Almost every day I prowl around my garden discovering what's new. Today, this wild blue cornflower showed her pretty face. I know that she'll scatter seeds in places I don't want them, but I'll deal with those later and admire the flower.
There was a rosebush here when we arrived 12 years ago - just an ordinary unpedigreed rose. She's always the first to bloom. Today I picked a few flowers for the house. The petals are falling already. Mint sprigs seemed like a good accompaniment. The mint is flourishing! It may need to be reined in soon. I just hate digging out plants - they go to all that effort to grow and mint is so pretty and green.
Several weeks ago friends picked us up enroute to a gathering. Just a block from our house, I spotted a large mirror on the side of the road with a "free" sign. The driver stopped at my exclamation. Tim and Paul tried to put the mirror into the car, but it wouldn't fit. We were all laughing ourselves silly. Tim picked up the mirror and carried it home while Paul drove the car slowly beside him. Wonderful husband!
I've wanted a mirror in the garden ever since I saw one in my neighbour's yard in Parksville several years ago. And now I have one.
Today marked the first meal eaten outdoors. Mint and lemon in the water. Umbrella overhead. Warm sun on my back. Crustless Salmon quiche, broccoli and carrots. And for dessert, one dark chocolate-covered caramel sprinkled with pink sea salt. Delectable.
The forecast is for a cooling down and change in the weather, so we have to make the best of what we've got now. How lovely are these almost-summer days. Are you enjoying them too?
We are eating outside, but my garden is not as green. We are in a drought and experiencing high winds and heat. My garden looks so dry.
ReplyDeleteYour flowers are gorgeous.
Beautiful x
ReplyDeleteI await days like this myself, we're in for a week of rain and cloudy days. The only downfall of a mirror is birds thinking it is open space so you may have to plant something around it.
ReplyDeleteSuch beautifully vibrant and colourful photos of your almost summer days, of both the flowers and the food! I'm looking forward to warmer and brighter days when I return to the island at the end of the month, as it has been a cool and rainy spring here in Toronto.
ReplyDeletePoppy
Sounds perfect! I'm sighing over that rose photo, mit petals falling on the side. Love it.
ReplyDeleteAnd your first supper out under the umbrella, oh my, I'm enjoying the thought of it all. And smacking my lips over your quiche and that caramel.
I just noticed, we have the same placemats (the one on which the quiche is sitting).
A delightful visit again....Thanks!
Brenda
Those pre-summer days are the best ones for al fresco dining! Your meal looks delicious. Doesn't food taste good outside?
ReplyDeleteHats off to Tim! You can't beat free. I'm in the thick of summer in my opinion here in the south. I'm headed for more summer later this week in Florida. Sad but true, summer is not my favorite unless it stays in the 75-80 degree range. :)
ReplyDeleteWe ate our dinner of Grilled Chicken Salad out on our deck last night. Today it is cool, and we won't be eating outside! We do have to take these happy weather days as we can get them!
ReplyDeleteDeanna
Yes! All two of them! This week, we must be in Deanna's boat.
ReplyDeleteSo, have I missed the mirror? Am I looking in it? Did you have to do anything to it? Love, love, love mirrors in the garden!
By the way, I loved your comment on my post yesterday. So lyrical and lovely and as fine a description as I've ever read.
How could I miss it? It's very evident. Just goes to show how observant I'm not. I do like it a lot! Will it stay in that spot?
DeleteSuch lovely almost summer photos. I like the mirror in the garden too. We are certainly enjoying these nice days - wishing they would continue into this weekend - but I'll take what I can get. We've eaten on the deck twice now - and will again tonight.
ReplyDeleteI like that mirror idea too...
ReplyDeleteYour garden looks really fabulous!
I love mint and usually grow some in a pot just to pop on top of fresh baby potatoes with salt, pepper and a bit of butter...your quiche looks delicious and dinner a very healthy one.
Good Morning Lorrie! Yes, I am enjoying our summer in spring days, although temps in the upper 80s-low 90s are a bit too warm for me. Our roses started blooming a week or two ago and my hubby brought home some REAL PNW strawberries last night...love this time of the year!
