VINTAGE Ornaments and Greetings.

© This post was originally uploaded and written by Tyra at the blog Tyra's Garden http://waxholm.blogspot.com/

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Well, soon the Christmas is over and we have to tidy away all the lovely Christmas ornaments and décor. But first I would like to show you some of my favourite Christmas ornaments.

Nancy at Soliloquy wrote a very interesting and nice post about the history of the Christmas ornaments. Very ornamental - “The earliest in the early 1800’s were fruit (particularly apples) and nuts. These, along with the evergreen trees themselves, represented the certainty that life would return in the spring....

Here I made a parade of my favourite Christmas ornaments.

First out is an eggshaped Fabergé Christmas ornament. It is not a 19th century Carl Fabergé egg from S:t Petersburg but Florideco has recreated these Fabergé eggs, mouthblown and handpainted glass Christmas ornaments.

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This is a golden angel that 'flies' around on my veranda. Lyrics: Jimmy Hendrixs
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Another Fabergé egg and in front of an old terracotta pot


Small glass ornaments that I bought very cheaply in a 'Tobacco store' in Stockholm ages ago when I still was a student, they were so very cheap that I bought 3 dozen of them.


This is the oldest one - Old Vintage Santa


Cobolt blue glass fir cone.

I wish you all a lovely New Years Eve -

and a Happy New Year 2009!

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TYRA

CHOCOLATE - for taste, lust and joy!

© This post was originally uploaded and written by Tyra at the blog Tyra's Garden http://waxholm.blogspot.com/

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Chocolat un moment de vèritable plaisir...did you know that chocolate stimulates the same lust center in the brain as sexual activity?
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'Mozartkugel', truffles and home made chocolate for christmas. We made almond paste and marzipan this year out of which we then formed round balls of Walnut paste with Cognac dipped in dark chocolate. Also, we made a version of Mozartkugel, or ‘Mozart bonbons’, in the shape of a loaf consisting of nougat, marzipan, almond paste and dark chocolate - and yes some Congnac as well, it was heavenly…

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The Chocolate girl/ Chokladflickan

Jean-Étienne Liotard (1702-89).

Pastellmålning på pargament av Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, Dresden bild från wikipedia

The beautiful fruit pods on the cacao tree, here in various stages of ripening.

While chocolate is regularly eaten for pleasure, there are potential beneficial health effects of eating chocolate. Cocoa or dark chocolate benefits the circulatory system. Other beneficial effects suggested include anticancer, brain stimulator, cough preventor and antidiarrhoeal effects.wikipedia

Kakao för hälsan....

Kakao ökar transmissionssubstanserna seratonin och endorfin i hjärnan, vilka lindrar smärta (!) och höjer stämningsläget. Jag läste just i Hans Bertil Junebys bok Fytomedicin, en fickhandbok om medicinalväxter, att kakao stimulerar samma lustcentrum i hjärnan som sexuell aktivitet, ojdå!

Just a few days left on 2008...

oh yes ...soon I can start with the seeds!

Lots Of Love/ Tyra

SEASONAL GREETINGS

© This post was originally uploaded and written by Tyra at the blog Tyra's Garden http://waxholm.blogspot.com/

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Seasonal greetings

From all of us to all of you, we wish you....

Merry Christmas, God Jul, Gezur Krislinjden, Idah Saidan Wa Sanah Jadidah, Feliz Navidad, Eguberri On, Vrolijke Kerstmis, Feliz Natal, Tchestita Koleda, Gladelig jul, Joyeux Noël, Kala Christouyenna, Selamat Hari Natal, Gledileg Jol, Buon Natale, I Kurisumasu O, Jok Nay Sing Dawn Fy Lot, Sung Tan Chuk Ha, Sretan Bozic, Priecigus Ziemassvetkus, God jul, Feliz Navidad,
Sawadee Pee Mai, Fröhliche Weihnachten, Chuc Mung Giang Sinh and in finnish Hyvää Joulua

I hope you all will have a peaceful and joyful holiday!

Take care my friends, Lots of Love / TYRA

Self-sown and Wild - IT'S BLOOMING FRIDAY!

