My Serenity Garden

Bumble Bee In My Garden

noreply@blogger.com (Becky) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 00:52:00 +0000

Lonni's Garden

noreply@blogger.com (Becky) — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 21:56:00 +0000

Meet my friend Lonni. She loves to garden and create whimsical garden designs.
I was pleased to tour her garden last month and get to know her better over a yummy cup of tea. We became fast friends.
Take a moment to tour her garden yourself via the photos below.
Enjoy!

Here is Lonni standing at the top of the path leading down into her pretty garden. I was inspired by her ability to work with the stones and concrete . . . unafraid to jump right in and design this lovely walkway herself.

Lonni told me to be like a kid . . . just have fun! She says that everything she needed to know, she found in books at the library!

Her front porch has room for a number of cute flower containers. Notice the wood cook stove.

The pathway with mosaic stepping stones was made by Lonni. Isn't it beautiful!

She has such unique Flower Pots . . . like this old Cyclone Seeder.
And these chair flower-pots
and this great old wood cook stove!

Lonni made plant supports from old golf clubs. Clever idea!

Here is a close-up of the mosaic stepping stone path in her garden.

All the stone work was done by Lonni.

Looking down from the balcony to Lonni's garden. Notice the stonework winds around like a serpent. All Lonni's own handy work!

East

noreply@blogger.com (Becky) — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 15:12:00 +0000

Is there a trick to attracting birds to your birdhouses?

I was told to face the house east.

Finally, I have a greenhouse

noreply@blogger.com (Becky) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 23:17:00 +0000

We had ordered two greenhouse kits from Costco and when they arrived we put them together.
The photo above is NOT the Costco kit-greenhouse . . . that one lost it's pop-in windows the first storm we had.
We disassembled those and took them back
and then my most wonderful husband began to build me a real greenhouse of wood and glass
that will NOT blow away.

I know you know how i feel about having my own greenhouse. I am beside myself with joy!

. . . and yes . . . i might just move in there and live in it, LOL.

I have an old iron bed that will most definitely go inside. On warm summer nights whoever dares can sleep under the stars ~ ~ ~ the roof is glass too.

What's Happening Here??

noreply@blogger.com (Becky) — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 01:01:00 +0000

My dear Under Gardener is building me a GREEN HOUSE ! Joy of Joys!
I'll post more pix of the progress~~~

My Garden ~ June 2007

noreply@blogger.com (Becky) — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 22:30:00 +0000

Garden Tour ~ 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Becky) — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 20:24:00 +0000

Welcome to the Garden Tour, Pacific Northwest area along the Oregon Coast.
Below you will see the photos I took while touring three separate gardens. Each garden has a unique style, from tall pines overlooking the shoreline, to country gardens complete with scarecrows.
The photos are not in any particular order.
Please enjoy your stroll through each one
and be sure to sample the Rosemary Sugar Cookies I made just for you.

Here we see the sun shining through the tall pine trees

Watering cans marching up the stairs A family of Scarecrows working in the veggie garden together

The sign above this pergola reads; "It's All Good"

I made Rosemary Sugar Cookies. Would you like the recipe?

Rosemary Sugar Cookies

1 Cup Butter - room temp

2/3 Cup Sugar

Cream together until fluffy

Add 1 Egg

1 tsp Vanilla

and mix that in

Add 2 * 1/2 Cups Flour

1/2 tsp Salt

2 TBSP Chopped Fresh Rosemary

Mix all by hand

Make into ball & wrap in saran wrap

Chill 3-4 hours

Roll out and Cookie-cutter and sprinkle with sugar

Bake 350 degrees

8-10 Min our until edges golden brown

Babies in My Garden

noreply@blogger.com (Becky) — Fri, 30 May 2008 16:11:00 +0000

While working in my garden, I spotted this nest of something. What, I did not know. So I took a closer look.

Could it be?? Spiders? A nest of baby spiders?

I went running for my camera and after enlarging the frames I could see that yes, there were dozens of little spiders . . . not much bigger than the size of a pin head.

All welcome in my garden.

