Pretty in Pink...and blue

 The flowering crab was packed with blooms this year. Unfortunately, one strong wind or rainstorm and the  petals all fall. I think we had about 4 days to enjoy them this spring.

 The dwarf flowering dogwood is really pretty this year.

 Blue Lady Browallia

 Tropic Surf Phacelia

 Not really blue...certainly not pink...pretty in purple

 The lilacs have been outstanding in appearance and fragrance this spring.

I'm happy to say I got a better photo of one of the male orioles at our feeder this week. Such beautiful birds! It is a pleasure to feed them and watch them.

Linking to Bloomin' Tuesday

Luscious Lemon Lush, for Tea Time Tuesday

It's that time of the week when we celebrate with a tea party. Come along as I show you my Delft and my delicious Lemon Lush dessert.

 I placed a blue quilt on the table as a tablecloth, and added my Delft teacup and saucer, and cream and sugar. I added the teapot, which is not Delft, but it matches well.

 A better look at the teapot. I purchased this in Pella at the Historical Village giftshop.

 These came from my grandmother. Her nephew bought them for her in Holland.

 The pretty Delft teacup was also a gift to my grandmother from her nephew. I've filled it with Egg Noggin' tea.

Would you like dessert with your tea? This is called Lemon Lush, and it is absolutely divine! Easy too!

The recipe is from Allrecipes stir things up

Lemon Lush

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 cup butter, softened
2  (8 oz) pkgs cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
2 T. lemon juice
2 (3.4 oz) pkgs instant lemon pudding
3 1/2 cups milk
1  12 oz container of whipped topping

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350. Combine flour and butter using a pastry cutter. Press into bottom of greased 9x13 pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove from oven and cool completely.

Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, and lemon juice until smooth. Spread evenly over cooled crust.

In another bowl, whisk the pudding mix and milk together for 3-5 minutes. Spread over the cream cheese layer. Chill until set. Top with whipped topping.

Linking to Tea Time Tuesday, Tuesday Cuppa Tea, Tea in the Garden

Stars of the (garden) show

Stars of the show: Virginia bluebells and daffodils

Bergenia

Orioles!

A male and a female on the feeder

Kind of a fun photo here: one male and three females jockeying for position

How to attract orioles: Put the feeder out when they first return from their migration (for us, that's late April to early May). When they return they are on the lookout for places to feed. If you wait too long, they will have found their sources elsewhere. The type of feeder we use has a place for half an orange and grape jelly. The orioles are interested in the oranges early in the season; later they won't eat the oranges. It has something to do with their reproductive cycles. They like grape jelly all season long.

Linking to Fertilizer Friday

More colorful every day

What a fantastic time of year for the gardener! The clean-up has been completed, and new growth is occurring every day. The garden centers are well-stocked with tempting varieties both old and new, the orioles have returned, and every daily garden walk brings new sights of color and beauty.

 There is a lot more to see in the cottage garden. I cannot wait until it gets even lusher, as evidenced in the next three photos, which were taken last summer.

 Back to the present, this corner of the garden is quite colorful with the creeping phlox, flowering almond, and dogwood tree.

 Bright pink dogwood flowers

 The hellebores continue to bloom.

 It looks like I may have buckeyes for the first time from this tree.

 Epimedium 'Rubrum' has heart-shaped leaves edged in red,

 and tiny red and white blooms. This is my first and only epimedium. I hope to get more.

 Two primulas are blooming. The red one is either polyanthus or Danova hybrid mix.

 This is one of the Danova hybrid mix primula, sold to me last spring as an annual, but it came back.

 The Virginia bluebells love the humusy, forest-type soil I provided for them through amendments. I used to have difficulty growing them, but now they flourish.

 Lamium

Flowering almond

Linking to Bloomin' Tuesday