Victorian Posie Holders

Over the years our mother collected Victorian Posie Holders.   These holders were used in the Victorian Era, when no proper lady went out strolling without a little nose gay.  Some of the streets (and the people) were a little foul smelling and you would want something sweet, fragrant and pretty to hold to your nose.  Once our mum learned of this wonderful custom she would save her pennies until she had enough to purchase another one to add to the collection.  Most of the holders came from England.  They came in a variety of metals from pewter, to silver, to ivory handled and more. 

The pin in the photo above would be used to hold the flower stems in place.  Stems would be wrapped in moist moss so they would stay fresh for the day.   The ring would be worn on your finger which would allow you to drop the holder and keep your hands free to shop the market or to dance.

This Tussie Mussie, or nosegay, holder is Nancy's inheritance.  She found that lovely embroidered hankie to go with it.   More photos of our tussie mussie holders tomorrow and for more samples on Tussie Mussie holders and more history on Tussie Mussies and the Victorian Era refer to this blog post from last year.

Victorian Posie Pins and Holders

During the Victorian Era it appeared as if nothing passed by without that little extra touch of elegant perfection, down to the smallest detail.  Certainly you would want your calling card to be represented with some fragrant and symbolic flowers.  This antique stand up card holder has two miniature vases attached to each side to hold some colorful posies.

Lapel Pins and stick pins were also popular, the more ornate, the better.   Some fragrant Lily of the Valley or a simple rosebud, not to mention a heavenly Camellia blossom would be a perfect complement to these miniature posie holders.  Cornucopia style or metal filigree lace, Ivy or  Pine cones,  they are all perfect for the gentlemen and ladies too.

Apple Rosemary Blue Cheese Bites

One of the savories that we served at the Mother's Day Tea featured these easy to do Apple Rosemary Blue Cheese Bites.  The are tasty, pretty easy to put together, and can be prepared an hour or so in advance and then popped in the oven about 20 minutes before you want to serve them.  We love anything with rosemary and we particularly are in favor of something that is quick to assemble.  The recipe can be found here on the Pillsbury website.

Mother's Day Tea - 2012

Our traditional Mother's Day tea was served on Sunday. The menu featured an English Walnut Salad, a combination of Romaine and Bibb lettuce topped with thin slivers of red onion, mandarin oranges, walnuts, and a poppy seed dressing.  Following the salad, we served an assorted plate of tea sandwiches, described as 'unique' by one of the guests. 
The sandwiches included a Cucumber Sandwich with mint & watercress butter sprinkled with pepper and garnished with a burnet leaf, Almond Chicken Salad in a pastry shell topped with parsley, a Goldenrod Sandwich (layers of white and wheat bread with a zesty pimento cheese and a sweet apricot spread), a petite Rose Petal Sandwich (a Rosemary House specialty), Apple Rosemary Blue Cheese Bits, and a Mayflower Sandwich (so pretty!).  It almost reminded me of a floral bouquet of sandwiches!
We served a course of fresh from the oven Scones that included traditional English Cream Scones and Claridge Hotel scones with Currants.  Sweet Cream, Lemon Curd, and Raspberry Jelly along with Orange Slices and Minted Pineapple completed the Scone course.




For dessert, there were Raspberry Filled Linzer Cookies, Caramel frosted chocolate mini cakes, and a Petite Puff Pastry Tartlet filled with whipped Mascarpone cheese and fresh berries.

Of course, various pots of tea, large and small, were consumed throughout the afternoon, too.

Many of our guests strolled the gardens following tea since it was such a beautiful day. 

Happy Mother's Day!