© This post was originally uploaded and written by Tyra at the blog Tyra's Garden http://waxholm.blogspot.com/

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It is Blooooming Friday again ! No 6

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This time I have choosen the 'Wild and Self-sown'. In my kitchen garden I have this mix with herbs, veggies and flowers I have found that it is the way they prefer to grow, I get a healthy and colourful kitchengarden.

Violaceae - Pansy - Pensé in Tyra's Ornamental kitchen garden. Yes, I do think that a 'wild' kitchen garden can be ornamental!

This is a favorit, the chives Allium schoenoprasum both for beauty and food, I have read some where that it also can be used as pestcontrol.

Do you know that the flowers both pansies and chives are edible and taste delicious! Sprinkle them on a mixed green sallad, the sallad looks great and taste wonderful.


Här kommer mitt bidrag till veckans 'Blommiga Fredag Nr 6'. Blommor från min vilda köksträdgård. Gräslök och Penséer i en vild blandning med övriga grönsaker och örter. Jag har märkt att trädgården mår bra när man odlar lite 'vilt'. Mycket som självsås låter jag vara, det behöver inte vara en strikt ordning även fast jag nu kallar min potager för en ornamental köksträdgård.

Du kanske redan vet att både Pensé (Viola) blomman och gräslöksblomman (Allium schoenoprasum) är ätliga och dessutom riktigt goda om du inte visste det så vet du det nu. Strö över rikligt med blommor på salladen och njut av både skönhet och läcker smak.
Ha en trevlig helg! Kommentera gärna, jag blir så glad att höra av er alla!

Viola and Allium schoenoprasum

I wish you all a happy and great weekend!/ LOL Tyra
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Do remember to comment. It is so very nice to here from you all!

... More Blooming Friday at Roses and stuff
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Do pop over to the greenhouse...new post Don't wake me up!

S:t Lucia and SAFFRON BREAD - The Recipe

© This post was originally uploaded and written by Tyra at the blog Tyra's Garden http://waxholm.blogspot.com

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My brothers daughter Emma as Lucia S:t Lucia

Saffron Bread - A Swedish Recipe - Lussekatter

This is as I promised earlier the recipe of the very traditional Swedish saffron bread called Lussikatter. This is the bread we eat during Advent, for the day of S:t Lucia that is on the 13th of December and Christmas.

For the saffron dough:

50 g yeast (1,76 ounces)
150 g butter (5,5 ounces)
5 dl milk (17 fl ounces)
1 can (each containing 250 grams) smooth cottage cheese
2 package (each 0.5 g) saffron
1.5 dl granulated sugar 5 fl ounces
0.5 teaspoons salt (or not)
about 17 dl wheat flour (57 fl ounces)

2 dl raisins - add raisins after the first ‘rest’
1 egg - brush/glace the buns with an egg just before you put them into the oven.

This is how you make the dough:

1. Down with the yeast in a bowl, divide it with your fingers.

2. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Pour in the milk, stir and heat to 37 C (luke warm).

3. Pour some of liquid mixture over the yeast and stir until it is dissolved.

4. Add the rest of liquid, smooth cottage cheese, saffron, sugar and salt. Most of the flour and work the dough thoroughly… ah…a bit more yes it take time oh… hard work. Cover the bowl with the dough and rest for 30-45 min.

5. Pick up the dough on a floured working surface. Here I add a lot of raisins in my dough because I love raisins in the bread (2 dl) knead it smooth and shiny. Divide the dough into 4 parts and then each part into 8 parts.(or more) Roll out each part to ‘string’ and roll the ends towards the middle like and ‘S’put them on the baking sheet.
This is the most common shape but you can make it into different shapes and they are all called different names. Press raisins in the ‘holes’ of the ‘S’ press properly. Allow to rest for to double the size of 20-30 minutes.

6. Brush the bread with an egg.

7. Bake Lussekatter in the middle of the oven 225 ° C for about 8 minutes.

TYRA

Do you remember Frances (Fairegarden) wonderful post?

Mad about saffron

photo: Frances (Fairegarden)

More Saffron bread posts

Flowers in India - It's Blooooming Friday!

