Imagine having a tea party with Alice and the Mad Hatter; that would be like being in Wonderland, wouldn’t it? A cozy, little garden, tucked away in Harrington Road, offers a similar experience.
The newly-opened Mad Hatter’s Garden is loosely based on Lewis Caroll’s Alice in Wonderland . The walls of the garden are painted in a bright yellow with images of large mushrooms, enormous flowers and tea cups precariously placed on entwining creepers. Accompanied by colourful bamboo fences and cushioned garden stools, the place takes on a whimsical quality.
The launch of the tea garden had children running around, dressed up as characters from Wonderland. Julia Coelho, a 10-year-old, dressed as Alice, inaugurated the place along with the Mad Hatter and the Queen of Hearts. Alice’s tea table was decked with chocolate cake, chips and sandwiches that the children dug into.
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“It’s a boring party, I haven’t even had any tea yet,” said Rachel Madhura, a seven-year-old, who was dressed as the Mad Hatter. Perhaps, the Hatter will be pleased to know that the garden is dispensing a range of hot teas, cold teas, lattes and coffee all through the day.
“There’s going to be different types of tea like lemongrass and all kinds of green tea. People can go to any corner of the garden and read a book or work on their computer, while enjoying a cup of tea,” says Cheryl Coelho Gonsalves, the owner of Mad Hatter’s Garden.
The tea garden, designed to host children’s birthdays and parties, also plans to host activities like story telling and craft making to keep the children occupied. “We want to plan activities, but feeding them is going to be priority,” said Sharadha Dharmaraj, the artist who painted the garden in happy, bright colours for the children.
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The garden has a take-away hut stocked with rolls, quiches, hotdogs and other short eats prepared by home-chefs. Also available are homemade jams, honey, cookies and pastries. Mad Hatter’s Garden offers home-style food: the pastries are colourful and tempting. The cupcakes are topped with quirky fondants in the shape of mushrooms, flowers, keys and top hats, making them look cute.
“A friend of mine confessed to having the shudders when around children,” laughs Cheryl. She realised that parents might need a quieter, more sober place to sit down and drink their tea, should there be a child’s birthday party in progress. The opposite side of the garden has been designed for adults to sit and enjoy a conversation or some quality time by themselves.
The Mad Hatter’s garden is located at Bungalow 14, 2Avenue, Harrington Road, Chetpet. Details: 2836 2163