Now Taking Holiday Baking Orders

Open for Holiday Baking



Holiday Baking



Now Taking
Holiday Baking Orders

Whether you are having a special event or family gathering we will be happy to create a special recipe that will be a seasonal delight! Packaged and ready to serve for your special date.

Hurry and give us a call at: (972) 771-5528 to place your order.

Potato Soup of the Day



Potato Soup



Awe nothing warms you up on a cold day like the creamy Potato Soup, today's soup of the day. RESERVE your table for a cup or a bowl or give us a call (972) 771-5528 for a pick up for your fabulous lunch.

SHARE A DESSERT WITH YOUR FRIEND

Invite a friend for lunch at Her Secret Garden Tea Room and you will receive a complimentary dessert with your purchase of 2 entrees.

UNIQUE GIFT IDEA

Give the Gift of a Personal Chef this holiday season! A delicious customized gift of private cooking lessons or meals prepared in their home. Personal Chef Gift Certificates are available at Her Secret Garden as the perfect gift for anyone for any occassion. Typically the requested gifts are group cooking classes or romantic dinners with the fabulous Diane Palermo. There are a variety of ideas with our consultation to allow you to design the most special cooking gift that will be remembered for years to come!

RSVP To a Sweet Occasion

Citywide Harvest Church's Women's Group is hosting a holiday cookie exchange this year at Her Secret Garden Tea Room on Saturday, December 11, 2010 between 2pm and 4pm.

Spend a lovely, cozy time with friends. And as a bonus you'll have lots of different cookies on hand for the holidays. Please help spread the word about the Great Cookie Exchange so everyone can fit the gathering into their schedule.

CLICK HERE TO RSVP

Cooking Demonstration Dinner Parties with Diane Palermo

Provide the perfect ingredients to your next chic event with a special guest chef demonstration with the fabulous Diane Palermo. From Rockwall's premier tea room, Her Secret Garden.

Have a Chef come to your home for a cooking demo.

Interested in incorporating a memorable and unique dinner party at home that combines great food with recipes and tips your guests can take away?

While everyone enjoys appetizers and wine, Diane will offer cooking demonstrations of the dishes for that evening. If you are wanting a more hands-on approach then we will be happy to choose assistants from your party. Diane will provide recipes of all the dishes to your guests and after the food is ready to be served you and your guests will enjoy the delicious meal that you learned to make.

Diane Palermo is an adventurous Rockwall chef that enjoys cooking from scratch, but she is practical with ingredients used. Anyone can cook. Ingredients and items used can easily be found in the local stores.

Taste fantastic personalized seasonal foods prepared before your eyes! Click Here to Email Diane to reserve a table for ___. (Minimum parties of 4 guests.)

Chef Demonstration Packages is based on service ($150.00) + groceries (TBD from personalized menu). Does not include gratuity or rental space. Must give 72 hours notice of reschedule or cancellation.

Gift Certificates Are Available!

Tomato Basil is the Soup of the Day

Soup of the Day

Today at Her Secret Garden, we will serve a light tomato basil soup garnished with croutons. We have more seating outside AND inside. We still have fabulous gift items for sale just in time for stocking stuffers and gifts under the tree this Christmas season.

Don't miss out! Spread the word to join our mailing list to receive special incentives, coupons, and exclusive tea party invitations. We are about to dish out some must attend events that you will enjoy delicious treats and superb food! Again, be sure to sign up to our eblast, check back often to our blog and facebook fan page to be in the know.

We would love to hear from you. Please share with us your experience on our blog, facebook fan page or send us an email.

God bless,

Diane Palermo

Holiday Clearance Sale

Beginning Tuesday, November 9, 2010, Her Secret Garden will have ALL gift items 50% off....Holiday Invitations-buy two at 50% and receive one free.

Buy any 10 items and receive two items of equal value for free!  Save by stocking up on your holiday stocking stuffers!

Read Her Secret Garden News and Bargain Deals

Reserve your Holiday Party or Book Your Special Date Early

Let us take the stress away and give you bliss by reserving your fabulous holiday event at Her Secret Garden Tea Room. From elegant and sophisticated to casual and engaging we will enjoy planning with you a wonderful time of celebration. Several private rooms are available for brunch, lunch or dinners.

Simply reserve your special date, choose a few items from our menu or make special menu requests and we will take care of the rest.

We are breaking out the tinsel, pumpkin spice, garland and the nutcrackers so that you walk into the spirit of peace, joy and love of the holidays! Oh it is our favorite season we look to unwrapping the best decór, recipes and special indulging delights.

Don't hesitate to ask us how we can help you with your guest lists or for guests to prepay.

Click Here to get started! 

Soup of the Day

Taco Soup

Today at Her Secret Garden, we will serve a healthy taco soup, chicken asparagus quiche and Black Currant iced tea.

Just a blessing to share with our local teachers in the Rockwall area.

