That Wildflower Feeling

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Happy Monday!  Wow, what a scorcher if a week it was, was it not?  At least here in the Midwest is.  And from the news, it seems the UK and other parts of Europe are also experiencing an insane heatwave.  And this really makes it hard for gardening. I find that any flower I pick, I immediately have to bring in and put in water or it will start wilting.  

My big showers have not bloomed yet-- the dahlias and the roses (except for a few blooms).  And it is expected as we are about a month behind from the rest of the country due to the eternal winter we had. We are crop farmers and our corn is behind two weeks also. It is across the board.  But back to the flowers and this week's vase.

Two years ago, my husband went a bit crazy with wildflower mixes in the ravines by the house and you never know what is going to pop there.  But it at least covers those area.  We also have a few types of daylilies growing in various beds.  And because it is so hot, I wanted a small arrangement with bright colors.  

I used an enamel cup (about 9 inches tall) as a vase, because I wanted a country feel. For the arrangement I used

  • Naomi Ruth daylilies
  • Butter Pixie lily
  • Queen Anne's Lace (not to be confused with poisonous Hemlock)
  • Bee's Friend

*** PS by the way, watch out for wild parsnip--- it is not golden alexander, as I found out. Oy...

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Tea Time Musings No. 6 ~ Crisp Whites, Pastel Pinks and Dreams of a Paris Apartment

Tea to the English is really a picnic indoors.
-Alice Walker

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This quote is so perfect for today's post.  I think we can all agree the heat wave is here and seems to want to stay for a while.  I am not going to complain because here is Minnesota the winter was so long and cold that summer was all I craved during that season.  But I can say at that times it has been uncomfortable. 

So if I am not indoors, I make a point of finding shade.  But this weekend, even under the shade is warm, so I had an indoor picnic for myself.  A beautiful rose, and some sprigs of French lavender and Dusty Miller in a milkglass vase were my inspiration for this impromptu picnic.  Crisp whites always seem to provide a sensation of coolness in the hot summer days.  I used a lovely new tea set from Grace Teaware that is perfectly summer and feminine. A few Battenburg lace pillows added a spot to lean and relax. 

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For this occasion I chose a new tea from Art of Tea, called Orchid Oolong.  This tea leaves are rolled into kernels that unroll in the hot water. The flavor is so delicate, reminiscent of lilacs and has an orchid finish. I only used one tea bag because you can have a few more steeps from a single bag, and every time you get a different finish. 

I also felt like having dessert, even though I am not a dessert kind of person normally.  I made a lemon tart topped with whipped cream and berries for the 4th of July, and so I helped myself to a slice. It was perfect and so refreshing.  I love that the tea actually complemented the dessert beautifully. 

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As I relaxed with my tea, I also took some time to start a new book that I have been meaning to read.  A Paris Apartment by Michelle Gable is the based on a true story about a Paris apartment that was shuttered for 70 years full of art masterpieces and antiques.  You can read the true story here.  The book follows Sotheby's furniture specialist, April Vogt, as she uncovers the beautiful items under the dust and cobwebs, and how her story intertwines with the that of the charismatic woman whose journal and letters she finds in the apartment.   So far, the story is delightful.  And it was even more, as  I sip the orchid oolong and read about the secrets uncovered in this Paris apartment. 

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Photo of one of the rooms in the actual apartment. 

You can read the true story here.  The book follows Sotheby's furniture specialist, April Vogt, as she uncovers the beautiful items under the dust and cobwebs, and how her story intertwines with the that of the charismatic woman whose journal and letters she finds in the apartment.  So far, the story is delightful.  And it was even more, as I sip on orchid oolong and read about the secrets uncovered in this Paris apartment. 

Good tea. Good book. Good story.  A perfect way to relax on a hot summer day.