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Sunday, March 8, 2009

the blooming morning after

frangipani (plumeria) floating flowers and candles table centerpiece

Heliconia wagneriana one of my favorites







heliconia rostrata another favorite




Yesterday Saturday, my home and gardens was the venue for a social evening. This was for clients of my sister's business. There was a frenzy of cleaning and tidying up of the garden and the house with the help of my weekend garden helper. My house helper was not available to come and assist me so I had to forget my still painful shoulder and get to work. It started at 4 pm and finished around 8 pm. I was working putting the finishing touches to the patio and gazebo. When the first of several guests arrived and I was still in my grubby gardening clothes cutting flowers. The guests were enthralled by the garden and some asked me for personal guided tours which I had to decline. My mother and hubby assisted with the tours while I was doing my thing. Meanwhile my sister had gone to collect some extra chairs and ice for the cooler. She finally arrived ( seemed like a very long time) when almost everyone had gotten there. It was hectic in the kitchen my mum and I frying the samosas, fish fingers and preparing the snacks and drinks for around 40 people. I finally got ready around five and returned as a member of the family all washed and dressed. Well the guest loved it and wanted to come back for another social, some plan to come and visit during the day and buy a few plants. When it got dark I lit several of the garden torches scattered around the grounds. They just loved it. The next time I do something like this I will have paid help in the kitchen. Well my sister washed and cleaned up the kitchen for me for which I am most grateful. Whew what a day it was!!

16 comments:

  1. Wonderful, Helen! You sound tired but very happy. And your garden (what I can see of it) looks fantastic!
    Your sister is one lucky lady to have you pitching in to help her business and entertain her clients. Its so great to have family close by!

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  2. Yes Sunita am tired like an old dog LOL, and my sister gave me a cheque for the event. Not bad at all huh?

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  3. Helen,
    Oh. My. How. Very. Lovely.
    Nothing like an event to get us in gear. I know what it's like to not only have to get the house ready but to have to get the garden ready for guests. So much to do. So many details to attend to. It looks like you paid attention to every one with an eye for appeal to each visitor. Love the open doors and tin vases to the side. Your flowers are so lush and inviting. Your garden is all that my "Island Living" imagination conjures up in dreams. Just gorgeous.
    You made me wish I was there.Get some rest now.
    Are the heliconia considered bromeliads? I've always thought of them as bromeliads but the foliage (which I've never seen in person)doesn't favor any bromeliads I grow. Just looked up heliconia and they only grow in your tropical paradise... zone 11.

    Such a wonderful post, Helen. Thank you for sharing it with us.
    Meems @ Hoe and Shovel

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  4. Hey Meems,
    I only had two days notice that this event was happening. That's the best incentive for cleaning the house and gardens. The heliconias are in the banana family and some of them can be quite invasive. I got rid of the invasive ones. You know there are really good holiday specials to Barbados some ridiculous prices at http://www.cheapcaribbean.com perhaps Mr Meems can make your wish come true and we can sit and enjoy the garden with some good food and wine LOL. Now that would be a bomb!! Thank you for stopping by!

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  5. Sounds very nice. Your flowers and decor are very pretty. It's hard being the hostess and enjoying your own party sometimes with all the work that's involved.

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  6. I love to entertain but it is a lot of work before and after. Keeping things simple makes it easier and of course help in the kitchen. Thanks for visiting!

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  7. Funny you should mention a trip to the carribean for real. Do you know we almost went there on our honeymoon (over 30 years ago) but instead never made it out of the country. Went as far as N.C. and TN. HA. I still think he owes me that trip to the islands being the beach loving girl I am. LOL
    Hope you enjoyed your Sunday. (he did drive me over to the beach today for a beautiful sunset... still the romantic)

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  8. OMG Helen, what a beautiful garden! No wonder the guests loved it. Gorgeous blooms and the rest, so lush. Wonderful to have a sister doing what she did.

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  9. Meems you must remind your sweet hubby that now there are good deals on to the islands you two can have a that honeymoon now LOL. You will enjoy the beaches here, I live here but seldom go now. We tend to take it for granted when we have it at our back door.

    Thank you Kanak,
    I have been asked to host functions before but I am not exactly ready for that as yet but am working towards that. I am hoping to open a tea garden one day soon. The opportunity to host a social has been very valuable and to get paid too is such a bonus.

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  10. Hello to you!

    I just happened to find your blog and find it very interesting. :-)

    I live on an island myself, but I have to say that it isn't as beautiful as where you live. At least our water is not as clear. We do have many seashells here though. It is an island called Sanibel, off the west coast of Florida, USA.

    I will be back to read more of your earlier posts. Thanks for sharing your island history.

    http://sanibeltoots.blogspot.com

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  11. I have heard of your island from my hubby who is from Florida and I hope to one day visit there. We do not have many shells on our beaches so you are very lucky. Thank you for visiting.

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  12. We would be happy to have you visit us anytime. :-)

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  13. Hi Helen,
    Am I glad you bumped into my blog... I got to discover your beautiful blog ... wow,your whole garden feels like it could be anywhere in India .... all those haliconias,tamarind,mussaenda ... thanks for dropping by, hope to hear more from you ...and you'll surely have me swing by a lot. :)

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  14. Rajee Sood thank you for visiting. Even though we are on the opposite sides of the globe we share many things in common. The West Indies and the East Indies have a long historical association.

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  15. Your garden sounds like a wonderful venue!! I can see why your guests were so enthralled!

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  16. how delightfull your garden looks from here ..

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