Tea in the gardens: Herbs, tea, flowers and fairies

A great time of year to be outside enjoying tea in the garden  - iced or hot!

Although I could never be accused of having a green thumb, I love gardens.  Outdoor spaces become beautiful retreats with the adornment of flowers in a variety of hues, the bounty of fresh vegetables and the aroma of sweet smelling herbs. Add some comfy chairs, a small table and a pot of tea - or a tall pitcher of iced tea! - and gardens become the perfect spot for  entertaining friends and family or providing a little "me time" with a favorite book.  With the cool temps hanging in for so long this spring (we were still seeing freezing temps in northern Michigan in May!) and the quarantine extended into June, this year, gardens seem even more special. We couldn't wait to get started!

Pemberly Pines tea garden grows every year

We have a number of different gardens, mostly under the design and care of my husband, Chris.  Our tea garden at our "up north" home, is going on its eleventh year.  Over the past few years, Chris has built a variety of raised planting beds and those containing the hearty perennials continue to surprise me every season, making it through the cold and snowy Michigan winters/springs. In the other boxes, we plant bright colored annuals.  

Hearty herbs make it through the winter

 

It's no surprise to us, that this has become one of the favorite spots to convene for guests at Pemberly Pines.

Pemberly Pines tea garden, a favorite place for family and friends to gather.

In addition to our tea garden at Pemberly Pines, we have a wild, wild flower plot and an explosion of water lilies in the pond. New this year, a container herb garden on the back deck, to aid in our culinary delights. This can also be easily brought in when the temperatures begin go in the other direction.

At our home-base residence in southeast Michigan, we have a flower garden in the front court and  window boxes hanging on the second-floor balcony filled with ivy and geraniums. This patio space is where we spend most of our outdoor time when weather permits.  When we first saw this condo, as we walked through the private courtyard, before reaching the front door,  I was sold. Seriously, I thought - what a great place to enjoy a cup of tea! And, it really is. (Fortunately for us, the interior turned out to be pretty nice, too).  

The courtyard "sold" us on our new home. Fortunately the interior was okay, too.

We have an herb garden here as well. So far, we've harvested a good bounty of lavender and, it smelled so good, I was inspired to bake some scones this weekend with the fragrant herb. (Stay tuned this week for a blog story on those scones - they are fabulous!!). 

New this year at our patio oasis - a fairy garden, complete with miniature homes that look as though they've been plucked from the English country side. My mother-in-law painted these rock-houses several years ago and, while we've always had them on display in some fashion, it was time to give them a worthy designation. We're just starting to build the "village", but looking forward to adding more.

Fairy garden with rock-solid English country houses

A garden can grow anywhere with some imagination and however it develops, it can bring joy and comfort. Whether it be filled with herbs, flowers, veggies or fairies, it's great place to unwind with a pot of tea and folks or books of your choosing! 

As noted, stay tuned for the lavender scone blog coming up as well as more gardening focused stories (with tea, of course!) on the way.