Blur

noreply@blogger.com (Becky) — Mon, 12 May 2008 22:45:00 +0000

This little squirrel visits our deck each morning for the nuts we set out.

This morning we had two squirrels visit.

With my camera I caught a squrrel blur.

~ ~ ~ click to Enlarge ~ ~ ~

Join the Hunt for Bees

noreply@blogger.com (Becky) — Sun, 11 May 2008 18:34:00 +0000

By watching and recording the bees at sunflowers in your garden, you can help to understand the challenges that bees are facing.

It takes less than 30 minutes.
It's easy.
Free Sunflower seeds for planting.
No knowledge of bees required!

Go to the The Great Sunflower Project to sign up!

Fly-Thru

noreply@blogger.com (Becky) — Sat, 10 May 2008 19:44:00 +0000

My birdfeed has a sign below that reads:
Fly-Thur ~ Open 24 Hours
I don't know how this chipmunk got in there.
Do you suppose she has wings?

noreply@blogger.com (Becky) — Sat, 10 May 2008 17:45:00 +0000

First time to bloom

noreply@blogger.com (Becky) — Fri, 09 May 2008 17:52:00 +0000

How exciting!

The lilac I planted last summer is blooming now!

I wanted to share a photo with you.

Next year she'll be taller than me!

Do you have a lilac too?

Matchbook Garden

noreply@blogger.com (Becky) — Wed, 07 May 2008 15:09:00 +0000

Hello everyone . . . a friend, over at Dragonfly Voyages asked me where I found these Matchbook Herb Seeds.

I bought them from Fern's Garden.

The cute matchbook holds a clever secret inside. Tear out a matchstick, plant it tip first in soil and you will soon have a flower garden growing. On the tip of each match are seeds already mixed to grow. There are two styles of Matchstick Garden available: mixed herbs and wildflowers. The Mixed Herb Matchstick Garden contains Basil, Chives, Parsley, and Thyme. The Wildflower Matchstick Garden contains Cornflower, Shasta Daisy, Corn Marigold, and Field Poppy. Each matchbook is 3" W x 2" H with 10 matchsticks. Easy to follow instructions are printed inside.

I think they make a great little gift to tuck inside a card to a gardening buddy.

Oh and by the way . . . I have two to give away. I'll pop them into the mail to the first two bloggers to post a comment here.

Happy Gardening!

Frog in the Bog Garden

noreply@blogger.com (Becky) — Sun, 04 May 2008 15:47:00 +0000

I
took
this
with
my
cell phone
while
working
in the
garden
today.

She serenaded me . . . . . .

Robin Bathing

noreply@blogger.com (Becky) — Sat, 03 May 2008 14:45:00 +0000

I saw a

robin

in my

garden.

Now I

know

it is

Spring!

F u z z y

noreply@blogger.com (Becky) — Thu, 01 May 2008 15:51:00 +0000

F u z z y
Originally uploaded by Oh Flowers!

Are these
welcome
in your
garden?

Winner of Tea Time Give Away

noreply@blogger.com (Becky) — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 23:40:00 +0000

Hi Everyone!

I'm ready to announce the Tea Time winner.

So many of you dropped by to share a cup of cyber-time tea with me. Thank you!

Crafty Gardener at The Gardener Side shared some darling Tea Cup Feeders and a Tea Pot Totem. I love it!!
Nature Girl, came by and Carol from Boxwood Cottage and H Elle K Tid joined in the fun.
JeannieTheDreamer invited me over to her delightful kitchen! Gisela over at Guildwood Garden shared this poem:

"Tea is not but this.

First you make the water boil,

Then infuse the tea.

Then you drink it properly.

That is all you need to know."

Also joining in, Jeanne from Jeanne's Bliss Blog and Louis gave this link from her blog PostCards from Oz . Our good friend Q always has something special to share. She inspires us. Amanda at Cooking in someone else's kitchen blogged about tea here. A Wildlife Gardener over at Our Little Corner of Paradise shared her thoughts about tea being known to have so many curative properties for us to enjoy and share with others. My good friend Pam over at Costa de la Luz Gardening shared a bit of Japanese wisdom:

"From Tea we draw Friendship and Eternity".

