{Our Zephyranthes Candida - Rain Lily}

Zephyranthes flowers are very similar to Habranthus flowers and both are called Rain Lilies. Zephyranthes flowers tend to be star shaped and Habranthus have somewhat irregular flowers. Read more in detail below post under Zephyranthes. 

Also our Zephyranthes Candida Rain Lily, commonly called Fairy Lily is a member of the Amaryllidaceae family. Blogger friend Sarah from HYACINTHS FOR THE SOUL did show us her Habranthus Rain Lily in pink. Just scroll down on her blog. 

 Our Zephyranthes Candida is native to Argentina and Uruguay

Here I did arrange them in a silver vase on a tray and also showing you two buds and two of its leaves in the back.

They do look a bit like Crocus... and are also a flower bulb.

On a tray in the gazebo in daylight.

Zephyranthes flowers point straight up and have equal stamens.
Habranthus flowers point upward BUT at an angle and have unequal stamens.

Here you can actually count the 6 equal stamens. 

Lovely greenish center...

All photos are taken on August 29, when we had our first summer tea in the gazebo after cleaning up the mud.
In the back you see our pond...

Proof of sunshine after all our summer rain! 
This is at 18:00 o'clock...

Here is how they grow, beside our gazebo...

Hope you enjoyed this unique summer blooming bulb!

Does any of you also having these? Or in a different color?

From those links below you can check other colors.

Related links:

Zephyranthes | pacificbulbsociety.org with photos and detailed information

Rainlily, Zephyranthes and Habranthus spp | University of Florida showing all different varieties - scroll down

Zephyranthes | Wikipedia

{Our Liriope Muscari - Border Grass or Lily-turf}

Our evergreen tufts of arching grass-like plants around the driveway are called Liriope Muscari and common names are Border Grass (that's exactly what we use them for!) or Lily-turf. YES, they are a member of the LILY family and not actually a grass! Find more information below this post.

This photo is taken on August 1, and you can see how green our grass looks after all that rain!

Our Liriope Muscari Variegata or Lily-turf looked also quite happy.

We indeed use it as a Border Grass alongside our driveway!

In the top right corner you see the stem of our palm tree...

Do you have some Liriope Muscari Variegata either in purple or in white?

Related link:
Liriope muscari | Floridata link with info
Liriope muscari Variegata | link from White Flower Farm about the one we have in above pictures. It does thrive very well in northern regions too!

{Meaningful GIFT from The Fairmont Empress Victoria}

Certain days sometimes are full of surprises, such as the mailman delivering an unexpected package. This time it came from dear FRIEND Celia M. High Heeled Life & Resilientista, author and speaker... Carefully unwrapping and finding a very Meaningful gift from the Fairmont Empress Hotel in Victoria, Canada. What a joy! Both of us have stayed at two of the Fairmont hotels, the Fairmont Château Frontenac in Québec City on August 13 till 16 of 1998 and the Fairmont Château Laurier in Ottawa from 18 till 20 August of 1998. 

Voilà... A beautiful cobalt blue with gold tin 'TEA at THE EMPRESS with 10 tea bags!

A lovely golden pouch holding this precious tea.

THE FAIRMONT EMPRESS Victoria...

From the Province of British Columbia, Canada where our daughter Liz is born!

THANKS a MILLION Celia for this precious gift and all the fond memories that it did evoke!

We used to live on 304 Fairmont Drive...

As said above, our daughter Liz is born in British Columbia, Canada...

Top seasonal quality tea from e.g. South India... where we have worked!

On our way to work we drove past those tea plantations.

TEA at THE EMPRESS

The South Indian component (Nilgiri mountains)... where we have worked!

So often we passed those tea plantations on our way to work high in the mountains when doing consulting in India for Pond's India for about a decade.

There is one more GIFT from another Canadian blogger FRIEND.

Susan from Ava Grace's Closet sent me this incredibly fine hand crocheted lace table topper; made by her Mama!

So here I did pair it with some fresh Gardenias from our garden on June 22, in our front porch since it was not light enough inside the home. I just finished my photo shoot before another tropical thunderstorm came up!

Using the 1930s teacup and saucer from my dear Mother in Law; blue transferware from Société Céramique Blue Boerenhoeve

Here it is: TEA at THE EMPRESS...

Hope you enjoyed this Meaningful gift of delicious tea!

THANKS again dear Celia and thanks dear Susan!

