Iris season is upon us!

Good morning, everyone. 

Fortunately, rain soaked our yards and gardens for the past two days. And that means our irises are blooming like crazy! Their cascade of colors from May through June delight my senses. This year their color is especially welcome because we were forced to say.... 

...Farewell Redbud!

Sadly, this favorite tree of our bird visitors didn't survive Old Man Winter. The deer also responded to the harsh conditions by nibbling several of my husband’s miniature specimen evergreens to the nubs. Our pink azalea didn’t escape their notice either: it barely blossomed, but seems to be thriving all the same. As you can see from last year’s photo, their combined pinks lit up the green slope behind them. 

Redbud and Azalea, spring 2013

Hello Irises!

Irises are perfect for Ikebana arrangements because they love to be in water. Our “Cat’s Eyes,” which are SDB (standard dwarf bearded) irises, just finished blooming. This year's blooms were prolific but fleeting, so I missed my chance for a group photo. Luckily “Among Friends,” which are MTB (miniature tall bearded) irises, are in full glory. Here are a few pictures.

“Cat’s Eyes”

 "Among Friends"

"Among Friends," en masse

Some of the Siberians have awakened and we love their graceful stature. I'll keep you posted on the march of irises through June. Although they require a lot of work, gardens reward one’s patience. And gardens offer a tranquil place to enjoy a cup of tea!

Tomorrow is mulch day. Too bad the masseuse will be closed when we finish! 

What kind of irises do you grow? Wouldn't it be fun to swap some this summer? 

Welcome to my blog

Tea seems like such a welcoming topic to introduce myself and my blog. If you were visiting me in my home, I would invite you to join me for a lovely cuppa. Nothing quite settles me into my thoughts like a hot cup of home-brewed tea. I love to start my morning with at least one. Whenever I can’t seem to focus on a task at hand, or feel a chill coming on, or am just plain indecisive but need to make a choice, I put the kettle over for tea.

I first enjoyed real tea-parties back in the 1950’s with my great-grandmother from England, and I came to think of sweet tea with milk as a cure for practically anything that ails me. That reminds me of an old saying that went something like this: “In time of troubles, drink tea.”

My sweetener of choice is Stevia, but honey is another favorite. I prefer to save my calories for a side treat, like a scone or fruit-filled pastry.

Tea fads come and go but in our home, we have an assortment of greens, blacks, and blends that suit nearly any mood: smoky for those cold days when something more substantial is in order, spicy to jazz up a blah afternoon, green to clear one’s mind, and so forth. I could go on about tea but will save other tea notions to lace throughout future blogs.

Are you a tea drinker, too? I’d love to hear what your favorite hot drink is.

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