Good things...

Seems like this time of year, it's all about the garden...

What's abundant, what's coming up, what's to eat.

Right now, in my garden, roses, iris' and strawberries!

This morning after my walk with Griffin, I took my little basket out

for yet another batch of strawberries...

I'm not sure if it's because of the honeybees we have now, but this has been

a bumper crop this year.

I've had these plants forever and I don't know where they came from.

Probably one of those friends who had extra 'babies' and pawned them off on me.

Now these are not the prettiest berries around, but OH! the flavour!!!

They remind me of the precious little wild strawberries in their flavour.

So intense and sweet and full of July.

I remember a friend of mines mother used to make wild strawberry jam.

It must have taken her forever to pick enough to make it.

One time while I was visiting, we were sitting down to toast and tea 

and she asked me to go get a jar of jam out of the pantry.

I came back with my chosen jar and the room went COMPLETELY silent.

GASP! I had chosen one of her few, precious jars of wild strawberry jam!!

They were only reserved for special occasions.

Of course being a young, city girl, I didn't realize the faux pas I had just made.

Lucky for me though, the jar was opened by said mother,

and I was educated on the rare, culinary extravaganza of 

wild strawberry jam!

I've also got these beautiful roses in bloom right now...

They are a David Austin rose called 'Abraham Darby' and are the most

deeply scented rose around.

If I could, I would, strap one to my face and walk around all day 

inhaling the lemony, rose, tea blend which is intoxicating!

Just imagine...

Unfortunately they don't last at all as a cut flower so I bring them in

when they're just about half way through blooming and float them

in a pretty bowl of water. 

 They'll last for a few days and give us their perfume every time you walk in the room.

I move them around with me wherever I'm sitting or working in the studio.

Last but definitely not least are these gorgeous iris'...

These DO last for at least a week after cutting and have a second bud which opens

up after the first one fades away...

So, a few treasures to behold at this most horticultural rich time of year...