Paul Ciener Botanical Gardens

Happy Friday all!  What a quick week this has been.  This past Sunday afternoon, we paid a visit to Paul Ciener Botanical Gardens in Kernersville, North Carolina.  This small town is about a 20-minute drive from where we live, so not a lot of our outrageously expensive gas was wasted on this drive.  This was our first time to visit these gardens; they're small, but very pretty.           We passed under this arch to get to the main flower beds,   

   

Reynolda Gardens 2021

Would you like to take a (virtual) walk through Reynolda Gardens with me today?  These pictures are actually from last year, but we can look at them in the cool and comfort of our own homes.  Reynolda Gardens are part of the original R. J. and Katharine Reynolds estate in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.  R. J. and Katharine's daughter, Mary Reynolds Babcock, loved the formal gardens at Reynolda, and after her death in 1953, her husband donated the formal gardens and greenhouses to Wake Forest University, with specific instructions to preserve the space as a community resource.  There is no charge for admission at Reynolda Gardens, and that's a real plus in my book.  😉   

      

Our Life Lately

I just cannot believe that it's almost the end of April 2022.  Once again, I have fallen behind in my posting here.  If there are still any of you who look forward to reading House at Forest Manor, I do apologize for being so lax.  Part of the problem is that I've had a hard time deciding what to write about.       We're still having a beautiful spring here, so much so that allergies have hit hard -- for everyone.  I've had a persistent sore throat and so have re-discovered the pleasures of hot tea in the morning (in place of my normal coffee).  Hot tea with honey and lemon are so soothing to the throat, and I'm currently favoring Twinings' Lady Grey tea.  Such a civilized custom is the taking of tea -- wouldn't you agree?   

      

Reynolda Village

Hi all!  I finally got a good opportunity to take some pictures this past Sunday afternoon.  I don't think I've mentioned here that my husband gave me a new camera for my birthday back in 2018.  It's a Sony ILCE-5100, and I absolutely love it.  It's a compact camera with a lot of capability.  I've used it so much more than I did the Canon Rebel, partly because it's much easier to carry around with me, but also because it takes terrific pictures.  That means for the last three years, I've done my own photography for my tablescapes, my recipe posts, travel pictures, and decor pics around the house.  When I first started writing House at Forest Manor, I made no secret of the fact that my husband did most of the photography for the blog.  I'm still no great shakes as a photographer, but I do feel like I've learned a few things over the years I've been writing this blog.     Sunday presented a good opportunity for me to take some pictures of one of our local historical areas,  Reynolda Historic District.  Today, I'm sharing some images of Reynolda Village, which is a collection of shops, restaurants, a greenhouse and gardens, and a wedding venue, as well.  Come along and see what you think.           Before I go further, I'd best explain that Reynolda Village is part of the original 1,087-acre estate belonging to Richard Joshua "R. J." Reynolds, founder of the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, and his wife, Katharine Smith Reynolds.     

source - Our State Magazine            

Colonial Williamsburg

I finally got to go back.  We last visited Williamsburg when our son was in Cub Scouts, and he'll be 29 this August, sooo -- it's been awhile.  I'm really thankful we were able to use my mom's timeshare points to stay at a nice resort, within walking distance of the historic area of Williamsburg.  Thanks again Mom!!   

Thomas Jefferson's Gardens at Monticello

Recently, I noticed that I've written several posts over the years wherein I ended the post with a promise for Part 2.  I had every good intention of writing the follow-up post, but somehow I never got around to it.  Life moved on quickly, and we were onto the next thing.  This time around, I've decided to write my "Part 2" as soon as possible so that I don't forget or just get too busy later to do so.  A few weeks ago, I wrote about our visit to Charlottesville, Virginia, in September 2017, and talked a little bit about Thomas Jefferson at the end of that post.     

Magnolia Gardens in Charleston

When we went to Charleston back in April of this year, we tried to see some new (to us) places on this trip.  On one of the days there, we visited Magnolia Plantation and Gardens.  For us, the highlight of this spot was the gardens, more so than the house.  

 

Airlie Gardens

Last weekend while at the coast, we visited Airlie Gardens in Wilmington on Easter Sunday afternoon.  My in-laws had been before, but we didn't even know this place existed.  It was a lovely way to spend the afternoon.  

Bethabara Gardens, Part 2

Welcome to House at Forest Manor.  Today I'm sharing the rest of the pictures from the gardens at Bethabara Park in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.  You can read about the history of Bethabara in my previous post Here.

