OUT IN THE FALL GARDEN

 Can you believe October is here?  I made a

bouquet with whatever I could find.

I have been doing some garden cleanup. I actually removed my zinnias earlier than usual but found a few orange ones.  

Those are sure fallish colors!

My blue hydrangeas barely survive the summer

heat in Missouri so I water them almost

daily. Since it has finally cooled down,

they are now blooming.

I decided to plant those "Knock Out" roses in

our front yard so I hope they do well.  

Here in Missouri where August through

September is very hot, they seem to

do well.

 

The acorns are large!

 Mid-October update:

Now I've picked up over

250 pounds of acorns and

walnuts!

LAST PEONY CELEBRATION for "Tea In The Garden"

 

I have to admit that I am sad to see

 the irises and now the peonies 

going bye bye!  Some might remember this

area to the right as the former Koi pond.

Believe me, I don't miss the work.

I suddenly saw the weather report for

tomorrow which said temps were going

up so I thought I better get going on 

another "Tea In The Garden" post

for this blog.

This week has been so busy.  Our son came

over and took out the giant 25 year old

pussywillow in our front yard.  It was

dying and had to go but we will miss

the privacy it created.

Our spring has been lovely and I know what

comes next - getting ready for heat for sure.

I have loved all the columbines

this year.

I grabbed a little of this and that

for my big bouquet.

I am very fond of Crown Dorset Teapots:

I hope you

have a

lovely spring

and 

coming

summer!

"TEA IN THE GARDEN" With Irises for 2026

 It is time for a first bouquet from our garden. 

 This year won't be a bulb year as we had a nasty 

March freeze but that doesn't mean we can't

 find other flowers.  There are no lilacs and

 even the Red Bud blooms were non existent.

I am thrilled to see cardinals building a 

nest in the lilac bush just outside a front

bedroom window.  That will be fun to watch.

The female keeps getting on top of the pile of

twigs she's bringing and squashing them down.

Today I set up a little "Tea In The Garden"

photo shoot.  We have lots of irises blooming

right now so they are the main event.

I made some cookies that are so similar to

Oreo Cookies you buy.  I will put the recipe

here at the bottom of this post.

The fabric topper is made with Pierre

Deux toile fabric.

I need to stop and read the new Victoria

magazine!  I do love it!

 Chocolate Peppermint Cream Cookies

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Sift together 3 cups sifted flour, 1 ¼ tsp baking  soda, 1 tsp salt.

 Heat 1 1/2 cups brown sugar packed,  ¾ cup butter, 2 Tbs, water to melt butter.  Add 2 cups Choc chips and stir to melt.  Beat in 2 eggs. Stir in flour mix.  Drop by heaping tsps onto Greased Cookie sheet and flatten slightly.  Keep sizes similar and smaller!

 

Bake 350 degrees 5 minutes   Cool

You will be forming a sandwich with 2 cookies

 Filling: 1 tsp peppermint extract:  Blend 1 cup sifted conf. sugar, 1/3 cup soft butter, 1/8 tsp

Peppermint extract!  Now Beat in 2 cups sifted conf. sugar alternately with ¼ cup milk –spread this mix between the 2 cookies to make a “sandwich”.

NOVEMBER THANKSGIVING TABLESETTING

 I am sharing my Windsor Ware Harvest Fruit dishes by Johnson Brothers.  I started out years ago with some plates and

have added to my collection when I have seen them at a

decent price.  

Speaking of prices, I recently found a real bargain at

a local resale shop.  Last year Victoria Magazine featured

the most gorgeous cake dome and stand in the Christmas

issue.  I just looked and the replacement business that

everyone talks about had one for over $400.00 but I got

mine for $40.00.  I was so excited.

As you can see to the right, I do have a dome which

had no stand that  I purchased last year so now I have 

2 of those.  I also found some more of the

crystal etched glasses which I mix and match on my

table.  This one is called "June Night" and is beloved.

I broke at least 2 of these over the year so having

extras is a good plan - especially when I see

them at a good price.  They are from the 1930's-40's.  

And I say "oops" to that vacuum

 cleaner wand to the right!

I have been enjoying Instagram so much

and would encourage everyone to look

at it for "whatever" interests you.

The punch bowl above was purchased at the

Salvation Army resale store in Old Colorado City

many years ago.

I make the same comments every year:  I wish we celebrated Thanksgiving earlier so we had more time before Christmas.

HARVEST FRUIT WINDSOR WARE JOHNSON BROTHERS

 

When we move toward fall I enjoy changing

 my dining room table about 3 different

times with various fall toned transferware.

If you love table setting

like I do, you will understand

that this is a hobby.

This set pattern  is Johnson Brothers

 Harvest Fruit Windsor Ware.  

Over the years I have added to

my set but I rarely see the matching

teapot.

I love this tablecloth so much, I think I have been showing

it to you over and over.  It is a vintage alencon French 

lace and a favorite of mine.  The napkins are point

de Venice from Italy.

We have enjoyed such colorful zinnias

and they will last quite a while.

We had the 2nd dryst August on record and our

lawn turned brown.  I have been watering and

it is coming back a little better.

I have watered my garden quite a bit this

summer.  The hydrangeas must have water

to bloom and look revived.

I wish I had more of this velvet

 fabric but years ago

I found just a scrap.

I hope you have time to do some

fall decorating to enjoy!