I’m joining The Novel Bakers
with Gathering in the Garden:
From lifelong friends, artists, and gardeners, comes a delightful little gift book full of ideas to transform ordinary events into garden parties, complete with menus and recipes.
I had a little Gathering in the Garden inspiration and fun with Shelley Snow’s scarecrow, May Rain, and my version of her and her sidekick, Will Rain. . .
Shelley Snow’s watercolors and incarnations of her other “garden ladies” were equally charming~ “Angel Biscuit”, “Any Day Now”, and “Miss Vidalia”. . .
I caught the
garden lady fever. . .
Easy and fun to create with a garden trellis,
a 4 foot section of rebar and cable tie.
Add a few twigs, landscaping burlap and a $4.00 dress.
A hat to keep her hydrangea curls intact. . .
a little spanish moss,
and trim some shrubs while you’re at it. . .
Meet “Birdie”. . . the bird lady,
definitely not a scarecrow.
Shouldering a few nests and
with her bucket of seed. . .
I decided to quench my thirst with a mention of tea time with Miss Vidalia in Gathering in the Garden, but decided on an iced version with the heat. . .
I filled a birdbath with ice and
made some herb infused simple syrups
to add some garden flavor.
Sweeten your tea with syrups infused with herbs,
flavoring it at the same time!
For mint, you will need 1/2 cup packed fresh mint; for rosemary, you need about 4 generous sprigs; for lavender, 2 tablespoons fresh or dried culinary lavender.
In a small sauce pan, combine your herbs of choice with equal parts sugar and water; bring to a boil, let the sugar dissolve, and remove the pan from the heat. Let liquid cool completely; strain through a fine sieve. Use about 4 teaspoons of syrup per tall glass of tea. Syrups will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Provide a few party
straws, jars, and ice.
My bird ice scoop was a
birthday gift from my sister.
And zinc bird tags were also a recent gift
making a transcontinental flight!
Joining The Novel Bakers
for Gathering in the Garden.
Look for more gardening gathering on
Friday, September 6th!
a quiet life
Rattlebridge Farm
Once Upon a Plate
Visit Jain, Michael Lee and Mari
for more delicious fun!
Thank you for your visit, also sharing at:
Metamorphosis Monday, The Scoop, Inspire Me Tuesday,
Wow Us Wednesdays, Tutorials Tips and Tidbits,
Foodie Friday, Home Sweet Home,
Be Inspired Friday, Seasonal Sundays
You are just so smart creating all those lovely ladies of the garden!
You were having entirely too much fun with this one, Mary…she is delightful & your idea to fill the bird bath with ice is just brilliant!! The perfect outdoor cooler…cute little labels, too.
How DO you come up with so many unique ideas????
What fun! I love Birdie and I bet the birds do too — all that bird seed! ;)
I’m going to try those syrups .. i have plenty of different mints and rosemary just waiting.
Hugs–
What a fun idea! I’m going to have a “gathering at the garden” now!
Good morning! Just had to order the book! Very enticeing! Great ideas and of course you have the nack to pull all together . Can’t wait to receive it.
Just the cutest ever!! Such a fun party. Great for a Garden Club. Thank you.
Another delight for my senses! Love it all.
You gals are having way too much fun with this party. Creativity is in overdrive!
Oh Mary, I LOVE Birdie and your birdbath turned into an ice bath for your tea. What a fun post and such inspiration. I may try turning my trellis that was supposed to support beautiful morning glories (they never bloomed or did well!!) into a pretty garden lady or scarecrow. Thanks for sharing your creativity. xo
The birdbath is beyond brilliant! Your decorating is truly a work of art!
Oh what fun! So glad you are now having nice weather and you can be out side. Your garden people are such a joy. This book must contain some wonderful inspiration. Can’t wait for Friday! :)
I want to live inside your head for just ONE day and see how you come up with these brilliant ideas!!!!!!! My mouth is hanging open at this one! I couldn’t believe it when I saw the bird scoop! Source??? Would LOVE to get one. Birdie is adorable, I may have to go get a trellis!!! Have a GREAT day, I am betting the birds will be flocking to Birdie.
