Summer Serendipity

"Bee's N Bloom

Morning coffee is always a pleasure when surrounded by Summer Serendipity

Summer Breezes

This daylily is HUGE. It did NOT come with a name. I have lived with it long enough to know it well and name it for it's performance. It is not a registered name, it is the name I call it..."Conghaile Cottage's FairyTale Pink"...

These daylilies were bought for their name... I could not resist a flower to be called this in my garden... I did not know what color they would be or how they would perform... They perform with the passion that their name gave them... Their name is "When My Sweetheart Returns"...

This little chair has been captured... Who am I to tell someone with a smile so brilliant that they cannot use my garden chair. After all he got to it before anyone else...SO... We will have to wait until he is done shining and decides to rest...Until then you can meet me in the gazebo...

Baby Elephants Bring Me Sunshine

If you know me you know that animals rule my world. I am a master gardener, BUT, I do not alter my land to keep any animals out. I live in their world, their generations before them had claim to my land before I lived here, therefore if they choose to munch my flowers I will plant more. I just hope that as they dine I get to watch. There are no elephants here, but if there were they would be welcome to stampede through my brush... AND I would have to be buying my peanuts by the barrel instead of bag!

I'm LINKING TO
"SUNDAY FAVORITES"@ Happy to Design@
http://happytodesign.blogspot.com/2011/02/sunday-favoritesno-92.html

Lilies & Lace

The fragrance of Oriental lily "Muscadet" is intoxicating... Lace is such an invisible asset to a window, It enables light & air to circulate without obstruction. The textures are priceless and add another element to soften a vignette. Of course this is "my" opinion, But I always look through a lace frame because it always seems so peaceful and comforting. To me lace IS a windows "Wind Beneath it's Wings"...

"The Midnight Glow of Lacy Hydrangea"...

"I'M LINKING TO"...
"Cottage Flora Thursday@Fishtail Cottage"...
http://fishtailcottage.blogspot.com/2011/03/cottage-flora-thursdays-10.html

Brandy Cream Chocolate Cups

Brandy Cream in Chocolate Cups

From Celebrating Tea
Yield: 36 cordial cups

Ingredients

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

3 tablespoons brandy

3 (3.15-ounce) boxes molded chocolate cordial cups

Thinly sliced strawberries

1 recipe Sugared Almonds

Directions

1. In medium bowl, and using electric mixer, beat whipping cream until thickened. Add confectioners’ sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating continually until stiff peaks form. Stir in brandy.
2. Spoon brandy cream into chocolate cordial cups. Place each cup on strawberry slice, and sprinkle with Sugared Almonds.

Sugared Almonds

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup sliced almonds

2 tablespoons sugar

Directions

In small skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in almonds, and cook until lightly browned. Add sugar, stirring to coat. Spoon mixture onto wax paper to cool.

Drinking Chocolate is one of my Very Favorite Things!

"Chocolate and Easter" seem to go together SO I thought I'd share a Cuppa my FAVORITE with you! Hope you enjoy!!!

Ingredients

6 (1-ounce) squares 99% unsweetened dark chocolate

4 cups 4 cups heavy cream

4 tablespoons sweet ground chocolate and cocoa, such as Ghiradelli

1 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest

Directions

1. Melt dark chocolate in a large saucepan over low heat.
2. Whisk in the cream, sweet ground chocolate and cocoa, confectioners’ sugar, cayenne pepper, vanilla extract, and orange zest; continue whisking until smooth. Simmer over medium heat until mixture begins to bubble, about 2 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

http://www.victoriamag.com

 

I'm LINKING TO

"Sunday Favorites @ Happy to Design"...

Mascot Dragonfly

This guy is BRILLIANT... He's a "Mascot Dragonfly" and wherever I go he is posted next to me. I took this picture of him last August. His family and I go WAY back to when I first planted my extensive gardens and they would watch over me to keep the skeeters away. These poor dears though have such a problem with "Hummingbird LOVE", the little hummers just "Can't" leave them alone as they sit there in all their crimson glow...
"This little guy is dedicated to Johanna @ Silver&Roses" ...

"Spring TreeScapes and God's Gifts"

"Mother Nature takes credit this week for my Some of My Favorite Things"... although I DID provide the robins with the topiary in which they "TreeScaped"... YES I am officially making "TreeScaped" a word...