The following excerpt is a page from our mother's book,  Mrs. Reppert's TwelveMonth Herbal where she highlights her favorite things, and upon reading them, I am reminded how very similar we are to our mother. Mom's favorite things: Visiting a well clipped knot garden...Making wormwood wreaths...Watching winter birds at the feeds in the snow...Bird songs at nesting time...The sound of rain against windows...Pansy faces, smiling at me...Purple...Little girls in jumpers and tights...Small Boy Scouts on parade, carrying flags...A gloomy day with nothing scheduled...Noisy holidays when everyone comes home...Family, close friends, laughter and love...Hyacinths in February, in pots, blooming...A letter from my sister...Bach's B minor mass, in its entirety...Wearing my "sheep to shawl," plant dyed...Embroidery- and the time to embroider...A cold bedroom, warm comforters and snuggling...Markets, especially farmer's markets, anywhere...To feast my eyes on earth's bounty...Borage growing lustily in a crack in the pavement...Strolling cool damp woods on a hot summer's day...Golden witchhazel threads glowing in a winter woods...Walking barefoot in the grass...Sunny fields of golden mustard...or dandelions...or goldenrod...Church bells peeling the Angelus while I'm working my stilled garden...
Wishing everyone a very special Happy Mother's Day! Hope you day is full of love and laughter, family and friends, birds singing and church bells peeling.  Love! Love! Love! Love!

Did you know?

And as the seasons come and go, here's something you might like to know. There are fairies everywhere: under bushes, in the air, playing games just like you play, singing through their busy day. So listen, touch, and look around - in the air and on the ground. And if you watch all nature's things, you might just see a fairy's wing. 
~Author Unknown

Herbs and Tea, a shared passion

 Nestled in the woods of western Pa is this rustic yet comfortable log cabin, home of a family friend.  Barb shares Susanna's passion for herbs and Nancy's obsession for all things tea.  The herb garden is divided into theme gardens, medicinal, fragrant, culinary and such.  Knotted and gnarled log pieces that were discovered during woodland walks are tucked here and there, welcoming fairies to inhabit their own miniature log homes.

This adorable teapot nestled atop a well crafted bench on the ever so inviting front porch has been repurposed as a planter.  Without saying a word, the porch invites you to stop, relax, and let the worries of the world leave you behind, sit a spell, and enjoy the evening birdsong.
 Inside the house, herbs and tea can be found tucked here and there from this clever under-the-counter display featuring a porcelain tea strainer, tin and brass strainers, and a nutmeg grater.

Look around some more and you'll discover this sweet little teapot tucked on a corner shelf.And this huge bowl of assorted herb and spice tins reminds me of the collection our mother once had.  Each tin unique, so many clever brand names, different shapes and sizes and fun colors.  History captured in a bowl.












Herbs and Tea, a perfect combination, a shared passion. Thank you, Barb, for your gracious hospitality, I felt right at home!
If you happen to find yourself in the town of Somerset, PA, be sure to visit Barb at her shop, Sugargrove Herbs, located at 111 Georgian Place.  The Sugargrove Shoppes feature herbs, tea, garden art and antiques.  It's a great way to spend an afternoon!  Tell her Nancy and Susanna sent you.

Wu-Wo Tea Ceremony

Stephanie from Steph's Cup of Tea Blog and Marilyn from Delights of the Heart Blog were the coordinators for the Wu-Wo Ceremony that took place this past weekend.  They quietly explained the principles of the ceremony, gently guided the participants through the steps involved, and generously shared their knowledge with us at this teaching event.  Their combined enthusiasm and understanding of the Wu-Wo Ceremony guided us as we participated in this new experience.

According to a brochure from the American Tea Culture Association, Wu-Wo translates as "selfless" or "void of self" where there is no distinction in knowledge, social rank or expectation of reward among the participants.  This ceremony, based on traditional Chinese Gong-Fu small pot brewing that dates back to the Ming Dynasty over 300 years ago, is a relatively new ceremony created in 1989 by Grand Master Tsai, Rong Tsang of Taiwan where those in attendance brew and serve tea together, striving to brew the best possible pot of tea. 

 Following a random drawing, participants are seated in a circle and the tea accoutrement are unwrapped in a specific order and methodically placed on a mat or tray in front of you.  The tea that you plan on serving is already in the brewing pot when you unpack it.

Once everything is in place (mat, thermos of water, brewing pot, serving vessel, small tray, four small cups, drip cloth, ornament), the participants are invited to view the variety of tea sets, take pictures, or socialize.

