Tiny Vases

 Years ago I was shopping at a thrift store and found a whole collection of tiny vases for 25 cents each.

                           Over the years I have used them to display tiny blossoms.

        This is a small milk glass bud vase but works very well for tiny flowers with longer stems.

This tiny vase isn't a vase at all. It's a vintage perfume bottle. 

It was from England in the 1920s, and contained a perfume called Cornish Violets. 

It came from the home of an ancestor I never met was then given to me by my mother. 

These mock orange blooms were on very long stems, which I cut down and pulled the tiny blossoms off. 

So if you see a tiny vase or two at a thrift store or yard sale, consider the uses and how sweet a tiny bouquet can be. 

Tea by Two Tearoom-Bel Air, Maryland, Part 1

 

Tea by Two - A Charming Tea Experience (Part 1)

 

 

 
I'm not entirely sure why, but I always have high expectations when I visit a tea house. Perhaps it's
because I grew up in the UK, or maybe it stems from my own experience combining a mini tea
house with my spa services. Whatever the reason, I tend to evaluate each tea room I visit using a
few key categories:
- Location
- Building
- Parking
- Theme
- Tea quality
- Menu
- Tea service
- Retail shop
- Pricing
- Friendly, knowledgeable staff

 

This review will be in two parts. In Part 1, I'll focus on the location, building, parking, and overall

 

theme of a charming local
 gem-Tea by Two.Part Two will focus on the retail area and the service in the tea room 

 

  A Mother's Day Introduction

 
My visit was inspired by a delightful surprise. During a large Mother's Day tea event (which was
lovely, though a bit under-organized), I was lucky enough to win a beautiful gift basket from Tea by
Two, including a gift certificate. That serendipitous w 

in brought me to their door-and I'm so glad it
did.

 

 Location: Location, Building & Parking

 

 Tea  by Two is located in a quaint house nestled beside a florist. The tea room occupies the first floor, making it wheelchair and walker friendly.

The  flower beds surrounding the property are well-kept and filled with romantic, cottage-style
perennials and shrubs-a perfect welcome.
A large parking lot is available in the back, which is a big plus. However, the house sits back from a
busy road, and while there is signage, it can be easy to miss. If this is your first visit, definitely plug
the address into your GPS.

 

 Theme & Atmosphere

 
The vibe here is romantic, soft, and "cottage core" to the max. You enter through a purple door into a
retail area that immediately sets the tone.
And let me tell you-this retail shop does not disappoint. It's beautifully merchandised with a curated
selection of teas, accessories, and gift items that make it hard to leave empty-handed.
It can get a bit crowded on weekends, but the staff works quickly to seat you. Reservations are
highly recommended, especially on Saturdays. If you're just coming to shop or having tea for one,
it's best to call ahead and check their current policies.

 

 Tea Room: First Look Inside the Tea Room

 
The tea room itself is cozy and intimate. Several well-dressed wooden tables are

 topped with pretty tablecloths and china, giving it a warm, inviting cottage feel.There's a surprisingly broad menu, including: - Traditional British High Tea or - A la carte options to mix and match
Now, let's get to what really matters in a tea house. The quality and taste of the scones!

 
Scone Test: The Scone Test (It Passed!)

 

The true test are the scones :

British style 
Freshly made, not hard as a rock  
Round and flaky not doughy  

 sweet, but not too sweet and 
Bonus points if served with lemon curd and clotted cream.

 

More about Tea by 
Tea: Coming Up in Part 2...
In the next post, I'll dive into:
- The tea selection
- Service experience
- Overall rating of Tea by Two
Stay tuned!

Preview Video of my Visit to Tea by Two, Bel Air, Maryland

 

Longwood Garden Pre-visit VIDEO

🌿 A Preview of Longwood Gardens--Possibly the most Stunning Public Garden and Botanical Experience

In just a few weeks, I’ll be visiting Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania—widely regarded as one of the most spectacular public gardens in the United States, and even the world. This will be my first time experiencing this world-renowned horticultural destination, and I couldn’t be more excited!

These preview photos were taken by my sister, who has visited Longwood Gardens several times. She warned me to rest up—because with over 1,100 acres of breathtaking landscapes, indoor conservatories, and themed gardens to explore, it’s truly a full-day adventure.

Much like Ladew Topiary Gardens,  Longwood was originally purchased as a country estate by Pierre S. du Pont, who transformed it into a horticultural masterpiece. My sister also raved about the ornate fountains, glass-enclosed greenhouses, and rare tropical plants that make Longwood a must-see for any garden lover.

She said the Longwood Christmas display is absolutely magical—featuring elaborate Christmas trees, seasonal blooms, and twinkling lights—so it sounds like I may have to make a return trip this winter!

🌸 Here’s a little photo preview of Longwood Gardens to inspire your own visit.

Crane Estate, Part 3: The Beauty Speaks for Itself

Even after two full posts, I still can’t stop looking at the beauty of the Crane Estate. Sometimes a place is so visually rich that words start to fall short. So for Part 3, I’m letting the photos speak. Enjoy!

NO ROOM TO GARDEN EXCEPT BY MY FRONT DOOR

 

Michele's "Front Door" Garden on the Maryand Coast: What to Plant & How to Care For It!

