Mountain Meadow

mead·ow

  [med-oh]

noun

1.

a tract of grassland used for pasture or serving as a hayfield.

2.

a tract of grassland in an upland area near the timberline.

The soft, golden light will make a meadow of wildflowers glow.

The road from gate to cabin leads through a mountain meadow. It's a short walk from the shelter of the cabin each morning to the meadow where we go to enjoy the view and appreciate the little treasures found there. May and June are the most beautiful months in our meadow.

The sky is always expressive. Clouds puff overhead and sometimes move swiftly across the sky. Other times we are in the clouds as they create a fog that wafts about us as we walk. The distant mountain ridge is blue with beauty, often showing patches of white snow on ridges and peaks.

Blue lupines dot the landscape as the meadow opens before our eyes. The seeds of this blossom can be soaked in running water to remove the bitter alkaloids and then cooked or toasted to make the seeds edible. While not a common food for most of us, it's fascinating to discover all the plants on the mountain that are good to eat if desired or required. 

The golden pea, rightly called Thermopsis montana adds color and cheer as it dots the meadow. A bumble bee ignores me and keeps feasting on the floral nectar. The flowers in the pea family of plants are known for five petals that form a distinctive "banner, wings, and keel". Can you see them? Although this plant is of the pea family, it is poisonous and should never be ingested.

The Prairie Star also dots the hillside meadow. Although tiny, their flowers are intricate and exhibit such fine perfection. This flower is sometimes called smallflower woodland star. If you look closely at the grasses behind this flower you'll see that something has "chomped" the blades of grass at some point in time. Rest assured that it was not a lawn mower, but more likely an elk or deer that bed down in the meadow. They keep the ground churned up with their hoof prints. It is amazing that anything can grow at all!

Altogether the flowers created a haze of color. Notice how the section of meadow in the back is mostly yellow, whereas the front area is blue. Nature creates the most amazing landscapes! Although there is some "mixing" of colors, each mostly stays with its own kind.

The animals that live here year around keep a trail "open" along the top ridge of the meadow. It's interesting how animals, like humans, prefer ease of passage through the forest. Have you taken time to notice animal trails on mountain hillsides? We appreciate their trails and use them too! 

Can you see what our trail cam saw on the trail last week? Look closely! It was 2:39 AM, so this is a night shot. Mr. Bobcat seems to enjoy the trail too! Click on the photo, if you'd like, to enlarge the view. We saw several tiger swallowtail butterflies on our walk through the meadow as well, but I was not quick enough with my camera to get a picture. They are flighty creatures!

After a walk through the woods and meadow, it's always a delight to return to the comfort of the cabin where we can enjoy a hot cup of tea and the cozy comfort of a warm wood fire.

Today I am linking to Bernideen's Tea Time Blog.

cab·in

  [kab-in] 

noun 1. a small house or cottage, usually of simple design and construction.

He was born in a cabin built of rough logs.

Morning Haiku

glorious morning

teacup guards greenery

the season of frost has passed

Boom Bloom

Boom! Bloom! The Rio Samba is always the first of the roses to bud and blossom. This year has been no exception. And look! Can you see the lavender budding out in the background? Spring has taken its own sweet time to get here this year, but it has started to get warmer and the garden is responding.

This miniature rose is one of many tiny blossoms on a plant that has grown quite large in the past few years. It started out as a small potted plant from the florist department at the supermarket. Each year it becomes more and more magnificient, as though it is trying to say "Look at me now!"

The Peace rose is right by the front steps. Its color matches the rocking chair that sits on the porch next to it. Both bring calmness and peace to my heart. Especially when paired with a cup of fragrant tea.

Japanese Iris were transplanted from my mother's garden more than ten years ago. Sis and I wanted them as a token and memory of mom. We planted them along with snowdrops in the tea garden in remembrance. They have become established and are blooming profusely this year.

The temperatures are predicted to be into the 90's by the end of this week. The cool spring appears to be over. And with the warmer temperatures, even more buds will burst into bloom. Anticipation! Bloom, garden, bloom! Boom!

Happy as Kings

March is blowing in with its usual force. It's blustery weather outside! The wind chimes go from moments of quiet to a full jingle of tinkling and noise! A little bit is serene. Too much is annoying! It does keep one aware of the blustery conditions, though. Clouds cover the sky. The sun shows its merry face occasionally. And we wait for spring. In addition to the yellow crocus and the white snowdrops, the purple crocus has burst into bloom. But walks around the yard reveal a slow pace for many other signs of spring. Even the lawn is still brown and dreary. Inside, though, it is cozy and bright. They say it is too early to prune the rose bushes, so a day of cutting quilt blocks is in store instead. Like Sudo, the grand-puppy, I think I'll cozy up to the warm fire during quilting breaks, pour myself a cup of tea, and be happy as a king! Happy Monday!

