Outside, it’s like “Doctor Zhivago,” without Omar Sharif. Inside, however, our thoughts are warmed and our appetites whetted for spring by a new collaboration between two WAG faves.
The New York Botanical Garden – which has partnered with everyone from Oscar de la Renta to Erwin Pearl – and Tea Forté have announced the Jardin Collection of teas and cups inspired by botanical prints from the Rare Book & Folio Room of the garden’s LuEsther T. Mertz Library. These prints were created by Pierre-Joseph Redouté (1759-1840), court painter to Marie Antoinette and Josephine Bonaparte, who was particularly known for recreating roses that were so lifelike you could practically scent them.
“We knew immediately that Tea Forte’s expert dedication to quality and design made them the ideal partner for this very special collaboration,” Meredith Counts, director of licensing and product development for the New York Botanical Garden, said in a statement. “Their luxury tea blends, refined product concepts and exquisite packaging beautifully convey the essence of the New York Botanical Garden’s rich heritage, diverse plant collections,and captivating archives.”
You can see Redouté’s work in the Jardin Collection’s charming KATI loose tea steeping cup with stainless steel infuser ($20) as well as its stunning pink gift set presentation boxes. The petite presentation box comes either with 10 signature pyramid tea bags, called infusers ($22), or with the infusers and a limited edition pink café cup and matching tea tray for holding the infuser (40). (The adorable cup also has a hole in its lid through which you can slip the infuser’s leafy top.)
The five organic teas represented are green mango peach, vanilla pear, chamomile citron, chocolate rose and the new strawberry hibiscus.
It’s the perfect way to celebrate almost-spring.
For more, visit nybg.org or teaforte.com.
– Georgette Gouveia
