The Flowers of Northern California

Northern California is a gardener's dream.  While on our trip celebrating my husband's birthday this year I couldn't help but photograph all the gorgeous flowers along the way!

Along the coast at Half Moon Bay the flowers just thrive in the coastal fog and mild temperatures.  No frosts or 100 degree temperatures to stress their growth produces beautiful blooms to enjoy almost all year long.  

The hydrangeas at our hotel were truly breathtaking...a fantastic mix of colors and varieties along the front greeted our arrival.  A border filled with a combination of mopheads and lacecaps...what could be more beautiful? 

Lavender edged the back patio's flower borders mixed with begonias and impatients.   A wedding in the garden for all to enjoy and a real treat for the guests as we got to "attend" without a formal invitation. 

The gazebo is magnificent and while we were there the hotel had three weddings and receptions within a 24 hour period.  This is a wedding destination and people travel from all parts of the country to have their "dream" wedding with attention to every detail.   I must say it is the perfect setting for any special occasion!

My favorite flower is the stargazer lily and in the hotel foyer there were four magnificent bouquets each in their own niche that perfumed the air on arrival.   Just beautiful!!

The day we spent there the fog hugged the coast but fog is very common in the morning and usually clears in the afternoon.  When the sun breaks through there is no prettier place to be!  

We drove back through San Francisco on our way to Sonoma and snapped this picture of poppies 
growing seemingly unattended in the median! 

We headed up to Sonoma and Napa for a several days which is  another fabulous place to flower gaze.  I think everything grows in this region...even if you have a "brown thumb". 

  

At an olive orchard and vineyard in 
Glen Ellen beauty is all around!

Roses were blooming among the 
olive trees and in the vineyards.

I love these large standards.  My mother-in-law had a rose garden very similar to this...brings back lovely memories cutting them and bringing them in her house. 

The fountain is surrounded by a bed of ornamental kale
 and is the focal point in the rose garden. 

This display of begonias is in Yountville

 is a great splash of red!!

     

These containers are perfect for fall in front of 'Napa Style'.

Great courtyard garden.

Window boxes in St. Helena..I visit them every time we are there as they are always planted differently and 

with such vibrant flowering plants.

Great sweet potato vine 
trailing out of  a citrus tree container! 

Morning glories under control.  (If you have ever grown them you know what I'm talking about)  

Our last morning was spent having a wonderfully organic omelet in the Sunflower Cafe on the Sonoma Square...our trip was a welcome break to our brutal summer but now fall is here in Oklahoma and it's a beautiful day!  I'm headed out to the garden to do some flower gazing.  




I'm linking this week with:


Seasonal Sundays
Susan's Outdoor Wednesdays
Tootsie's Fertilizer Fridays
and Beverly's Pink Saturday


Make sure you go by for a visit!


Happy Fall Y'all!!

English Briar Rose Table

I love pretty dishes and when I'm out bargain shopping I can't resist a great deal.   I'm usually attracted to floral patterns or interesting edges and borders around the plates and
 spotted these lovely English 

luncheon/salad plates in Goodwill.  I paid $3  for 4 plates..I thought they were so pretty and I'd be able to combine them with other dishes in my collection.

I looked up the pattern on the internet and found they were Churchill 'Briar Rose' china from Staffordshire England.

A few months later while shopping with a friend in an antique store in another town I found what seemed to be the rest of the set!  I was delighted as the dealer had it placed in a 50% off room because it was incomplete...and then gave me an additional discount because I was the only one who had been interested.   I must say I almost did a happy dance in the store!  

 In the end I had 5 cups and saucers, 5 dinner plates and four luncheon/salad plates all for
less than $ 25!!

The scalloped edges are so pretty and go nicely with my placemats which also are scalloped.  The colors are echoed and the flowers stamens even match! 

 I love when that happens!

Pink, yellow and lime green just make a soft and sweet color combination for a spring tea table.  The damask tablecloth was my mother-in-law's and is a peachy pink color.  It is a beautiful tablecloth when spread out on a larger table as well.

This teapot was also purchased in the same antique store although it is brand new.  I just love the shape and of course it will coordinate with almost any table setting.  It reminds me of  Mrs. Potts from 'Beauty and the Beast'.   I am using my flower petaled cake stand again for this table since the colors are perfect.   This little stand is definitely one of my favorite pieces in my

collection and was purchased in a

little store in Wimberly, Texas.  

The little egg cups were a bargain find at Tuesday morning several years ago.  I used the little pink rose dishes I bought for $1 at GW as saucers.

The napkins are from my Mom's linen collection and they are monogrammed with my maiden name initial and they also have a scalloped edge.  The napkin rings were another thrift store find and were only $1.  I love the sweet little birds perched on top of the crystal rings.  

The pink floral pitcher was another Goodwill  find and I like using it as a flower vase.

Setting a spring table was a nice reminder of the warm days ahead and roses that will soon be blooming in the garden.  The Oklahoma wind kept me in the house today...so I just played with dishes!

I'm linking with
Marty's Tabletop Tuesdays

Lady Katherine's Tea Time Tuesday

Linda's Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
Martha's Tea Cup Tuesday

Susan's Tablescape Thursday

Cindy's Show and Tell Friday

Beverly's Pink Saturday

Laurie's Favorite Things

The Tablescaper's Seasonal Sunday
and
Cielo's Show off your Cottage Monday

Fairytales and Flowers

There is a favorite place we love to visit in the winter...

Carmel-by-the Sea...with it's fairytale cottages, abundant blooming flowers and blue pacific vistas, we never want to leave!   Sadly that's not our reality but we are happy to "live" in a fairytale if only for a few days!

The Bluebird Cottage was our  fairytale "home" last week and I adore this charming little place.  It has a dutch door and opens right on to Ocean Ave...two blocks from Carmel Beach and walking distance to

 everything in the village. 

I have shared these window boxes before from a previous trip..so pretty with pink cyclamens in terra cotta pots.

Even in January while we are snowed covered in Oklahoma...Carmel has bloomers everywhere..window boxes and flower beds line the Ocean Avenue shops and inns.  It's a welcome place for a gardener as it will be several months before I see anything blooming in my yard. 

Ivy growing up the posts of a Carmel inn. 

The courtyard garden at the

 Lamp Lighter Inn... the white trellis is so inviting.

Primroses in such bright and happy colors!

Rock-edged flower beds along

Ocean Avenue. 

The Secret Garden Shop...love the arched gate!! 

The garden patio at Casonova Restaurant voted the most romantic in Carmel. 

Additional dining surrounded by gardens. 

A view from the kitchen of the garden.... 

and a week later...

a view from my kitchen into my garden...

 thank goodness for fairytales and flowers!!

I'm linking this week with

Tootsie's  Fertilizer Friday

Cindy's Romantic Home Show and Tell Friday

Laurie's Favorite Things Saturday

and Susan's Outdoor Wednesday

Stay safe and warm this week ...we are still getting more snow!