Surya is a new friend from Jogja Garden. Shady Gardener shared these TeaTime posts; Tea-Time with a Friend, and Litera Tea and Sharing Poetry:

The Tea Party
I had a little tea party

This afternoon at three.

'Twas very small-

Three guest in all-

Just I, myself and me.
Myself ate all the sandwiches,

While I drank up the tea;

'Twas also I who ate the pie

And passed the cake to me.
~Jessica Nelson North~

La Tea Dah passed on this yummy recipe:

Scottish Shortbread for Tea

1 lb. butter, softened

1 cup sugar, extra-fine

3 cups flour

1 cup white rice flour

powdered sugar

Work the butter with a mixer until it's creamy. Gradually work in the sugar and cream together. Sift the flour and rice flour a little at a time, blending together..Dust two sheets of wax paper with powdered sugar. Roll out one-third of the dough between the two sheets until it is 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick. Cut dough with a deep cookie cutter. Place cookies in an ungreased cookie sheet. Prick several times with a fine-tined fork all the way through. Bake in a preheated oven at 325 degrees for 5 minutes, then 300 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes. Makes 6 dozen cookies.
Note: Baked shortbread should be light in color, not browned all at once.

Cheryl at My Wildlife Sanctuary tells us that "The English offer tea at the drop of a hat. If you feel ill, feel faint, ah the answer "Have a nice cup of tea"

UKBob at Gardener To The Big House shared this with me,
"Hi Becky. Your tea story post reminded me of when I was little - a long time ago now. Me and my brother and sister would go and stay with our grand parents sometimes during school holidays. Around mid morning grandpa would come in for his tea break and smoke his pipe. Looking back I think this must have been his time for quiet contemplation because he would announce that it was time for a quakers meeting. I'm not sure why he called it a Quaker's meeting but the idea was that we all had to be quiet and the first one to make a sound was the loser. At the time to us it was a great game, to him I'm sure it was just a way to get some peace and quiet while he enjoyed his tea break. Bob."

Please, if I have overlooked something you wanted to share remind me!

and now . . . . . .the winner is

Jeannie of dreamerjean

Thank you everyone for stopping by, your brighten my day!

Donkey Apple Tea

noreply@blogger.com (Becky) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 19:48:00 +0000

Got Manure Tea?

Many of you emailed me to ask,

"What is Donkey Apple Tea?"

♥

It is fertilizer made from

manure, aka: apples

dropped from a donkey!

It works like a power shake for plants

helping them grow strong & productive.

No worries, it's not stinky when brewed from

well-cured manure.

Things You'll Need:

Donkey "apples" or horse manure

Large container (trash can does well)

Water

More fussy instructions HERE.

Steps:

Fill your container one-third full of well-cured manure.

Add water to fill the container to the top.

Let it steep for three days or so.

Dip it out with a bucket and feed well deserving plants.

5. Any remaining solids can be tossed on your garden or into the compost bin.

Happy Gardening!

My friend Trudy has a donkey named Bandito.

My tea was made from his apples!

A wonderful book to read

about a donkey is:

Platero and I

by Juan Ramon Jimenez

translated by Eloise Roach

TeaTime ♥ give away

noreply@blogger.com (Becky) — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 23:16:00 +0000

Today it is raining outside.

Time for me to get some work

done inside my home

and

in the afternoon

take a TEA break

♥

look what I have

in the window sill next to

my teacup

It's the

Totally Teatime Cookbook

♥

I'd like to pop it into the mail

for one of my blogger-buddies to have.

♥

How shall I choose who to give it to?

♥

I know:

The subject is TEA

Tell us a story

or share a poem

or photo

or a sketch

♥

the subject is

♥ TEA ♥

♥

I'll put your names in a teapot

and on

Sunday 27 March

I'll draw the winning name out.

TA DA!

