Spring Flower Pictures from a North Carolina Garden
Purple Iris
My North Carolina Spring Flowers
My North Carolina garden is somewhat haphazard, a rather disorganized assembly of pretty flowers planted for their shapes, fragrance and colors. A bonus has turned out to be their ability to attract butterflies and birds. Despite the disarray, I love to look at each flower close up to appreciate the textures and vivid contrasts it brings to my garden.
Free Plants For My Garden
One reason for the haphazard mixture of plants is that almost every plant was free! Unlike those who haunt garden catalogs and nurseries, I am more likely to beg, borrow or steal (well, not really...) plants, seeds and cuttings from friends and neighbors when they are thinning or dividing their plants. Most of the photographs in this hub are of plants that I've grown from seedlings, cuttings or freebies given to me by friends.
When my sister-in-law thinned out some of her iris, she gave me a box of rhizomes to take home. Somehow, the purple and yellow iris roots got mixed, so we didn't know until they bloomed what color the flowers would be. Three years after planting the roots, there are beautiful clusters of purple and yellow iris blooming along the garden walls. Although iris blooms are short-lived, the profusion of plants is enough to provide a steady stream of cut flowers for my table.
Groups of Purple Iris Along the Wall
Yellow Iris
Wisteria - A Blooming Surprise!
My husband fishes in a public spot along Currituck Sound and noticed wisteria rambling along the ground through the brush and grasses nearby. Early one spring he brought back a few cuttings which we rooted easily by just sticking them in the ground. They thrived in their new location, and it wasn't long before I had two sturdy wisteria bushes that seemed ready to overtake the world. It was only by pruning and training that we have been able to keep the wisteria confined to it's planned location.
The Wisteria Was a Surprise This Year!
Last summer, the plant was out of control, sending runners in every direction, creeping into the lawn and attempting to overtake the nearby Rose of Sharon. It never bloomed, and in a ruthless move, I pruned off all the runners and cut back the top to about 30 inches high. Lo and behold, in March it sent out buds in every direction and bloomed in a cascade of lavender clusters.
Wisteria
My Beginning Herb Garden Blooms Early
There is the beginning of an herb garden near my back door where I've planted some perennial herbs. The sage and marjoram have taken well and grown into each other to make a beautiful bouquet of herbs.
Sage and Marjoram
Pink Azaleas and Beautiful Butterflies
From my kitchen window, I can see the pansy beds on the inside of the patio wall as well as many of the other flowers on the other side of the low wall. One of my special pleasures is to see the azaleas and roses in bloom.
The white and bright pink azaleas and many other azalea bushes around our house were grown from small seedlings that we found among my son's overgrown azalea collection. These azaleas have bloomed for weeks this year as the spring fluctuates from cool to warm to cool. On warm days, the swallowtail butterflies have swarmed around the bush, their black and yellow wings a beautiful contrast to the brilliant pink blossoms in the sun. Occasionally, a ruby throated hummingbird will lite in one of the branches to rest before sipping from the nearby feeder.
Pansies on the Patio Bloom Most of the Winter
Swallowtail Butterfly on Azalea
My Garden Visitor
This little lizard comes out to sun himself in the flower beds or on the patio wall. Recently, I've seen more than one, so there might be a family of lizards making their home in my garden. So far, Gemini (my cat) hasn't noticed them, or they would be prey for sure!
My Garden Lizard
Camellias Bloom Late Fall Until Late Winter
There was one beautifully established camellia bush growing near our house when we bought it, and most years we miss its bloom as we travel in the winter. This year, we were fortunate enough to be home in February when the bush burst into hundreds of dark pink blooms. Coming from the northeast where winter blooming flowers are nonexistent, camellias blooming in the winter months fascinate me.
Camellias Put on a Blooming Show in February
Yellow Roses Blooming in April
A small yellow rose bush lives in a sunny, protected spot with a southern exposure and decided to bloom in early April. I love the yellow color against the red brick background. Though I don't know the variety of these roses, they have a strong rose scent that is perfectly delightful.