I had the best of intentions to publish Part Two of this post a few weeks ago, shortly after Part One.  As usual, things got busy and I forgot.  Better late than never, I suppose.  I'm posting a lot this week because I suddenly have some free time in which to work on my blog, and I never know when that will change.  I haven't forgotten about visiting you, though, and I'll be doing that throughout the week.  I hope you're all having a good summer; my thoughts go out to BJ at Sweet Nothings who lost her beloved husband this week.  

The Gardens at Bethabara Park

Hello Friends!  Today I'm sharing with you this interesting garden that hubby and I visited last weekend.  This is proof that you don't have to travel far from home at all to find new and fascinating things.

Autumn at Biltmore Gardens

My husband took this past Friday and Monday off from work, and on Monday we visited Biltmore Gardens.  Our annual pass will expire the end of December, so we're trying to get a few more visits in.  We were last at the gardens for the spring blooms, which were spectacular, by the way.  We thoroughly enjoyed the fall offerings, too.

Boone Hall Plantation Part 2 - The Gardens

Almost two months ago, I wrote about our visit to Boone Hall Plantation, when we traveled to Charleston, South Carolina.  I promised then to share the gardens with you, so here we are.  Better late than never.  :)  To learn some of the history of Boone Hall Plantation, you can read my previous post Here. 

It's Friday!

Hi there folks!  Have you had a good week?  The last two or three days have been beautiful here; the sun is out and the air feels fresh instead of heavy and humid.  Fall is on its way, and I feel rejuvenated.

October 2014

Charleston Part Five, Doorways and Courtyard Gardens

Hi folks!  I'm still here, just can't seem to find much time to post (or visit) at the moment.  Life has been quite busy with our family, our home, and our Duncan.  ;)  When I first started my blog almost four and a half years ago, things just weren't as busy around here as they are now.  But -- I still look at all your blog posts almost daily, and I will still be visiting, it just might take me a little longer to get there.

Wow, it's really hot here now!!  It's not even the middle of May, and already temps. are in the 80's and very muggy.  I would love to have had a few more weeks in the 70-degree range, but we have to take what we can get.  It was about this time last year that my husband and I took a short trip to Charleston, South Carolina -- what a wonderful and unique city!!  Charleston is famous for its courtyard gardens, and we saw lots of pretty ones.  Those serene and shady gardens are beckoning me right now, so come along with me for a tour.

Brookgreen Gardens, Part Five

Since so many people in the U.S. and Canada are suffering from brutal winter weather, I felt like sharing some images that would, hopefully, warm our spirits until spring arrives.  I'm about to exhaust my stash of Brookgreen Gardens pictures; these might be some of the last ones that I haven't yet posted.  Brookgreen Gardens in South Carolina comprises over 9,000 acres of themed gardens, including a sculpture garden and wildlife preserve.  It's built on four former rice plantations and takes its name from the former Brookgreen Plantation.

Charleston Part Four, The Gardens at the Heyward-Washington House

I'm in love with American colonial gardens.  

Springtime in Reynolda Gardens

The very first year I started this blog in 2011, I visited Reynolda Gardens in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, to take some pictures.  I thought it might make an interesting post.  It was still late winter then, and I told myself I'd be returning in a few weeks, or a month, to take more pictures when things were fully in bloom.  Three years later, I finally did that very thing.

Photo from 2011 post

Brookgreen Gardens, Part Four

Let's do a little armchair traveling, what do you say?  I feel like re-visiting Brookgreen Gardens to enjoy some more flowers and sculpture.  We were last there over Labor Day weekend last September.  I shared some of those photos Here.  We had previously only been to the gardens in early spring, and it was really nice to see them at the end of summer, since the flowers in bloom then were totally different than what we had seen in March.

Diane's Garden

I want to say a big "Thank You" to everyone for your sweet comments on my mom's pink and green tablescape!  My mom enjoyed seeing her table on the blog, and she really appreciated all the nice comments!

I'll bet many of your thoughts are starting to turn towards fall, yes?  Mine too; I pinned some really pretty fall images yesterday.  :)  But I'm still trying to hold on to the nicer parts of summer; the older I get, the more guilty I feel about rushing the seasons and wishing my life away.  Life really is so precious, and it goes by much too quickly these days. So for this post, I'm going back to late spring/early summer to share with you some pictures from my mother-in-law Diane's garden this year.  I always enjoy walking around my mom and mom-in-law's yard every spring and summer to see what they have blooming.

Beautiful Brookgreen Gardens, Part Three

Today, I'm sharing some more images of Brookgreen Gardens in South Carolina.