Lilies of the Tea Garden

"Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these."

Luke 12:27

The tea garden grows beside our back porch. A tiny rock path winds past a birch tree and granite boulders add decor and make a throne-like perch for the cat to view his domain. Perennials like bleeding hearts, Japanese iris, hosta, lady's mantle, lily-of-the-valley, forget-me-nots, and wild ginger grace this garden bed. Several years ago my mother-in-law gave me a start of some brilliant orange lilies from her garden. Each year they thrive and remind me of her. A few years later, when my own mother passed away, I brought some yellow lilies from her garden and planted them here as well. Together they bloom, reminding me of them and the love they shared for others around them. In June they bloom with brilliance! A few tea herbs grow in my garden as well, but the real reason I call it my "tea garden" is because I enjoy taking a cup of tea out onto the covered porch and sipping it as I lean on the rail and enjoy the flowers in the garden. Click on the photo for a close-up view.