Tuesday, October 18, 2022

An Autumn Tea


Today, I  am joining my friends Pam at Everyday Living and Mary at Home is Where the Boat is, as a guest blogger, for Tea on Tuesdays. They share this fun virtual treat on the third Tuesday of each month. At the end of this post, there will be links to view their beautiful and creative posts for Tea on Tuesdays.






I'm setting up an Autumn tea time in my garden. The weather is glorious. I chose a brass container for flowers and found golden mums, persimmon Shasta daises, ruby-tinged peach roses, chartreuse button mums, and limelights cut from my garden that have turned from white to that pretty shade of green. 
Don't you love the colors of Autumn?

My teapot is Johnson Brothers Ironstone and was a wedding gift.  That makes it vintage, as we just celebrated our 51st wedding anniversary in August. I  fondly remember the sweet lady who gave it to us.



In reading about teatime rituals in Victoria, The Art of Tea, I remembered my English tea caddies. The workmanship of these antique boxes shows the pride and dedication of a bygone era. The bright autumn colors in the tablecloth and flowers bring out the warm wood tones of the caddies.

This fabulous book has exquisite photos and information about the art of tea and would make a great gift.


This Tunbridge English tea caddy with a dome lid is circa 1890 and has stunning marquetry inlays and detailing.


The tag on this footed tea caddy read the late 1800s. What is the first thing you want to do when you examine a box? Of course, you want to open it. 

You'll find most caddies have two compartments, as do mine, one for tea and the other for sugar. They also have locks and keys. They are made of rosewood, mahogany, and satinwood. They not only had a utilitarian purpose, and earned pride of place in the home but also as elegant decor. ( Victoria -The Art of Tea). These boxes were treasured as much as the tea, and many examples remain today as collectible items.




Afternoon tea was introduced in England by Anna, the seventh Duchess of Bedford in1840. The Duchess would become hungry around four o'clock in the afternoon. The evening meal in her household was served fashionably late at eight o'clock, thus leaving a long time between lunch and dinner. The Duchess asked that a tray of tea, bread, and butter be brought to her room during the late afternoon. (Historic UK-Afternoon Tea by Ben Johnson)
I am serving one savory item, a dainty pimento cheese open-face sandwich. For something sweet, a lemon square and a slice of pumpkin roll. My favorite tea is Earl Grey which is a black tea blended with real oil of bergamot. I love the bergamot flavor. 


"There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea." Henry James


As I mentioned, our weather has been beautiful, with cooler fall-like temperatures. To sit in the garden having tea and peruse some issues of TeaTime magazine and Victoria's, The Art of Tea can't be beaten.



In 2013, my husband and I enjoyed a Crème Tea in the Lake Country in England. You can read a blog post about it here and view a Crème Tea I had in my home for friends.
 Thank you, Pam and Mary, for inviting me to join you today for Tea on Tuesdays. I wish we could sit and enjoy a real cup of tea together☕️, as well as with all our readers!🧡
Click on the links below to view Mary and Pam's lovely and creative posts and leave them a comment, so they will know you enjoyed their post. I love your comments also!🧡🧡🧡

             Mary at Home is Where the Boat Is.

                                   Pam at Everyday Living

                   Living Thankfully,
🍁🧡🍂🍁🧡🍂

12 comments:

  1. Bonnie, What a treat to join you for tea in your garden to enjoy the glorious fall weather and flowers. I’d love to sample your pumpkin roll, lemon roll or enjoy a pimento cheese sandwich with a cup of Earl Grey. I’m smitten with your Tunbridge English tea caddy, what handsome workmanship and beautiful piece! Isn’t The Art of Tea a wonderful book to peruse? So full of eye candy, inspiration and recipes. We’re so happy to have you join us this morning for tea. Happy Tuesday.♥

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  2. Bonnie, I would love to sit in your beautiful garden and enjoy a cup of Earl Grey. All of the treats look delicious, but I am especially craving a slice of pumpkin roll to go with my coffee. The tea caddies are gorgeous and what treasures you have in them. Your flowers are perfect for autumn and beautifully arranged. Thank you for all of the interesting info you shared about the ritual of tea. The Art of Tea is a wonderful book to enjoy while having a cuppa. It was a pleasure having you join us for tea. Wishing you a lovely day!

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  3. Bonnie, such a lovely Autumn table in your gardens. Drinking a cup of Earl Grey tea with those fabulous treats would be wonderful. Thank you for sharing more about the art of tea.
    Happy Wednesday Bonnie.

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  4. I so enjoyed joining you for tea this morning Bonnie! Your flower arrangement looks just like the colorful fall trees that are emerging right now, and your tablecloth and pillow blend with the lovely Fall colors. The wooden tea caddies are just stunning, and I loved reading about the history of the afternoon tea ritual. You really have a little spot of heaven in your garden to sit, sip and enjoy!
    Jenna

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  5. This is lovely Bonnie, but honestly, I'm still stuck back at 51 years!! Did you marry when you were 5?!? I'm in awe! 💛 Thanks for the history and beauty this morning too - you're a fabulous guest tea blogger!

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  6. Bonnie, this is such a fun post. We LOVE tea, and one of our favorite activities when we travel is to have afternoon tea. We even enjoy it at home, too! Your tea caddies are so pretty...What treasures! Thanks for guest hosting today. :D

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  7. Oh Bonnie, isn't that so pretty! I have no looms left in my garden and it is a joy to see yours. I'm sure sitting at that beautiful table would be such a treat. And what a fun reminder of your cream tea in England. Fabulous!

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  8. Thank You for sharing your Tea party . Everything is lovely and we love the information you have given us. Thank you.
    Marion,Marilyn and Joan

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  9. Bonnie, this is a beautiful post. I love all the elements on your table. The vintage teapot is really beautiful. The tea caddies are really special. I have a few but nothing that compares to these. You always do the most beautiful posts. Blessings! Dianne Sharpe

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  10. Such a beautiful tea setting! I love it all and so wish I could share a cup of tea with you one day. Hugs and blessings, Cindy

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  11. Gorgeous, Bonnie! I love how you arranged the hydrangeas at the base of your florals. Your tea boxes are beautiful treasures!

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  12. Bonnie, your flower arrangement is gorgeous. The colors of the blooms compliment the pretty tablecloth perfectly. Your antique tea caddies are so beautiful. This is all such a lovely setting. Wishing you a wonderful week ahead, sweet friend! P.S. Sorry, I am so late commenting. I have been having trouble commenting with my google account, but I think I have the problem resolved.

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