Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Tea-loving fairies in a Door County garden

Are any of you Master Gardeners? I'm not but I sure want to be, and I have my name on a waiting list for the classes the next time they're offered locally. When I heard the Door County, Wisconsin Master Gardeners had a demonstration garden that was open to the public, I just had a feeling this was going to be something special. And wow, was it ever!

The entrance to The Garden Door is impressive, and the rose bushes peeking through were laden with lots of tiny buds about to bloom. I still can't quite get over the fact that it looks like early spring in Wisconsin!

Upon entering you are immediately greeted by this Garden Kaleidoscope, created by Sturgeon Bay artist Robert Anderson, that gives you some of the most amazing floral views you can imagine.



This type of kaleidoscope is a "teleidoscope," which creates patterns from objects outside the kaleidoscope rather than what is inside the object case found in the traditional kaleidoscope. I thought this was simply a marvelous merging of art and garden!

Another of my favorite features of the gardens was this fairy garden. Apparently, the Door County fairies enjoy teatime!


I started to brush the leaves away for this photo but then decided no, I like them being there as it seems more natural that way.

This little vignette was cute as well. Later I went in a nursery and noticed that these small dollhouse-sized wire fixtures were popular in their dish gardens. I think I am going to be raiding the dollhouse section of my local crafts store so I can perhaps create a fairy "corner" in my tea garden!

The fairies enjoy a wide variety of decorating styles, clearly.

Here, I like the fact that a few foxglove blossoms have drifted into the scene.

There was so much to see in this garden, including this pretty Spiral Herb Garden.

This gazebo was a beautiful focal point for the gardens.

I loved seeing what was blooming in the rose garden.

These pretty pink ones are called 'Morning Magic.'

The pond garden was so serene, and like everything else there very well-tended. My hat is definitely off to the Door County Master Gardeners and their partners in this effort at the University of Wisconsin Peninsular Agricultural Research Station.

And finally, as promised yesterday I wanted to thank you for enduring my trip photos by offering a giveaway of this Tea Kettle Spout Cleaning Brush I found at the Door County Coffee & Tea Company! Despite the "kettle" in the name, I think it's really for cleaning the spouts of teapots and coffeepots as well as tea kettles. I tried it on two of my teapots, and one had a very narrow spout so I had to use the brush from the inside of the pot, but that's fine too. Just leave an "enter me" comment to today's post before 7 a.m. EST tomorrow and one of these can be yours!

20 comments:

  1. The gardens are awesome!!!!
    The tea spout brush is neat. Enter me .

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  2. Lovely garden, great photos! I know I recently won something, but please do enter me in this one as well.

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  3. how delightful...fairy gardens. Thanks so much for sharing these great pics...now I have to go and make notes for fairy collages.
    I just won so I won't enter the tea spout brush give away.
    Glad you enjoyed your Wisconsin trip.

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  4. Loved all those little fairy gardens! Too cute! And the teleidoscope pictures were amazing! I've never seen that in a garden... how beautiful! Thanks for sharing your most recent adventure!
    Nancy

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  5. What an amazing garden! The fairy ones inspired me-maybe when it is not so HOT.
    Love the spout cleaner! Again you are a shopping Goddess!!

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  6. those fairies sure do like their TEA...how cute. Sophia and I just might have to use one of her MANY little tea sets and her doll furniture and set up our own fairy tea party outside in one of my weeds! HA! My mom is a master gardener and I am going home this week which makes me so excited to see all of her work. It has brought a lot of joy to her life that is for sure so I am happy to hear you pursue your passions!

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  7. Enter me, please. What a delightful stroll! I hope you enjoyed it with some tea in hand =]

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  8. Loved your fairy garden photos. My daughter-in-law's mother just finished making a fairy garden in her backyard. My hubby made a bridge to go in it. The garden is so cute and the grandchildren LOVE it!

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  9. I just love the Fairy Gardens. I had one and the squirrels carried away my fairy sized teapot and teatray with teacups! Naughty Squirrels. Or, maybe a Little Fairy moved it to another garden? Just love the brush and have been looking for one for about a year. It it no surprise that you found it, Angela.

    Would love to be the winner, so please enter me.

    Have a happy day,

    Mary Jane

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  10. Oh, those fairy gardens are so sweet! Gardens are such magical places, aren't they? Thank you for sharing these pics with us.

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  11. Thanks for sharing! I especially love the teleidoscope! Please also enter me for the spout brush. Thanks!

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  12. I loved the garden pictures! I've always wanted to go to Doory County, now here's another reason to take the trip! Please enter me... Tea spout brush, what a great idea! Thank you for thinking of us!

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  13. Oh Angela, what beautiful photos - the gardens are so creative! I love the teleidoscope...so neat.
    I love your blog, it's always an interesting read. Thanks for sharing your trip, Joanie

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  14. Fairy gardens were cute. I'm afraid it might be too windy here to try something like that, but I may think on the idea.
    Novel idea-spout brushes...

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  15. Please enter me in the giveaway. I've been going back and reading your blog archives (since I only recently found your site), and I've been enjoying the your department store tea room research.

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  16. The gardens photos were fun! We just visited botanical gardens in Albuquerque and enjoyed them! The spout brush would come in handy!

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  17. What beautiful gardens!
    That teapot spout brush is just what I need.

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  18. Hi Angela! Boy I've missed your blog! My old computer crashed so I've been gone from bloggyland for a bit until the new one just arrived. Whew, you don't realize how much you use it until you don't have it ~ ha ha I lurve your trip to the garden and the pictures are great, especially the scope! People are so creative aren't they?
    Blessings,
    Janeen

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  19. Absolutely beautiful! The fairy gardens are adorable and add a sweet touch to an already perfect garden!

    It amazes me to see the beauty that exist when you travel to different states/countries. God never duplicates his masterpieces!

    Thanks for sharing,

    Darlene

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  20. Your garden photos are great. I loved the teleidoscope and the spiral herb garden - I'd love a compact herb garden like that at home.

    Can't wait to see your version of a garden "fairy corner".

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