© This post was originally uploaded and written by Tyra at the blog Tyra's Garden http://waxholm.blogspot.com

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Blooming Friday - blommig fredag

Updated version

Flowers I briefly met in India and unfortunately we were not properly introduced...

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Flower nr 1. In the gardens by Mahatma Gandhis grave at Raj Ghat in New Delhi

It is Blooming Friday AGAIN, gosh times really flies away especially now during Advent because there is so much to do. This time I need HELP, ID help for my flowers that ‘I met’ in India. I got acquainted with these good-looking fellows in India but unfortunately we were not properly introduced. I don’t know their names. I have asked my dear Indian friend Sunita , Chandramouli, Kanak and Green thumb to help me and if anyone else would like to show off their great botanical knowledge please do help me.

Tiden springer verkligen iväg, nu är det fredag igen, man hinner ju knappt med! Nu är det ’blommig fredag’ och den här gången har jag lite problem…en massa skönheter från min Indienresa men inga namn och det är ju trist. Är det någon som kan hjälpa mej med ID på dessa söta blommor så vore jag hemst tacksam. Mer om blommig fredag här hos Katarina

Flower nr 2 A tree with pale pink coloured flowers

Flower nr 3 a bush, down in Kerala

Flowers nr 4 bright yellow fellow??

Flower nr 5 Orange

Flower nr 6 WOW isn't beautiful.

This is the last one it's from Kerala and it's nr 7


I think this is really hard, who know the names of these flowers? Anyone? Any flower?


I think this is worth an award if anyone can identify these!

UPDATE!

ID questions solved with a little help from my friend. And the award goes to…


Thank you dear friends.

Well I say, I say so many clever pleople out there I’m amazed, but the AWARD must go to:

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The Urban Gardener SUNITA Mumbai INDIA

for her great botanical knowledge.

Please pick up the Golden Star Award here Sunita and thank you!

Flower no. 1 Convolvulus arborescens Morning Glory Tree
Flower no. 2 is a Plumeria (Frangipani)

Flower no. 3 is a Bauhinia (also known as Butterfly Flower)

Flower no. 4 is an Allamanda (Golden Trumpet).
Flower no. 5 is an Ixora. They grow wild all over India, and, yes, in Sunita’s garden too.

Flower no. 6 is a Hibiscus schizopetalus (Fjäderhibiskus)

Flower no. 7 White Plumeria. (Frangipani)



“ According to our Indian myths, the scent of the frangipni was supposed to follow a 'Yakshi' (an extremely beautiful woman who lures men into following her... but alas, she's a blood-sucking vampire!” Sunita

TYRA

Leufstabruk - Orangery and Mansion

© This post was originally uploaded and written by Tyra at the blog Tyra's Garden http://waxholm.blogspot.com

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Leufstabruk Orangery and Mansion -

Leufstabruk Orangeri och Herrgård

When we meet Leufsta today she is dressed in December colours, it is cold and already dark despite it is just three o’clock when we walk through the baroque gardens of Leufstabruk. Last time I visited Leufsta it was September at the end of summer and it was still nice and warm. Very different yet she is still a beauty so calm and serene, a few hours in this place and your are relaxed. We have just visited the Christmas market in the 17th century Orangery, filled with Christmas goddies, knitted hats and mittens, hand made pottery and other handicrafts made of wood or iron. A lot of very nice things and I bought a pretty blueish green pitcher that will be nice to serve the 'glögg' molded wine in.

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Orangery at Leufsta is from the 17th century and did survive the big ravages and huge fires by Russians in 1719. The floors in the Orangery are smooth, rustic and very beautiful, the stone walls are thick, I guess at least 70 cm thick and in the big room there are two enormous tiled stoves they must be 6 x 2 meters, huge and very impressive. I know that these tiled stoves are filled with sand and that is a great way to accumulate the heat, I wish that I could have one of those tiled stoves in my greenhouse.
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There isn't very much to see in the gardens, I mean growing things but I like to look at the structures in a baroque gardens during the winter it is especially nice if there is snow of course. Although this time it wasn't the gardens we were here for, our goal was the Christmas market and a tour of the mansion at Leufstabruk. Leufsta was founded in 1596 by the way. It was a special Christmas tour 'Leufsta mansion at Christmas' how the life was here during the Christmas time. How the mansion was decorated, what they ate and how the Christmas traditions were back in the 17-18 and 19th century, most interesting and very beautiful.