Morning Crocus

It is amazing what some sunshine and daylight will do. Even on the shady side of the house, the crocus were opening at first light and waiting for the sunshine to hit their flower bed. Often we don't stop to think about the mechanism of some types of flowers. Blossoms that open every morning and close again every night are amazing. It is said that these types of plants have a nyctinastic trait, displaying rapid movement rather than the slow movement normally seen in other plants. There are several reasons for this action. Some plants are protecting their blossoms by closing at night when it is chilly. Others are saving their nectar from the bats and moths that are active at night. The creator placed such wisdom in the beautiful flowers. They close not just on a whim but for a purpose that preserves them so that they can survive. Isn't it wonderful that they do this so we can enjoy their beauty for greater lengths of time?

I hope you have a beautiful day and that you can take time to stop to observe the blossoms that surround you. 

Crocus

The spring crocus has appeared this week. It's wonderful to see some color in the garden again. It wasn't that long ago that snow covered this flower bed. But hidden below the surface were sprouts of green and eager flowers that were just waiting for sunshine! 

This picture was taken at dusk, right after the blossoms closed up for the night. Tomorrow I'll share a daytime picture!

Where is Spring?

We are nearly through the winter months. It's seemed like "The Long Winter" this year, with many storms everywhere and gray days. February has brought several major snowstorms to our state, removing concerns about drought and water rationing. The neighboring orchardist has crews out pruning their apple trees. And shoots of daffodils and popping up through the soil in my flower beds. Within a month spring should "burst forth" and I am looking forward to it! In the meantime, cute pictures of the grand-doggy sent to me by text message cheer my days! I even got to "chat" with Sudo via Skype this week. Isn't she cute wearing pearls? She's growing and is filled with energy! "Chase" is her favorite game. She'll wear anyone out! But, the game has to happen inside the house! As soon as she is out the front door she's too cold and insists on being carried. What a sweet baby.

Mark Twain has some interesting thoughts on spring. He says "In the Spring, I have counted 136 different kinds of weather inside of 24 hours."

And here's another interesting quote as we anticipate spring. "No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn." Hal Borland

We wait. Anticipation. Spring will be here --- soon.

In the meantime, like Sudo, I appreciate the warm and cozy indoors!

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!

Flowers as Art

There are many objects that can be used for media when it comes to art. Flowers, with their variety in shape, color, and texture, come to mind when I get the urge to create something. Sometimes it is fun to experiment with new shapes and ideas. As a general rule, I feel most comfortable with traditional and symmetrical shapes, especially when it comes to flower arranging! But, with the beautiful flowers this May, I thought it might be time to try something a bit more challenging, so I ordered a floral frog and putty. What an experiment! I immediately learned of several things that I did wrong! But, since it is "art" I've decided to appreciate my first attempt and count it as a happy experiment. Arranging on a low plane changes the entire structure and formula for floral design. There's so much to learn, both artistically and mechanically.

But, although this arrangement has fatal flaws, I also appreciate the casual lines and the natural form and shape that flowers provide. Each kind has its own unique droop and flair. It didn't seem fair to try to coax them into a way that was unnatural to how they grew, so I let them be.

This picture replicates the effect that occurs when you squint your eyes and look at something in order to see what pops out at you! What do you see in this picture? Purple? Red? Or are they equal to you? My desire was that the red compliment the purple, but I really think it worked out to be the other way around.

Flowers represent such uniqueness. Just like human faces, each is special in its own way. I will keep working on my asymmetrical, floral frog arrangements until I get it right. But, just for fun I'm sharing my first attempt with you today. Breathe deeply and imagine the fragrance. See the colors, shapes and sizes. Look for radiation, repetition, and gradation. Imagine the harmony and unity that could be there but is yet not seen. See if there is a fragment of harmony and unity already there. Search for dominance in size and color. And seek the balance in the whole. Tomorrow is another day. I will try again.

