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.

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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~

home is where the boat is

rattlebridge farm