🪴 Why a Front Door Garden?

Living in a rental with no yard meant I had to get creative. The front railings became my garden’s foundation. I ordered two black window boxes from Amazon and filled them with bright, trailing blooms and compact edibles. Then I lined up seven 1-gallon black pots and a couple fabric grow bags to expand the growing space. Altogether, it’s small but mighty—it has begun to bring me joy every time I walk outside.

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🌸 What I Planted (And Why)

1. Pink Ivy Geraniums (Window Boxes)

💖 Reason: Chosen for color, texture, and the way they spill gracefully over the railing
🌱 Growth Note: These are already flowering! They love sun and don’t mind drying out a little, which is perfect for summer in containers.

 

2. Peppers (Window Boxes)

🌶️ Reason: Compact growers, high yield in small pots, and I love cooking with them
🌱 Growth Note: Starting to bud! I’m watching for aphids and feeding them with diluted fish emulsion every 2 weeks.

 

3. Marigolds (Window Boxes)

🧡 Reason: Natural pest deterrents and pollinator-friendly
🌱 Growth Note: Thriving! Bright blooms and helping keep pests off my peppers.

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4. Basil (1-Gallon Pot)

🌿 Reason: Fresh for cooking and makes great companion plant to tomatoes
🌱 Growth Note: Bushy and fragrant! Pinching off flowers to keep it leafy.

 

5. Three Types of Tomatoes (3 Pots)

🍅 Reason: I wanted variety—likely cherry, Roma, and a patio slicer
🌱 Growth Note: All three are flowering now. I’m supporting them with simple bamboo stakes and watering daily.

 6. Strawberry Plant (Pot)

🍓 Reason: Fun and sweet, and I’ve always wanted to try growing my own
🌱 Growth Note: Small fruits are starting to form! Just protected it from squirrels with mesh.

7. Cucumber (Fabric Bag)

🥒 Reason: Chose a bush variety for container growing
🌱 Growth Note: Beginning to vine out nicely—starting to see yellow flowers!  I plan to use the  railing for gentle support.

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Caroline's Summer Roses

 The roses are all blooming now, and the garden is full of color. My red Blaze climbers, which I planted in the early 1990s from the Michigan Bulb Company, are still going strong.

 They cover the arbor and climb up the chimney. They’re the same variety my mother grew when I was a kid. She planted hers along a split rail fence in front of our house. 

I also have some wild roses that volunteer in surprising places—sometimes right where I want them, and sometimes not. I’m not sure where they came from, but they keep coming back every year. They bloom earlier in June, so by now they are all gone by. 

The pollinators are loving all the red blossoms right now! 

And then there are the pink and red fairy roses, small and low-growing, filling in the edges of the beds.

This red bush rose I can’t identify by name.  My daughter gave it to me for Mother’s Day a few years ago. It’s been a steady bloomer ever since.

It’s been a good week for roses!

LaDew, 2025 Garden Visit Video

 

Maine Garden Recap: Caroline’s June Highlights

 June brought a yard full of blooms this year. After several seasons of struggling with vegetables—thanks to ever-growing shade from my mature trees (and the ever-persistent slugs)—I've decided to shift my energy toward what’s thriving: my perennial garden and containers of cheerful annuals. But I haven't given up on edibles entirely. A large pot of herbs is growing on my deck, and a few rogue strawberry plants have popped up in unexpected places, which always feels like a nice surprise. But my focus this season is my perennial beds, flowering shrubs, and containers of annuals.

The blooms in my perennial garden this month were peonies, irises, foxgloves, roses, rhododendrons, yellow loosestrife, astilbe, and cranesbill geranium. Just this week, the daylilies opened up seemingly overnight. The mock orange bush perfumed the dooryard for at least a week.

I’ve had to keep an eye on the cranesbill, though—it’s become a bit invasive, spreading quickly into places it wasn’t invited. I’ve been pulling it up by the armful and transplanting clumps to less crowded spots in the yard. It has a strong spicy scent that reminds me of men's cologne. When transplanting it, the air is filled with its fragrance.

Around the patio and porch, my containers are full of begonias, dusty miller, pansies, petunias, and large geraniums, which I overwinter indoors each year. Some of the geraniums must be about five years old now.

It makes me happy to see those same plants spring back to life and carry on year to year.

I'm loving the light purple petunias I planted in various spots. If I can find some, I might get a flat of pale yellow petunias to complement them. I love the light scent of petunias on a hot day. 

My rhododendrons had loads of blooms and put on a fantastic show in mid-June.

The Red Blaze climbing roses are doing well, as are some wild white roses that volunteer in surprising places. The little pink and red fairy roses are just beginning to open up now. 

The house wrens successfully raised a nest of babies in one of our birdhouses, and a pair of cardinals nested atop the arbor. Their songs have provided the perfect soundtrack to weeding and watering sessions.

As June turns to July, I’m planning to keep wrangling the cranesbill and deadheading the spent blooms in my attempt to keep everything tidy and thriving.

 I may not have vegetables this year, but the beauty of flowers (and a few ripe strawberries plucked on the way to the compost bin) feels just as rewarding.