.

.

Monday, May 12, 2014

the novel bakers present~

a week in the garden...


welcome, as we share garden moments all week long. our first book, selected by mary, is a wonderful invitation to the garden...


"In this indispensable entertaining guide, Michael Devine, a well-known tastemaker, shows how the garden can be a perfect and easily transformable setting to stage enchanted events in every season. Michael Devine shares the joys of outdoor dining in his exquisite garden, presenting several get-togethers throughout the year-from breakfast and lunch to cocktails and dinner."

as a garden girl i can easily slip between these pages, i have been dining in my garden for decades, there is nothing i love more than dishes, flowers and recipes all wrapped up nice and pretty between the covers. i enjoyed the beauty and simplicity of his garden get-togethers, i too have done many a garden themed table over the seasons and years...







the book is arranged by seasons, from the first flush of lilacs for a spring brunch...






to an elegant christmas eve dinner~






with so many delicious recipes i was hard pressed which menu to enjoy and where, but i thought the casual fall buffet menu, albeit spring, looked simple and delicious for a casual dinner deckside in our pavilion.
**
















in our hot climate, just the sound of the fountain trickling seems to lower the temperatures. this is casual dinning, barefoot, with dogs on the sofa*** and birds stopping by for a beverage. beneath my deck deer and fox linger in the shade of cottonwoods and silver leaf poplars, wild figs have seeded themselves, with a good stretch i can pick fresh figs late in the summer. in winter red pyracantha berries are profuse for holiday color, a pink brugmansia scents the deck on and off all year long. its a relaxing spot to enjoy, and frankly, when your entire 5 acres are a steep hillside with endless stairs, sometimes you just want to step off the kitchen door and dine with ease...
















 

 




** why so darn many pics? because if i can stand outside when its 100 degrees in the shade, mind you, i was in not in the shade but baking in FULL sun, i am darn well going to use loads of pics while i revisit them in the cool of the a/c and full blowing fan as i try to recover from heat stroke!

*** speaking of dogs... i was not able to catch ONE pic in focus, they are wild now, they wrestle nonstop...



if you are still here thanks for stopping by, for more garden enjoyment all week long be sure to visit~



10 comments:

  1. Gorgeous...every photo is a treat!
    So many wonderful ideas to inspire.
    Miss Bloomers

    ReplyDelete
  2. WOW, what a simply stunning post. You really outdid your self. The photos were terrific.
    I am your newest follower. Looking forward to more wonderful posts.
    Mary

    ReplyDelete
  3. I absolutely love all of your pictures. I know how much work goes into this! Great job! You're making me hungry!!!! ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  4. I got totally lost in these stunning images. What a pleasure to behold such extraordinary creativity. Any photo could be in a magazine shoot and/or a book. I can't pick a favorite. I love how your vignettes captured each menu/theme. Oh, those butterflies and raspberries. Christmas and roosters, and Border Collies. It doesn't get any better than this. I was telling Bandwidth that I feel very blessed to know you and Mary--and to bake along with the girls. I spent the day finishing a few last-minute detail shots before the rain hits (if it hits). I got another photo of the paint for you. I also found out who was yanking up flowers in the faux cemetery garden (donkeys). And all this time, I thought it was a gopher! Anyway, I couldn't wait to visit you so I would have time to savor each picture. This is extraordinary--the dishes, the food, your special touch that your bring to everything. And the dog vignettes bring such a huge smile. Thanks for this marvelous excursion!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I'm back to savor and drink in all the details when I should be doing homework :) I so love when you play with food and flowers...all your petal drenched pics are perfection! I can only dream of having all those flowers at your fingertips, even if you have to hike up and down your hill to cut them.

    I didn't even get to the Autumn section, look what I missed! Your adorable butterfly-lidded crocks with your oeufs! What a treat to have the served that way... and of course your Raspberry Tart, with a side of butterflies and sugared dusted lavender...*sigh* I so enjoy watching you bring a book to life! I didn't have enough time to do it justice with my chores hanging around my neck. I was lucky to get in my field trip so I'll look forward to yours & MLW's second helping tomorrow :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Don't ever feel that there are too many photos! Your photography is wonderful and every photo is grand. It's like taking a photo journey, and I enjoy every one along the way.

    Today's post was lovely. I adore the berry plates and that raspberry tart looks so delicious...loved the butterflies!
    This is going to be a great week. I am so excited!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Your photos are mesmerizing, I especially loved the collages of your blooming table settings and how you used the open book with petals, plates and the basket~you have such an amazing array of dishes and accessories, the individual casseroles are fabulous~ what a joy this week will be! Thank you for this "invitation to your garden"
    Jenna

    ReplyDelete
  8. I was on my iPhone when I first saw this yesterday so couldn't leave a comment. Amazing! I'm going to savor every day of this garden week with the Novel Bakers. ;-)
    Love those individual casseroles with the butterfly detail and those clever butterfly pastry puffs. It's all extraordinary.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Loved seeing this! Just when I thought "this is the last pic", there was another whole set of delightful and inspiring photos to enjoy and savour! Thanks for all the work you put into this - hope you enjoyed seeing the fruits of your labours as much as we all did!

    DD

    ReplyDelete
  10. I'll say it again, you should write a book :)

    ReplyDelete

welcome~