A delicate spray of sweetly scented blossoms, a bunch of fragrant homegrown herbs and a simple bouquet of little flowers are the joy I brought inside from our lush and green garden this morning...
Homegrown flowers and herbs.
That single spray of white star-shaped flowers came from my climbing Stephanotis vine. (Madagascan Jasmine). Its sweetly perfumed blossoms are also known as wedding flowers because they are often used in wedding bouquets. I placed my single spray in a little vintage milk bottle, along with some of my favourite blue and white treasures, atop the old hoop pine table near our front door. Its heady perfume will offer a long-lasting and sweetly-scented welcome home.
A spray of sweetly-scented Stephanotis in an old milk bottle.
While the Stephanotis is covered in sweetly-scented stars, the herbs in our garden are covered in lush new growth. The bunch of pungent basil and savoury rosemary I picked are now sitting in a blue jug of water on my kitchen bench ready to add flavour and freshness to our meals. The basil is destined for a pasta sauce while the rosemary for a focaccia and some herb-y roasted potatoes. Homegrown herbs have such vibrant flavour!
A bunch of fresh, homegrown herbs.
Into another old jug, I placed a happy little bouquet of small Zinnia flowers. With their creamy petals and centres of golden yellow, these Summer flowers always make me smile. I love them so for their simplicity. They seem to match perfectly the crocheted 'lace' of a favourite vintage doily.
A bunch of happy little Zinnias.
This is the joy of the garden for me; the food and the flowers that we grow. Whether it's a bunch of herbs or a bunch of flowers or both, I am beyond content when there's abundance in our garden to pick and enjoy.
Meg
p.s. If you would like to learn more about growing the beautiful Stephanotis vine, here is a Gardening Australia video and factsheet.
So lovely picking herbs and flowers from your garden..love the little jugs you have used. I have finally got my veggie patch planted and watering it a couple of times a day in this heat. I thought it would be cooling down a bit by now however it's still so muggy. I wish I had more room to plant flowers in my garden. Epic fail on the sweetpeas last year - they took off and then died a few months later and I have no reason why so going to give it another go this year. 17th March here I come.
ReplyDeleteI collect old jugs and blue jugs and love putting flowers and herbs into them when I bring them inside. Sweet peas are my favourite flowers, as my Grandmother grew them and they just have the most sublime perfume. I hope they'll grow and flower for you this year. Meg:)
DeleteEach display is a little perfect taste/smell of your garden. I normally don't cut flowers from my tiny garden, but then on an occasion I will pick a small bunch, just for the joy of my garden in the house.
ReplyDeleteI love picking little posies from my garden, Marlene. They make me smile. It's wonderful that your garden and flowers bring you joy too. Meg:)
DeleteWhat delightful flowers you have growing in your garden. I too love the smell of fresh herbs, especially basil, it beats those horrible chemically air fresheners you can buy by a long mile.
ReplyDeleteI so agree about the natural scents of herbs and flowers being so much nicer than chemically-concocted perfumes. Just yesterday, while listening to the radio, I heard that a certain fast food chain is now marketing a burger-scented candle and I just found myself shaking my head and asking why?? Nature's perfumes are much better that this!
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Beautiful flowers and herbs! I love to pick herbs just for the scent...and i bet those white wedding flowers smell sweet! Very green and healthy looking also! Andrea
ReplyDeleteThe wedding flower has a very heady and sweet scent, Andrea. It's pure white flowers look stunning against the deep green of its leaves too.
DeleteIt is just a gorgeous plant! Meg:)
After reading this I feel that Spring is on the way. All we need are a few days of warm sunshine to dry out the flooded land
ReplyDeleteI hope that sunshine arrives in your part of the world soon, Cherie. I am looking forward to the cooler weather of Autumn here, my favourite season, but it still feels far away. Meg:)
DeleteSimple, yet beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI too love roasted potatoes with rosemary.
Enjoy your weekend, Meg. 😊
I did have a lovely weekend, Nil. I hope you did too! Meg:)
DeleteMeg, the herbs have definitely taken off. I really should pick the basil and make some pesto. It is looking overcast now so we might get a shower today.
ReplyDeleteWe've had rain overnight, Chel, and it's overcast today. Perhaps more showers heading our way. Basil pesto sounds yummy! Meg:)
DeleteI not only love using fresh herbs in my cooking but the smell of a bouquet of them in the kitchen always makes me happy. I bet your garden has gone haywire after the recent rain mixed in with the heat! I know ours has. xx Susan
ReplyDeleteHi, Susan. The garden has definitely gone haywire especially the herbs. The rosemary, thyme, oregano, parsley and basil are flourishing and the mint, which I thought had died during the dry heat, is looking and smelling fresh again. So much goodness for the kitchen. I hope you are picking lots of herbs from your garden too. MegXx
DeleteIt is so cold here not much is growing - even the daffodils are waiting in bud for some warmer weather. I have a jug collection too - I lve th little patterened blue one.
ReplyDeleteThe little patterned blue jug is one of my favourites. I love displaying flowers and herbs from the garden in jugs, old vases and jars. Perhaps some warmer weather will come along soon and your daffodils will open. Such pretty flowers! Meg:)
DeleteOh, everything looks so pretty! I love fresh herbs, too. I just used a bunch of them in a homemade pot of beef stew.
ReplyDeleteI love using fresh herbs in cooking too, Stephanie. A stew sounds delicious and warming and nourishing. Meg:)
DeleteThe flowers look gorgeous in your little jug collection Meg.. also loving the herbs :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Suzie. I think flowers and herbs look lovely in jugs of all shapes and sizes! Meg:)
DeleteThis is an aromatic and beautiful post!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Gretchen Joanna. It was lovely to be able to pick these plants from the garden and bring them inside to enjoy and, in the case of the herbs, to cook with. Meg:)
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