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Hosting Afternoon Tea
Tiered tea tray About 15 years ago. My oldest daughter was 3 and the youngest was still a baby. My husband’s aunt was about to celebrate...
Melanie Holsti
Apr 64 min read
Gifts for Tea Lovers
There are a lot of gift-giving holidays on the calendar, and most of us have at least one person in our life that is a total pain to shop...
Melanie Holsti
Apr 43 min read
The Garden Journal is Coming Soon!
In some ways, this one has been easier to write than the previous books, and in some ways, harder. I've figured out some of the ins and...
Melanie Holsti
Mar 271 min read
Beware of False Economy in the Garden
If I had to define the type of gardener that I am, I would use terms like project-oriented (vs. maintenance-oriented), frugal and lazy. ...
Melanie Holsti
Mar 262 min read
Hydrangeas Have Staying Power
Long-standing blooms I was sorting through my flower photos from the 2019 gardening season, looking for shade-lovers to share today. All...
Melanie Holsti
Mar 202 min read
Buffalo Pottery's Unique Teapot
A friend recently showed off her gorgeous flow blue teapot during an online meeting, and it caught my attention immediately.
Melanie Holsti
Mar 112 min read
The Ornamental Files
An Heirloom Treasury of Your Ornamental Gardening Knowledge Have you always dreamed of creating a beautiful flower garden from the ground...
Melanie Holsti
Mar 82 min read
COLOR Planning Your Food Garden
Please note, this is a planner, NOT a journal. I designed this COLOR Garden Planner with one goal in mind—to help you save time, money,...
Melanie Holsti
Mar 717 min read
The Fruit and Vegetable Garden Planner
Black & White Version Plan, grow, and harvest with ease using this comprehensive garden planner! Whether you're a beginner gardener or...
Melanie Holsti
Mar 716 min read
The Orchard Files
An Heirloom Treasury of Your Orchard Growing Knowledge I created The Orchard Files to make it easy and enjoyable for you to organize and...
Melanie Holsti
Mar 72 min read
The Vegetable Files
An Heirloom Treasury of Your Gardening Knowledge I am so excited to share this thoughtfully designed workbook with you! Inside, you'll...
Melanie Holsti
Mar 72 min read
Saving Money on Perennials
There are all sorts of flowers that I love, but I have a fairly large garden space to work with, so I have to keep costs down. I've found...
Melanie Holsti
Mar 24 min read
Saving on Mulch in the Garden
mulched lavender plant I can't think of anything that is more satisfying in the garden than looking at a freshly mulched flower bed...
Melanie Holsti
Feb 282 min read
Acoustics in Your Tea Room
I've dined in a few restaurants lately that were so uncomfortable that I probably won't be back. The food and service were good to...
Melanie Holsti
Feb 253 min read
Spring-Planted Bulbs
Asiatic lilies Right around the time that seed and plant catalogs start arriving in my mailbox, I also begin to see racks of seeds for...
Melanie Holsti
Feb 242 min read
How a Patent Dispute Led to My Favorite Depression Glass Pattern
Federal Mayfair cup and saucer I caught “Antique Pox” at the tender age of 16. To my knowledge, there is no cure, though it does go...
Melanie Holsti
Feb 212 min read
Cherry Squares (or Circles) Recipe
I think this recipe has been in about every church cookbook that ever was printed. Growing up, we called it “Cherry Squares” though I...
Melanie Holsti
Feb 173 min read
Polly Put the Kettle On
It probably should not surprise me that a lot of people don’t quite understand the difference between a teapot and a tea kettle...
Melanie Holsti
Feb 122 min read
5+ Reasons to Drink Rooibos
There’s been a bit of hype about Rooibos in recent years, and for good reason. Much as I love tea, there are some things that rooibos...
Melanie Holsti
Feb 112 min read
Why You Might Not Like Green Tea
For years, I couldn't understand why anybody would drink green tea. "Tastes like somebody steeped lawn clippings" I said. And honestly,...
Melanie Holsti
Feb 72 min read
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