Delectable Form of Defeat

June in the garden is a wonderful month of the year. It's the month that my two favorite varieties of flowers are in bloom. Roses. Lavender. Roses and lavender. Lavender and roses. No matter which way you look at it or let those words roll off your tongue, they speak of beauty and elegance. 

"To be overcome by the fragrance of flowers is a delectable form of defeat. ~ Beverly Nichols ~

French Milled Rose Cinnamon Molded Soap

French Milled Rose Cinnamon Molded Soap is fragrant and so easy to make. The fragrance lingers and the oil in the recipe make your hands feel soft and smooth. Here's the recipe:

French Milled Rose Cinnamon Molded Soap

1 cup grated soap (mild, non-scented, like Ivory)
1/4 cup rose water
1/4 cup coconut oil

Place the above ingredients in a large glass measuring cup. Place this in a kettle of boiling water. Melt and stir the soap until it becomes like marshmallow cream with a small amount of stringiness or rope-like. This takes 10 - 15 minutes with constant stirring. When this stage is reached, remove from heat. Add:

1/4 tsp. powdered cinnamon
Red or pink candle dye melted in 1 Tbsp. almond oil
10 drops rose oil
5 drops cinnamon oil

Stir well and place soap mixture on waxed paper. Then, drop by tablespoons or scoops onto anothersheet of axed paper. Allow to harden, gently molding and forming to smooth surface over time.

Fragrant; gently soapy. Place in a crystal bowl or pretty basket on a rose-embroidered hanky. Enjoy!

February in Pink & Red

Valentine's day has passed, but I cannot allow the holiday to pass without sharing bits and pieces of this heart-filled holiday.

February has been cold and snowy. It's been the perfect time for projects and crafting. Even simple projects like organizing a bookshelf can brighten up the day.

Red is the color for tea service in February! It is such a cheerful color and is the color of love.

Valentine's cards and tea samples from friends brighten February days, making a daily walk to the mailbox a rewarding experience.

And pretty in pink, a puppy's visit was so pleasant and sweet. Cuddles and tugs-of-war alternated with this frisky little beauty.

Good morning! Being called "handsome" is a great way for some to start the day!

Flowers. Tulips and lilies.

Chocolates and a tea tasting.

Red roses. Beautiful red roses.

And a Valentine's brunch of crepes, fruit sauces, and Darjeeling tea.

Happy February!

Spring should be here soon!

Do you have snowdrops in bloom yet?

None here.

Tea Delight!

"Somehow, taking tea together encourages an atmosphere of intimacy when you slip off the timepiece in your mind and cast your fate to a delight of tasty tea, tiny foods, and thoughtful conversation."  

Greco

I'm busy hosting the traveling teapot this month. You're invited to stop by the Traveling Teapot blog to read about our adventures. See you there!

Garden of Thoughts and Dreams

In my garden there is a large place for sentiment.  My garden of flowers is also my garden of thoughts and dreams.  The thoughts grow as freely as the flowers, and the dreams are as beautiful.  Abram L. Urban

The bouquet ~ John F. Kennedy Rose with lavender.

{Please stop by the Traveling Teapot blog. The little plum teapot shares history with Sacajawea today.}

A Profusion of Pink Roses

A profusion of pink roses bending ragged in the rain speaks to me of all gentleness and its enduring.  

The Collected Later Poems of William Carlos Williams

~

Roses ~ from my garden today

Cordial Words of Flowers

The artist is the confidant of nature, flowers carry on dialogues with him through the graceful bending of their stems and the harmoniously tinted nuances of their blossoms. Every flower has a cordial word which nature directs towards him.

Auguste Rodin

~

Enjoying peach colored miniature roses paired 
with tiny white "snow in the summer" blossoms and white alba lavender.

Mini Yellow Roses & Snapdragons Bouquet

I hope you had a wonderful holiday week-end. Our family enjoyed a relaxing time together. The weather was breezy and cool. We even had several days of rain showers. This evening the rain stopped and the breeze was mild. It was so pleasant. I walked around the garden, looking at the flowers and how they have been growing and blooming. The yellow miniature roses drew me in. Although most of them are pure yellow, some have tinges of dark pink and a few are light cream-colored with pink shadowing the edges of the petals. I had to pick some to enjoy inside. 

I really wanted to arrange them with blossoming stalks of lavender. The hybrid lavenders are so perfect and pretty as they grow in bunches. But, I didn't really want to spoil the effect by picking any of them. Instead, I decided to pick some pretty orange and yellow snap-dragons to go with the roses.

Each rose is so different, yet each is perfect in its own way. I love observing how each petal spirals from a central point and how they flair in wider and larger semi-circles.

Arranging them was relaxing. I found a place to display them in the dining room where the family can view them all week long. I've enjoyed a cup of Adagio Yunnan Gold tonight as I edited photos and created this post. I hope you enjoy a wonderful week! May will be gracing us a few more days and then the warmer, sunnier days of June will appear. May your week be blessed with many good things!

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day

Today's the day to remember our mother's --- or to appreciate the joy that our own children bring into our lives. I've enjoyed listening to my boys chatter all afternoon about interesting subjects. It brings such contentment to my heart to just hear the happiness in their voices as they converse together.