Yellow Roses
Calla Lilies Are Another Gift
Calla lily bulbs were another gift from a friend who was dividing her plants, and I was fortunate to be given a few large bulbs that have multiplied in my garden. Calla lilies are so perfectly formed and such a pure white, it's easy to see why they are a favorite in bridal bouquets. These started blooming in mid-April but they've been known to bloom on and off until fall.
Elegant Calla Lilies
Daffodils Pop up Unexpectedly
These double daffodils were an unexpected pleasure as they seemed to pop up overnight and bloom. The double blossoms are quite a change from the more common yellow single daffodils that bloom in my front flower beds.
Daffodils
Spring Rain Enhances the Beauty of the Flowers
The vibrant colors of spring are even fresher after a rain. Roses after a rain sparkle as they catch the light in the droplets of water. These are my favorite flower photographs because they seem to capture the dewy newness of everything that spring represents.
Roses

Hope You've Enjoyed My Spring Flower Pictures
As you can see, I do love flowers and enjoy every blossom as it comes into being. I love to have cut flowers from my garden in the house, and even use them to decorate cakes! One of the joys of photography is that it preserves some of the most interesting and beautiful flowers forever.
I do hope you’ve enjoyed this tour of spring flowers from my North Carolina garden as much as I've enjoyed putting it together.
_____________________________________________________________________
Copyright @2012 Stephanie Henkel
All photographs are the exclusive property of Stephanie Henkel. Please do not copy or reproduce without permission.
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Comments
Beautiful photos, Stephanie! Real lovely! I would love to grow some of these flowers for my container patio garden. Thanks for sharing!
Hi, I came back to look at your flower garden once more. Even though it's certainly not cold here, like in Boston, I'm still ready for spring! Take care. Cyndi
You can never have too many photos of beautiful flowers in my book.
I like all your flowers in your garden especially calla lily. I really like its shape and the color.
Stephanie Henkel,
I love all flowers but the Carolina flowers are Texas sized! Amazing. I have a new garden and alas very few flowers as yet but the blooms are a starting! My husband was confused why we didn't have a profusion of color the first year. Flowers are funny that way - they need time and care. Similar to great hubs! Thank you for a delightful journey!
...beautiful! Wonderful pictures. Makes me want to visit my cousin in the Carolinas even more!!
Three reasons I love this hub:
Your "Yellow Iris" is awesome...great photo!!!
The fact that these beauties were "free"...amazing!!!
I lovvvve your "Swallowtail Butterfly on Azalea"!!!
I loved hearing your story and looking at your awesome pics made me happy :)
Stephanie, those are really astounding pictures! I wish I have a camera like yours with an 18x zoom and I'd really be happy with that (for now I only have a digicam, but also a Nikon). Pretty flowers color your hub. Voted up and beautiful/awesome! :D
Oh my!! such a beautiful hub, those flowers are super pretty!
Hi Stephanie,
Lovely hub; my garden is also a mixture of what I have collected along the way. The yellow rose you have in your garden is a Graham Thomas English rose, a wonderful find for you. Your photographs are beautiful, especially of the iris and elegant calla lily, one of my very favorite. Voted up:)
Hi Stephanie, What wonderful photo's of such beautiful flowers. I love wisteria and had no idea it is pretty invasive--just the beauty though, and the smell is worth keeping it trimmed and in check. Love your calla lilies and the roses are gorgeous. We have camellias, too, a couple different varieties and I love to see the beautiful blooms during a time when it is usually still cold and devoid of color. I enjoyed your photo's and narrative and thank you for sharing them with us.
Hello Stephanie, wonderful collection. I especially loved the azalea with the butterfly. Voted beautiful.
Thank you Stephanie. I appreciate the weather information. I guess if we can deal with the blizzards, we can take on the tropical storms as well!