Related link:

{Our Hydrangea Trio and Tea in 1930s Blue Transfer Ware} | previous post by me

{Mother-in-law's 1930s Société Céramique Blue Boerenhoeve Transferware} | previous post by me

{Difference Between Coffee & Tea Cups} | previous post by me

{Our Gazebo with Chair Cushions}

On August 29, the day that it was exactly 30 years ago that we immigrated to the USA, from The Netherlands, we did have a mud-free gazebo with the washed concrete tile path and entrance being cleaned by husband Pieter. We felt confident that we will have no more tropical thunderstorms changing our outlook. So finally an entire lovely, sunny week with sunshine and lower humidity and also some wind. Perfect for drying out!

It was on July 8, that I wrote my post about {WHAT is THIS?} when I had rescued our gazebo's cushions.

Link you find below this post, for those that missed it...

Here they are! 

On July 12, they had their 15th birthday but we could not use them yet with all our flash flood warnings and reality.

We forgot to place the table back in the center of the gazebo... I saw this only after I uploaded my photos!

Guess we both were too excited of finally being able to use our gazebo!

Our gazebo got a new aluminum roof from Interlock Roofing as well.

We did place a new fan from Wayfair after the painters had finished their painting job here as well.

They did such a meticulous job with their two coatings of Benjamin Moore paint!

This Westinghouse Lighting 30" Wengue 3 Blade Ceiling Fan, has an incredible 18 degrees blade pitch!

It is in Chrome with Wengue Beech Blades.

Stepping back, towards the house...

The Vintage Woodworks ginger bread in the top part is adding such charm.

So does the Aluminum Slate roof in Aged Copper from Interlock Metal Roofing!

This is with the steps in the back, since we live on a slope. The house is now visible to the left.

There is a little patio at the landing of the steps...

Enjoying our tea together! 

With a rice cake and some unsalted mixed nuts... 

The container in the back is where we store those cushions and the top table cloth.

There is a round vinyl tablecloth with elastic underneath. Easy to wipe clean with moist wipes from Costco.

So finally you got to see the cushions in our gazebo!

Wearing my precious 925 silver rose ring (lost that in April of 2019...) and you see the vase with rain lilies with perfect rose bud in silver!

Related links:

{RAIN and MUD} | previous post by me

{New Power Wiring to Our Gazebo} | previous post by me where you also see the gazebo in wrong spot

{What is THIS?} | previous post by me where I did rescue our gazebo's chair cushions...

{AGRITURISMO & GERANIUMS - PELARGONIUM} | previous post by me, showing the geraniums in optima forma in their planter boxes in front of the gazebo

{French Floral Pillow Set and our Gazebo} | previous post by me showing the gazebo very well

{Denim Daisies}

On May 26, I did wear my Denim Daisies from Escada. This was still before we started having all those tropical thunderstorms with heavy rain. The temperature was still pleasant too and our outlook on summer was great. So finally I get to show you these photos. How time flies... We're almost back at the very same climate as we had in May!

Dark blue denim with denim daisies.

What an idea for designing those!

The sleeveless top is all cotton too.

Always hard to make photos when the sun is that bright...

To the right you can see the 'old' bridge over the creek. Now it has the beautiful white balusters for a railing.

Shoes are also from Escada in denim with leather.

On the legs there are two daisies each, at the top of a slit

Teaming up with Searching the Inner Me... Très Chic Style Bits #3 | the little denim jacket…

{SHATTERED Winter Dreams...}

Literally a dream of enlarging our greenhouse for the purpose of keeping our potting plants frost free in winter, SHATTERED last week on August 23. Pieter had so keenly repurposed our tempered glass sliding tub doors and also the tempered glass storm door from our veranda, which we never used. Come walk with me to our greenhouse...

This is on Monday, August 26, after two days of sunshine and NO rain...

You get the picture of how it looked with the rain; still very muddy here!

Our potting plants are luckily all on the brick patio in front of the greenhouse.

This wooden walkway leads to the greenhouse patio...

This was our Winter Dream; repurposing the 3-part sliding tub doors, made of tempered glass.

On Friday, the 23rd one of those 3 had suddenly SHATTERED...

SHATTERED literally into a thousand tiny pieces...

Maybe from the vibration caused by heavy THUNDER? 

Pieter did search the entire area for some object but there was no evidence to be found that might have hit the glass...

Also the tempered glass storm door had SHATTERED, it was not even on the greenhouse extension yet.

So now husband Pieter is trying to patch up those frames with some acrylic sheets, that of course are not in the correct size for that length... Quite a puzzle!

