Good Bye Summer!

I never liked summer, it's way to hot in the south. There is one good thing about summer: flowers! Here are a few of the new mainstays in our garden that I can't wait to see again next year. Tonight is our first cold night and fall has began to really set in; daffodils are in the ground and pansies soon will be, too.

Red: Dahlia & White: Nicotina

Toad Lily given to me by a local greenhouse, the owner had never seen one before and the plant was very root bound. Once I placed it in a three gallon container from a one gallon container this plant exploded and was covered in these unique blooms.

A type of blue rose that is not blue, I have totally blanked on the name.

My new butterfly bushes actually attracted butterflies!!!

The first time I've ever seen a Hen & Chicks plant bloom, I've had this plant for a few years now.

Beautiful mushrooms were abundant this year with all the rain we received.

Passion flowers with tasty fruit to follow.

Double daylilies were a real surprise when I received this unnamed daylily earlier this spring.

Mustang daylilies bloomed for the first time since planting them three years ago.

Yummy Chanterelle mushrooms in the woods

Queen Anne's Lace getting ready to bloom.

Winged Summac

Cosmos which eventually rotted in the rain soaked clay.

Salvia, a very popular plant to the hummingbirds.

Red Asiatic Lily

Beautiful Lantana

White Drift Rose

A wild, strongly scented pale pink rose.

Snow-on-the-Mountain, now if that kind of name doesn't summon ideas of what's ahead.

Happy Fall Y'all!!!

It's Been a While

I mostly forget that I have a blog; but, since the flowers are blooming outside I want to share with you what's been going on!
Now for a visual tour; grab your self a seat to a tour of what God has been doing in my neck of the woods.

Not sure what kind of turtle this is, do you?

Cosmos 'Sonata Mix'

Sage Salvia 'Black and Blue', such a beautiful color!

Red Asiatic Lily

Lantana

Lantana 'New Gold'

Our mystery plant, do you know what it is?

Varieties of some of the sedums we grow; 'Hen-and-Chicks" in front three pots, 'Ice Plant' to the right, and 'Emperor' sedum in the rear.

'Hen-and-Chick' Sedum

Very fragrant white Drift roses

Old fashion rose smells just like an antique rose perfume.

'Snow on the Mountain,' looks just like 'Queen Anne's Lace'

Shasta Daises

Dahlias

Pastel Button & Thread Cake

This cake is pear-y, the cake is french vanilla and pear, with pear preserve buttercream filling, covered in vanilla buttercream, and covered again in marshmallow fondant. The main tutorial in this  post is how to make fondant buttons.

Mix of buttercream and fresh pear preserves, yummy!

Fondant Buttons:

1/4 Marshmallow Fondant Recipe

1 Large Icing Tip (Ex: Wilton 2A)

1 Regular Icing Tip (Ex: Wilton 2)

Toothpick or Tappered Dowel

Pastry/Fondant Mat

Shortening

Metal Spatula

Clear Vanilla Extract

Small Food Grade Brush

Pearl Shimmer Dust (Optional)

Smear shortening on pastry mat, roll fondant 1/4 thick. Cut out shapes using large tip.

Slightly indent the middle of the fondant circles with a regular sized icing tip. 

Press lightly, you don't want to puncture all the way through.

Invert the tip and puncture the middle with holes, two or four are realistic. Use toothpick to remove the little bits.

With leftover fondant from the first batch I mixed it to create a tie-dye effect.

So spring like!

Realistic, right?

Use the clear vanilla extract, as a glue, to adhere the buttons onto the cake.

Plain and dull.

Now mix pearl shimmer dust with vanilla extract and paint the buttons for a shinny finished look.

I used leftover buttercream tinted purple with gel icing to create thread stitch pattern to pull the whole theme and idea together.

Enjoy!