The Joy of Gardening

source: scanned image from Victoria April 1995

In observance of Earth Day I am doing an ode to gardening.  I fondly remembered the old Victoria magazine's features on gardening and decided to dig them out and see what images I could come up with.  I have tore out these features and long since thrown the magazines away.  If I knew the the date of the feature I have posted it here as the source, otherwise I don't know the date.

 source: scanned image from Victoria magazine

This was from the magazine and it was also the cover of the magazine.  If ever I get to visit England I would love to see a cottage like this.  Isn't this rose bush magnificent!

source scanned image from Victoria magazine

Victoria magazine often took us to England.  Here we get a bird's eye view of a spectacular manor house walled garden.

source: scanned image Victoria magazine

This image is one of the inspirations for my own kitchen garden.  Here is a herb garden right out the kitchen door at another manor house.

source: scanned image Victoria magazine

Always enchanted by a path in a garden.

source: image scanned from Victoria magazine Jan. '91

Victoria did many features on white long before I ever remember anyone else showing it.  Here they featured an all white garden.

source: image scanned from Victoria magazine Jan. '91

 The white garden at night becomes a magical place as a moonlit garden.

 Now, here in my own yard the plants have been spilling over the walk and the flower border with abandon. 

 I just this year have a rose garden.  You don't have to spend a lot of money to have roses.  I picked these roses up at Walmart last year.  I would get a rose every week with the groceries.  They only cost around $4 and some change a piece.

I have four rose bushes and they have really been beautiful this week.

Right out the back door in a shrub a mother robin has taken up residence to raise her young.  Not wanting to disturb the nest, I stuck the camera above my head and aimed and caught a peak at the beautiful eggs.

Much to my 7 year-old's delight a tree frog has decided to live in the pipe of his swing set. 

Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.
Albert Einstein 

Sherry

  I will join: 

Show off Your Cottage Monday  at The House in the Roses  

Seasonal Sundays  at The Tablescaper
Say G'Day Saturday  at Natasha in Oz

A Return to Loveliness  at A Delightsome Life

Your Cozy Home Party  at Cozy Home Scenes

Little Women and Tea

image source: scanned Victoria, Dec. 1994

One of the movies I love to get out and watch at Christmas is Little Women.  This 1994 version is the one I watch.  Victoria magazine noted the film with this small article when the movie came out.  

 image source: scanned Victoria, Dec. 1994

 image source: scanned Victoria, Dec. 1994

 And of course there are a few tea scenes in this movie.  Here is a screen capture of just one.  This scene is taking place with tea being served by Mrs. March when she has been called upon by Aunt March. 

So, to celebrate the tea scenes in Little Women I created a little tea too.

If the rest of your week is busy, Merry Christmas!  Thanks for joining me for tea here at the Charm of Home.
 Sherry

I will link to these lovely blogs, go and visit:

Table Top Tuesday  at A Stroll Thru Life

Tea Time Tuesday at Lady Katherine Tea Parlor

Tea Time Tuesday at Rose Chintz Cottage

Tea Cup Tuesday at Martha's Favorites

Tuesday Tea for Two at The Plumed Pen

Tea Pot and Tea Things Tuesday  at The Silken Purse

Tea Pot and Tea Things Tuesday at Breath of Fresh Air

Tea Cup Tuesday at Artful Affirmations

Tea Party Tuesday  at Sweetology 

A Return to Loveliness  at A Delightsome Life

Tablescape Thursday  at Between Naps on the Porch

Home Sweet Home # 43

Hello and welcome to Home Sweet Home!  I am happy to be joining Sandi at Rose Chintz Cottage for a  Christmas tea and Kathy at A Delightsome Life's Christmas with Victoria Party.  These two parties are next week (Dec. 5th & 6th)  but, I am putting them here because there are a lot of parties next week.

I am having a tea today and sharing memories of all the time I have spent with the children. 

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 I have stayed home with the boys since the first two were 3 and 1 year old.  I have really enjoyed every minute of it.  They have always been active and always been boys but, there will always be something special about all that time they spent with their Momma.

One of the joys we have shared in the last year has been tea.  None of us were really more than ice tea drinkers until I started creating these tea posts.  Now we all have a cup of tea every now and then.

We recently had bronchitis go through the whole house.  I was checking out home remedies for it online and came across a lemon tea recipe that really worked.  You simply take a wedge of lemon bring it to a boil and let it steep 5 minutes.  Strain the lemon pour the tea into a cup and we sweetened it with honey.  The kids didn't cough for over two hours!  I couldn't believe that it worked better than a drug and it was better for them too.

