Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Afternoon Tea in the Garden

Hello Everyone,
       I am enjoying the lovely days of summer here on the Island, and I hope you are having a good summer too. The garden is doing well so we want to enjoy every minute we can outdoors.
So,we will have tea in the garden again today. This garden'room' is called our Chelsea Garden, simply because I found a sign at Winner's for the garden gate entrance that said Chelsea Garden. Sorry,I should have taken a picture from that side of the garden-oh,well next time.
We are using the chintz tea set again today with a quilt on the table for our tablecloth.
I picked the last of the foxgloves for our bouquet today.
A cement angel is watching over the garden from an old ladder.
I found these old milk bottles at a Saturday flea market in Summerside several weeks ago. They have been sitting on my doorstep all summer . Do you remember the days when milk was actually delivered to the door in these lovely glass bottles,-that could be washed and reused.
I love this French  style watering can from Walmart.

Some pillows for our chairs.



Jackmanni clematis growing in Chelsea-we have several of these throughout the garden.I love clematis!
Yesterday was a perfect summer day and we took the afternoon off -it was hard to decide whether to enjoy a good book on the old iron bed on the veranda overlooking the garden with the song of the birds or head to one of the Islands many beautiful beaches. In the end,we headed for the beach.Ah! summertime-I love it!!!

We are in the process of having a good sized pond built in our field -east of our house. It is a duck pond but I have these visions of a little deck out over the water with a couple of adirondack chairs, and an old pontoon boat, maybe a little gazebo. In the winter I can see our grandchildren skating on it-hear their laughter! I am a  dreamer-I remember when I was a young mother just starting our family-I imagined the sound of laughter as several children folicked around the garden, while I peacefully nursed the baby on a rocking chair on the porch. Never once did I seem to think of squabbles, piles of laundry, etc........so seven babies later -and I would do it all again, only next time I would be the PERFECT mother!!! There I go dreaming again.

I am joining Sandi for TeaTime Tuesday at Rose Chintz Cottage.Sandi and I used to play with dolls together many long years ago. How time flies!

Thank you for visiting me,

Carolyn


  

31 comments:

Lori @ Katies Rose Cottage Designs said...

Carolyn ~
Your garden is absolutely gorgeous!! Oh my goodness it looks so green and peaceful ~
Here in Texas ours is all dying of heat stroke ~

Thank you for sharing it with us!

xoxo
Lori

Kelsie from Our Country Home and Studio Photography said...

Everything is just lovely...Especially that French watering can...I will have to be more alert at Walmart in future lol...How lovely it was to visit your garden teaparty today.

Blessings Kelsie

Pamela Gordon said...

Hi Carolyn, I love your Chelsea Garden and the beautiful table setting for tea. I recently did a post about milk bottles too and reminisced about the milk man delivery. Ahhh, the good old days. I can't wait to see your new pond and hope you realize your dream of the dock with chairs and skating parties in winter. Summer is flying too fast! Cooler and showery here today. Yesterday was a perfect day though. Blessings, Pamela

Diana (Apple Pie) said...

Oh, I would like to stay here with you!
^_^
Diana

foreverdecorating said...

This is so romantic and sweet. I would love to have tea and cookies there.

La Table De Nana said...

I think you have been a perfect mother:)

I see the pond w/ the deck too:) Maybe a tree nearby and a swing too..

I don't know how you do it all Carolyn and with such elegance.
None of my Foxgloves returned thi year..and they are affairs of the heart for me.

In fact my tree peonies did not bloom either.
We are having an extremely dry,hot summer so far.

The grass looks like jute:(

Kudos Carolyn.Exquisite.

podso said...

How lovely! I like the quilt tablecloth. I suppose you are busy having garden tours this summer... it all looks lush and green. Here we are struggling to keep things alive with the lack of rain and the intense heat and relentless sun beating down on our plants! Love your old milk bottles too --- reminds me of my childhood and the milk at our front door. Hope you are having a good summer!

The Tablescaper said...

Hi Carolyn:

It's been way too long since I've visited. I guess I'm just enjoying summertime too much. And Summer is so amazing at your blog as you share your unbelieveable gardens.

I love your table set in your Chelsea garden. I got a good laugh over your Walmart French pitcher. Everything looks so perfect. I love that you gather from everywhere. I also think it's so neat that years ago you and Sandi played dolls as little girls!

Your new pond sounds like quite the endeavor. While you're dreaming, I can see some beautiful water flowers floating across your pont...

- The Tablescaper

La Vie Quotidienne said...

So inviting and pretty. The quilt on the table adds so much charm and of course being in your beautiful garden is delightful.

Anonymous said...