Orangeriet klarade rysshärningen och branden 1719
Omkring 1880 uppfördes här en trädgård i tysk stil på den nuvarande barockträdgårdens plats. Den innehöll bland annat en staty av en vallonsmed, exotiska växter som övervintrade i orangeriet och en damm med en sprudlande fontän. Orangeriet uppfördes under senare delen av 1600-talet och var brukets enda stenbyggnad när Leufsta brändes ner av ryssarna 1719.

Släkten De Geer och vallonerna
När kronan 1641 sålde ut sina kronobruk köpte holländaren Louis De Geer upp Lövsta. Bruket skulle komma att ägas av släkten De Geer i flera generationer. Med de invandrade ägarna inleddes en 200-årig storhetstid inom svensk järnhantering. Louis De Geer värvade smeder och masugnsbyggare från sin gamla hembygd, Vallonien, i nuvarande södra Belgien

TYRA

Have a great day - Ha en trevlig dag!

Don't be a stranger, write something! - Skriv en rad det är så trevigt.

Blooming Friday - Orchidaceae Phalaenopsis - AN ALIEN?

© This post was originally uploaded and written by Tyra

at the blog Tyra's Garden http://waxholm.blogspot.com

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Today I join Katarina from Roses and Stuff with a post on the theme Blooming Friday!

I start my first Blooming Friday with an Orchid. Tadaa...

The Phalaenopsis

The Phalaenopsis belongs to the huge Orchidaceae family and the Phalaenopsis have some 60 species. Some are usually called Moth orchids because they are suppose to bear a resemblance to moths in flight. I think this Phalaenopsis looks like an alien of some kind. I suppose that is why we like them so much they are exiting, exotic, beautiful and a liiittle bit frightening.

This is also the flower I have in my Advent candleholder this year.

See more ' Blooming Friday' posts here

Det här är mitt första bidrag till Blommig fredag och då har jag valt en Phalaenopsis, en tacksam och lättodlad orkidé, just den här lilla sitter i årets Adventsljusstake. Galleri på fantastiska Phanlaenopsisfrån Orchidéhuset. Skötselråd se här

Have a nice weekend! / TYRA

U add - I read!

Don't forget to add yourself to the followers list, then it is so easy to find you my dear friend.

What happened to 'Make Love not War' ?

Tyra wrote this post at the blog Tyra’s Garden http://waxholm.blogspot.com

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Ipomoea 'Heavenly blue'

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Read Green thumbs post In search of Peace Green thumb, Saharanpur, INDIA

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Today I lit a candle for Peace and against violence.

What happened to Make love not war! and LOVE, PEACE and understanding...?

This is a Swedish song it's about lighting a candle for the children walking this Earth.

'Light a candle and let it burn, never let the hope go away, it's dark now, but it will become brighter again. Light a candle for everything you believe in, for this planet we live on. Light a candle for all the children of this Earth.'

Tänd ett ljus och låt det brinna, låt aldrig hoppet försvinna, det är mörkt nu, men det blir ljusare igen. Tänd ett ljus för allt du tror på, för den här planeten vi bor på. Tänd ett ljus för jordens barn.

Jag såg en stjärna falla, det var i natt när alla sov. Jag tror jag önskade då att du var nära. För en minut sen brann den en sekund, sen försvann den var det bara jag som såg? På radion sjöng dom om fred på jorden, jag ville tro dom slitna orden.

Tänd ett ljus och låt det brinna, låt aldrig hoppet försvinna, det är mörkt nu, men det blir ljusare igen. Tänd ett ljus för allt du tror på, för den här planeten vi bor på. Tänd ett ljus för jordens barn.

TYRA

Pop over to the Greenhouse... HEAVY STUFF new books on my bedside table...