Stopping to Smell the Roses

Stopping to Smell the Roses

Chocolate Box Cottage Diary, Volume 2

Week 26: July 2, 2022

Join me on a tour of a flower be-decked week at Chocolate Box Cottage! The roses are in bloom; so are the old fashioned daylilies, and other floral and herbal gems.

The petals from these roses will be added to my ongoing jar of Half Century Potpourri.

I am making an effort to do more of what I love. It’s harder than it sounds! I’ve been a responsible adult for a good long while now, and notice that being responsible often squeezes out enjoyment of what I love. Have you?

Hot pink roses appear red in the shade; oh-so-lightly spiced with mossy notes, this rambling rose travels up a trellis.

The daylilies are just starting to open.

Another small harvest of calendula flowers for an infused herbal oil.

A healthy start of bay laurel, culinary herb extraordinaire! Thank you, Deb!

This little female hummingbird didn’t know she was being rescued. She was knocking herself silly flying into the greenhouse panels. Don’t worry, I set her on her feet and she buzzed away with a whir of wings.

Easy gardening project: plant seeds from citrus fruit like Meyer lemons.

Dried chamomile, Enchanted Forest Chai tea blend, and sundry other lovely thrifted items grace my tea station, which lives in an odd corner of the kitchen counter.

We celebrated a family birthday with tea and lunch at Mom and Rolly’s. Tea followed this week’s floral theme, as chamomile is a flower. I really love this borosilicate glass tea pot, which having a pouring lip instead of a spout, is easy to clean.

The birthday dessert was untraditional, but very much enjoyed: a Germans-from-Russia (Ukraine) family favorite, Baked Rice with extra cinnamon. Made with leftover rice and eggs from the henhouse it tastes familiar and special.

Before we got up from the table, we heard a lawnmower start. It was Rolly, already starting on yard work. That man is a marvel!

Our sweet Squirrel loves the garden. We are anticipating a good blackberry harvest this year.

Meanwhile, Sam got up at 3:30 AM as he does every morning and went to work. In his off time he is working on cutting, splitting, and hauling the downed pine trees to the woodshed and keeping up with maintenance projects inside and out.

Egyptian onion in flower with top setting bulbils that can be replanted, which inspire its other name: walking onion.

Sam blessed me with half of his Saturday, spent helping me in the Apothecary Garden. We are making steady progress and the vegetable garden is coming along nicely. Fortunately the massive thunderstorm we had last night didn’t cause any damage.

Sam cooked me an omelet with bacon, tomato, and cheddar for breakfast so I could have a slow Sunday morning with Pearl and a book.

Have a good week, friends! Have a happy Independence Day!