Mary, this is over the top cute. I never think you can outdo yourself and then you do. Love it!
~Mary~
You’re amazing, can I say more?! How adorable is this? just tooo cute, right down to the flower straws!
Have a tweetysweetie day !
Paula
In.
p.s. where did you find your birdseed bucket?
Hi Mary, I don’t know when your birthday was, but I hope it was happy. I know mine would be if I received that fabulous scoop! You have passed your garden lady fever on to me (I LOVE scarecrows anyway, and these are a step up!) and now I need this book. I have those straws but I would love to find the birdseed pail too! Thank you for bringing us this series. Can you please consider doing a daily post (like you have nothing else to do! :) ) because I am so happy when I see the email in my inbox at 6am. Have a wonderful day–it is gorgeous here. Linda
Birdie is just adorable! I like the idea of using trellises and plant hooks for these character.
I love BIRDY!!! and I am sure all her sweet “birdy” friends do too! Your herbal simple syrups are so refreshing looking, think I will mix up a batch today!
How cute, and I love how you showed all the steps. This is a brilliant project.
Just when I think you can’t top yourself, you totally do. Birdie is absolutely the best, Mary. How you continually come up with such creative ideas is totally amazing. Your shots here are equally as amazing – the ice and flowers in the birdbath, looking down into the glass of ice tea, the closeup of the icy jar, the touch of feathers in her hydrangea curls. I will be sneaking back again and again for a look at this one. I may need to go get a garden trellis and create a lady for our fall garden. Wonder if it would scare those nasty cushion eating squirrels away.
I can’t wait till my copy of this book arrives. Ordered it as soon as you girls posted the first in your series. ;-)
Gotta go now, but I’ll be back! ~ Sarah
Birdie is gorgeous Mary! How fun is that? I think I even have something like that hanging around the garden that has never looked inspiring. How fun to use the birdbath like that. What a great entertaining idea. As a matter of fact this whole post and everyone else’s who are playing along would make such a fun end of the summer, fall harvest party!
How clever to use the birdbath as a wine cooler. I’m going to snag one of my trellis’s and make my own version of “birdie” I think I will call her Sweet pea after after my friend’s mother.
Very cute Mary! Lovin’ your great new zinc bird tags, how fun to be able to write on them:@)
girrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrl you shame me! i could not adore this any better if i tried! i had plotted out what scarecrows i would make at home, omg i am sooooooo glad i missed the whole thing, this is just too adorable for the likes of me! brilliant to use a trellis, i was going to use rebar, now how on earth could i make anything as cute as this with rebar! i will say i had plotted out my beach version, maureen surf, aka mo surf, she was to have been in a wet suit, seaweed hair and holding a surf board and sand pail, but i was so darn lucky to cook and tablescape all day yesterday that there was no time for any extras, as is i was doing pics until 9pm last night to get them posted for this morn! which is why i ADORE your birdie so much, it takes time to pull off cute, especially when done well!
is it wrong to be jealous of a scarecrows gloves?
all the little details are fabulous… you can imagine my delight with your beverages of choice. and you had the nerve to ask me how to use them? umm, like a genius my dear! you make me yearn for home, with the abundance to play like you did with snips of cuteness here and there… i used your same floral bottle this week, can’t even remember when or where, but i missed shooting the detail of the garland, i so want to cut and paste your bottle over mine, isn’t it the sweetest! i am wild over your flock of flavors~
who knew need bird bathes could be so luxurious to the eye, throw rosemary in anywhere and i swoon… and ice? we can’t have it with our untreated water, that alone is a foreign object of desire, but with flowers, its ALL just dreamy…
this truly was one of my favorites, your whimsy, artistry, coupled with items i adore, set all together by that darn lake of yours, well it just ticks me off with jealousy! thanks so much for making this an extra darling afternoon visiting a truly novel baker!
Birdie is adorable!
Thank you so much for bringing back a wonderful memory!!!
Back in August 1980 my mother and stepdad celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary. My siblings and I hosted a big garden party in their backyard and one of the things my sister and I did was fill the birdbath with ice and flowers for the champagne bottles! Everyone had to comment about it! My mom’s birdbath bowl was shaped as a flower and it had a small pagoda with open sides in the center. She used to put bird seeds inside. That’s where we arranged the flowers.
