Happy Valentine's Day

 

Happy Valentine's Day!  I picked up this cloth heart-shaped box in a thrift shop a couple of months ago, thinking that I might be able to use it for Valentine's Day in some way.

 

I found a bunch of these lovely two-tone pink roses at the supermarket and cut the stems down so that they would just peek out the top. The box is covered in fabric so I placed a squat jam jar inside to hold the water. The box's lid has a lovely lace top. It makes a lovely Valentine's vignette.

The First of the Season

I am so very happy to have the first David Austen roses in my garden in bloom again. They never fail to delight me with their sweet fragrance and breathtakingly delicate beauty.

Birthday Roses

These amazingly beautiful roses were from my aunt and uncle's garden in Devon. I had picked them for an arrangement for my aunty's birthday. And today I am posting them to help me celebrate mine!

A Lovely Delight

Imagine coming home from work only to find a beautiful bouquet of fresh flowers like this one at your door? Well, that is exactly what happened to me today. Dear L. next door, who is graduating from a floral design program, surprised me with this gorgeous "pompadour" style bouquet. Isn't it a vision? It's lovely delights such as this one, that come upon us unexpectedly, that make life so special.

Sherbert-coloured Beauty

I loved my Valentine's roses so much that I went out and bought another bunch. It's fun to move these sherbert-coloured beauties around the house.

Tea Magic

This strange looking dried plant is actually a tea bud. I had bought a couple of them at a shop that carries all sorts of loose teas many months ago and since then it has sat in my kitchen cupboard, waiting I suppose, for some momentous occasion to try it. Well, tea in the garden on a lovely sunny summer’s day is occasion enough so out came one of the buds and the teapot and on went the water to boil. Once the hot water hit the bud the most amazing thing occured, the bud unfolded and various flowers began to bloom. It rather reminded me of those shells we had as kids that once you dropped into water would open and a paper flower would emerge. This particular bud is called Tiffany Rose Melody and the tea did have a delicate rose scent. Quite magical. This would be great for a tea party!

Lavender Potpourri

Today I bring you another way to use dried lavender. Once again I’m using the lavender that I cut and dried from my neighbour’s garden (with her permission and encouragement of course!) Not only does it smell lovely, but it looks pretty too. For extra colour I added some dried rose petals to dthe dried lavender. You can add other types of dried petals or dried citrus peel, anything that adds colour or fragrance. The lavender has a wonderful scent all of its own and all you need to do is give your potpourri a quick stir every now and then to release the fragrance. You can also add a few drops of an essential oil of your choosing or a drop or two of your favorite perfume if you want another scent or medley of scents. So experiment, try different things and have some fragrant fun!

Rose Water

Rose water ... a delectable beautifully scented liquid made from the petals of fragrant roses. Used widely in cooking in places such as India and the Middle East to make exotic treats, it may have originated from Persia.

I like to make my own version that I use, not for cooking, but for scenting bath water, as a face wash or to scent linens. Poured into a spray bottle you can use it to spray on yourself to revive your spirits or lightly scent your hair. You can use a fine mist on your linens, sheets and pillow cases to lull you to sleep as the scent of roses helps with stress, to relax and calm the nerves.

My method for making rose water is quick and easy but it is important to remember that it should be kept refrigerated and will last for less than a week. There are no preservatives in it so the water will grow bacteria if kept too long. But it is so easy to make that you can quickly produce a fresh batch as needed, as long as your roses are in bloom. I used petals from a “Cabot” variety from the Explorer series, but the dark pink very fragrant wild roses seem to yield the best results, both for their colour and heady aroma.

Method:
1. Gather a bunch of fragrant roses.
2. Remove the petals and place in a glass or metal bowl.
3. Pour boiling water over the petals. You will notice that the colour immediately bleaches from the petals.
4. Let steep until the water has cooled.
5. Strain into an airtight jar or bottle.
6. Refrigerate between uses. Keep for up to 1 week , less if you notice any discolouration or bacteria growth.

Luminescence

The first of this year’s David Austen roses are beginning to bloom in my garden. I can’t tell you how much enjoyment they bring me. I never get over how exquisitely beautiful they are. These photos have captured a certain translucence that reminds me just how transitory their beauty is. And at the same time they have a luminosity about them. No wonder they are my favourite roses in my garden!

Roses Roses Everywhere

The roses in my garden just keep on coming. Must be this summer’s sunny days, punctuated with frequent bursts of rain. My roses think they are in England. As any reader of this blog must have already noted, I can’t stop writing about these beauties. These David Austen roses have to be the most exquisitely lovely blooms I have ever seen.

Gathered together, their warm and delicate shades blend together harmoniously to create a gentle palette that is so pleasing to the eye. They are the colour of ballet slippers, of soft wedding bouquets. Their pastel hues make me feel like I am wrapped in a blanket of the softest cotton imaginable. They are deliciously soothing to the senses. And the fragrance! Have I told you about their fragrance? They have the sweet scent of Old World roses, potent but not in the least cloying.

This particular bunch of roses was taken to friend M's when she invited me for a lovely brunch. See how nice they look on her table? All casual and blowsy just out of the garden. There was a terrific thunderstorm as we sat and ate that morning. Just like this morning!