Saturday afternoon will be "tea time" on December 1 in the elegant Visitor Center at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay. From 3-5 p.m., the Gardens will present the Winter Wonderlands Holiday Tea featuring authentic Devonshire cream and English tea, scones, and classic tea sandwiches. Strawberry jams and creamy butters round out the classic traditional fare.

And there's more. The Gardens are all dressed up for the holidays with festive lights and beautiful natural decorations indoors and out.

The event will be further enhanced by acclaimed cellist Andrew Richter, who will play from 3 to 4 p.m. While a student at Colby College, Richter studied with the Portland String Quartet. He continued his formal studies in Europe, performing in France and Switzerland. He has played in the Bangor Symphony Orchestra and Maine Chamber Ensemble and, since 1999, has performed in chamber ensembles for both weddings and holiday parties. Hear sound samples at www.richterensembles.com. The fee for the Winter Wonderlands Holiday Tea is $15 for Gardens members and $20 for non-members, which includes Gardens admission. Reservations are required; call 633-4333 to sign up. The Gardens are located off Barters Island Road, just over a mile from the Boothbay common.

Those who are organizing the tea at the Gardens are grateful to Upton Tea Imports in Hopkinton, Mass. (www.uptontea.com) for the gift of their premium teas, which will be served during the event. A purveyor of more than 420 varieties of the world's highest quality loose teas, Upton Tea Imports purchases their teas from the most reputable brokers and estates worldwide.

The Gardens will serve English tea, but just what is "a nice cup of tea"? While it falls under no clear and universal definition, the experts at Upton Tea Imports say that English tea is generally blended to create a strong cup that goes nicely with the addition of milk. Some allege that 'traditional' English breakfast teas must contain Chinese Keemun, but there is little historical evidence to substantiate this claim; the English were enjoying hearty tea long before Keemun was introduced into the market.

Devonshire (or Devon) Cream is a cream produced in Devon, England, with similar products available in Cornwall and Somerset. It is a thick, rich, ivory-colored cream with a wonderfully sweet flavor, the perfect accompaniment to scones with jam.

Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens is open from 9-5 daily year-round, except for Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Winter Wonderland Holiday Evenings from November 23 through December 21will feature complimentary refreshments (wine and cheese or sweets and cider or cocoa), discounts in the gift shop and on gift memberships, live music, heirloom recipes, lantern-light tours of the Central Gardens, and more.

The Gardens Gift Shop will also participate in the Boothbay Region's Early Bird Day, from 9 a.m. to noon. For more information about Maine's botanical garden and upcoming events and programs, call 633-4333, or visit online at www.mainegardens.org.