Pansy Faces

Royale Garden Bone China
Staffs, England

My mother’s favorite flower was the pansy. It was her lifelong favorite, with no deviation or change of thought. Although she loved all flowers and had a degree in botany, the humble pansy was always her favorite. As a child, I remember her showing me how each pansy had a face. And each face was unique and expressive in its own way. It seems especially meaningful to me now that she is gone that the pansy means “thought” or “remembrance”. The word itself can be traced back to the French word, pensée. The pansy is a flower with several nicknames. Each name was given because of a specific quality applied to this flower. My favorites are “Jump Up and Kiss Me” and “Heart’s Ease”. Or how about this one --- Three Faces Under a Hood”? Sometimes the pansy is called “Viola Tricolor”. Other names referenced are “Cull Me to You”, “Tickle My Fancy”, "Live in Idleness”, “Kiss Her in the Pantry”, “Johnny Jump Up”, “Monkey Faces”, “Peeping Tom”, and “Three Faces in a Hood”. So many names for one simple, little flower!

In “Language of Flowers” by Kate Greenaway, pansies are said to represent “thoughts”. In Victorian times, a maiden found a pansy that was left by an admirer, it meant that “I am thinking of our forbidden love”. It was much more romantic to let her know by giving her the flower rather than putting it in writing or saying out loud. But, the custom did not go both ways! If a lady gave a pansy to a man she admired, it was considered bad luck! Times surely have changed!

Dorothea Dix, an American nurse and activist who lived in the Civil War era seemed to admire the pansy too. She said that “perhaps no flower...claims to be so universal a favorite, as the viola tricolor; none currently has been honored with so rich a variety of names, at once expressive of grace, delicacy and tenderness.”

Another famous American was Clyde Tombaugh. He was an astronomer who made discoveries in our solar system. But clearly he didn't always look up. It appears that he also took time to appreciate little things close to the ground, like pansies. He is famous for asking "how does a pansy, for example, select the ingredients from soil to get the right colors for the flower? Now there's a great miracle. I think there's a supreme power behind all of this. I see it in nature".

The pansy is an edible plant. Both the blossoms and the leaves are safe to eat. References in the past show that the leaves were used by the Celts to make tea (actually a tisane, which they used as a love potion) and Culpeper, a 17th century English writer, refers to a syrup made from the flowers that was used medicinally to cure certain unsavory diseases.

The pansy is the subject of legend and lore in every culture where this pretty flower blooms. I especially enjoyed learning what American pioneers thought of this flower. They felt that if they picked a handful of these flowers in the spring and brought them into the farmhouse, prosperity would ensue. If the custom was neglected, harm would come to their baby chicks and ducklings. Pioneer children made dolls out of the pansy blossom. Using the pansy flower for the faces, they would add leaf skirts and twigs for arms and legs. So beautifully inventive!

I am linking this post to Bernideen's Tea Time Blog "Open House" meme today.

Mouse Ear of the Woods

Forget Me Not teacup
Clare Bone China ~ Made in England

These dainty little flowers have the botanical name Myosotis sylvatica which has the adorable meaning "Mouse Ear of the Woods". They are probably better known, though as Forget Me Nots. They can be identified by their five petals, a flat face, and a yellow eye or center. They are commonly baby blue in color, but can also be found in white and pink. They are native to England but can be found in woodland areas in many parts of North America. They are easily cultivated and make a pretty addition to flower gardens. 

The tiny blossoms of this plant are edible and can be added to salads to add variety in color, shape, and flavor. And like violets, violas, and pansies, they can be candied or sugared and then used to decorate baked goods and confectioneries. Excessive ingestion of this delicate blossom is not suggested, as it contains minute amounts of pyrrolizidine, an alkaloid that is found in several common herbs like borage, comfrey, and coltsfoot. Don't let that scare you from trying this tiny blossom, though. Honey, grains, milk, and eggs are also sources where this naturally occurring chemical can be found. Moderation seems to be the key.

Historically, this flower was selected to be the one representing King Henry IV of England. He was exiled in 1398  and holds a colorful and romanticized place in chronicles of the time. It is thought that the flowers represent faithfulness and enduring love because of the life of Henry IV. This English king was the principle in a play written by William Shakespeare entitled "The History of Henrie the Fourth". Such interesting tidbits of history and information can be gleaned simply by researching a simple, blue flower from the garden.

Forget Me Not teacup
Queen's Fine Bone China ~ Rosina China Co. Ltd. ~ Made in England

Finding recipes that use forget me nots as an ingredient in food is uncommon, but the little blue flowers make beautiful decoration on baked goods. They can be arranged on cupcakes or frosted cookies. Cookies decorated with icing sugar "forget me not" flowers are pretty too. Examples can be found on Pinterest and are fun to look at. 