I took a break to walk around my yard for a few minutes. I couldn't resist the flowers in the garden. The first of my roses are in bloom for this season. I think they mix so nicely with snapdragons, geum, and buttercups. 

The roses are Jackson & Perkins. They are the Rio Samba and the Tahitian Sunset. Once clipped and combined in a vase, they are difficult to tell apart from one another.

Each flower has a face that is so expressive! They seem so cheerful and happy!

Here's wishing you a Mother's Day

That's filled with every pleasure,

And a future that's as happy

As the memories you treasure!

Sweet Roses Syrup

Recently I shared my yellow violets syrup. I thought you might like to read about rose petal syrup as well. My roses are not in bloom yet this year, so this is a repost from a past season.

In my rose garden are roses of many colors, but for the syrup I used only the blossoms of red, pink, and lavender.




Harvest them in the cool of the day. My roses are watered overhead by an automatic sprinkler system, so after picking, I turn them upside down and give them a gentle shake to get the water droplets off. Then, remove the centers and stems and discard them.




Bring a kettle of water was brought to a boil. Then turn off the heat on the stove and gently added the petals and lid them. Allow them to cool and sit for about 12 hours. The essence will be strong and fragrant after steeping in the water for this long. Then strain the water from the petals into a large bowl. Strain the rose water again one last time, through a coffee filter this time. Make sure the water is clear and without fragments.




Using a formula similar to the wild yellow-violets syrup recipe, I made the rose syrup and canned it for later use. The beautiful ruby red color looks so enticing! I think it will be fun to use in tea, served on fruit or cake, or as a topping for crepes. I decided to make the rose syrup more syrup-y than the wild yellow-rose syrup, so added more sugar to the recipe. It's so thick and yummy!




And since we are on the topic of roses, may I share a picture of my new roses cake plate? It was stuck on a bottom shelf with trays and bake-ware in a thrift shop. I found it with a sticker that said 10 cents.




I don't really know if it's vintage or not, but if not, it's a good replica. It has a lever that when pushed starts the top rotating and a music box playing HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

After the rose syrup was done, I tried my hand at Rose Plum Jam. I have lots of rose water remaining, so I've placed it in a plastic gallon jug and will be freezing it for inspiration and ideas for another day. How does Darjeeling Rose Jelly sound to you? 

Use floral syrups to sweeten tea, make jellies, stir into a frosting or glaze, or a million other things!

Rejoice & Blossom

The cooler days of September and October are something that my roses seem to enjoy. During the hottest days of July and August they fade away and any blossoms there can start looking parched pretty quickly. Even with a daily dose of water, the heat doesn't agree with them. But when the temperatures cool to the 70's and 80's they take a new lease on life.

They start blooming again! They seem to do better this time of year than at any other time. The word "thrive" comes to mind. 

Although we have had our first frost, they have been hardy enough to survive. Knowing that they will soon be hit by a hard frost, I am appreciating and enjoying them all the more!

The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; 

the desert shall rejoice and blossom. 

Isaiah 35:1

A Rose is a Tea Rose

 

The rose is a flower universally favored. It is ornamental and enjoyed for its pretty face. It has a sweet fragrance that is applied to perfumery for home and body. It is versatile, romantic, and elegant. Phrases that pertain to the rose scatter our conversations. I remember an record album with the title "Days of Wine and Roses". Some speak of something being a 'bed or roses' or 'a rosy future'. Floral essences like rose water were often used as flavoring in recipes in years past. Although vanilla is now universally favored as a basic ingredient in baked goods, the essence of rose has qualities that appeal both to the taste buds and ones sense of smell. When roses are united with tea, a delightful combination of fragrance and flavor result. Roses grown in a backyard flower bed that's free of toxic pesticides can make a pleasant contribution to the tea experience!

* * *

Fresh Rose Petal Tea

1 cup rose petals, fresh, pesticide free

5 tsp. black tea of choice, loose leaf

1/2 tsp. sweet leaf stevia (or other sweetener of choice)

4 cups hot water

Steep ingredients in hot water for 3 - 4 minutes. Decant using tea strainer. Enjoy a cupful plain or with your milk of choice.

* * *

Tisane of Mint 'n' Rose

1 cup rose petals, fresh, pesticide free

3 sprigs spearmint, fresh, pesticide free

1/2 tsp. sweet leaf stevia (or sweetener of choice)

8 cups of hot water

Steep ingredients in hot water for 8 - 10 minutes. Decant using tea strainer. Pour into a teacup and enjoy.

* * *

Diana, Princess of Wales Rose
Jackson & Perkins

Lovely Rose, Queen of Fragrance

Queen of fragrance, lovely rose,

The beauties of they leaves disclose!

The winter's past, the tempests fly,

Soft gales breathe gently through the sky;

The lark's sweet warbling on the wing

Salutes the gay return of spring:

The silver dews, the vernal showers,

Call forth a bloomy waste of flowers;

The joyous fields, the shady woods,

Are cloth'd with green, or swell with buds;

They hast thy beauties to disclose,

Queen of fragrance, lovely rose!

Poem by William Broome

Roses from my garden