Glorious day, Carolyn!
This is one of my favourite posts, so serene...Sigh!
Hugs,
Linda

Bente said...

Lovely, lovely Carolyn.

Hugs Bente

Suzann said...

Oh how I have missed your gardens

Susan said...

Oh Carolyn, you are so funny. I am a dreamer, too, so we may be kindred spirits. Always, always I love looking at your lovely photos. Susan

Antiques And Teacups said...

What a wonderful garden...so inviting...and a wonderful teascape. The setting is gorgeous! Thanks for sharing!
Ruth

Landbohaven said...

Jeg kom lige forbi din blog.
Gode billeder.
Hvor har du en smuk have.
Tak for rundvisningen.

Ral @ARTbyRT Seascapes and Island Life said...

Simply gorgeous! I will stay focused on the one with the gauze curtains but the natural setting and fresh flowers and sun hat call me.

Aloha Raliegh

Johanna Gehrlein said...

Hello Carolyn,
oh my, your photos are magazin worthy. That looks so perfect and so cottage style.Love the beautiful quilt and the gorgeous Chintz patterned tea set. And the milkbottles in the iron stand are perfect for this table. Thank you for this wonderful tea time.
Best greetings, Johanna

Elzie said...

I just love your Chintz tea cups. They are just awesome.

Here in Sweden we didn't have the milk delivered to our doors. Instead we bought glass bottles with milk. When we needed new milk, we just took our old bottle to the shop and changed with a new one. Much more economic to the nature!!
Hope you have a nice day.
Love Elzie

Deanna said...

Sweet Blessings to you Carolyn.
7 babies!!! I envy you. Wish I had had more.

Lovely place you have at Aiken House and Gardens.
So glad you share with us.
d

Donna Reyne' said...

You have the most amazing garden Carolyn!
Always so serene and peaceful

Micupoftea said...

Carolyn~ Oh my, you are certainly blessed....what a lovely garden and beautiful place to live!! The dishes, quilt, angel, flowers and milk bottles all add such sweet ambiance. Love the button/heart pillow too. :)

Karena said...

So lovely and serene a setting. The table is truly beautiful!

xoxo

Karena
Art by Karena

Come and enter my $150 giveaway from Dr Perricone

Sandi@ Rose Chintz Cottage said...

Hello dear Carolyn,
Your tea is just beautiful in your garden! I love your chintz! I too am a dreamer and I wish I could have had more babies. This time I would be the perfect mother too, although according to one of my boys, he tells me I did it right the first time. I love my boys! Yes, we did have fun playing with our dollies, didn't we?
We drove through Cornwall over the weekend and I looked in trying to find your old homestead. Is it still there?
I cannot wait to see your new pond. Will you have water lilies too? Seems I'm asking a lot of questions today. Thanks for sharing your inviting tea with Tea Time and have a delightful week.

Blessings,
Sandi

Cottage Rose said...

OH Caroline,,, here I go again,,, drooling all over you gorgeous garden...I love the lovely chic sitting area for tea... such a lovely spot.... our summer here has been so hot,, that not much is growing,, my grass is brown,,, not green.... my poor flowers,,, have been watering them a lot..... so looking at yours brightens my day.....

Hugs;
Alaura

Jocelyn said...

Oh my, your Garden tea is so lovely and inviting. Beautifully done.

Jocelyn @
http://justalittlesouthernhospitality.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

Carolyn, You have such an amazing eye for detail. I find your style very romantic! I just love the old milk bottles in the carrier, and how you pull it all together! I just don't want summer to go by too quickly. I just love outdoor living and I can see how much you enjoy to do the same!
Hugs Rosemary...x

Unknown said...

lost in the beauty, the romantic flair...LOVE it. That teaset is so delicate and pretty too.

My name is Riet said...

You have a beautiful garden Carolyn and I love your styling of your table and flowers with the lovely tea service and gorgeous quilt. A wonderful day so to see.

Debbie-Dabble Blog and A Debbie-Dabble Christmas said...

What a beautiful post!! Such a stunning tea setting!!
Thanks for sharing!!

Hugs,
Debbie

Unknown said...

Dear Carolyn;

Love, love your garden and tea time of course, I myself love the afternoon tea, and tea partys. You've got a gorgeous garden and awesome tea cup & saucer collections. Photography is my hobby, how I wish I can photograph your place :o) I'm sure it will be like a candyland for me :o)thanks for sharing and Best Regards ~ Lisa

Do you remember ? It was One Summer's Day... said...

Hello !

I just discovered your blog and I would like to tell you that your tea set is wonderful ! The garden is so gorgeous...
You live in a dream ^^
I hope to experience this someday... with my family ...

Best wishes to you !