Taking tea with the Marietta Daisies Garden Club

On Monday, I had the incredible pleasure of being the guest speaker for the February meeting of the Marietta Daisies Garden Club, and I must say that this was definitely some of the most fun I have ever had as a speaker! From the food and decor to the friendliness of the club members, I was just delighted to become acquainted with these ladies!

The group meets at the Marietta Educational Garden Center, which is located in a beautiful historic building near the Marietta Square. Since I spent the first thirty-something years of my life going there to visit when my maternal grandmother who lived in Marietta was still alive, this was like going home to me.

I love the architecture of old homes, and this one, I learned, is just around the corner from where my friend Joy grew up!

I knew I was in for a treat literally from the moment I stepped inside the building, because this is the first thing I saw—a very good sign!

I enjoyed peeking into all the rooms with their beautiful furnishings.

And I had heard that there would be a blend-your-own tea station at the event (more about that on Friday), but wow, I didn't expect it to be this elaborate!

Someone had even taken the time to share this quote, "Come, let us have some tea and continue to talk about happy things." This quote pretty much sums up how I felt about the entire day!

So how did I end up speaking to a garden club in Marietta? My West Georgia College friend Lorelle is a member, and happily, we reconnected on Facebook a few years ago and realized we both love tea and antiques. She got in touch with me last year and asked if I would consider speaking to the group. I told her I would be glad to, because a) a tea program is one of my favorite presentations to give and b) tea people, as we all know, are the loveliest people!

As the meeting was about to get underway, we were welcome to select one of three blends from Camellia Estate: Rose Chocolate Chai with Cream, Blueberry Green Tea, and Bunny Whiskers Fruit Tea. (As a fan of bunnies, I chose that one and loved the fruity flavor.)

Here's a close-up of the garden basket that was on that table, and it contained small bottles of wildflower seeds suitable for planting in the shade. I was happy that I received one, too, and after hearing me mention how often I kill plants, Lorelle thoughtfully texted me the growing instructions when I got home, which was great since I didn't think to ask! 

I don't know how many ladies must have contributed decor to this event, but I was quite impressed with their effort. I have been to tearooms that didn't have this much tea-themed decor!

And here are just two of the gorgeous teacup centerpieces made by a club member. First, this beautiful yellow one, which they gave me and which I will treasure as a memento of this day.

And since Lorelle had invited me to bring my "Junkin' Jewelry" mysteries along, I was so touched when I realized vintage jewelry and books were part of the centerpieces as well! (And don't you love the tea bag tags? Clever!)

And to tempt you about what's in store for the blog on Friday, here's a sample of the amazing food that was on our tea plates! As you can tell, I had a wonderful time taking "A Stroll Through the Tea Garden" (the title of my presentation) with the amazing Marietta Daisies Garden Club!