UNDER THE UMBRELLA BEFORE THE RAIN for "Tea In The Garden"

 So today I went out and set up my

vintage folding table which is quite

a production.  It is very strange

how it works.  The umbrella goes

in the middle and there is a lace

tablecloth over the frame above.

I hope you will pour yourself

a cup of tea and enjoy one of

these tarts I filled with cherry pie

filling.  Even as I take my photos there

 are a few raindrops here and there

 so I am in a bit of a hurry today. I got

this old table at an antique mall years

ago in Colorado and it is a bit of a 

task to take apart quickly.  I imagine

it is from the 1950's.

We are enjoying some lower temperatures

now after three days of over 90 degrees

 so this is wonderful.

I love when I can use my own flowers

and the peonies are starting to open

and the Japanese beetles haven't

 ravished the roses yet either.  I

know they are coming but I am

glad that they are not here yet.

I kept these English bone china

plates and cups and saucers that came

 out many years ago.  I did not keep the

teapot but think about it sometimes. 

 I think I have enough.

 

I don't have as many foxgloves this

year but am thankful for

the ones I do have.

This Crown Dorset

English Teapot is beloved.

The irises are at the tail end of their

blooming and we sure have enjoyed

them this year.    A friend gave me this

yellow and purple one which was

her mother's.

Foxglove tips:  They are mostly biennials

which means a seed grows into a 

small plant the first year and then the blooming and reseeding in the second

year and over with.  There are some

 perennial ones and they are usually smaller

 in size. When you purchase that big 

blooming plant you better enjoy it because

 it probably is already in it's second year.  (Sorry to say) 

I hope you enjoyed your visit.

OUT IN THE GARDEN

 

I took a few photos of my garden

after my tea was over yesterday.

Our weather went from cooler to

over 90 degrees three days in

a row.

We have lots of birds in

our birdhouses this year.

 

Hope you have a lovely week.

LADIES FOR TEA

May 14th I had a tea for 5 of the ladies

in Columbia, Missouri plus myself

who are in the my "Christian Tea

 Time & Hospitality" FB group.

I love Afternoon Tea and this was

a wonderful time we could get

to know one another. 

So here was our menu:

We had Chicken Salad Mini Croissants

 using the idea in the new Tea Time 

of strawberries  and Mandarin Oranges,

Egg Salad Finger Sandwiches and a 

Ham and Swiss Cheese with mustard 

Puff.  For the Scones we had 

Strawberry Buttermilk and the sweets

 were: 

 Chocolate Peppermint Brownies,

 Caramel Walnut Graham Cracker

Cookies and Lemon Madeleines. 

 We had

Wild Blueberry, Ginger Peach

 and Decaf

Apricot teas.

The shelves here have different themes:

Anne of Green Gables, Jane Austen,

Downton Abbey, Titanic, Queens and

Kings of England, Beatrix Potter, etc.

Friends: Natasha, Stacey,

 Nancy, Judy

and Jennifer

Of course, I wanted to share my garden

with the irises in bloom and the 

foxgloves getting started now.

We took a lot of photos but I

am sharing just a few.  It was

very hot outside.

This is a Christian group so we

had special prayer for America

and for the needs of the ladies

 in our group.  We had wonderful

fellowship encouraging one

another.

Natasha who was born in the

Ukraine took a selfie

with the mirror:

Hope you enjoyed seeing our tea!

WHEN IRISES BLOOM for "Tea In The Garden"

 I wanted to get out and take some photos

of the Irises before they are gone.  It

happens so quickly when it gets hot.

  Last year I did buy 2 unusual new kinds

 of Irises to plant but I don't see blooms yet.

  I think it may take another year for those

to develop.

We have just enough time

for a cup of tea before it

gets too hot.  Today it is

supposed to be in the 90's.

I brought out a picnic basket I

decoupaged years back.  I love

the artwork of Edith Holden

who lived from 1871-1920.

She wrote The Country Diary of 

an Edwardian Lady.

I decided I best not waste this opportunity

to set up another tea in the garden.

I am so happy and blessed to see warm

weather.  For some reason, I was cold

all winter.  I wore many layers to keep

warm.  Today it was fun to make a big

bouquet to display.

I heard a familiar sound out of the

window today and knew it was a

beloved House Wren.  I have been

anxiously hoping one would show 

up soon singing his beautiful tune.

I looked out and saw he is building

a nest in that little birdhouse on top

of the arbor over the gate.

A fun owl in the garden:

 We will enjoy every stage of the

garden this year.  

Toile is so pretty in all colors

 but this

purple is thrilling:

I hope you enjoyed this visit

to my garden.

A WARM DAY FOR "Tea In The Garden"

 Hello dear blogging friends and

finally we have some warm weather

again to get out in the garden and do a little

tea time vignette.  You know how it is

when you have days of rain and then

more rain.

I have a real fondness for

old vintage quilts.

Today is really a beautiful day and the

 birds are all happy in our backyard. 

 I seem to always have a lot of purple

 flowers at this time of the year.

The sun now will really make a

difference.  I have heard others say

the same comment which is that our

spring is a little behind this year because

of cooler weather.

This is the gate on one side going

into the back yard.

Blogging just isn't as popular as it

used to be.  I think Twitter taught

people that journalism needed to

be in a hurry.

I love the unique shaped Columbines.  We

have an abundance of Chickadees at

our house.  I have to say I find that 

noise they make very annoying.  If

you have heard that you will know what

I mean.  Please enjoy one of my

brownies I made earlier and froze some

in a carton.

I always remember the late Tasha Tudor saying that she bragged about her forget 

me nots.  I  laughed when she said that

 on her video.  I can get carried away

sometimes too!

I hope you have enjoyed a visit

 to my garden today.

There is a "Sewing With Vintage Linens"

Category down on the right that shows

many things to do sewing with

vintage linens or just the covers here!

Wishing all the Mother's a 

Very Happy Mother's Day!