Monday, March 18, 2024

Plants for a Cottage Garden

Plants for a Cottage Garden
So I have been trying to create a cottage garden for at least 12 years. It is a labor of love. When searching for what plants are considered cottage garden plants, much to my surprise, I found most of them now growing in my garden. Maybe not growing all at once in the same year, but most of them. 

Plants for a Cottage Garden
What is the first plant you think of in a cottage garden? For me, it is the rose. I have tried roses with success. This rose in particular. It is an old garden rose called Zephirine Drouhin.

Plants for a Cottage Garden
Peonies, this one is Sarah Bernhardt. 

Plants for a Cottage Garden
Daylilies: this variety grows wild here and lines the roads in the country in late spring. I dug this up and brought it here from my grandmother's house. I don't know its name.

Plants for a Cottage Garden
Shasta daisies, which also grow wild here in the summer and they line the highways in the country.

Plants for a Cottage Garden
Salvia; this one is Victoria blue. The bumble bees love these! 

Plants for a Cottage Garden
Catmint- some of the cats love this.

Plants for a Cottage Garden
Violets, which grow wild here also, this clump was volunteer and wild, and I eventually pulled it, but it is beautiful.

Plants for a Cottage Garden
Foxglove, I have not successfully kept these going in the yard. I will try again this year.

Plants for a Cottage Garden
Hollyhock, I am not sure which one this is. I have completely different ones coming up this year. 

Plants for a Cottage Garden
Bachelor's button: these are the classic romantic variety.

Plants for a Cottage Garden
Feverfew, this is white wonder. It is an heirloom double feverfew, and it comes back every year.

Plants for a Cottage Garden
Dianthus are also called cottage pinks.

Plants for a Cottage Garden 
Chamomile, I just love the herbs, and thankfully, they have been easy to grow. Borage is at the bottom right of this picture.

Plants for a Cottage Garden
Lavender, I am not sure which one this is, but fern leaf lavender is really easy to grow from seed. 

Plants for a Cottage Garden
Hydrangea, this is not from my yard. I have a small one, but I took this picture on vacation years ago at the Columbia restaurant in St. Augustine, FL. 

Plants for a Cottage Garden
The bearded Iris. I have no idea what this is called, but my grandmother gave them to me, and I brought them here and planted them. They used to grow along a fence row in front of my house when I was little.

Plants for a Cottage Garden
Calendula, this sort of looks like strawberry blonde, but I am not sure. It also might be flashback or zeolights; they are all similar.

Plants for a cottage garden
Clematis; this one is Nelly Moser. It has never climbed, but it weaves through this small garden of daylilies and coreopsis.

Plants for a cottage garden 
Nasturtium, I believe this is cherry rose.

Plants for a cottage garden
Ferns, if you have a shady spot, are wonderful. This is a cinnamon fern.

Plants for a Cottage Garden
Yarrow, I love this one, it comes back every year, and the fernlike foliage is beautiful.

Plants for a Cottage Garden
A Geranium in a terra cotta pot. They have to be in the clay pot; it is just a classic! I buy these every year from our local Future Farmers of America greenhouse sale. They do a fantastic job growing these.

Plants for a Cottage Garden
Cosmos, I think this is rubenza.

Plants for a Cottage Garden
Black Eyed Susan, this is another plant that grows wild here in the summer and lines the country roads under the partial shade of a tree. This variety is Indian summer.

Plants for a Cottage Garden
Zinnias, all of them! You can never have too many Zinnias.

Plants for a Cottage Garden
Marigolds, dwarf French marigolds are a classic. I also like strawberry blonde. This year, I am hoping to grow white ones.

I also have two lilac bushes, but they have never had their picture taken. I am not sure why.
So these plants are growing this year, and hopefully they will come up. The foxglove and hollyhock were new additions last year. I am also trying sweet peas and echinacea. I have the fondest memory of a sweet pea with a wonderful scent growing every year by an old Victorian home that was on the farm where I grew up, and it has me nostalgically trying to recreate that in my garden.

Plants for a Cottage Garden
And be sure if you create your cottage garden to stop and smell the flowers and enjoy the wildlife.

Plants for a Cottage Garden
Scenes from my cottage garden. I definitely have Beatrix Potter's eye behind the camera lens. These two little kittens have a story all their own.

In Victory, 
Sherry

Friday, March 15, 2024

Small Batch Caramel Pecan Scones

Small Batch Carmel Pecan Scones

I found this recipe and I thought it sounded really good. As I was making it I realized it was a "stuffed" scone, and that was all the better! 

Small Batch Carmel Pecan Scones
You halve the dough and roll out the bottom, layer it with the pecan filling ,and then place the top layer of dough on. Here it is ready to go in the oven.


Small Batch Carmel Pecan Scones
This is a small batch recipe, so it is for 2-4 people. No need for a large recipe anymore in my house. 

Small Batch Carmel Pecan Scones
They are baked to a golden brown and then served. See the pecan filling. I like recipes like this it makes me feel like I am offering my family a coffee shop experience here at home.

Small Batch Carmel Pecan Scones
This is the scone when you slice into it flaky, gooey, and sweet goodness throughout. Do you like to "coffee shop" your house?

Small Batch Caramel Pecan Scones
Serves 2-4

Ingredients:
Scones
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup cold butter
1 egg
1/3 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Filling
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
3/4 cups pecans

Icing
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar 
2 teaspoons milk
3 tablespoons powdered sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon maple syrup (could use vanilla extract)

Instructions
Preheat oven to 425°F. 

