Tea on a Rainy Tuesday

I am going to take a hint from Patty's post of last week, and have a floral theme.

Our wild violets are blooming now, and they are a favorite of mine.

When we lived in the suburbs, in our first house, I would walk to the park, and bring home wild violets and transplant them in a heart shaped garden on my front lawn.


Seemed like a good idea, at the time. But as prolific as these little flowers are, each year, they would spread and spread, growing outside the confines of the little stone heart.

The lawn was my husband's pride and joy, and anything that was NOT a blade of grass, was strictly forbidden to grown in his lawn. I must say, that has been a battle, that he has consistently lost over the years!!!

Now that we live in the country, within wide expanses of green- it just gets his goat, to see little wildflowers popping up between the blades of grass, but that's life in the country!!!

He does get his jollies tho, from eradicating unwanted flowers and "non grass" from the hay fields- and that is necessary- wild things will take over a hay field, crowding out what you need to grow.

But, I digress.......back to the violets.
As tiny as they are, their resilience is admirable. Bugs, feet, tires, or flooding will not stop these little purple and white warriors from prevailing!!


Since violets are a favorite, I was thrilled to find a violet theme tea pot and cup in the thrift shop trash. Actually, its shape looks more like a chocolate pot.....but who cares!!

The finial was broken off, and the teacup was an orphan, with no saucer. Found a matching saucer (thanks, Nathalie), and glued the knob back on, and as a pair,  they are good to go!

My tea this morning is one of the French ones (thanks, Teresa!) The Vert a la Menthe- green mint, made by Dammann Freres. I make mint tea with fresh mints from my garden, this French tea is as good! Those French....!!!LOL


I have another violet cup and saucer. Altho the thrift shop pair are run of the mill, made in Japan, this cup and saucer below are Royal Tuscan fine bone china, made in England, Woodland Violet pattern. Despite the other's lack of "pedigree",I love them both equally !!



woodland white violets

                                      


                                            unknown woodland whites




                          Mayapple season is also a sure sign of spring............




While my husband may be unable to discern the differences in the "sea" of green, you can spot the white violets (upper right in photo), and the purple dead nettle (upper left), above the mayapple.

I am going to keep an eye out for the flowers on the mayapple, I always seem to miss that!!
The dead nettle makes a beautiful photo op in open fields, altho the flowers are tiny, when in profusion, they form a beautiful layer of purple over the green field.

The dead nettle (also called red henbit, I think) and the mayapple, are medicinal, but not ones I would attempt, or recommend, to use. Dead nettle can be used as a tea. Both have laxative properties, but the mayapple for the most part is poisonous. So, look but don't touch!!!LOL


Thanks for joining us for tea - please drop by Kimmie and Patty for a list of tea drinkers.

22 comments:

  1. Lovely violet tea theme going Pat...I can see why those china pieces were impossible to resist!
    Violets and heck all the flowers are just so wonderful...still trying to make Peace with the Dandelions...
    Spring in Virginia is pretty fantastic!
    Your T sounds just right
    oxo

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  2. my word verification was: sashnip
    sounds like a medicinal herb of some kind??? LOL

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  3. wonderful violet and I especially love the tiny white ones!

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  4. What an awesome mix of violets and other wonderful wildflowers you have presented us with today. Really love the ones in the wild, as well as the ones on the china. What an awesome post.

    And thanks for your wonderful birthday wishes. They were PERFECT and all that was needed.

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  5. Hi: I love the beautiful violets you shared this week. I am especially fond of the tea pot! Have a blessed Easter. Hugs, Martha

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  6. what a pretty post.

    i Never find stuff like that at the thrift store.

    i seriously need to look harder.

    i find stuff like white snake tapes and mugs that say 'you asked for a half a cup of coffee'

    but never violet teapots which are super cute.

    Hm. I'm not sure my husband is aware that other junk isn't supposed to grow in the grass.

    Xx,
    Amy

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  7. well,
    following on patty's theme here...
    my word ver was 'fices'

    which is basically a Fun Pisces.

    no?

    okay. fail.

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  8. Pretty cups and pretty flowers! Happy Tuesday!!

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  9. I love violets! They make a pretty bouquet in old perfume bottles ..... I love your vase with spoons in the post below .... After Easter you could put shells or stones or candles in them. Great idea!

    Happy tea day! Kimmie

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  10. That's a gorgeous tea pot, such an elegant spout :) I love little violas, they weather all the storms! Happy tea day to you.

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  11. wonderful violet theme and lucky you at the thrift shop! happy tea day and good shopping!

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  12. I have tried to transplant violets, but they wilted and died immediately. :( I must say that I much prefer them over dandelions in our grass.

    You got those treasures from the TRASH? How do you get backstage pass access like that at a thrift store?! Awesome find! (those saucers go with everything, don't they? heehee)

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  13. I love violets they are so pretty. and your violet Tea set is just wonderful.

    Happy Easter.

    Hugs,
    Penny

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  14. What a beautiful violet tea post and tea cup!! Stunning!!

    Hugs,
    Debbie

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  15. Love the violets! It is all in the (thrift store) hunt! You never know what you will find! Hope you have a happy Tea day!
    ~Donna~

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  16. i have two excellent field guides for medicinal and edible plants...it was a fun thing to do with my son up at the camper...we actually found several great, edible things on our property...happy t day, dear pat!

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  17. My Gran loved violets, they are such a beautiful little flower and your teapot and cup and saucer were such a brilliant thrift shop find!! It's always so lovely to think that they have found another home and given a second opportunity to be useful. Happy T Tuesday!!

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  18. Both your tea cups are really sweet. I don't care if a cup is from Japan if it is pretty and feels good in the hand. I have one with violets and heavy gold guiding that I love too. Your tea pot as well is gorgeous.
    Thank you so much for sharing your interesting post.
    Hugs,
    Terri

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  19. Beautiful pictures. Love the tea pot and cup. My hubby was kind of crazy about our lawn the first couple of years we were here but soon realized the kids were going to trample it to death and what they didn't ...the deer would kill with their beds. So we gave up and try to enjoy our patchy green lawn such as it is...

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  20. super sweet flowers and lovey teacups and pot! love them all!

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  21. I'm looking at a somewhat dreary day here today so these violets perked me up! Thanks for stopping by my blog and leaving a comment, always appreciated.

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  22. Violets everywhere here too, and I also love them. They come up in the grass, but we will take anything that grows there. If it's green, then it's a bonus. Love your violet china too!

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