Violets will always be in my top 10 of favorite flowers, and on Easter afternoon I picked some wild violets — both out in the yard and from the teawares in my tea cabinet! I was surprised to learn many gardeners consider wild violets weeds and take great pains to kill them, since that's not at all what I plan to do with them.
A few years back I bought these great old violet dishes at the Carriage House in Senoia. Months went by, and one day in the mail I received from the owner, Nancy, some matching butter pats she had come across and decided I needed. Can you imagine how touched I was to receive these?
I love the image as well as the faint crackling you can see in this detail from one of the butter pats. (And by the way, don't you wish we used things like butter pats more often? I do!)
Violets are also featured on this newer teacup, a Royal Albert Purple Violets one I received for Christmas last year.
Weeds? Some people call these weeds?
Surely the teacup makers of yesteryear would not have adorned their wares with weeds!
The other reason I was picking flowers is because I have a tea-themed pressed flower project in mind for them. (If it turns out well, I'll share it here one day, of course.)
For my Easter tea drinking, I enjoyed multiple cups of Harney's Ti Guan Yin. It is such a delicious, refreshing oolong tea, and the floral aroma was just perfect for my flowery frame of mind!
Weeds? I think not!
Violets will always be in my top 10 of favorite flowers, and on Easter afternoon I picked some wild violets — both out in the yard and from the teawares in my tea cabinet! I was surprised to learn many gardeners consider wild violets weeds and take great pains to kill them, since that's not at all what I plan to do with them.
A few years back I bought these great old violet dishes at the Carriage House in Senoia. Months went by, and one day in the mail I received from the owner, Nancy, some matching butter pats she had come across and decided I needed. Can you imagine how touched I was to receive these?
I love the image as well as the faint crackling you can see in this detail from one of the butter pats. (And by the way, don't you wish we used things like butter pats more often? I do!)
Violets are also featured on this newer teacup, a Royal Albert Purple Violets one I received for Christmas last year.
Weeds? Some people call these weeds?
Surely the teacup makers of yesteryear would not have adorned their wares with weeds!
The other reason I was picking flowers is because I have a tea-themed pressed flower project in mind for them. (If it turns out well, I'll share it here one day, of course.)
For my Easter tea drinking, I enjoyed multiple cups of Harney's Ti Guan Yin. It is such a delicious, refreshing oolong tea, and the floral aroma was just perfect for my flowery frame of mind!
Weeds? I think not!
Both violets, the ones from your yard and the ones from your teawares cabinet are beautiful!!
ReplyDeleteIndeed not! They are lovely and colorful and just so dainty for us ladies. Your dishes are very pretty A!
ReplyDeleteI agree- they are not weeds! And they have taken over a spot in my yard where beautiful thick, lush, green sod use to grow. But what better to replace it with than these sweet, gorgeous violets! I love them! Your teawares are very special as well.
ReplyDeleteAngela, I was SO excited to see your butter pats! I have one butter pat which belonged to my grandmother that appears to be identical to yours. Your beautiful teawares make me wonder if she had other pieces that did not survive the passage of time. My violet butter pat is a perfect representation of the lady my grandmother was -- diminutive, sweet, and gentle. B-)
ReplyDeleteI love it when people appreciate violets!
ReplyDeleteMy yard has violet, white, and white-with-violet-stripe violets! In the past couple days, they've really sprouted and started blooming and it's wonderful.
Your violet photos are very pretty and so is that china pattern. I wonder, are these the kind of violets that you see as candied flower garnishes?
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to seeing your pressed flower project.
Oh lovely post! Violets was one of my mother's favorite flower. She had several tea cups with violets on them.
ReplyDeleteHi Angela.. let me tell you that i loved your blog..
ReplyDeleteSaludos desde Mexico¡¡¡¡
I can't wait to see what you have up your sleeve, and I think the china and flowers are beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI adore violets! so Victorian !
ReplyDeleteLove violets too! My grandfather's china, which I now own, is violets and daisies. I can't imagine violets being a weed. Just nonsense!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful! I agree, these are not weeds.
ReplyDeleteYour tea cups are very pretty.
ReplyDeleteI love violets. One year I picked a bunch and made violet jelly. It turned out beautifully. The color was beautiful and it was the perfect addition to a tea gathering.
Susan B.
oh my goodness, how beautiful!!!
ReplyDeleteThey are very pretty. I agree. Flowers of any kind are -- flowers.
ReplyDeleteHello Angela, what beautiful photos! Hard to think of violets as weeds, I vote for 'flowers!' I like the photo of all the flowers, the purple, yellow...can't wait to see what you're going to come up with. Joanie
ReplyDeleteI love violets. Did you know they are edible? Here's a violet freezer jam that is perfect to spread on sugar or shortbread cookies for tea.
ReplyDeletehttp://jimlongsgarden.blogspot.com/2010/04/some-of-you-dear-friends-will-laugh-at.html
I hope the link works. This is one of my favorite garden authors.