Rose Tea Cottage

Where tea is served at half past four





The Hydrangea plant began as a native North American variety and was brought to England in the 18th century. In no time at all, their popularity spread like wildfire throughout Europe. Many of today’s popular hybrids were originally developed in France.


With its wooden stems and lacy, star-shaped flowers packed closely together in a pompom like manner, the Hydrangea’s color ranges from white to blue to pink and purple, determined by the acidity level of the soil

(The Duchess has grown two Hydrangea bushes in her garden. One, a beautiful sagie green with touches of pink and the other is a blush red. They are both proudly displayed in the above Limoges bowl arrangement)



Ms. Floradora Spencer, wearing a Hydrangea hat from the
Duchess Garden Collection



There remains some debate over the Hydrangea’s symbolism with some connecting it to vanity and boastfulness and others suggesting that a bouquet of Hydrangea expresses the giver’s gratefulness for the recipient’s understanding. Still others suggest it represents anything that is sincerely heartfelt.

Despite this variation in flower meaning, there appears to be an overwhelming consensus that this 4th wedding anniversary flower possesses enduring grace and beauty.


30 comments:

debra@dustjacket said...

I love hydrangers and will certainly be planting some in our new home.

I love all your new pictures in the sidebar, cakes look divine.

Have a lovely day,
xxx

Rose said...

I love these! The blue ones are deffinately my favourite, the pink ones are pretty too.

Rose

Abatevintage said...

Oh Duchess, what a wonderful post today. It is so soothing to come by and visit, the music is so relaxing, and the pictures and your items are so elegant and graceful. Ms. Floradora Spencer's hat was beautiful.

Cheers,
Heidi

Mrs D's Recipes For Life said...

My Favourites!!!!
Love
Kelly xxx

Simply Debbie said...

MY DEAR DUCHESS OF ROSE TEA COTTAGE,
I JUST SLIPPED BY THIS MORNING WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING AND QUIETLY LEFT SOME ROSE PETALS IN A BAG MADE OF SILK ON YOUR ANGEL BENCH....I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW I HAD STOPPED BY AND ADMIRED YOUR HYDRAGENA PLANTS...SO ELEGANT AND EACH LITTLE PETAL SHOWING UP HIS NEIGHBOR JUST A TAD BRIGHTER....ISN'T IT FUNNY HOW WE HUMANS GO SO FAR AS TO COMPETE WITH WITH OUR OWN SHADOW.
I ALSO LEFT YOU A BEAUTIFUL PEACOCK
FEATHER....HOW LOVELY IT WOULD BE, WITH THE HOLIDAY APPROACHING IF WE COULD GATHER SOME MORE....YOU MUST ASK THE SERVANTS DEAR TO KEEP THEIR EYES OPEN.
I SHALL BE ON MY WAY. MAY YOU DREAM OF SWEET THINGS AND I SHALL RETURN WHEN THE GRAPES ARE HARVESTED.
ANGEL HUGS
debbie

Coralie Cederna Johnson said...

The soft pastel beauty of the hydrangea has no equal! Yours are absolutely gorgeous!

Anne said...

Oh I just love to know the meaning of different flowers. Didn't know it's a flower given for the fourth anniversary. How sweet is that.

Madeline's Album said...

Your hydrangeas are just beautiful. I love the way you have them displayed.

Unknown said...

What a beautiful, wonderful post! It is amazing how many divine secrets the history of the flower can hold. Just this pring I planted a beautiful bush of this gorgeous flowers in my garden.:-)))

Anonymous said...

Good Morning!

I just love hydrangeas...every color...there is a house in town that has the greenish white ones that are just beautiful!

I'm expecting a Netflix movie today...called "The Queen"...have you seen it? I've not been overly fond of her, because I feel as if dear Diana had been mistreated but I thought I would watch it anyway!

Oh...do come by and pick up my kindred spirit award, it would look lovely on your blog!

koralee said...

So lovely...I only have one Hydranges bush growing in my garden....bright pink! I love the blue and purple ones. I love Ms. Floradora Spencer...so so so adorable! Enjoy your day..thanks for the lovely morning post with my tea...apricot tea this morning..quiet yummy! xoxoxo

Deanna said...

These are lovely!
The first time I saw these I was living in Texas and I couldn't believe they were real because they were so large.
Blessings to you,
d

Lynn said...

