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Flowers in a different form

Have you ever watched a flowering tea bloom right before your eyes? It is truly a magical experience. A tight, little ball of carefully- wrapped tea leaves (shown above) unfurls into a lovely flower. This little ball opened into a string of Globe Amaranths – no wonder the tea was labelled ‘Ruby Jewel’ (pictured below).

Although I am a coffee drinker, I could happy drink flowering tea regularly. The first time I saw a Crysanthemum unfold was with my friends, Roseanne and Mary. I was totally taken with it and it was a wonderful surprise when Mary gave me a glass teapot along with several flowering teas for my birthday. Since we three also play the fiddle together, I received a amazing book filled with Irish fiddle tunes from both Roseanne and Mary. Tea and Irish music go well together. I sit here listening to Altan – they have just put out a new album, Local Ground.

Now back to tea – I am fascinated with how flowering teas are made. It is something that I would love to do. Perhaps one day I will find someone to teach me. Click here for some information on how flowering teas are made.

If you’d like to learn more about teas, you might like to read Laura’s post on tea here. Laura also has wonderful paintings on her blog.

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42 responses to “Flowers in a different form”

  1. teeni Avatar
    teeni

    Oooh, I love flowering teas – they are so wonderful to watch unfolding. I haven’t seen any in a long time though so it was a real treat to visit your blog and follow your link today. I never knew how they were made. It’s all very interesting and funny that someone thought to do it that way.

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  2. jodi Avatar
    jodi

    Gee, Kate…this is a new one on me. I’d never heard of flowering teas before! (I thought you were referring to teas made with flowers. Guess I don’t get out much. ) What a wonderful, magical way to enjoy tea.

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  3. Cicero Sings Avatar
    Cicero Sings

    Flowering teas … I have some! And I gave some away last year. They are amazing. There is a tea shop on Granville in Vancouver (where I bought the flowering teas) that will teach one the art of drinking tea in two sessions … if one is in town long enough. I thought it would be neat to do … but we are never there long enough. Maybe one day. It was nice to read of someone else enjoying this flowering phenomenon! One way to have flowers in winter.TTFN … Cis

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  4. Carol Avatar
    Carol

    I love tea and drink it almost exclusively to anything else so how did I not know about flowering teas? I’ll have to go and check it out.Carol, May Dreams Gardens

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  5. Andrea's Garden Avatar
    Andrea’s Garden

    Hello Kate, how amazing. I have never seen anything like it. Just beautiful and too nice to actually drink. Very educational post. Thanks, Andrea

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  6. PG Avatar
    PG

    Hi Kate, thank you so much for popping into my blog – the flowering tea looks quite beautiful. I believe ephemeral experiences are more treasured because they are so fleeting, and this turns the whole tea experience into so much more than just a ‘cuppa’ as we inelegantly say over here!

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  7. Pam Avatar
    Pam

    I’m not very fond of tea, but do love Irish music and the fiddle.

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  8. Lisa at Greenbow Avatar
    Lisa at Greenbow

    Kate, I have never developed a taste for coffee so I am a tea drinker. Hot or cold it doesn’t matter to me. However I have never heard of flowering tea. Hmmmm I will have to investigate this phenom. It sounds very intrigueing.

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  9. Paul Avatar
    Paul

    I’ve not seen anything like this before (I don’t get out much…) – the picture is lovely, and the little videos on the link remind me of something from “Little Shop of Horrors”, but in a good way. I’ll have to look for them.

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  10. grannyfiddler Avatar
    grannyfiddler

    this was new to me too! and fascinating! thanks! ….tea as art. it’s no secret that there’s an art to making fine tea, but i had no idea it could also be so beautiful.

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  11. Laura Avatar
    Laura

    hi kate, thanks so much for posting about flowering teas! they are amazing, the detail involved in making them is astonishing-a real art form. i will leave a link to your post in my next post. your photos are wonderful as always. i think i might love irish music as much as tea, and i love the smell of coffee but it is like acid to my stomach!

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  12. Barbara Avatar
    Barbara

    Thank you Kate for this fascinating post! I am very fond of tea (all sorts) but I never had a flowering tea. That’s quite new to me. I have to look now where I can get it here. Thanks also for pointing out to the interesting tea link!Enjoy your flowering tea and have a good time!Barbara

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  13. Ruth Welter Avatar
    Ruth Welter

    Hi kate, happy new year to you. Funny you should mention flowering tea. My sister in law gave me 2 or 3 sometime last year and I still haven’t used them. This is so beautiful…you’ve inspired me to get them out and watch them bloom. Thanks.

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  14. Abby Creek Art Avatar
    Abby Creek Art

    That is so perdy…I love tea. I make a mean tea latte that I’d like to serve you some day, my dear.Have you heard about the latest Maisie fiasco? She needs to learn a thing or two from Lytton!

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  15. Mary Avatar
    Mary

    Kate,I’ve never heard of that before! Flowering teas! If you learn how to, let us know.Mary

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  16. Karine Avatar
    Karine

    I love flowering tea!!! Yum. My husband used to travel to Asia often, so I would have him get it for me there. Thanks for posting about it!

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  17. Entangled Avatar
    Entangled

    I drink gallons of tea of many different types, but I’ve never tried a flowering (or display) tea. I think I have one here somewhere, but it’s like having a special bottle of wine that you never open because no occasion is good enough for it. Time to change that – thanks for the reminder!