"Here they are, The Topiary Twins"..."Such a Sweet Symphony"!!! It wasn't easy being this duos Nana...They had the MOST demanding calls and their Potted Topiary was RIGHT outside the front door courtyard and RIGHT under my bedroom window...If it rained I was "Perched" in my bedroom window on watch, to be sure MOMMA was "ON her nest"... I was only a moment away with an umbrella if needed!!!   Oh and (oh course), NO ONE was allowed to use the front door under ANY circumstances...

"Pink Perfection"

"The Giant PINK blooms of Kopper King are a major asset to any garden"... Being in their presence is to transport yourself to Paradise...

"Kopper King Hibiscus with it's rose PINK delightful glow"

Evening in my gardens is like ending each day in Eden...

Brittany Cottage

 The little Hummel  girls look like they just want to jump into the village on the plate...and the BEAR is my husbands as a boy in Germany... That lil' round stoneware jug is still available from Bennington Potters in Vermont, I LOVE their pottery, and especially like to incorporate a piece or two of this cobalt color with dishware that has a dab or two of the same blue. It makes it POP!  That little Elk creamer is an antique "Royal Bayreuth", another favorite of mine... I have a few different versions of him...

This pattern is ALMOST impossible to find... It is Syracuse china "Brittany Cottage"... I believe it was made about the 1920s... It is restaurantware therefore VERY strong like a stoneware... Is it only me, or do we ALL miss the excitement and challenge of yesteryear(pre-ebay) of collecting something unique that was HARD to find and caused such excitement at it's sight that you jumped up&down in its presence and then slept with it under your pillow??? "The thrill of the hunt was the TRUE love of collecting"... This little set of mine keeps that spirit going... "Is there something you collect that does this for you"??? The little Hummel Charmer above has just picked an armful of those delightful flowers from the "Brittany meadow"...

Susan's Special "Tablescape Thursday" will be special for me too because this is my VERY first one!!!  "How exciting"!!! It's storming outside so it's not in the garden this week... I've set up my Favorite little set that makes me feel as though the "Three Bears" will be back at any second to claim their porridge...

I'm LINKING today to "HAPPY TO DESIGN"! Please drop by and visit with everyone! http://happytodesign.blogspot.com/

A Winged "Where's Waldo"...

"Where's Waldo"???

"Can you find her"???

"I have preserved the little hummer nest in an antique egg cup under a cloche"... It is definitely one of "My Favorite Things"...

When the lil' hummers were done with their home, I scooped it from it's bough and claimed my little treasure!!!

Soothing Colors...

If I were to have ONE flower to grace my garden I believe this is the color it would be... I would awaken each morning and there it would be smiling at me...

This color seems to blend into any facet and always lends a spark... Yet as the evening dims it's face is still glistening in the dark...

Conghaile Cottage... My Home&Gardens...

I Love when summer fills in my gardens...

Can you see the reflections of nature in my windows

A balcony will be created here to enhance the feel of the pond below my master suite

Lily of the Valley MUST grow in Heaven...

I hope you ladies don't mind if I test out my new blog with a LITTLE something special to me... I've been trying to get organized to start interacting in ALL THIS FUN and I want to test a few pictures to see if they go through... I'll keep my fingers crossed and HERE WE GO......and of course, WHO could not love a paper thin "Shelley Cup & Saucer"... I happened on a set of 8 of these at a consignment shop and only paid $10... I RAN home and pinched myself ALL the way to see if I was Dreaming! I wasn't BUT this gorgeous set is definitely a "Dream"

Don't you wish peonies lasted a LONG time in bloom? I would love to have them grace my gardens as long as roses do...

One of the most beautiful of all my peony trees called "Tiger Tiger" was created by the author of this book... He also autographed this copy for me when I bought his incredible creation...

There is nothing like the fragrance and elegance a vase of tree peonies can bring into your home...

Papillon Pass is the path that leads to my kitchen...

I particularly love the reflections from my kitchen entrance...

Conghaile Cottage:

Conghaile Cottage:

Dragon Wing Begonia "Memories"...

I call this "dragon wing begonia, EPCOT", because it was brought home from Disney's Epcot park as a LEAF one of the gardeners gave me. As I returned home I gave it a good soaking and dipped it in "ROOTONE". AND this is what I have 6 years later. I trim it in the fall and bring it into my home where it spends the winter all snug and cozy. Then in the late spring it goes back out into my garden for the summer. By the end of the season it is HUGE!!! Love it and all the memories it has...Oh and by the way, I would be happy to share a leaf with any of my visitors...