THE NOVEMBER GARDEN

 Normally, we have had a frost

by this time but this year we are

fortunate.  I am still picking

tomatoes and my blue hydrangeas

are blooming.    I went out today

and took a few photos:

It is really a lovely day.  We finished

a huge project this week.  A few 

weeks ago, with the help of others,

our koi pond apparatus was removed

and the hole in the ground, filled in 

with dirt.  That also  meant we still

 had a pile of dirt on our driveway. 

 It took a while for us to eliminate that

 pile but finally it is gone and all

 the tarps cleaned off and put away.  

It took a lot of dirt to fill this pond. 

 I also planted bulbs and have

some forget me nots and irises

planted for next spring.

Yesterday, the man who had picked up

our pump house, pump and water feature

and other apparatus sent us a photo

of his new pond with the "equipment"

we gave him. This photo below is his

newly created pond:

So here are some photos of the

garden today.

BLUEBIRD TEA for "Tea In The Garden"

 We have been so thrilled to have

cooler weather 

 going into October. 

I decided to set up a little bluebird

themed "tea in the garden" to

celebrate some lovely blue

hydrangeas.  Actually, not

much is really going on in the

backyard garden,  and the marigolds

and zinnias have now been removed

out front.  That was a big job for

sure.  In some ways - I could have 

waited till next month but I guess I

was in a cleanup mode that day.

I was so glad to get our huge project

behind us of removing our koi pond.

This year I was feeling a little over-

whelmed at the cleanup of the filters

every few days.  I had to take that over

last year because my husband has some

physical issues.  It was quite a project

to remove the pond but that is all 

behind us.

Thank God for our son, sweet neighbors and a brother of a lady in our subdivision

who showed up to help.  I think, he

may have been an angel in disguise!

So I hope you like bluebirds because

that is our theme.  They will come

back this winter and into early summer.

I love them and seeing them hatch

little baby bluebirds is such a joy.

Please enjoy some tea!

I've had this tea set for a long time

now from my store.  I actually had

2 teapots but decided that was silly

so I shared one with another lady

who blogged.  That made me happy.

I have always loved the song 

"The White

Cliffs of Dover".

I made this little table topper

a long time back with a

combination of old vintage

linens.

We have enjoyed some lovely

blue hydrangeas in our yard

this year.  They just bloomed now

as they barely hang on all summer

because of our heat and if it turns cold when it is time to bloom.....too bad.

This year we love them!

I hope your fall is lovely.

I have been on a learning curve lately

and I am not very good at these video/reels

yet but hope you enjoy anyway:

WHAT REMAINS IN THE OCTOBER GARDEN

 I took a few photos today outside and

hope to get in another "Tea In The

Garden" yet this week.

The bittersweet hasn't popped open 

yet but now that it is cooler,

the blue hydrangeas are blooming.

at least, until a night time frost comes along.

This week I went ahead and removed

the annual zinnas from the flower

beds.  Of course, I am drying many

seeds just as before for another year.

I put some in a bucket with hopes

of doing a floral this week.

I think the zinnias would have made

it yet a while but I was wanting to 

get this task over.  

I still have an abundance of those

little tomatoes coming.....all my

neighbors are finding them at

their doors.

Earlier in the summer there was the

tiniest little bunny following his

Mommy and Daddy around the yard.

The day they left him he was right

at home and now he has grown

so much.  Can you see him there

where he sleeps each day under

a columbine plant?

In closing I must ask everyone who has

faith to pray for the those who have

experienced the peril of hurricane Helene.

It seems rather cruel to be posting about

my garden at such a time.  So I close

with this prayer:

"Lord above, we call out to you in

behalf of all those who have experienced

such great loss and hardship.  We ask

that you will give wisdom and understanding to those people who

are assisting is rescue and all operations

and endeavors in their behalf.  We 

ask this in Jesus name." Amen

ZINNIAS FOR "Tea In The Garden"

 

We have so many wonderful

zinnias showing off right now!

 I have been saving seeds each year by

throwing the heads in boxes to dry

and then scattering them in the

summer.  They can take the heat 

but I do water them if we don't

have rain.

You might notice a tomato plant 

sharing a spot with this

hydrangea too!

Our front yard gets the sun as it is

 facing south.  I would prefer this were

happening in the back yard but

that of course faces North and has

huge trees and sun loving flowers

aren't has happy there.

I hope your summer has been

pleasant.  We are having some

lovely days with temps in

the 80's which we love.

I brought out some brown toned

transferware pieces to enjoy

and one of my tea cozies.

As you can see, the grass

is not looking happy....we

need rain and may get

some tomorrow.

I love the shape of the

 these orange

ones above.

A closeup of a

favorite 

tea cozy:

If you are on Instagram -

please visit me there!

SEPTEMBER BRINGS CHANGE

 Last week I decided to move forward

with my fall table setting.  It was fun

pulling out various pieces of 

transferware and I also decided to

wash everything as I went along.

The zinnias in our front yard have

been so lovely during August and 

now in September.  I grew them from

the seeds I had last year and once again

I will save seeds for next year.

The tablecloth is an old Quaker one

 that was given to me and formerly belonged to a wonderland lady who

is in Heaven now, 

Marie Smith.

My plates are Johnson Brothers 

Windsor Ware Harvest Fruit.

Our front yard faces south so it gets the

most sun.  I have noticed the back yard

which faces north can be a challenge

for some flowers.  I guess after working

in the garden these 8+ years here I 

now see how these things work.  For

example, one wouldn't want vegetables

in their front yard but I have found

I can tuck some tomato and pepper

 plants here and there in order

to have some.

Hope your September 

is going well.  We are

enjoying and loving cooler

temperatures.  It feels so

wonderful.