It would have worked so well for protecting our potting plants from the freezing winds...

Before we used thick plastic but that becomes brittle and deteriorates.

Just trying to patch things together...

It nearly is impossible for collecting these tiny shattered shards of glass...

SHATTERED Winter Dreams...

Well, most shards have been scooped up, together with some soil. Near our creek we had a sandy beach so lots of sand available to haul off in the wheelbarrow.

Only a door needs to be build, the acrylic side panels are done.

Summer is barely over and already plans for winter...

Related link:

{Fall & Winter Preparations} | previous post by me showing a plastic version of the greenhouse extension

{Our Hippeastrum Fragrantissimum 2013}

Our fragrant Hippeastrum Fragrantissimum was blooming on August 1, in Our Garden, here in Georgia/USA. 

Here I have cut off one stem with no less than 8 flowers. Some were still buds but nevertheless!

Looking perfect in this tall Baccarat crystal vase.

• They are of the Amaryllidaceae familly. There are supposed to be varieties that originated in South America and also in South Africa. 
• The link South Africa and Indonesia is a very logic one, since both countries belonged to The Kingdom of The Netherlands.
• Lots of Javanese people were brought to South Africa from Indonesia, to cultivate the fields as they were very adept and natural gardeners. 
• With that, of course plants and bulbs have gone back and forth as well. Enjoy our Indonesian species of fragrant white Hippeastrum Fragrantissimum:

A very green lawn we have this year due to all the heavy rains.

The sky is again looking pregnant with rain here...

There was no way to make any decent photos inside the home so I used this table on the patio outside our Rose Suite.

The second link below this post will tell you more about how we got this Hippeastrum Fragrantissimum from Indonesia, where we worked and lived.

We are sure glad we did bring a bulb from our Indonesian garden home with us!

They are such a reward each year. 

Highly fragrant too!

Here they are, in their big planter in front of our greenhouse. Under the left blossom you see the steps of our gazebo...

This photo is from August 18, when other blossoms had opened up.

A very happy and healthy plant and we're so glad for having something from the country where we used to work and live...

Related links:
{Hippeastrum Fragrantissimum in Our Garden} | previous post by me
{Our Hippeastrum Fragrantissimum in Wonosobo, Indonesia} | previous post by me
{Heavenly Hippeastrum Fragrantissimum} | previous post by me
{New Heavenly Hippeastrum Fragrantissimum} | previous post by me
{Our Tropical Patio with Orchids in Indonesia} | previous post by me

{Our Weeping Pussy Willow Nearly Drowned}

On February 17 of this year, we proudly came home with a beautiful and healthy Salix Caprea Pendula - Weeping Pussy Willow. Below this post you will find a link about it from a provious post. Husband Pieter did plant it close to the creek as they love to grow near a stream. 

Here it is, straight from Trader Joe's where we bought it and looking very healthy.

On August 6, I took this photo, near the creek where it already endured quite some abuse by the roaring waters that went way over its top.

Look for the red < chevrons > for locating our Weeping Pussy Willow between some weeds.

You barely can see it... struggling for dear life and several of its branches had lost the leaves from the current of he waters...

Pieter did rescue it on August 18 and it went back into a pot and inside the greenhouse, sheltered from the heavy tropical thunderstorms.

Such a sad Weeping Pussy Willow...

The above photo I took at 2:45 PM 

Only 5 hours later at 7:45 PM I made this photo from our flooded greenhouse after another tropical thunderstorm had passed over.

It made us feel happy for having rescued it and yet, still it was in the water.

Below I will put again the special poem that came with it in February:

The Story of Salix Caprea Pendula

The weeping pussy willow is among the most graceful of trees.

It is connected with all that is feminine-dreaming, intuition, emotion, enchantment, healing and revitalization. 

The willow has long since been recognized as a sacred tree by poets, philosophers and religious leaders because of the flexibility of its twigs.

The willow's flexibility symbolizes resilience and inspires us to move with life rather than resist what we are feeling.

Magic has it that willow is bestowed with magical power capable of fulfilling wishes. 

For a wish to be granted, ask permission of the willow explaining your desire. 

Select a pliable shoot and tie a loose knot in it expressing your wish. 

When your wish is fulfilled, return and untie the knot.

Remember to thank the willow for your gift.

Related link:
{Salix Caprea Pendula - Weeping Pussy Willow} | previous post by me from March 2, 2013