Orange Blossoms
"There is no glory in star or blossom till looked upon a loving eye;
There is no fragrance in April breezes till breathed with joy as they wander by."
~ William C. Bryant
Hello Tea Friends,
I thought this was a fitting poem as we end the month of April. It just seems like yesterday I put away the Easter decorations.
Today's theme is the lovely fruit- the orange. We were fortunate to move into a house with some established fruit trees with one of them being an orange tree. The tree wasn't well cared for, so for the first two years the oranges were extremely sour. With some pruning, removal of another tree and organic fertilizing, the tree now produces delicious and tasty Valencia oranges which are great for juicing. Our tree blossomed in March and still has one orange hanging quite high. The blossoms (shown in the photo) are extremely fragrant when in bloom. The whole side of the backyard is wonderfully scented.
Well, now onto our featured teacup...Orange Blossom by Royal Albert. This teacup is part of the Blossom Time Series which I shared in my March 22 post. I inherited the Lilac teacup in the series and purchased this one on ebay. (Don't worry I won't feature each teacup in the series.) I connect with the lilac and orange blossom teacups because we have those trees in our backyard. I'm still on a quest to collect the rest because I think they will make a fine set for a party.
This teacup is in the Shelley shape and was produced between 1966-1970's in England. Looking at the photos online of the series, I thought this particular teacup would be the least attractive of the set. I was happily surprised when I opened the mailing package. It is prettier in person. The fine details of the blossoms and the addition of mint green adds beauty to this cup.
When I acquire my teacups through flea markets or online sources, I do wonder about their history. First owners? First country? Displayed or used?
Click here to see the rest of the teacups in the Royal Albert Blossom Time Series
This teacup needed an authentic orange-based tea and I have just the one: Market Spice Cinnamon Orange Tea. It is a strong black tea with natural orange flavorings and a whole lot of cinnamon! The scent is incredible and it's a great autumn tea-probably would make a great iced tea. It can be a bit strong for me in terms of spices, but has been a widely popular item at Seattle's Market Spice.
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I know some of you live in or near Seattle so you may be familiar with their other items.
Thank you for visiting today and
have a great tea week!
~Nora
Nora, you are so fortunate to have fruit trees on your property! The scent would be wonderful. Your RA teacup is a beauty and I love the Shelley shape. Collecting teacups is such a lovely hobbie, isn't it? Thank you for sharing and joining me for tea today.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Sandi
I love that you're collecting the blossom series of teacups, Nora. I won't get tired of seeing them, as they're all new to me. How wonderful that you're able to have the heavenly scent of orange blossoms in your very own yard. Lilacs are another favorite of mine, and you have those,also. The tea sounds nice and spicy and one that I've never tried. Thank you for sharing with us.
ReplyDeleteWe have orange groves near where we live, and I love the scent during the blossoming season, even if we are only driving by! How lovely to have one in your own backyard. The Shelley pattern is lovely, and the tea sounds fragrant and wonderful!
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't mind if you share each cup in RA's Blossom Time Series!
ReplyDeleteI saw the lovely orange blossom teacup at a local antique store last month...I'm still thinking about it so maybe that's a sign that I need to go back and buy it (if it's still there...)!
My computer is slow tonight and the link would not work right now....I would love to see each one in the series! The orange blossoms are so pretty. Like you, I love the pale green on the cup. The tea you featured sounds like one I would love.
ReplyDeleteI don't really like herbal teas but this orange and cinnamon flavour sounds rather nice. Just what I need for autumn. I wouldn't get tired of seeing the blossom series of teacups either, this one is pretty.
ReplyDeleteDiana
I didn't know about the blossom series Nora - how fascinating.
ReplyDeleteThe Orange Blossom cup is a beauty and how lovely that you were so pleasantly surprised when you saw it! It can be tricky buying things on line - photos often bare little resemblance to reality!
You did well and good luck with finding the rest of the series!
It's the history of old items I find so interesting too - connections with the past and finding such pleasure in using a tea cup that was treasured by a previous owner is a joy.
Lovely to meet you at Ruth's party - I'm one of your followers now!
Shane
Hi Nora,
ReplyDeleteYour orange blossom teacup is so gorgeous and I love the orange blossom tree. I wouldn't mind if you shared every teacup in the series. Lol! I love teacups too! Happy Tea Day! Karen
Hi Nora,
ReplyDeleteYour orange blossom teacup is so gorgeous and I love the orange blossom tree. I wouldn't mind if you shared every teacup in the series. Lol! I love teacups too! Happy Tea Day! Karen
What a pretty posting with orange blossoms which I haven't been around for decades. That is a great teacup! So glad you shared.
ReplyDelete