Your first step? Sending an invitation.You can do this in two ways. The first is to write a simple note to your guests . You can buy a pretty note tablet at the drug, or card store. Handwrite something like this:
Hi Jane,
The weather is lovel, the flowers are in bloom ,and we need a break.
That's why I am inviting you to a little garden tea party. We will sit and
chat while enjoying some tea, a little bite to eat, and the joys of nature.
I hope you can spare some time on Date/Time. It promises to be a lovely time.
You can also call your guest/guests, personally, using some of the language I used, in the note.
All right, we've invited our guests. Now we need to plan the "party." Will you bake the cookies (see recipe below), or buy them at the bakery? What teas will you serve? You will want to serve a black tea, an herb tea, and iced tea. For alternative tea drinks see Lipton's site.
Do you have a small garden table, or do you need to improvise? If improvisation is in order, you have plenty of possibilities. A simple round accent table, taken out to the garden, can become special. Cover it with a long round table cloth, and add a fancy piece of lace on top. For chairs bring out your kitchen chairs, or wooden lawn chairs will do nicely.
Even if you only have a few TV trays, you can achieve the same effect. Just place them side by side. Cover them with a cloth table cloth, a small quilt, or some nice fabric. In a real pinch, two saw horses and a wooden plank can become an interesting table setting. It's really all in the way you cover it.
You will want a simple, yet elegant, centerpiece. You're already in the garden, so go easy on a floral centerpiece. A small bud vase with a few flowers from the garden will do. You can also use a pretty little potted plant instead. Anything that will fit in the garden theme. If you happen to have an old chipped tea pot, that would be great, filled with long grasses and three or five flowers .
