If you ask someone if they have ever had yellow tea most likely they will make a strange face and say no! YELLOW tea is one of the 6 major types of teas in the world along with WHITE, GREEN, OOLONG, BLACK(RED), and Dark (PU-ERH). All of these teas come from the same plant Camellia…
Camellia Sinensis
The tea we drink comes for the plant camellia sinensis, in the plant family Theaceae. There are two varieties of the tea plant, the Chinese variety Camellia sinensis, sinensis and Camellia sinensis assamica. The beautiful Camellia japonica grown as a garden shrub is also in the tea plant family. The tea plant is indigenous to…
My Garden is now on YouTube!
I’am very pleased to announce my Garden Lilac Hill is now available to view on YouTube! The channel will feature the garden from when we first started in 2018 through the years to current day. You can see all the plants I grow, the different garden beds that have been put in, the various areas for wildlife! I…
A Cold, West Coast Night
Winter has definitely settled over my garden Lilac Hill so it is a good time to stay inside and enjoy a very special tea. The tea I am having is Milk Oolong. Oolong teas are not as well known as mainstream teas, this tea has a creamy milk taste and aroma. Oolongs are grown mainly in Taiwan and…
Lapsang Souchong
Lapsang Souchong a tea worthy of worthy of celebrating! Lapsang Souchong is a black, full bodied tea with the taste and aroma of pine needles. The tea brews very dark and the steeped leaves are small, the word souchong means small leaf varietal. The taste is strong, medicinal similar to a cough syrup, not for everyone but I…
Tea can be Cooling too!
It has been hot here lately, especially for June, which in the past has been really rainy! So rather than worry about the lawn going brown and all the plant flopping that’s happening, (I will water the poor garden as soon as it cools a bit), I decided to try to make home-made iced tea from…
High Tea at Tracycakes Bakery and Cafe
Recently two friends and I had the pleasure of attending a high tea event at Tracycakes Bakery and Cafe in Abbotsford B.C. Canada. The event was hosted by Jolienne Moore who, with Lynn Cris, wrote a book titled ‘Etiquette for the Career Woman, all the Wisdom, Wit and Advice you will ever need to attain…
A Tea that is “True North Strong and Free”!
All a long I did not think tea grew naturally in Canada but we do have a traditional tea, its called Labrador Tea and it has been consumed by First Nations people for many generations! I had never heard of this herbal tisane before I attended a traditional tea and weaving demonstration at the new Sto:Lo gift shop here in…
Roses in Winter
Rose Conjou is either a green or black tea blended with organic rose petals and since my own rose bushes are hibernating, this tea is a nice way to bring the delicate scent of roses into the house. Roses are just one example of a plant that is often used in tea blends. Other plants include jasmine,…
A Visit to Dicken’s Tea Shop
My nieces came out for a visit this past weekend so for something different I took them for tea at Oliver’s Tea Room. It’s located in the Dicken’s Sweet’s and British Museum in Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada. When we first stepped through the door directly to the right is an old fashion style candy shop full…