Forget Me Not teacup
Hand-painted Porcelain ~ No Marking

Forget Me Not Cookies

*

1 egg white

1/4 cup sugar

1/16 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

*

Makes 18 cookies

*

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Be sure the oven rack is set in the middle position. Prepare cookie sheets by lining them with parchment paper.  Whisk egg whites in a bowl until foamy. Slowly add sugar and beat until peaked. An electric mixer works best for the whisking process. Then, fold in salt, chocolate chips, walnuts, and vanilla.  Using a teaspoon, drop cookies on baking sheet. Then place cookies in preheated oven. Close the door and then turn off the oven. Allow cookies to sit in the oven for six to 10 hours. Then, open oven door and remove. Use a metal spatula to remove cookies from the parchment paper.

A Tree

What Is a Tree? 

What is a tree
Well doubtless he
Who dwells in city streets by choice 
May never know.
But souls that breathe expanding life outdoors
Know trees as brothers, friends; and feel aglow 
With kindred fellowship and common voice. 

Yes, bees do know
And birds have made
The trees their lifelong homes
And what is nearer or more intimately ours than home?

What is a tree? 
The soul of God! 
Whose budding leaves and blossoms in the Spring
Bespeak Creation.
Whose shade in Summer cools
The burning heat of life and brings us peace;
Whose bronzing colors in the Autumn landscape glow
With pride of fruitfulness, God's bounty, man's maturity.
Whose bare strong arms in Winter steadfast hold
Against- the ice and storms of life when courage sags
When green and sap of youth have lost their bold
Firm power and interest lags. 

What is a tree?
Oh! Yes, I know! 'Tis God.
'Tis His own way to speak His majesty,
His voice, His power, His love, His mystery.. 

G.T. Dunlop

Flowers for Tea

The dianthus is a beautiful flower that's sometimes called "carnation". It also goes by the name sweet william or pinks. There are more than 100 varieties of this perennial. The name dianthus is Greek and means "heavenly flower". Dianthus grows well in soil that drains, that's neutral or slightly alkaline, and that is in full sun. It has a flavor that is spicy, peppery, and clove-like, making it especially useful as a pretty addition to a green, garden salad or spreads and dips. The dianthus is the birth flower for people born in January.

Blossom & Bear

The ornamental crabapple blossoms are so pretty in vibrant pink! I decided to bring some inside and pair them with a pink blossom teacup and saucer so I could enjoy them in the house. Dusty miller provided some contrast to the vibrant pink and bright green leaves. The arrangement is more whimsy and casual than symmetrically formal or elegant. But, it was fun to create!

The pictures are of my Blossom Bear. She's just the right size to sit on a chair and to look pretty on display, but she's really not stylish any more. Trends have changed from the days when bears were so ultra-popular. But I don't mind. She is special to me. My mother made her about twenty years ago. The fabric is an embroidered 1950's luncheon tablecloth that had been a wedding gift to my parents. Mom kept it as such for about 40 years. Then she decided to re-purpose it by dying it pink and using it to make a bear out of. She strategically positioned the embroidery on the body and face so that it would be featured well. Isn't she sweet? I thought you might like to see her. I love Blossom Bear because she has become a family heirloom.

Are you familiar with the crabapple tree? I have memories of my father raving over how good crabapples were. My grandmother would stew them or can them in his childhood and he developed a fondness for crabapples that has never gone away. I like them too, but not well enough to put up with their messiness in the lawn when the apples fall. So, our crabapple tree is ornamental. The apples are very small; similar to berries. They are a popular ornamental tree used in landscaping, having beautiful blossoms that announce spring so loud and clear! Their blossoms are beautiful even before they open. The bud stage is called "balloon". Flowers in the balloon stage are often a different color than the open blossom. The leaf colors can vary from tree to tree.

Today I paired this teacup with Blossom Bear and my ornamental crabapple blossoms (top photo; lower photo is shown with dogwood blossoms).  The teacup and saucer are Peach Blo Limoges, Silver Moon pattern. They are American made and feature a square plate with scalloped corners. The teacup and saucer are platinum trimmed with a pale pink background and have pastel blossoms and foliage. It was manufactured from the 1920's to the 1940's.

The tea is Adagio's Ceylon Sonata, a black tea from Sri Lanka. Grown on the Kenilworth Estate, it is fresh, citrusy in aroma and has the sweet, juicy notes of mandarin peel or grapefruit. It is quite balanced in astringency and has a refreshing, smooth texture.

It's been fun to look around my house and the garden, finding things that go with this and that. Today is the day for pink! I hope it is a wonderful one for you!