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  18. Gardenista Avatar
    Gardenista

    Wow! That’s beautiful and who could have imagined doing this? I’ll clearly have to visit Granville Island the next time I’m in Vancouver. I see Cicero has already been there and commented about that. I had no idea about this but will be seeking some teas ASAP!

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  19. Sparkling Red Avatar
    Sparkling Red

    I had never seen such a thing before! Suddenly, having a cute teapot seems secondary.

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  20. Saskboy Avatar
    Saskboy

    Strangely enough, I work next to an honest to goodness tea leaf reader. Here in Regina!And on a non-tea related subject, I’ve nominated you for a Canadian Blog Award.

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  21. Rowan Avatar
    Rowan

    I’ve never heard of flowering teas before, what a lovely idea. I like your glass teapot too.

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  22. Marie Avatar
    Marie

    Interresting post, beautiful photos!

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  23. Selma Avatar
    Selma

    What a wondrous thing. I am going to try and get some tomorrow!

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  24. Layanee Avatar
    Layanee

    Beautiful and drinkable! You learn something new every day! My scarf knitting was a hit and now I have requests and no time! I need more yarn! I should have taken a picture but it was just a simple stockinette stitch tube scarf of multi colored wool! You are an inspiration! Thanks!

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  25. david mcmahon Avatar
    david mcmahon

    It’s all a new experience to me – and I went to boarding school in Darjeeling, home to the world’s best tea gardens!!!

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  26. Ingrid Avatar
    Ingrid

    Wow! I had never even heard about flowering tea, and I am a true tea drinker. It looks wonderful.

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  27. Willow Avatar
    Willow

    Wow! This is a new one for me. I learn so much!I gave you a You Make My Day award on my blog today.

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  28. Tammy Avatar
    Tammy

    This is very cool Kate! I collect teapots and love tea so I need to find some.Let me know if you try it. 🙂

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  29. Mark Avatar
    Mark

    I bet Guiness and fiddle playing go quite well together.Never seen these flowering teas, fascinating.

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  30. Naturegirl Avatar
    Naturegirl

    Kate these flowering tea balls are my favorite spurge just for me!(I also give them out as gifts) I love the rose tea ball and delight in treating myself and oh yes a MUST to have a glass tea pot to see the flower open!hugs NG

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  31. Robin's Nesting Place Avatar
    Robin’s Nesting Place

    I saw the tea flowers in a gift shop this summer when I went to visit an Amish community. What a special way to enjoy tea.

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  32. Kerri Avatar
    Kerri

    A friend served flowering tea to us at a New Years party recently. It truly is amazing. She said they sew the tea leaves together. Is that right? I’ll have to check it out. I enjoyed the birthday video so much. Your son is a hoot, and cute too :)Happy 50th!! It’s the beginning of a wonderful adventure. Enjoy!Happy 2008 too!! May it be a richly blessed year for you and your family.

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  33. Clare Avatar
    Clare

    Hi Kate! I love that you showed photos of the flowering tea — how cool!!! And the glass teapot is perfect — like watching a fishbowl. Learning to make them would be great. I’ve been drinking a lot of tea lately — after my morning coffee, of course. I’d love to hear you play the fiddle some time — maybe you could do an audio bit on your blog! Big hugs to you and Lytton from me and Moose!:)

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  34. Yolanda Elizabet Avatar
    Yolanda Elizabet

    Yes, I know flowering teas. A few years ago I visited a friend of mine who had that tea. Because I was so taken with it she brought a few tea flowers as a gift for me when she visited me. Like you I bought a special glass teapot for the flowering tea. It’s great fun to watch the faces of people who have never seen this before. 🙂

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  35. No Rain Avatar
    No Rain

    Very interesting. I’ve never had flowering tea–didn’t know it existed! Thanks for the info.(Thanks for your comments on my blog. I appreciate it. I’ve left an explanation of what happened in the comment section of my blog.)Aiyana

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  36. nikkipolani Avatar
    nikkipolani

    Hello Kate, dear. I’ve seen flowering teas but have never tried drinking any. Unlike you, I’m more of a regular tea drinker and sometimes coffee drinker.

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  37. San Avatar
    San

    An unfolding miracle–beautiful, Kate!

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  38. chigiy at Gardeners Anonymous Avatar
    chigiy at Gardeners Anonymous

    I’ve never seen that kind of tea before.It is so cool.

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  39. Kylee Avatar
    Kylee

    I’ve never heard of these! I’m not a tea drinker, but you’d think I’d of at least heard of this! Fascinating!

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  40. Annie in Austin Avatar
    Annie in Austin

    As it was to most of the previous commenters, the concept of flowering tea is new to me, Kate. The process is very interesting, and I’m glad you told me about it – the little video at the link really is a little creepy, however! It looks like a sea anemone has invaded the teapot. Annie at the Transplantable Rose

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  41. Cris Bolbosa Avatar
    Cris Bolbosa

    Kate, I’m so surprised with these balls of tea. I didn’t know them. I’ve already visited the link you mentioned and by the way they say, it seems very easy to do it:)A few hours ago I just had time to comment your last post, but now I came again. I was at work, in my lunch time. And now, after dinner, I finaly arrived near the computer. When I came home, there was the letter with the seeds from Saskatchewan. What a hapiness!

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  42. Ki Avatar
    Ki

    I have never seen nor heard of a flowering tea ball before. Thanks for sharing. I’ll have to look for some.

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