Do you have a favorite home remedy?  Tea is a great remedy for a lot of things!  We all enjoy a cup of some kind of tea every now and then.

Next week's Home Sweet Home will go on a day early due to some scheduling conflicts I have but, never fear it will be here! 
  
Now, I would like to feature some wonderful posts from Home Sweet Home last week.

First, Carolyn at Desire Empire  crafted some cute Nordic ornaments.  Click the link to view.

 Barb, at Keeping Up with the Times  made a great book page wreath.  Click the link to view.

 Denise at House at Forest Manor made a beautiful Thanksgiving table.  Click the link to view.

 And last, Judy at French Laundry had some beautiful Thanksgiving/Fall decor.  Click the link to view.

Again thank you to all who join me at Home Sweet Home!  It is awesome to have you here!  

Sherry

I will join these ladies today:
12 Days of Christmas Traditions  over at Keeping the Christmas Spirit Alive, 365

Christmas Tea  at Rose Chintz Cottage

Christmas with Victoria at A Delightsome Life

Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage

Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

Potpourri Friday at 2805

Guidelines for Home Sweet Home Party:

Attention: To link up with inlinkz you must have a permalink back to this party in your post or they will not allow you to link.  

Link up anything in your home or garden.  During the holidays, I'll love seeing neat shops too!

My button is on my sidebar for the party, if you want to use it.   If you are new here I hope you will become a follower. Please don't link up more than two posts.  No Etsy link ups or direct advertising, please.  Please visit some of the other blogs and get some great inspiration.  Thanks.:)

Now let's see your beautiful homes!

Christmas Tea Vignette

Very much inspired by Victoria magazine, my Christmas tea takes us back in time.

It takes us back in time to the Victorian age, the time of Dickens.

 Let us have a visit to Christmas in Merry Old England.

And for what I can't accomplish with my Christmas tea, Victoria takes us the rest of the way there.  The issue that inspired me December 1994.

I will be linking with:

Christmas Vignette Party  at Southern Hospitality

Christmas With Victoria Party at A Delightsome Life

Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch

Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

Vignette Fridays  at Color Outside the Lines

Feathered Nest Friday  at French Country Cottage

My Favorite Things  at Bargain Hunting and Chatting with Laurie

Seasonal Sundays  at The Tablescaper

Table Top Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life

Tea Time Tuesday at Lady Katherine Tea Parlor

Tea Time Tuesday at Rose Chintz Cottage

Tea Cup Tuesday at Martha's Favorites

Tuesday Tea for Two at The Plumed Pen

Tea Pot and Tea Things Tuesday  at The Silken Purse

Tea Pot and Tea Things Tuesday at Breath of Fresh Air

Tea Cup Tuesday at Artful Affirmations

I didn't want to miss any of my regular visits because I am having a giveaway for my 1-year blogoversary.  Click here to leave a comment and win!  I am giving away a Mary Carol Garrity book!  

Thanks for a great first year blogging!

Sherry

Victoria's Intimate Home

In 1992 Victoria published a book entitled "Intimate Home: Creating a Private World."  This is a wonderful book is still relevant today, with it's yards of white lace, romantic settings, and charming vignettes.  The book's mission is to illustrate that in today's world you can still create a haven in your home.  A place where you can savor the charming and simple things.

Does your home have a place for respite?  A place for meditation; however brief, is essential during this most busiest time of the year.

When from our better selves we have too long been parted... how gracious, how benign, is Solitude.  ~William Wordsworth

Anne's beauty-loving eyes lingered on it all, taking everything greedily in; she had looked on so many unlovely places in her life, poor child; but this was as lovely as anything she had ever dreamed.  (Anne admiring Green Gables upon first arriving.) 

~ L.M.Montgomery

Let us have a quite hour... ~Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Victoria continues to feed our souls with their beautiful vignettes.  A wonderful book still to enjoy in a quite time.  

 Please go and visit these site for inspiration:

Table Top Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life

Tea Time Tuesday at Lady Katherine Tea Parlor

Tea Time Tuesday at Rose Chintz Cottage

Tea Cup Tuesday at Martha's Favorites

Tuesday Tea for Two at The Plumed Pen

Tea Pot and Tea Things Tuesday  at The Silken Purse

Tea Pot and Tea Things Tuesday at Breath of Fresh Air

Tea Cup Tuesday at Artful Affirmations

A Return to Loveliness  at A Delightsome Life

White Wednesday  at Faded Charm

Vignette Fridays  at Color Outside the Lines