lovely week. Take time to observe nature’s beauty. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Rosemary is a fragrant herb from the mint family grown in The Farm at The Schiele Museum of Natural History in Gastonia, North Carolina.
Rosemary grown in the Garden in the Farm has several qualities that are beneficial for the Garden and the Livestock living in the Farm.
A Natural Pest Repellent to keep mosquitoes and cabbage moths away
Boosts health in crops like sage and cabbage
An aromatic, woody, low-maintenance drought-tolerant evergreen hedging
The aromatic stalks can be used in chicken coops to reduce insects
The leaves can be fed to livestock in small quantities to boost immune systems
It invites beauty and life into the garden by being a magnet for pollinators. It attracts bees, honeybees, bumblebees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.
It can be added to feed for cows, goats, sheep, and pigs as a natural phytogenic feed additive.
How do you like to use rosemary? Do you plant it in your garden? There are many benefits of rosemary not only the health of farm animals, garden plants, and it has benefits for your health as well.
Looking back to February 2024, I took several shot of flowers in the garden at The Schiele Museum of Natural History in Gastonia, North Carolina.
Aka Rocket
The Garden in the Farm at The Schiele Museum is filled with vegetables and flowers each year. New plants are planted from starters at the home of the Farm Caretaker and planted into the garden beds at the Farm. The vegetable plants and flowers are a beautiful sight to behold. The flowers are pollinated from the bees from the hives in the Farm located adjacent to the flower beds.
Aka Arugula
Before researching this plant, Eruca vesicaria, I had no idea that it had multiple common names including Rocket, and Arugula. I knew that Arugula is a green often used in salads, which when eaten has a slightly bitter taste. Arugula is a herb from the mustard family (not a lettuce even though I previously thought it was).
God Bless. Admire the Flowers and the beauty found in nature. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Our area is currently under a Winter Storm Watch, probability is more likely for a severe ice storm rather than receiving much in the form of snow even though some is possible. Hence, I have chosen to share from my archives. Dreaming of Spring and the warmer weather it will bring and the blooming of Spring flowers.
These are from a hike in April of 2022 at Landsford Canal State Park. I captured these on the way to a spectacular lookout point for Spider Lilies.
The scientific name for this species was originally placed, by Carl Linnaeus, in the genus Amaryllis using the epithet “Atamasca” in 1753. In the second edition of Species Plantarum, Linnaeuschanged the spelling to “Atamasco,” the Native American name for the species. The most recognized name for these flowers is Zephyranthes atamasca.
Zephyranthes atamasca
The Zephyranthes atamasca is native to the Southern United States of America. It tends to grow in swampy forests, and coastal prairies. Its blooming season begins in March or April. The blooms pictured grow along the shores of the Catawba River in Landsford Canal State Park. They can be seen while hiking along the Canal Trail.
God Bless. Admire the Flowers and the beauty found in nature. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
The Plumeria is the perfect example of the finest quality of flowers one can find in Hawaii. They are often used in making leis. They come in a variety of colours and shades including white, yellow, pink, and red. The flowers sweet fragrance and delicate beauty are characteristics that make it a favourite among the locals and tourists alike.
Madagascar Periwinkle is a flowering perennial that has glossy leaves and flowers similar to phlox flowers.
Aka Catharanthus roseus
Interesting Note: Catharanthus roseus, aka Madagascar Periwinkle contains vital medicinal properties which are used in treating diabetes, kidney, liver, cardiovascular, and other life-threatening diseases. Its potent anticancer compounds are used in chemotherapy, alongside traditional uses for diabetes, hypertension, microbial infections, inflammation, and wound healing.
God Bless. Admire the Flowers and the beauty found in nature. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Uniola paniculata, aka sea oats, seaside oats, araña, and arroz de costa, is a tall subtropical grass which is an important component of coastal sand dune and beach plant communities in the southeastern United States of America, eastern Mexico, and some Caribbean Islands. The Sea Oats help protect beaches and property from damage due to high winds, storm surges, and tides. Interestingly, it provides food and habitat for birds, small animals, and insects.
Sea Oats are a crucial component of the area’s hurricane defense strategy. They have helped to thwart damage from tropical storms. (Tropical storms and hurricanes typically hit the Myrtle Beach area before or more so than in our area of the Carolinas.)
Sea Oats are a protected grass in several states along the southeastern Atlantic coast. Think twice before picking or disturbing Sea Oats, that action is punishable by fine in Georgia, South Carolina, and Northern Carolina.
