ARE YOU READY FOR A NEW YEAR?

Here is a little template above

that you can copy and use for

a New Year's menu for Afternoon

Tea.

Our year has come to a close and

we are ready for a new one.  I

realize blogging isn't the thing it

used to be but for now I will continue.

I am enjoying Instagram even more

than Facebook.  

I am sharing a little garden video I did

for my new Instagram page.

It is a review of  my 2024 garden.

Click to start and click on the full 

screen box in the right corner to enlarge.

 

BOUQUET TIME

 

It was fun doing a bouquet this week

with blue hydrangeas from our garden.

Here in Missouri, the blue ones can

barely survive the hot summer but

I watered mine a lot hoping that when

fall came with cooler weather, they

might survive and bloom.

I decided to try them in our 

(family/living area) next....

But of course, the bouquet ended up

outside by the front door since my

husband has terrible

allergies:

In the end we were told that it

might frost so I went and picked

the remaining hydrangeas.  This

is a little video I did which I am

not very good at as it is much harder

than I would have guessed:

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.

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!

AUGUST #2

 

AUGUST IN THE FRONT YARD GARDEN

 I took a few photos of the 

front yard garden today:

The front yard of our house gets

the most sun and heat!

The zinnias don't 

mind that

at all.