A Tour and a Tea In The Garden...

It's that time of year... finally... when I get to enjoy the beauty of my garden!  It's too hot during the day to work in it, and it might as well be enjoyed!  Even though the weeds are never-ending...that's okay.  It is a place of beauty and relaxation, and I thought you might enjoy it too...so let's go on a little tour of this happy place, and I'll show you a tea party that was enjoyed in the garden as well :)

My strawberries were plentiful this year.  This is the third year since I planted them, and my best crop yet!  Nothing like homegrown strawberries!

This iron bed was my toddler bed as a child!  My parents saved it, and I have repurposed it into a flower bed at the end of our driveway.  I cut out the tin ovals with my Big Shot die cutter using pieces of tin left over from building our chicken coop, and painted on the numbers.

It will be fun to decorate with each of the spring, summer and fall seasons!  I will have to put it up for winter, as it will not be safe with the snow that piles up where it sits during the winter.

I planted flowers that deer would not like... onions that flower, lavender and marigold, hoping to at least have some blooms that would not get eaten by the deer.  So far.. no problems!

I invited some friends over for an afternoon tea in early summer.  I had so much fun setting up my little garden area for the tea party!

The tea party was held before it had gotten terribly hot, and the wildflowers were blooming in profusion.  I used cut wildflowers and some flowers from my garden for centerpieces.

The china is a set I found at a thrift store, and it goes perfectly with my garden theme!

The menu included iced green tea, tortilla roll-ups, a veggie tray, strawberry shortcake, and delicious cinnamon chip scones (made by my friend).  It was all so very yummy!

These cinnamon chip scones were amazing!

We drank iced green tea in our teacups...

My mom and I found this gorgeous teapot at a yard sale earlier this summer.  It matched perfectly with the colors of the dianthus flowers blooming in my garden.

My friend gifted me with this gorgeous set of handcrafted soaps made by her parents! This soap has gorgeous scents with long-lasting quality!  The wooden container was also crafted by her parents out of redwood to hold the soaps.  Truly a delightfully packaged and quality made soaps.  If you would be interested in learning more about their soaps, here is their website: Riverbarsoaps.com  I have purchased a lot of handmade soaps, and I have to tell you, these are now at the top of my favorites!  :)

I just had to share another picture of my cosmos... one of my favorite summer flowers to grow here, their blooms last throughout the length of the hot summer days, their bright cheery faces always a joy to behold!

A peek at my collection of succulents... I've found a new use for cracked or mismatched teapots in my garden... succulents grow beautifully in them!  Repurposing things in my garden is a special joy of mine!

Bees are loving the bee balm I planted.

These cheery African daisies were sent to me in a seed package by my dear friend Mrs. C. earlier this spring. I started them as seedlings, and they have cheered up my garden space all summer long!

Roses abloom in my garden.

My Yellow Brick Road roses.

Love the cheery faces of these sunflowers!

Spending some time in my garden catching up on some letter writing, as the birds, bees and chickens happily worked around me.

A wildflower bouquet graced my little wooden table.

Succulents blooming happily away in an old fishing tackle box.

More roses in bloom.

Potato flowers...

Raspberries! They did wonderful this year!

More succulents growing inside a pottery teacup.

A sign placed inside a gathering of violets...

These violets are still profusely blooming in the shade, delightful!

Another picture of the African daisies... love their yellow golden smiles!

Cosmos... the glory of my flower garden this summer with their profuse blooms!

Lavender blooms greet you as you enter my garden.

Well, I could go on and on... but I shall leave the rest of the pictures that I want to share for another post.  Harvest season is upon us, and daily I am busy reaping the gains from the garden.  I will share those pictures in another post. 

It is hard to believe we are already into the middle of August, and while I do love and anticipate the season of summer, fall will be a welcome respite.  We can feel the nip in the air in the mornings... it won't be long now!  It was 42 degrees here this morning and while it will climb to the 90s by the end of the day, the days are getting shorter, nights longer, and our first frost will be upon us within a few weeks.

Isn't it hard to believe how quickly the seasons pass!  We must make the most of each of our days, and while some seasons are easier to pass through than others, there is always something to be thankful for in each one.  :) 

Blessings and hugs to all who spent time here today with me in the garden!