Filling: In medium pan, melt the butter over med heat. Add the brown sugar and pecans, cook and stir constantly until the pecans are toasted and the filling is bubbly. Remove from heat. 
Scones: In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Cut in the cold butter to the dry ingredients with a pastry blender. In a small bowl combine the sour cream, egg, and vanilla and mix thoroughly. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, fold gently to combine. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead a few times, until the dough comes together. I knead it right in the bowl. Divide the dough in half. Press one half into a 6-inch disk. Form the scones on a piece of parchment paper already on your baking sheet.  Cover the dough with 2/3 of the pecan filling. Press the other half of the dough onto the disk and place over the filling, sealing the edges completely. Top the scones with the reserve pecan filling. Cut the scones into four pieces. Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown, and center looks cooked through between the cut scones.
Icing: 
Melt the butter, brown sugar, and milk stirring frequently. When mixture bubbles, remove from heat and whisk in the maple syrup or vanilla and sifted powdered sugar to create a smooth icing. 
Drizzle icing over warm scones. Serve. Recipe adapted from: Be Happy and Do Good
Enjoy!

In Victory,
Sherry

Monday, March 11, 2024

Spring Dreaming Cottage Tea

Cottage Tea
Here at the cottage, it has been very busy starting seeds and planting a few things. It has been a little earlier spring than I was anticipating, and it is a welcome sight.  Sitting here at the cottage table, I look out my window and see the crocus blooming. The list of spring chores has begun.

Cottage Tea
But, for just a moment, I will pause, have tea, and contemplate the joy of the approaching season.

Cottage Tea
I was so happy to put a pansy on my table today. The colors of pansies always capture my eye.

Cottage Tea
So each day I am outside, doing just a few jobs here and there. No longer am I confined by the walls of the cottage. What joy to escape and immerse myself in the garden!

In Victory,
Sherry

Friday, March 8, 2024

Small Batch Chocolate Cake

 Small Batch Chocolate Cake

I have discovered that small batch baking works well for our family. We need just a little dessert, not the whole recipe. This past week, I tried a small chocolate cake, and it was really perfect. The recipe calls for a 6-inch cake pan, and I had one on hand. This recipe serves 4.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup buttermilk (or regular milk with 2 teaspoons of vinegar)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
1/4 cup butter softened
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar 
2 tablespoons cocoa
pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons of whipping cream or milk

Directions for cake:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare a 6-inch cake pan by spraying with a non-stick spray or buttering and flouring the inside of the pan. Also you may line the bottom of the pan with a circle of parchment. In a bowl beat together sugar, oil, vanilla, buttermilk, and egg. Add flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir to combine until smooth. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then remove from pan and cool on a baking rack.

Chocolate Buttercream directions:
Sift the powdered sugar. In a bowl mix, together the sugar and butter. Add in the cocoa, vanilla, salt, and enough milk to get the consistency for frosting your cake. 
The best way to frost the cake is to cool the cake in the fridge and warm the icing in the kitchen, just sitting in a warm area. Ice your cake and add sprinkles if desired. 
Recipe adapted from: Leigh Anne Wilkes

Small Batch Chocolate Cake
The are several reasons why I like small batch baking. First we don't need a large cake, second it doesn't go to waste, and third it is cheaper to bake a small amount. I am hooked on baking the smaller portions. Do you bake smaller batches for your family? Write and let me know.

In Victory,
Sherry 

Friday, March 1, 2024

Small Batch Chocolate Cupcakes

 Small Batch Chocolate Cupcakes
I have recently discovered small-batch baking. I saw this last week on a YouTube channel I follow. The lady makes all small servings for her recipes. We have fewer people in the house now, and we really don't need 24 cupcakes when we make them. 

Small Batch Chocolate Cupcakes
I was really impressed with this recipe. It came out exactly like it was supposed to. The only changes I made to the recipe were that I used 1/2 teaspoon vanilla in the cupcake batter and I sifted the powdered sugar for the buttercream icing recipe. They turned out fantastic!! There are only three pictured above because one has already been eaten! 
Enjoy!

In Victory!
Sherry

Monday, February 26, 2024

Peter Rabbit Tea

Peter Rabbit Tea
It is a dark and stormy winter day here at the cottage. The promise of spring is right around the corner with a thunderstorm booming this morning. 

Peter Rabbit Tea
Garden ideas have reached a fever pitch here at the cottage, and I have sat down with this tea and I am planning.

Peter Rabbit Garden Inspiration
Peter Rabbit Tea
Peter Rabbit Tea
Peter Rabbit Tea
Much inspiration comes from Beatrix Potter. I feel she is a kindred spirit with her little characters and their mischief. This sort of mischief goes on in my garden each year. I only whish I had more time to draw it, but most of my time is spent in the kitchen.

Peter Rabbit Garden Inspiration
Mr. Pricklepin adorns the pages of March in The Beatrix Potter's Gardener's Yearbook. March is almost here, and the yard work will begin. This book is essentially a journal with an introduction to each month that describes what is happening from a gardening perspective. 

Peter Rabbit Tea
Peter Rabbit has always been a favorite of mine! We had a rabbit last week sitting up just like this in the front yard.

Peter Rabbit Tea
How adorable is Miss Potter's art on tea ware! 

Peter Rabbit Tea
Oh dear, it looks like Peter is yet again into mischief! 

Peter Rabbit Tea
My new favorite teapot! It  may be my favorite of all. The illustrations give me such inspiration and they are so delightful to look upon. Spring is really close and the outside planting can begin!! 

In Victory,
Sherry