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of love--I adore your first photo!
Blessings,
Aimee
Beautiful photographs Lorrie and I had to look twice to realize that your mirror was behind, thought it was a continuation of your garden! What a wonderful hubby to walk it back to your home for you. Your meal looks delicious and hope the weather doesn't get too unsettled so you can continue to enjoy them outdoors. Found your blog thorough Jen at Muddy Boot Dreams, hello from the interior! Deb
ReplyDeleteYour shot of the cornflower is just beautiful. Yes, summer has just arrived here after a stormy start and we have some high temperatures predicted for the weekend. Am I ready? No - I'm still thinking it's February!! Have a wonderful week my friend. xx
ReplyDeleteLove your summery shots and your dinner looks so delightful. And a tip of the hat to that wonderful husband of yours,
ReplyDeleteBachelor Buttons are such a beautiful blue colour! Your mirror makes a beautiful reflection of your gardens. We haven't dined on the deck yet but might do this weekend as it's to warm up a bit more. I have a clump of mint my neighbour gave me years ago and I pull it out and it pops up again and spreads. I love to pick a sprig to chew on when I'm in the yard. :)
ReplyDeleteWe had quiche on the porch this morning. It is finally ready for use. Cooler weather and rain coming here too, though we are on the other side of the continent from you! Your garden look so lovely.
ReplyDeleteHi Lorrie, it's well beyond warm here, lol. But it's so gorgeous no one is complaining, in case they bring back winter again. Your garden is so very lush!
ReplyDeleteJen
Love the cornflower pic! So...has the mirror been placed in the garden? Looking forward to seeing what you did with it. Great idea!
ReplyDeleteYour meal looks delightful...especially to be enjoyed outdoors in the sunshine!
Color me completely blonde.
ReplyDeleteNo, really. I feel so stupid because I have known there was a beautiful color called cornflower blue for basically my whole life. (Mother's bridesmaid dresses were that color.) Yet, it wasn't until this minute that this dip realized that there really was such a thing as a corn flower.
True story.
Good grief.
(Loved all your photos, and I wish our eating out season were not so short lived. )
I have cornflowers (centaurea cyanus, I think, so it's linked to the colour Cyan, apparently from a Greek word for dark blue) all over my garden right now. Thick patches of them, all from one or two plants from Mom's garden 10 or so years ago. Every year, as they go into the flop and mildew stage (this weekend's rain?), I swear I'm going to dig them out. Every year, their gorgeous colour and clever shape and they way they draw the lovely buzz of bees to the garden (and perhaps more than a bit of laziness) convince me to leave them be. I cut them to the ground and enjoy the second bloom, and somehow they have survived this way year after year. Sneaky beautiful things! ;-) Enjoy your mirror. I have one in a corner of my garden, but so foxed now that it needs replacement. . . .
ReplyDeleteYes, a mirror in the garden is lovely - I noticed the sun going down in mine last evening as I was setting the table in the gazebo (we are eating out there most days), it was such a bright spot. Love your mirror acquisition story story Lorrie!
ReplyDeleteThe cornflower is so blue, I must look for seeds that produce that deep color, do they need full sun? I'm so out of space for new plants in the from where we have most sun.
That salmon quiche looks yummy - I must try that.
Happy day - hugs, Mary
…..that should read "front garden" - everything seems to be jumping around on the screen here this morning!
ReplyDeleteBTW Lorrie - your header is gorgeous!
Mary x
Oh I love Bachelor Buttons/Cornflowers, such a pretty shade of blue.
ReplyDeleteThat meal sounds fantastic.
It was HOT here yesterday but cooling down today.
Summer is still a way off here, but that's fine by me. I enjoy the spring season. Your meal looks delicious, Lorrie. I haven't made quiche in awhile and it's sounding rather tasty right about now.
ReplyDeleteKaren
That sounds like a perfect almost-summer summer on the patio. I think I'll put quiche on the menu for next week.
ReplyDeleteOh yes, the almost summer days have been wonderful.
ReplyDeleteYour quiche makes me think it is time to make one soon.
Love the mirror in the garden and how it happened to come
to your home.