Hi Stephanie, I'm glad to meet a transplanted New Yorker! One thing I wouldn't miss is the snow and the ice. It would indeed be great to continue to see flowers almost year round. My one big worry is the bad storms. Have you experienced anything worse than what we have here in New York in the summertime?
Gorgeous flowers. I love your iris especially. My husband wants to move from upstate New York to North Carolina in the future. Now that I've seen what you can grow there, I think maybe I'll stop resisting! Lovely Hub, thanks so much for sharing your garden with me. Voted Up and everything. Also shared.
Gorgeous photos! Love the pansies and that butterfly is stunning.
You are truly a Jill of all Trades! I always enjoy your hubs because you never know what surprise will be next. Beautiful flowers, photos and hub!
You take some beautiful picture tht should be published in magzines! I especially liked "The bug in this blossom". Lovely! Voted up!
I love this! Beautiful NC flowers!! I have LOTS of yellow irises, native daylilies, azaleas, herbs (and blooming sage) in my garden. It's like taking a walk in my backyard. Beautiful pictures!!
Hi, Stephanie - what beautiful photos, especially the rose after the rain! My iris has bloomed early this year. I have some huge, pink iris that usually blooms on or around Mother's Day, but they've been about 2 weeks early.
Hi Stephanie, what a gorgeous hub this is. I love flowers very much---yellow is one of my absolute favorite colors ever!... I wasn't too familiar with the iris before. Thanks for the intro....
Enjoy your day - voted beautiful
John
What a lovely flowers you have in there in your garden! I do wish they all grow in tropical countries too especially the iris. I loved how this flower actually look like, big and splendid!
very nice and beautiful hub!
Gorgeous! Iris are my favorite flower..so beautiful. My mother and grandmother always had lovely iris beds with unique and rare varieties. Very hearty bulbs; they seem to be able to withstand so much.
Hi Stephanie,
I loved getting to take a look at some of the beautiful things that bloom in your garden. That camellia bush is huge! We have all of the same flowers here in Houston with the exception of the iris which are mostly a different kind called Louisianna Iris.
I love the kind that you have because mine came from my grandmother when my husband and I lived up in Wisconsin for 4 years. She also gave me tulips which spread like crazy. We gave many of the iris and tulips to our neighbors before we moved back to Houston.
Also enjoyed your photography. Up votes and SHARED.
Beautiful hub! I love all your flowers. I too like to take close up pics of my iris', they are just so pretty. You have so many beautiful flowers. I noticed some hostas in the background too! We had a terrible problem with cut worms this year and my hostas are pretty much gone, so I am a little jealous there. :) Beautiful hub, voted up and....beautiful! :)
How beautiful! My mother had Iris that were off-springs from her great-great grandmother. Now I have them. They are such treasures. The Wisteria is one of my favorites, too. Beautiful pictures! Spring is here. :-) Votes and shares!
These are just stunning. I think we are fortunate to live in one of the most beautiful states in the country. Every part of NC (almost) has a unique landscape and beauty. Your photos are stunning!
Beautiful flowers - the photos are awesome! I bet your garden is gorgeous and so fragrant...I have roses that are blooming and a white Hydrangea that is looking good (hope I spelled that right:) everything in the midwest is green or blooming!
Great close up photo's of your beautiful flowers Stephanie. The detail is stunning.
Voted up and 4/5 buttons.
What beautiful flowers! It isn't haphazard - it is a picturesque, romantic garden. Informal and arranged to look pretty and natural! (So...a fancy horticultural term for what you said...) voted beautiful!
What a delightful hub Stephanie! Your garden is just like a colorful painting. So much beauty. Your love for flowers shows, and I'm so happy you shared your garden with the rest of us. Staying at the moment in a hospital and probably for quite some time, I especially enjoyed this virtual walk in your garden, bringing so many colorful and beautiful flowers in to my hospital room.