You may put your entry

on your blog

leave it in the comments

below

♥

OOps . . . i meant to say April 27th

Springtime

noreply@blogger.com (Becky) — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 19:29:00 +0000

Hello Friends, Happy Springtime to you!

But is it Spring at your home yet? Not at mine. Some mornings the frost has covered the ground and it is oh so chilly!

Soon the sun will warm the earth and flowers will emerge, birds will return and we'll have a lot of fun and work to do in the garden.

For now, I am working inside my house, spring-cleaning!

I am trying to de-clutter also. The things I don't need will go to the Animal Shelter Thrift Store.

What are you doing these days?

Thanks for all your visits to my blog while I was away. I love ya all!

What is a Garden?

noreply@blogger.com (Becky) — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 21:27:00 +0000

I am staying in Mexico this winter. I can't resist to plant a garden, even though I am away from home.

The Mexican Sunflowers are blooming now.

Think about a garden for a moment. What is it? First, it is a place where things grow, a place of life. It is the opposite of death, which is the state of nonspirituality.

The plants of the garden are rooted in the earth, yet they reach upward toward the light of the sun.

On an even subtler level, a garden is a place of nourishment and of beauty. What grows in our spiritual gardens feeds us through its "fruitfulness" and brings beauty, the awareness of harmony to our consciousness. The flowers of the garden represent the spiritual qualities that have opened within us, that in turn cause us to open to the Divine. The flowers are within us, and we are the flowers.

From the yogic point of view, the flowers sometimes represent the chakras that open during spiritual awakening.

A garden is a place of contemplation and rest. It is a place where we give ourselves permission to simply be, to settle into the present moment. The garden represents the soul at rest in the living presence of the Divine.

Sacred Poetry from Around the World

Rue~The Magical Herb

noreply@blogger.com (Becky) — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 19:30:00 +0000

In Mexico, even though it is winter time, I am gardening.
Today I shopped in the village and found a man selling herbs and flowers. I bought an herb that he called Ruda. I learned that Ruda is also called Ruta or Rue.

Here you see me with the herb~seller and below is a photo of a butterfly on some Rue, the magical herb.

Folklore teaches us to carry a pinch of RUE in a cloth bag or place it above the front door to ward off the Evil Eye. Some folks make a tea of RUE and sprinkle it around the home for protection or bathe in it to break spells, spells of an unlucky nature they believe are brought on by an envious gaze.

Burned with Lavender Flowers and Sandalwood, it is thought to be a Lover's Incense.

I bought it because it was a new herb to me. I like to grow herbs.

You may read more about the folklore of Rue HERE.

In the village there are murals of farm workers ~ people planting and harvesting.

This picture shows three of my girlfriends, Lynne, Lisa and Lynne in front of a portion of the mural. (click to enlarge)

New Year

noreply@blogger.com (Becky) — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 15:05:00 +0000

~Happy New Year Everybody~

I have been traveling this winter. Daydreaming about summertime when our gardens are growing once again!

I'll be around to visit you soon! I miss you!

Your gardening pal, Becky

noreply@blogger.com (Becky) — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 18:06:00 +0000

Today I met Trudy.

She came to the garden club meeting and demonstrated how to make Kelp Baskets.
She is a delightful lady with a thick German accent and cute sense of humor.

Trudy told me that she has a miniature mule and that I am welcome to come over and gather some of the apples that her donkey deposits, to use in my garden around plants or to make a (fertilizer) tea.

She makes rattles from pieces of kelp and driftwood, using popcorn for the rattle sound. She doesn't like the sound of pebbles . . . says they sound tired. Some of the beads are also made from kelp.

Basic Instructions:
*Gather kelp from the beach April - October
*Make sure it is fresh - not mushy or covered with flies
*Cut in strips the length of your arm
*Clean it by washing in water
*Hang to dry on clothes line (about 1 day) - it will be hard now
*When you are ready to create - soak kelp pieces in warm water - it will now be like leather
*Cut and sew together with artificial sinew (waxy flat string) - available Michael's or crafts stores
*Stuff with newspaper and/or bags of popping corn to hold shape while drying
*Completed items should avoid moisture