I have been waiting all day so I could savor the Novel Bakers posts today, and of course I was delighted and all smiles again when I saw that you have created yet another garden beauty, Miss Birdie, in all her glory against the lake with her hydrangea curls and pendant cup necklace full of seed…and of course you thought to ice the bird bath and fill it full of herb infused syrups for your tea and label them with vintage bird tags…how do you sleep at night dear Mary, with your mind full of such creativity!! It is all totally enchanting, and I do believe you must have thought of everything!!
Jenna
I was just looking at my lavendar yesterday and wondering what I could use it for next. So here is the answer! Simple Syrup for my tea. And I might sneak some in with lemonade. It has been so hot this week that I am guzzling down the lemonade all day long. Love the garden lady too. I am retiring at the end of the year and have been collecting ideas for gardening and this is going to the top of the list! A trellis (or two) and then I will look for things from the thrift store to dress them up at certain times of the year. Wonderful! Now if I could just come up with a way to scare deer away that would be wonderful.
She’s gorgeous, dddaaaarrrrrrrrlllllleeeeennnnnnkkkkkkk…
How delightful and Birdie is so elegant. Loved the infused simple syrup…:)
So very nice to meet you…we even resemble one another… franki
Mary, I adore Miss Birdie! You are so clever, I liked your step by step construction pics. And every s-i-n-g-l-e sweet detail!! Those simple syrups are such a great idea (and bird baths put to excellent use.) A+ times 10 for you on this one! (As always.)
Going back up to the top to take it all in again. :)
Mary, you charm and delight the senses! Everything is so inspiring–the garden lady in all her lovely earthiness, the birdbath turned ice bucket, the bird tags, the simple syrups (have to do the mint one right away) and just the way you put it all together! You have such a wonderful eye! Heading out to buy the book!
I agree with everyone else, charming, delightful, elegant and whimsical ! Thanks for always giving us inspiring ideas.
Yes Miss Birdie put a <;) on my face!
I love Miss Birdie’s hydrangea curls! And I am coveting your bird scoop. I have a thing for scoops, and you must, too since your sister gave you one! Those herb infused simple syrups look divine in the birdbath!
Mary, you will never cease to amaze me!! What a lot of work you put into this post, but it does look like great fun. :-D I adore the names “May Rain” and “Will Rain.” Such a clever play on words! That looks like a wonderful book for garden parties. I think your “Birdie” is quite the fashionable and attractive lady. I love her hydrangea hair and her gloves. Thanks also for sharing your recipes for herb flavored simple syrups. It’s still warm enough here in N.C. to appreciate some cold, herb tea in the garden.
Beautiful post, Mary; you do us all proud here in North Carolina. :) I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
Hugs,
Denise
Oh, to be a scarecrow in your garden, or even a sunflower seed. It is a blessed place, for sure. loved every image. They’re so pretty and captivating, I just want to be there. I love the hint of frost on your bottles as they chill–and those straws. I’ll be making your flavored syrups to sweeten the coming days of autumn. Enjoyed playing with you, my dear Baker! xxoo
Birdie is adorable. what a fun garden addition!! You always know how to bring together the best garden decor!!!
Birdie is absolutely adorable!
Big Texas Hugs,
Susan and Bentley
So love that Birdie!…and I love the way you used the trellis as a stand for her!..so clever!…and I am swooning over the “bird scoop” that your sister gave you!…Seeing your creations is like taking a wonderful adventure with you…Just beautiful Mary!…
Re simple syrups — when you say equal parts water and sugar, I know you mean the same amount. When you says that after the herbs, are you making the sugar and the water the same amount as the herbs as well, i.e., 1/2 C mint, 1/2 C water, 1/2 C sugar?
Hi Phyllis, Sugar to water ratio is one to one, 1/2 to 1/2 or 1 cup to 1 cup. For mint syrup, use approx. 1/2 cup packed fresh mint; for rosemary, about 4 generous sprigs; for lavender, 2 tablespoons fresh or dried culinary lavender. You can adjust it to your taste however you prefer :)