One of my absolute favorite flowers, wish I could grow the blue ones, mine all turn pink. Now how do you get the fresh ones to stay inside without them going floppy? I have tried bringing some inside to no avail, they just wilt even in water.

Marilyn Miller said...

Love hydrangas, just added a blue one to my garden. They are so beautiful with roses.

Lola said...

My dear darlink Duchess,
I adore the color of hydrangeas - such a limpid blue tone!

Lovely post as always,

xxxLOL LOLA:)

PS Helped myself to a little sidebar cake (delish!) - nobody around to ask! Hope you don't mind!

Anonymous said...

Oh I also just adore hydrangeas!! I have only 2 at the moment...one is the brillant blue and one a darket shade of pink!
The flowers are just so magnificent in color and the many petals!
Gorgeous photos and I love your blog!!
Hugs,
Lynn♥

Mimi said...

HI!!!!
I also love Hydrangia's, my MOm used to own a flower shop --at that time to me, it was just work, bookkeeping duties and flower deliveries to get done, so I never appreciated the flowers!!!! In fact dealing with grumpy people sometimes (can yOu believe that in a flower shop) we thought of it as a gift of love, but people were rude sometimes!!!!As I reflect back on those 2 years of her owning it, I missed out on learning so much, I was young back then, like 30!!!!!My MOm lives in Missouri and she has 2 hydrangea's in her yard, out here in the hot Southwest, no such luck!!!\
They are beautiful!!!!
hugs,
jamie

Blueberry Heart said...

these are lovely, I especially like the lady vase, so different!

BH x

parTea lady said...

Your hydrangeas are beautiful. I have been wanting to plant a white lacecap hydrangea in my garden for quite a while.

Ms. Floradora Spencer looks so pretty in her hat.

Elizabeth and Gary said...

I just found your blog and fell in love with it. We have so much in common, I too love all tea things. I have a large collection of teacups and have a "tea room" dedicated to my teacups, teapots and china. Your hydrangeas are lovely my daughter choose the blue and white hydrangea for her wedding flowers.I have enjoyed my visit with you today and
have added you to my favorites.
Enjoy your day,
Elizabeth

Anonymous said...

Good afternoon Duchess. Your post is so lovely. I too am a lover of Hydrangea. I have one with pink flowers in my garden. Yours are so beautiful and I love the planter you chose to display them in. Very pretty indeed.

Abatevintage said...

Hello my dear friend Duchess,

Thank you so much for stoping by and your beautiful words. You are such a wonderful person to have on my follwer list, and I love being one of your follwers because you have such wonderful and relaxing posts, they make me feel so good to read them. Have a great day.

Cheers,
Heidi

KBeau said...

I love, love, love hydrangeas. Unfortunately I can't grow them because as soon as they sprout folliage in the spring the deer eat them. So I gave up and started growing stuff like lantana that the deer won't eat.

Thanks for visiting my blog. I started following you a few days ago. I appreciate the kind comments about my blog background. I made it myself using PhotoShop Elements. Took some doing, but I got it done. Then I tweaked my blog to make the columns wider and had to redo the background. I'm sure this isn't the last time I'll mess with it. I just can't leave things alone.

Thanks for the hint about lots of warm clothes for my trip.

lady jicky said...

You can hang them upside down and dry them out too.
they go alovely shade of parchement brown . When short on flowers they fill a big vase just fine.

Dumbwit Tellher said...

Hello my dear Duchess! I too adore hydrangeas. I like to think they represent the givers gratefulness. To me they posses such a vintage feel.I had huge bushes long ago, & I sure do miss them. I love Ms. FLoradora Spencer. I have always wanted to collect "head vases"!! Lovely for you to visit my blog today. Makes my day Xxx deb

Poppy Cottage said...

Hi my new friend!

I just love hydrangea's and yours are so lovely. I planted seven this spring and not a blossom one. Hopefully soon ;)

Enjoy your day!
Sharon

Yellow Rose Arbor said...

I think hydrangeas are so romantic and pretty! Love that head vase! I have a skirt vase figurine featured on my new tablescape, come for tea, the table is set for six, so bring friends!

I hope you are feeling better, sorry to hear you have migraines.

Katherine

Unknown said...

Oh that little plant pot is just adoreable!

Anonymous said...

Hi lovey,

Stop by my blog. You've been given an award.

a woman who is said...

I adore hydrangeas in all there many colors and faded glory. The arrangements are great.

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