Cameras: 1) Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max; 2-3) Canon EOS Rebel 2000D with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens & Altura UV Filter attachment.
Location: 1) Crazy Sister Marina; Murrells Inlet, South Carolina; 2-3) Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Wishing y’all the best life filled with love, peace, and joy in 2026. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Terri from Second Wind Leisure Perspective is the host for The #Flower Hour. I am posting my last 2025 Floral images (December 31,2025) as my first Flower Hour post for 2026.
Location: By Dinopark; Broadway at the Beach; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Wishing y’all the best life filled with love, peace, and joy in 2026. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Terri from Second Wind Leisure Perspective is the host for The #Flower Hour #11. This week she is giving us a Last Chance to share our Holiday Florals. Having already posted several Holiday Florals I dug deep into my archives to reshare some Christmas Florals with all of you.
Poinsettias are a popular Christmas floral, however, you probably don’t see this one around your everyday Christmas displays.
Euphorbia pulcherrima (Stelle di Natale) Christmas Star, Poinsettia
Let’s now take a look at a different Christmas floral known as the Christmas Berry. The Christmas Berry is a compact shrub with dark green elliptic leaves, but are crimson red when young in early spring. The shrub tolerates moderate shade and grows in well drained soil.
Photinia ‘Red Robin’ P x fraseri
Next, we are admiring a succulent known as the Christmas Kalanchoe, a popular house plant known for its vibrant, long-lasting flowers in colors like red, white, pink, and orange. It is a succulent that thrives in bright, indirect light and well-drained soil, making it a great festive gift for the holidays.
And finally, we are changing colours from red to green for our Christmas florals. This plant was seen at Anne Springs Close Greenway’s garden at the Stables Entrance. It is a Helleborusorientalis, often referred to as Christmas Rose, or Lenten Rose. It is a winter-blooming, broadleaf evergreen, clumping perennial in the Ranunculaceae or buttercup family.
Helleborus orientalis Aka Christmas Rose, Hellebore, Lenten Rose
God Bless. Have a very Merry Christmas Holiday Season. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
American Beautyberry is a woody deciduous, perennial shrub native to the southeastern United States including the Carolinas.
Clusters of small flowers bloom on the late spring and early summer. However, what you are seeing here are clusters of vibrant purple berries in the Carolinas that peak in late summer through autumn (August to November). The vibrant berries often persist into early winter providing significant food for birds and wildlife, making it a quintessential fall shrub for the region. The colors vary; most common is the vivid purple, though white and pink varieties exist.
American Beautyberry
The American Beautyberry offers many ecological services. How might you ask does it work? Its seeds and berries provide an important food source for a tremendous amount of songbirds of America. Some of those include American robin, brown thrasher, northern bobwhite, purple finch and eastern towhee. It is also a nectar source for butterflies and has fragrant foliage.
What I found interesting is that the American Beautyberry has been used by farmers successfully since at least the early 20th century to repel biting bugs from mules and horses by rubbing it on their coats and under harnesses. Why did I found this information so fascinating? The location of this particular American Beautyberry shrub is located near the horse stables at Anne Springs Close Greenway.
Yesterday, on December 12th, people celebrated National Poinsettia Day. It is an annual celebration commemorating the death of Joel Roberts Poinsett, an American diplomat that introduced the Poinsettia plant to the United States. It honours its deep ties to Christmas traditions, especially the Mexican legend of a poor girl whose humble gift of weeds bloomed into the beautiful “Flower of the Holy Night.”
Red Poinsettias
National Poinsettia Day is a day for spreading holiday cheer with the Red-leafed plants. Churches line them up in front of pulpits & many are donated by members in honor of loved ones no longer with us. Poinsettias are often given as gifts during the. Christmas holiday season.
God Bless. Have a very Merry Christmas Holiday Season. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Location: Greenway Stables Entrance; Anne Springs Close Greenway; Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Admire Nature’s Beautiful Flowers. Have a great weekend. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Location: Old Town; Riverside Community; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Admire Nature’s Beautiful Flowers. Have a great weekend. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Interesting fact: Pansy flowers are edible and have a mild, slightly sweet flavor. They can be used as a garnish, in salads, or to decorate cakes and desserts. Care for a taste?
God Bless. Admire Nature’s Beautiful Flowers. Have a great weekend. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
God Bless. Admire Nature’s Beautiful Flowers. Have a great weekend. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Gfpacificbee’s Insights & photography 