Thursday, January 31, 2013

Pink it is!

Pink it is - a springy display at the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden!

 This is one of the display beds that is changed seasonally at the Greater Des Moines Botanical Center. The current display says "spring."


 Cyclamen


 A hot pink cyclamen


 I'm not sure what this flower is, but I found it very pretty.


 A favorite of mine: primula


Pink it is...and, well, purple too.

Until it's really spring here in the Midwest, I'll continue to enjoy spending time enjoying warmth and color under the dome at the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden.

Linking to Home and Garden Thursday, Open House, and Fertilizer Friday







Monday, January 28, 2013

My first Valentine's Day Tea for 2013

Welcome to my Valentine tea!



 I made brownies and used my heart cookie cutter to make these chocolate hearts. The plate is 'Landon' by Noritake.


 I added a scoop of French Vanilla ice cream topped with cherry pie filling. The plate is from Mary Engelbreit, who creates such cheerful designs. Cheerful chocolate and cherries!


 These are my Valentine placemats. I have some just like these for St. Patrick's Day too.


Today's tea is Coconut Chai from Zhena's Gypsy Tea. I got this tea for Christmas from my daughter.


 A bouquet of store-bought tulips would add a springy touch to the Valentine's Day table.


This is a Valentine's Day card tree; I took this photo two Valentine's Days ago at the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden.

Linking to Tuesday Cuppa Tea, Tea Time Tuesday, A Return to Loveliness, Friends Sharing Tea, Tabletop Tuesday


Josey (10.5 weeks old at time of photo, Miniature Schnauzer) and I thank you for stopping by today.

Thursday, January 24, 2013

The Colors of Spring: Pink

It's still winter here in the Midwest, and as I long for spring I've looked through and posted some lovely pinks from the springs of 2010, 2011, and 2012. I had fun looking through my garden photo archives (much better than looking out at the brown and white outside my window). 

Spring cannot come soon enough!


 Abundant blooms on a flowering crabapple tree


 Magnificent Magnolia (in someone else's yard)


 It won't be long before we see hellebores, the first of our flowers to show themselves in the early spring garden.


 I just love rhododendrons and azaleas.


 Tulips are such joyful flowers, and I as I look at this picture, I wonder why I didn't plant more tulip bulbs last fall!


 Flowering almond


 I love Virginia bluebells. Notice the blooms begin as pink.


 One of several creeping phlox in my garden


 A delicately colored hellebore


 Primulas have become a favorite of mine. I started many from seed last year and anxiously await their arrival this spring.


 A ladyslipper orchid in a friend's woodland garden - talk about beautiful!


 Columbine


These are tulips that resemble peonies, photographed at Tulip Time in Pella, Iowa.

"Surely, if you are privileged to own a plot of earth, it's your duty both to God and man, to make it beautiful." ~ Beverly Nichols

Linking to Fertilizer Friday, Open House, and Home and Garden Thursday





Monday, January 21, 2013

A few of the yummiest!

I really enjoy flavored teas, and these are some of the best. Perhaps you, too, would like to give them a try.

 Bigelow Lemon Ginger herbal tea, and my little blue teapot


I'll drink my Lemon Ginger tea in this pretty tea cup from my mother-in-law's good china, which is 'Regent' by Heinrich H and C.



 Another favorite is Vanilla Comoro by Harney and Sons Fine Teas. I like to add a little milk and sugar to this delicious decaffeinated tea. The tea cup is 'Blue Garland' by Haviland.


Old Country Roses, note my OCR teapot which is different from the one usually seen



 Silver spoons,


and Pumpkin Chai from David's Tea. It's a spiced black tea with cinnamon, pumpkin pieces, cardamon, cloves, and caramel and pumpkin candy. Sounds perfect for autumn...I like it all year long!



Add a little milk and sugar if you like; I do.


 This is an unmarked tea cup which I think is reallly pretty. In this cup, I had another of David's Teas: Read My Lips. This is a black tea with vanilla, peppermint, chocolate bits, and spicy red peppercorns.



See the little candy lips? How cute is that! 



Two little birdies are joining me for tea. Do you think they are eying the cookies?



A view of the saucer



I like iced tea too. My favorite is Lipton's Orange Spice tea.



This is Harney and Sons Yin Hao Jasmine. What a healthy and delicate blend of jasmine flowers and Pouchong tea.



I'm using my tea tray, faux roses, and 'Filigree' by Pfaltzgraff.



 Gracie looks on from her perch. Gracie is a Ragdoll cat.






"If a man has no tea in him, he is incapable of understanding truth and beauty."  Japanese proverb

What are your favorite teas?


Linking to Tuesday Cuppa Tea, Tea Time Tuesday, Tea Cup TuesdayFriends Sharing Tea, and A Return to Loveliness




Friday, January 18, 2013

Grow Your Blog Party

Today I am participating in the Grow Your Blog Party at 2 Bags Full.



I'm also posting this to Open House and Fertilizer Friday.

About Me:

Hi, I'm Beth, and I've been blogging at Beyond The Garden Gate for three years. I'm retired/semi-retired and love that I have free time to pursue my interests of gardening, travel, baking, Nascar-watching, reading, volunteering, and caring for my pets. I'm a Christian. I live in Iowa and retired from a nursing career two years ago. I have two grown children and a grandson.

 Several years ago, we posed on our front porch.


Good friends and the husband and I on an autumn excursion

About my blog:

My tag line is "My Garden, My Table, My Life" - and I blog about gardening, tea, cooking, travel, and my pets. I usually blog about tea on Mondays and gardening on Thursdays - but this isn't written in stone. In the winter, it's less gardening than in spring, summer, and fall.

Beth's garden:

We have a 1/2 acre suburban lot. Most of the backyard is garden (cuts down on the mowing and gives me room to try new plants every year). 

 I am in love with coneflowers!


 Early spring brings daffodils - I have hundreds of them in my gardens.


 I grow nigella...


 ...and lupines.


 Pale pink hollyhocks


 I grow lilies,


 as well as daylilies.



 Clematis 'Josephine' is a favorite.


I like roses too.

Beth likes tea:

 Here I am at Shay's Tea Room. Two photos below, the food and drink at Shay's.







 Tea at my house, using 'Rose Chintz' by Johnson Brothers




 Cooking: Beth's Cakes:

A decorated cake - wrap it up!


 I took a cake decorating class last year. These are some of my beginning efforts.


Fondant, pretty in pink


Beth's travels:

 Australia


 Las Vegas


Mackinac Island

There's much, much more...but you get the idea.

To view my latest garden post, "The day 500 people walked through my garden," click here.

To view my latest tea post, "Tea and Tulips," click here.



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