Rose Chintz Cottage: 08/25/14

Monday, 25 August 2014

Blue Willow for Tea Time

There is a great deal of poetry and fine sentiment in a chest of tea.~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Hello everyone and welcome to another Tea Time!

Do you find it hard to blog this time of year? I'm wanting to be outside as much as possible and the lure of Summer is stronger than the desire to blog these days. It is however always a pleasure to have you join me for Tea Time.

While Hubby and I were away visiting relatives in New Brunswick a couple of weeks ago, I found this Blue Willow tea cup and saucer.

You all know the story of Blue Willow and the star-crossed lovers.

The pattern was popular in 18th century England, e.g. porcelain designed by Thomas Minton around 1790 and has been in use for over 200 years. The design was inspired by the china England imported from China during the late 18th century. ~ info from the Internet

This set is made by Johnson Bros. and goes well with my Blue Willow tea plates made in England by Churchill. My whimsical birdie teapot joins the party as well.

I am also using my lovely Spode Blue Room teacup today.

A vibrant blue bouquet.

And a porcelain couple in blue and white accompany my tea today.

A slice of banana bread...

and I'm ready to sit back and relax with my cuppa.

Would like to join me?

It's always tea-time. ~ Lewis Carroll

Now that we have had our tea would you like to join me for a little walk?

Hubby and I were out and about the other day and we visited the "Experimental Farm" which was one of my haunts when I was a little girl. My brother and I spent many hours there playing on the lawns and visiting the barns filled with animals.

There are wonderful 'stone horses' standing on each side of the entrance to the Farm which my brother and I used to get up on and pretend they were our horses.

There is a lovely large lily pond behind the barns.

When I was a little girl I used to imagine fairies floating around on those luscious lilies. And of course I was always expecting to see a frog or two.

There are many buildings standing on the grounds. One such house is named Ravenwood, built in 1820, and was home to the Premier of PEI at the time of Confederation. It is one of the oldest houses on the Island.

In front of this beautiful house is a grove of trees called the "Royal Forest." Most of the trees were planted by members of the Royal family.

Hurricane Arthur damaged some branches on it, but you can see how large this English oak tree is. The Queen planted this tree when she was still a Princess in 1951. It bears the plaque which states when the Princess planted it. It stands just a few feet away from the crown garden. Behind the grove you can just catch a glimpse of Ravenwood.

Also at the Farm, there is a garden in the shape of the Queen's crown.

I thought all you Royal enthusiasts might enjoy seeing these.

Thank you for your company today. I would love to see your treasures too. A teacup, coffee mug, tablescape, a recipe for tea time, or a visit to a tea shop are all welcome. Have a fabulous day everyone and God bless you!