Thursday, November 13, 2014

The Parma Violets in Tasha's Parlor

Opening the door to Tasha’s parlor, I sniffed the scent of spring. Snow flurries sifted outside the windows. But from somewhere in the room, floated the fragrance of violets, as if someone had secretly placed a May basket on one of the tables. I wandered around the parlor, searching for the source of the perfume and noticed a row of three pots on a windowsill. Tiny white, lavender and rosy flowers trailed from plants with shiny heart-shaped leave. Bending my head over the mounds of greenery, I inhaled and fell in love.
                       
   After Tasha woke up from her characteristic afternoon nap, and as we settled near her hearth with a tea tray, I questioned her about the violets.
 "Those are Parma violets, aren’t they lovely? In the dark of winter, one plant can perfume an entire room. They are tender plants and can’t survive the cold like regular violets, but they thrive in a cool place.” Tasha picked up a pink luster tea cup, while reaching for a slice of poppy seed cake.
            Tasha barely heated her parlor, only lighting a fire when we sometimes ate dinner in that room, so it offered the temperatures of early spring. Tucked on an east facing windowsill, the location provided for ample sunlight, yet sheltered them from any bright afternoons.
            “Parma violets were first grown in Italy,” Tasha said. “Sometime in the late nineteenth century, they were brought to England where they were madly popular in small bouquets.”
            “I understand why, they remind me of my small, English violets that bloom in early April on my farm. I love to bury my nose in the plants and fill my lungs with their perfume. On a sunny afternoon, the scent of violets floats from that corner of my garden.”
            “Yes,” Tasha said as she poked at the fire and tossed on two birch logs. Their bark blazed, sending sparks up the back of the fireplace. At her feet, her corgi, Owen, waited for crumbs or for his mistress to offer him a bit of cake. Always ready to talk gardening, Tasha continued, drawing from her years of cultivating plants.
            “When the violets were imported to New York City, they became the rage. Young ladies liked to wear a cluster on their shirtwaist or slip them into a wedding bouquets. I suppose when plant breeders created larger violets, people fell for the showier blossoms.”
            “And ignored the lack of scent,” I added. When discussing seed catalogs, Tasha and I admitted to reading through a plant’s description, searching for and selecting those varieties that could claim, “highly fragrant”.

            I poured each of us another cup of tea and leaned back in the settle, listening to a canary trill. The warmth of the fire flushed our cheeks while visions of next year materialized in our minds. Upon arriving home, I wrote out my order and soon, Parma violets perfumed my kitchen with the fragrance of an April afternoon.

15 comments:

  1. How wonderful, Joan.

    I loved reading about your afternoon tea with Tasha and learning about these dear fragrant violets.

    Thank you for sharing about these violets.
    I want to find some for my own windowsill.

    yours very kindly,

    Christine

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  2. Joan, thank you for sharing these memories. I almost felt like I was sitting there with you and Tasha, taking tea and talking about these beautiful violets.

    My daughter Lydia was reading over my shoulder and said we need to get some of these beautiful plants for our windowsill--yes, we will try and search these out. They will make me think of you and Tasha.

    I am so glad I asked you on FB about posting-this was certainly a special treat!

    Thank you again.

    Warmly,

    Suzanne

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  3. Hello Joan,
    I was so so very happy to see a post from you!! :-)
    I really enjoy when you share you personal memories of your time with your dear friend Tasha.
    The violets sound intriguing and inviting.
    Having had just visited the Cottage for the first time in Oct, I was so dearly able to imagine you both sitting at the fire with Owen Corgi.
    Thank you so very much for sharing !
    Many Blessings and warmth , Linnie

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    1. Thank you so much for commenting, Linnie, and for encouraging me to share the many special moments I experienced with Tasha. How wonderful that you could tour Tasha's home this fall, and drink in the beauty of that remarkable place. Many blessings to you!

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  4. Thank you so much for sharing this special memory of your visit with Tasha. Having visited her parlor on two occasions now, I'm glad to see a photo with the plants bringing life to that wonderful room.

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    1. Thank you, Cathy, especially for the comment on the photo with those three small pots full of violets. I'm sure the parlor misses their scent and the glow of Tasha's bees wax candles. Please feel free to share this post with any others that you know who love Tasha. blessings, Joan

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  5. Hello Joan! As one who has not yet been able to visit Tasha's but hopes to one day let me say THANK YOU! What a sweet memory with Tasha you shared. I live in Florida but I must find some fragrant Parma violets. They are lovely and I can only imagine the sweet smell. So happy to find your blog!! I also plan on looking for the book that Suzanne recommended since you are an accomplished author! Thank you again and have a blessed day!!

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    1. Thank you, Belinda for commenting on several of the essays, and I am thrilled that you have fallen in love with Tasha's illustrations. Each time that I visited her home, I would pinch myself, wondering at the marvelous gift that God provided me when He gave me Tasha as a friend. And I hope you enjoy all of my books, many blessings to you! Joan

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  6. What a lovely post, I feel as if I've had my own visit in sweet Tasha's parlor.......thanks so very much for sharing. I do hope you will be sharing more such stories. Blessings

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    1. Thank you, Shelly, and because of the encouragement of the folks reading this blog, I am pondering other moments that I can share with all of you. Many blessings to you, Joan

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  7. What a wonderful post! I've just today come to see your blog at the suggestion of Tasha loving friends. What a happy memory, and what a lovely flower! I will have to keep on the look out for these pretty and fragrant blossoms!~ Nice to meet you :) Heather

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    1. Thank you, Heather, and I highly recommend Parma Violets as a wonderful way to scent your kitchen. And please share this blog with others who love Tasha! Blessings, Joan

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  8. Dear Joan. I have so loved reading these posts of your memories of time spent with Tasha! It almost seems like a dream to me that someone was able to share such lovely moments with her! I can't even imagine it! Is there a blog post about the story of how you met and nurtured your friendship? I would love to read about it. I visited Corgi Cottage just this past October and I could almost feel her presence in every room and out in her gardens. Thank you for sharing! (We're practcally neighbors! I live in WI)

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  10. Dear Joan,
    I have 2 parma violets making their way to my house through the mail. I have looked at videos and read about them and it seemed to say that they were not too happy living in a house with central heat. I noticed that Tasha said that they liked to be cool but could not take extreme cold like Vermont or perhaps Missouri where I live. Since you have raised parma violets could you share your knowledge of them with me. I am also one that looks for fragrance in flowers. Thank you for sharing your memories with us.

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