Taking a break from other posts to peep into the garden in August. The time of year when I start to become somewhat bored with the garden. Gone is the newness and freshness of spring with all its beautiful blossom and the June flush of roses with their bright and vibant colours, not to mention the colour and perfume of the Lavenders.
However August can bring a beauty of it's own. Plants may be slightly faded and lots of shrubs pruned back, but those that are in flower take on a more rugged and untidy look with an abundance of growth. So come on in and have a peep and join the tea party if you like.
Lots of people from our house church are away on holiday at the moment so those that are left get to enjoy a couple of hours taking tea in the garden with a good selection of home made cakes too of course.
One of the pots contains a delicate Earl Grey tea sent to me by Willow of Willows Cottage in California. Willow and her husband stayed with us last year and she sent the tea over with Sara of Much Ado About Something (also from California) who stayed here this year with her husband CT.Both their blogs are on my sidebar.
The hydrangeas look wonderful.
ReplyDeleteNo to mention the tea........
I'm pleased that you enjoyed the tea. It's one of my favorites!
ReplyDeleteThe garden in August does look more 'mature', but I like it.
Having an afternoon tea sounds like the perfect way to celebrate August.
The flowers look pretty good. The tea party was very nice too. The post before this was great also. I am a lover of Harry Potter stories. I have read them all. Had tickets for a HP Tour of England around 9/11 and traded them in to go to Bermuda.
ReplyDeleteQMM
How could you tire of all those beautiful flowers???? It is just a lovely place to take tea.
ReplyDeleteOn the tea in the garden looks so very inviting.
ReplyDeleteSusan
Your garden is a lovely place for a tea party. It's fun to see it again in these photos, having had tea there myself only a couple of months ago!
ReplyDeleteYou say it perfectly, Barbara. Every year I lose interest in the growth of the gardens, but this year I grew squash, peppers, and pumpkins and I'm still fascinated! Also, I have deep red sunflowers that I can't stop taking pictures of! The tea looks WONDERFUL!
ReplyDeleteIt looks like a really lovely place to have tea. I just cut all of the flowers off of my lavender. They look so bare.
ReplyDeleteYour garden is always beautiful. Barbara! I have no idea what mine is looking like after nearly 4 weeks away, but I will find out next week. Friends have been watering, but I rather think it will be a trifle overgrown!
ReplyDeleteI never tire of looking at your beautiful garden. The roses are the best .Well I had my big 70 birthday this August,what will the 70's bring? The 40's were learning years about people. The 50's were the most productive. the 60's were more learning years about self and the word of God.
ReplyDeletePatsy
A sweet English lady, tea in an English rose garden....it sounds like a delightful opening to a novel. I am so glad I found you.
ReplyDeleteI had acquaintances drop by today and I said the same thing as you. August in the garden is not the prettiest, but had you been here earlier this summer that's another story! Since I am adding more flower beds nothing looks that great right now, but hopefully next year will be better. So for now I am drinking my ice tea (a southern thing) and enjoying all of your beautiful flowers.
ReplyDeleteBarbara: Thank you for this lovely visit to your garden! Beautiful!
ReplyDeleteYour roses are massive...wish I could ask their names. One of them reminds me of David Austin's Lillian. One of my favorites at the moment.
ReplyDeleteI rather like an August garden. It is all a little over grown, abundant and messy.(not yours) I just tell people squint and you won't see the weeds...it gives my garden a Monet look :) From a blurry distance it's all good. lol And I do not feel the pressure of everything having to be so perfect as in a June garden.
I clicked on your tea party and saw your adorable tea cart. Oh how I wish I could have joined you all.
What a beautiful setting, Barbara!
ReplyDeleteAfternoon tea sounds marvelous but it would have to be iced tea here in AZ.
Thank you for entering my little giveaway. I appreciate it very much.
Golden Anniversary coming up. I am in awe. God bless both of you.
Hugs,
Barb
Beautiful as usual Barbara - you have a lovely garden.
ReplyDeleteI rescued my hydragea earlier this year - it was in the raised bed at the back and looked like it was dying.
I put it in a pot and now it has leaves and growth - no flowers though!!
Nice tea party!!!
To still have the abundance of roses that you do this far into summer would certainly be a rare thing. With such intense heat and day after day in the upper 90's, my roses just fade away for a while. They will burst out with a last gasp when the tempertures cool a little in late September. Then it's pruning time. Your garden tables are so nice with the umbrellas for having a group to fellowship and tea.
ReplyDeleteAs always, your pictures are a feast.
Christi
Your roses are still looking fabulous. What a lovely way of spending an afternoon- eating cake and drinking tea with good friends. Would the tea be Earl Grey Cream? If so the nearest we have is Earl Grey and Vanilla by Tetley. I think Tesco sell it.
ReplyDeleteTea in the garden is such a lovely idea. Not done here. Just not done, but how delightful it would be. Now about being bored with such a glorious garden...what's up with that? It looks like perfection itself. My "garden" never recovered from the rains so I love to enjoy yours even from afar. Hope that you and yours are very well.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about getting tired with the garden, but your roses are beautiful! We do seem to have had some lovely Sundays recently haven't we. Blessings :)
ReplyDeleteWhat delightful aspects of going global!
ReplyDeleteYour garden looks as gorgeous as always: I love August, wished it would never end.
I enjoyed looking at your beautiful garden. When I lived in Washinton State (near Seattle) I was able to have an English style garden. Now I live in Texas (near Dallas) and you can imagine that gardening is a different animal here! I will have to post some pictures on my "Secret Garden" in the near future! Bless you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteIt's always a special delight to have a tea party in the summer garden. I am sure you all enjoyed it with all the lovely flowers around a the homemade cakes and a cup of Earl Grey..mmmh!
ReplyDelete