As promised in my previous post, today I'm writing about my visit to Secluded Celebrations tea room in Hartland, MI. The 'by reservation only' tea room is about 55 miles northwest of where I live. It is definitely secluded in a wooded area far off the beaten path.
Grit and her husband, Rich, own a hosta nursery. They have every kind of hosta you can imagine, from gigantic to teacup size. She said they stopped counting the varieties after 1,500!
They added a room onto their house specifically for hosting tea parties, which Grit has been doing since 2007. It's a small intimate tea room accommodating up to 12.
Grit is my kind of gal because the tea room is decorated with lots of blue and white accessories which she bought from the Bombay Company when it was still in the U.S.
~ Fresh flower centerpieces from Grit's garden. ~
Grit and her husband, Rich, own a hosta nursery. They have every kind of hosta you can imagine, from gigantic to teacup size. She said they stopped counting the varieties after 1,500!
They added a room onto their house specifically for hosting tea parties, which Grit has been doing since 2007. It's a small intimate tea room accommodating up to 12.
Grit is my kind of gal because the tea room is decorated with lots of blue and white accessories which she bought from the Bombay Company when it was still in the U.S.
Newspaper article about the tea room [click on it to enlarge].
~ Fresh flower centerpieces from Grit's garden. ~
Two tea loving ladies - Joanie and Lori ~
Below is Linda's granddaughter Jamison [R] and her girlfriend, Emma. Emma reminded me of Anne of Green Gables - must be her cute braids. A hummingbird feeder was outside their window and hummingbirds came to it frequently throughout the tea.
Below was the beautiful teacup at my place setting which was filled with a black tea called Peace. It was lightly flavored with Jasmine, Vanilla and Lavender.
The tea began with a glass of Sparkling Pink Lemonade from France, and homemade Pesto and Cheese Bruschetta. Grit uses her grandmother's china that was a wedding present.
~ Next was a cold Cucumber/Dill Soup. ~
When our Pear and Gorgonzola Salad with Cranberries, Candied Pecans, and homemade Honey Mustard dressing was served, the tea switched to Pomegranate [a black tea].
Our main entree was Broccoli and Water Chestnut Quiche, Grit's signature Spinach Pie, Fresh Fruit with Spearmint [from Grit's garden], and Fresh Veggies. Everything was delicious.
Before the dessert course, we went outside to tour Grit and Rich's beautiful gardens.
~ Grit had lots of fairy gardens among the hostas. ~
We got back inside the tea room just before Mother Nature decided to send a big downpour of rain. Our simple but elegant dessert was Fresh Berries over Vanilla Ice Cream, served with Butterscotch, Caramel and Toffee Black Tea.
What a tea-lightful way to spend an afternoon! Thank you for your kind hospitality, Grit!
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P.S. Happy 150th birthday to Beatrix Potter. I think she would have loved the gardens at Secluded Celebrations.
[Internet Photo]
What a beautiful setting for a lovely tea! I do love hostas, but so do the deer who come to visit my yard. This year they have really munched on the two varieties I have - but next year I hope to outwit them somehow. Meanwhile, I enjoyed these pictures.
ReplyDeleteNow I would of enjoyed that tearoom! Beautiful garden!
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely tea room this lady has created in her home. I loved seeing it!
ReplyDeleteOh Phyllis, whenever you share your tearoom outings, I so wish that I still lived in Michigan, so that I could tag along with you. This place looked so wonderful, both inside and out. The iron bed planted with flowers was a fun touch!
ReplyDelete