After a designated time, everyone returns to their seat and the brewing of the tea begins.  From this point on, the tea ceremony is conducted in respectful silence. 

Attention to brewing time is the responsibility of each participant and the goal is to brew the best possible pot of tea.  Once brewed, each participant will serve three people to their left, and the fourth cup is for themselves.  The tea is brewed, served, and tasted and then this process may be repeated, typically three times.  Once this is complete, the tea equipment is packed up, participants bow to each other, and the ceremony is completed.

Inspirational readings may occur before and after the tea ceremony.  An instinctive feeling of community develops as the group falls into an unspoken rhythm which creates a sense of sharing coupled with a spirit of joyfulness and thoughtfulness.


Steph shares her experience at a previous Wu-Wo Ceremony on her blog post here.  Marilyn shares her passion for the Wu-Wo Ceremony on her blog post here.  Additional information on this tea ceremony can be found on Wikipedia here.

Tea in the Garden

During the Ohio gathering of tea friends on Sunday, a very casual buffet style afternoon tea appeared for our enjoyment.  Goblets of ice water or sparkling lemonade were offered on a side table.  Notice the white ceramic tea pot dispenser sitting on the wire support, I want one of those, and Mary Jane has two! (Let me know if you ever spot one for sale!)

Our purpose for meeting here was to learn about the Wu Wo Ceremony (more about that tomorrow).  But, once one person said they were bringing something to nibble on before the tea ceremony began, others joined in, and an impromptu garden party simply happened.  Marilyn prepared a beautiful tray of  crab meat and avocado Sushi individually plated plus a tray of deliciously seasoned spiced nuts.  Mary Jane offered plump juicy red strawberries. 
 Colleen provided cheese stuffed dates purchased at her favorite farmer's market in San Francisco and she also prepared cheese topped with either spicy pumpkin butter or a flavorful cilantro pesto.  Oh my!  Teresa selected an assortment of oriental crackers and cookies to add to our theme for the day.  Beautiful rose plates waited to be topped with the glorious array of goodies. 




Karen, Barb, and Mary Jane are ready to begin.   Once past the table, the plates overflowed with tasty treats.  Thank you to all the generous and thoughtful women that attended this gathering in the garden.  It was indeed memorable.

The Amherst Rose, Massillon, OH

This past weekend offered some time off and the opportunity to travel across PA into OH for a quick visit to The Amherst Rose, a beautiful Victorian tea room owned and operated by friend Mary Jane.  Mary Jane opened her beautiful tea room in 2008 and has lovingly entertained and welcomed many guests with her joyful hospitality.

Exquisite place settings and beautiful attention to detail are noted with every turn.  Not only evidenced in the tea room,
but also in the beautiful gardens that wrap around this majestic home.  Statuary and whimsical fairies dance around the grounds, inviting you to find the hidden treasures tucked about.

The Rose, the emblem of love, stands majestically near the entrance to The Amherst Rose, secretly knowing and silently announcing what waits for you inside.

May Flowers - In Bloom in the Tea Room

 This festive plate of 'May Flowers' held the dessert selection for our most recent SereniTea Wednesday in Sweet Remembrances.  We served Petite Lemon Tartlets topped with golden edible pansies, White Chocolate Pistachio Shortbread Florettes, and miniature Cupcakes decorated with roses and rosebuds.  April Showers do indeed bring May Flowers!

Grape-Scented Iris - In Bloom in the Garden

When this Iris is in bloom, the back yard smells divine!   You just wouldn't believe the pleasant sweet aroma that this old fashioned Iris Germanica exudes.  Some of the children that travel through the garden say it smells like 'bubble-gum' or 'PEZ candy'.     At The Rosemary House, we grow (and sell) only two Iris.  This one, Iris Germanica whose roots are used in cosmetics.   And Iris Florentina, a smaller, paler iris whose roots used to be used primarily as a hair wig powder but are now used to make orris root, a preservative in pot pourri and perfumery.    Both Iris are very hardy up to Zone 5,  neither are very susceptible to pests.  I enjoy Iris in the garden because by blooming throughout May they seem to fill the gap between the blooming spring bulbs and the summer flowers.