Voted up, beautiful, awesome and sharing.
Such breathtaking blooms! You indeed have a wonderful garden to delightfully ramble in. I too love the picture of the yellow roses with the red brick background. Your effort with your garden is truly rewarded with these amazing beauties.
Lovely photos Stephanie, enjoyed this hub very much. I used to have that pink azalea, can't recall the name for the life of me. I used to live in Raleigh in the 80's.
Hi Stephanie, thank you for this wonderful treat - your garden is fabulous!
I love the double daffs and the wisteria especially, I didn't realise wisteria would root so easily!
Voting up/awesome
Best wishes Lesley
Interesting to know.
Your camera must be a very good camera, too. I can never get that kind of definition and clarity. Do mind if I ask what it is?
Here in S.D. we just have a few spring bulbs blooming,
thus this was so enjoyable for me. Very good flower pictures, and it makes me want to try to paint some.
Thank you so much for sharing your lovely garden on HubPages where we can all admire the beauty that you captured in these stunning close-ups! The yellow iris close-up with the bug in the center of it literally took my breath away!
I think it's great that you've grown most plants from clippings, seeds and plants given to you by friends/relatives. In these tough economic times getting plants from others is a win-win situation and an excellent free way to share joy with others.
Voted up across the board except for funny.
Hi Stephanie all your flowers are so colorful and so beautiful, love all the photos ever the little garden lizard .
Vote up and more !!!
Gorgeous flowers and photos, Stephanie!
Wow....this was beautiful hub and full with the color of beautiful flowers. I really enjoy all stunning pictures. Thanks for writing and you make my day so colorful only watch the pictures. Good job and voted up!
Blessing,
Ms. Stephanie, I enjoyed reading your hub and looking at the photographs :)
Beautiful photos. I especially loved the roses after the rain.
Fabulous
These flowers take my breath away! As a fellow flower lover and gardener, I was astounded by the beauty of these. I live in S. Fl. and most of these flowers don't grow here except for the rose. I just did a Hub on my Cattleya orchid that is in full bloom, and my camera couldn't capture the orchid to my satisfaction. What kind of camera do you use? You get such clear shots. When you have some time, check out my orchid. When I first saw your avatar, I knew I'd like you! Goodnight.
NC flowers! I am sure other places have beautiful ones too but NC's seem to be so plentiful and last so long. I have got to get my yellow Calla Lily flowers up soon to show off and Camillas are just at the top of my list! You have some real beauties.
Awesome view Stephanie, thanks for sharing your blooms and wildlife. I loved it. Spring is my favorite season. I love to walkabout every morning looking to see what happened overnight.
Ohhh! As soon as I saw the title of your new hub, I knew it was going to be another good one!! What a beautiful little heaven on earth you have with your flowers! The Iris'...oh my...astounding....and the calla lilies...what a perfectly stunning flower! That is the coolest thing that you did not purchase any of them! The cuttings and bulbs given to me are always my favorites...my Mom just gave me a baby from her apostle plant(walking iris) and I keep counting the leaves as it grows until it reaches 12 and then will flower - it's up to 5! Thanks for sharing your beautiful flowers with us.
Beautiful flower pictures, Stephanie, only put in the shade somewhat by your own lovely smile.
Bob
Beautiful spring blooms! Aren't iris amazing?! And wisteria--your tale is fabulous. I have a white that I'm trying to train into a small tree, but our purple is going to hid the house if we don't cut it back. Do I have your courage??? :)
Wow, absolutely stunning and I love the fact that you get all your plants free. The butterfly on the azalea - both pictures of it are extra fabulous and I've never seen an iris quite like that one you have. We get bearded irises in the UK which are a bit similar, but yours is quite extreme! And I can near enough smell your lovely raindropped roses.
The pictures are so pretty. Love the butterflys.
Your flowers are beautiful and pictures are so nice. Love them. Voted Up.
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