Tea under the old apple tree for tea cup Tuesday

Chloe is stressing to the max. She has her last final tomorrow morning and I couldn’t think of a better way to calm us both then tea under our old apple tree in the sunshine in the back of the garden.

The back of the garden is also behind the potager, (A little ornamental veggie garden), where the sweet peas are beginning to make an appearance.

Morgan likes to lie on top of the cold frame. I’m excited about our salad greens; they all look healthy and strong.

C is trying to coax Morgan off the cold frame.

When I bought this house, now almost two years ago, I also bought this very old, very huge apple tree. The tree was bound and practically strangled by a little boy’s tree house and was very poorly and I had concerns about it surviving. One of the first things I did, with Robert’s help, was dismantle and throw out the tree house, free the tree and enrich the soil.

C then draped it with prayer flags and I hung lengths of wired crystal leaves and a glass gazing ball from the branches.

Last year the tree rewarded us with a handful of blooms and three apples.

My sweet friend and pastry chef Claire posted a fantastic recipe for banana bread and, as I had four dead bananas, I decided to try it out. It is true! This is the moistest banana bread on earth and completely more-ish and we couldn’t resist a couple slices for our tea. (Besides, bananas are supposed to have some super brain something to them.)

There is a little marble and iron bistro table and chairs under the apple tree and that’s where we had our tea in Royal Swan Blossom Time cups.

Aha, now Morgan has discovered there’s food involved and made her way off the cold frame. She loves “people food” and she’s especially fond of cantaloupes and avocados. (Strange cat)

I love the gentle little apple blossoms on this china and wish I had more of the set.

This was such a nice calm few minutes in our life today,

And the banana bread went perfectly with the milky and sweet Earl Gray tea.

As soon as she figured out she wasn’t getting any people food, Morgan fell asleep beside the gentians and the rescued irises. This year I planted a colourful flower garden around the apple tree except that I have no way of knowing what the irises will look like. It’s going to be a surprise!

The sun was shining, the tea was wonderful and above us, the apple tree quietly began to open blossoms.

Linking up with Terri of Artful Affirmations and focusing on the good too, and to Martha and also feeling the spring in the air, and to Sandi at Rose Chintz Cottage and loving her wish upon a star fantasy.