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A French-Inspired Garden and Home by Judith Stringham

Butterflies in Blue & White

Sunday, April 19, 2015



White butterflies winging their way toward a bowl full of white ranunculus 
glide by the stemware and covered butter dish. 



Can you see the tiny random polka dots in the background 
of the blue butterflies and flowers on the butter dish? 
Sigh...  

Oh, so many bleu butterflies on the botanical printed dishes... 

Have you spotted the blue butterfly on the inside rim of the large salad bowl? 
China maker Portmeirion makes the Botanic Blue china and 
a tiny escaped butterfly is a signature mark of the pieces in the pattern. 



There, just visible inside the creamer, is another escapee,  
while another little blue butterfly seems to have 
partially escaped on the ruffled rim of the creamer. 

Laser cut butterflies at the top of the white place cards 
have yet other tiny white butterflies within the laser cut. 

Can you count all the butterflies visible? 

Scattered across the entire china pattern, 
butterflies of varying sizes, designs, and angles 
flit among the multiple varieties of flowers. 



The Botanic Blue dishes coordinate with 
Fitz and Floyd blue-rimmed Nobilis



Ruffled rims on the PTS International Adelaide cereal bowl and 
the Portmeirion Botanic Blue dinner plate are subtle design elements 
that help coordinate the two in a place setting even 
though the blues are not quite the same. 



A matching rimmed soup bowl is also perfect for cereal or salad. 




Are there FOUR different butterflies seeking nectar from the 
the flower in the bottom of the bowl? 
What is that flower, anyway? 
Is it an English primrose? 



Oh, wait! 
What looked like one of four butterflies in the bowl's bottom is really a
DRAGONFLY. 

And, there... , on the far left top rim... 
a BEE! 

Can you enlarge your screen's photo to see all the details? 



There's another BEE on the end of the lidded butter dish, and 
there's one on the salad bowl just above the left top of the butter dish. 

Butterflies, bees, dragonflies, flowers, polka dots ...  
and b l e u. 

Each day this pattern looks more and more lovely. 



Portmeirion no longer has Botanic Blue available in the USA 
which means order from England, 
pay costly shipping fees and duty taxes, 
or look for pieces on eBay or through a china replacement service. 
But, shop carefully. 

The Botanic Blue pieces have ruffled rims, finely detailed images, and 
a signature butterfly someplace unexpected. 
See the beautiful butterfly inside the creamer? 
There are three inside the rim of the large salad bowl 
serving as a centerpiece. 
The plate has one underneath the rim. 
The rimmed cereal/soup bowl has one on the 
outside of the white rounded part under the rim. 
The small bread and butter plate has one under the rim. 

Now, look at the larger pitcher. 
No ruffled rim, no curvy details on the handle, 
and the pattern is a little faint, not sharp. 
Plus, the pattern doesn't extend under the handle. 
Instead it looks like a white rectangle under the handle. 
This looks like a reproduction piece, 
not an authentic Portmeirion Botanic Blue piece. 
The telling factor... no butterfly inside the pitcher. 

Nonetheless, the pitcher looks good with the rest of the set. 



Blue stemware with an etched floral pattern is perfect with the dishes. 



The blue and white butterflies,  
in the kitchen sunspace wrapped in new green foliage,  
herald Spring has fully arrived.   



Sunshine, warm weather, and bright green leaves are perfect 
companions for blue and white butterflies.  



Spring is here with butterflies on the table 
and in the garden. 



Bright blue skies fill the living room 
as well as the kitchen sunspace with bright sunlight. 



Fresh thyme basks in the sun and is ready 
for planting on the deck just outside the kitchen sunspace.  



Botanic Blue and white ranunculus ... 
Butterflies in blue and white ... 

Botanic Blue china is the inspiration for botanic bleu.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Botanic Blue china ~ Portmeirion (summer 2014) 
Nobilis china ~ Fitz and Floyd (inactive, warehouse sale, late 1980s) 
Adelaide ~ PTS International (HomeGoods, spring 2014) 
Blue & white checked placemats ~ Pottery Barn Outlet (summer 2014) 
Sheila ~ Blue etched stemware ~ Joss and Main (summer 2014) 
Blue chargers ~ Kirklands (spring 2013) originally brown 
Want to see more blue & white?

Summer Blues and Whites
Blue and White Dishes 
Spirea Garden Party ~ French Style 
April Chirping Bird Table 


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