Thursday Tea in The Garden ~ My weekly garden journal.

 It has been an unseasonably hot and rain free spring , we're not used to so little rain and so much heat this early in the year in the Pacific Northwest. Our gardens are not either. The grapes are already out of control and there are many clusters of growing and ripening grapes on the vines.

 Our kiwi vines are finally producing shade over their arbor and we now have a place to sit in the sun in our large front yard without need of a sun umbrella. Maybe next year the kiwi will produce fruit .

 A red rose we planted almost 20 years ago blooms prolifically in spite of neglect. She sits in a hot dry space against the southern exposure of our house. She has to be watered by hose because the rain rarely falls on her . She is a survivor. I think these are the best kinds of roses ! I am sure if I dig around her base I'll find the metal tag proclaiming her pedigree. She is sweetly fragrant and reminds me of the high hopes we had for a big rose garden when we built our home and dug the first flower beds.

 A pink rugosa has taken over a fence line and we work hard to prevent this bush from strangling a nearby hydrangea. Who knew when we planted both tiny bushes they would grow so large ? ( not us .)

 White rugosa bushes fill a whole corner and gateway in our herb garden, our Blue Bottle Garden. The rugosas fill our property with their sweet scent and attract many hummingbirds and honeybees. Mallow (left ) and Lady's Mantle grow under the rugosa on either side.

 My husband's veggie garden also abounds with strawberries and raspberries. Look at how high most of his veggie beds are ! The strawberry beds are front left....

 ...and guess what's for dessert ! Whipping cream is chilling in the fridge.

 There are a lot of snap peas but they rarely make it to the stir fry pot because I eat most of them as I pick them , and snack on them raw at night. I also add them raw to salads. They're sweet and crisp.

Tea in the garden is ICED peach tea , refreshing after a day of gardening.

 

Although this is not a linky party I think you'll thoroughly enjoy visiting these two gardening bloggers ( who've inspired me ! ) and seeing what's going on in their gardens . Judith * at Lavender Cottage and Flower Lady Lorraine * at Flower Lady's Musings. I hope you're taking time to sip some tea and enjoy the flowers this summer even if your summer does get too busy,is too hot, and seems too much work . There's always time for tea !

A Chicken For A Teacup & TeaTime Tuesday Is Lambing Time !

It is Tea Time Tuesday once again.Seems like the Tuesdays are flying by.It is also lambing time on Cedar Pond too. So much excitement calls for a cup of hot tea , then it is back outside to tend my sheep.Isn't this teacup pretty? I laid a few of the roses my husband gave me for Valentine's Day next to the teacup. They seem to have been meant for each other, my teacup and my roses.

While helping my husband's sisters clean out their parent's basement I came across these two little books.We had been separating the many books into 2 places. On the shelves will go the books worthy of placing up for sale or of possible interest to the many family members. In a big box go the books destined for the Goodwill. I almost tossed these books into the box.Then I took a second look.The 'Romance Of a Doctor's Visits' pub. in 1937,are stories the author says are , "true incidents in the life of the writer." I think it will be interesting.

This plain little blue book is by Amy Carmichael. It is titled 'If '. She writes in the first pages ,"such a booklet as this is not meant for everyone, but only for those who were meant to be under-shepherds." To learn more about this amazing woman, missionary to the vulnerable girls & women in India click here.*

Just one of many gems in this tiny book, and it pierced my heart.

Back to the teacup. It was made in England by Ridgway Potteries. I received this teacup in trade. I traded 2 frizzled bantam hens for this lovely teacup. Do you think I got a good deal? I know the lady who took home 2 of my fluffy, curly, frizzled hens was happy,she now has 2 broody hens to hatch out & raise her chicken's eggs.

This is Delilah. She had a handsome ram ( boy) lamb this afternoon.Here he is pictured still wet from the womb, trying to get up to find his mother's milk.I always find this amazing, new born animals walking within the hour of birth, seeking milk, and within a few hours are usually leaping and playing. If you would like to see the other new lambs click here*.

"If I myself dominate myself, if my thoughts revolve round myself, if I am so occupied with myself I rarely have "a heart at leisure from itself," then I know nothing of Calvary love."Amy Carmichael

For more Tea Time Tuesday delights, check out the links below, you'll be richly blessed !

Terri at Artful Affirmations *

Martha at Martha's Favorites *

Bernideen's Tea Time Blog *

Antiques & Teacups *

Sandi at Rose Chintz Cottage *

You May Pass Frogs Looking For Roses!

"We may pass violets looking for roses..." Or you may pass frogs looking for roses! ( see the little green frog clinging to the lower petal?)

Look,not one, or two, but THREE frogs in the rose!These two frogs are snuggled into the upper petals. How did three frogs come to gather in one rose?

"How cunningly nature hides every wrinkle of her in conceivable antiquity under roses and violets, and morning dew." Ralph Waldo Emerson

And here is another sitting on the outer sill of the big picture window. At dusk I often see three or more of these little green frogs climbing the window trying to snatch bugs attracted to the lights inside the house.~It isn't easy being green on a white window sill. See the little frog peeking out of the petal on the left?It had stuck its' head out further , but when I approached with the camera it ducked back in. "One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon-instead of enjoying the roses blooming outside our windows today." ( and the frogs in them ) Dale Carnegie

Have a wonderful Labor Day weekend, enjoy the roses and the frogs!