Black Currant Iced Tea

"May every student be successful. Blessed are the teachers to unlocking the minds, touching hearts and inspire futures of our young. May they have strength, despite the diversity they face, may they lead in a righteous manner, may their words plant seeds that will grow in good fertile grounds, may they give courage, persevere and connect with each life that walks through their door. May the Lord bless you and keep you. In Jesus Name I pray."

Make Your Event a Success

Are you organizing an event?

Hire a professional web marketeer who can save your bottomline and alot of stress. Whether you are planning a church function, corporate conference, bridal shower, wedding, anniversary, tea party, hosting a seminar, or a themed fundraisor this would be an asset on so many levels.

Let me introduce you to Adrienne who is the owner of I-SYTES. We have an outstanding relationship with her and she can customize a plan for your event. They can publish your event online with a registration page. Use practical promotional tools to raise awareness and increase attendance through email marketing. Give you the online tools to keep organized and track attendees. AND the best start is if you are selling tickets they can show you how to collect money with secure credit card processing before your event happens. You can sell multiple ticket types, accept donations, automatically generate name tags, a printable check-in list and so much more! Get in touch with Adrienne, tell her I sent you. You will be blessed you did!

Going Back to Class

Teachers Need a Recess too!

TEACHER RECESS at Her Secret Garden Tea Room

We are looking forward to celebrating the wonderful ladies and men who are educating our children. If you know a teacher in the Rockwall, Royce City, Mesquite, Terrell, or Garland area please let them know that we want to celebrate them with a special coupon by signing up to our email list. Click here.

If you sign up you will receive other special notices AND exclusive tea party invitations.

Soup of the Day

Soup of the Day

Today at Her Secret Garden, we will serve a light tomato basil soup garnished with croutons. Also serving today, chicken asparagus quiche and Mango iced tea.

Don't miss out! Spread the word to join our mailing list to receive special incentives, coupons, and exclusive tea party invitations.

We would love to hear from you. Please share with us your experience on our blog, facebook fan page or send us an email.

Soup of the Day

Soup of the Day

Today at Her Secret Garden, we will serve a light tomato basil soup garnished with croutons. Also serving today, chicken asparagus quiche and Mango iced tea.

Don't miss out! Spread the word to join our mailing list to receive special incentives, coupons, and exclusive tea party invitations.

We would love to hear from you. Please share with us your experience on our blog, facebook fan page or send us an email.

Soup of the Day

Soup of the Day

Today at Her Secret Garden, we will serve broccoli/cheese soup. Also serving today, chicken asparagus quiche and Mango iced tea.

Don't miss out! Spread the word to join our mailing list to receive special incentives, coupons, and tea party invitations.

Soup of the Day

Soup of the Day

Today at Her Secret Garden, we will serve broccoli/cheese soup. Also serving today, chicken asparagus quiche.

Sweet Flavors Added to the Menu

White Chocolate Covered
Red Velvet Cake Balls

Ladies, we all have been there. Your sweet tooth calling for a sweet taste after a nice filling meal. But you just have to pull away from the table because of the daunting thoughts of all the calories in a pretty dish with all the trimming.

With that in mind, we have created new delights  to our menu. Bite-size white chocolate covered red velvet cake balls. And for the chocolate lovers we have also created dark chocolate covered cake balls.

Bite-size Desserts on a Stick

For your next event, we can serve them in the paper candy cups or with bow tied lollipop candy sticks.

May you blissfully enjoy these tasty treats! 

NEW! Her Secret Garden.Net

Her Secret Garden Tea Room and Gift Shop Goes Global with Website Launch

I-SYTES, Inc, designed and launched Rockwall's Her Secret Garden's first new website HerSecretGarden.net, which provides details about the location, reservation forms for private events to listing our daily menu with prices.

Her Secret Garden Tea Room and Gift Shop Website

"The website also has a quick sign up form for those local patrons and tourists to receive information on special offers, tea tastings, news and features related to the Tea Room,” said Adrienne Hill, creative owner of I-SYTES, Inc. “The website also includes a unique reservation form for those who would like to have a private tea party. Or an opportunity to have specific food served at their special event. We think the guests will love the interaction and personalization."

We will send out press releases to our local papers and invitations to our patrons to encourage them of the new exciting changes.

I believe that promoting the Tea Room online will give business and our local residents more information. This will ensure that the tea room and gift shop will also tap into the growing internet market. Especially, for those that are doing searches online for event theme ideas, brides looking to do something small for their bridal shower, private catering in a southern charm venue or a spot to go with your girls for brunch during the week.

Research proves that people are looking for affordable eateries to go where they serve their favorite foods to the hospitality. By being more open online to share our menu, our location and offer special incentives are things that new patrons will be more likely to come out for brunch, lunch or afternoon tea.

"Being online will be more convenient for those that are looking for specific service to being in the mood for afternoon tea. Her Secret Garden is listed on several directories such as the Urban Spoon, Insider Pages, Tea Map and Tea Guides. In this generation, people use the internet for just about everything, specifically for directions, contact info, menu and price listings; eventually, Her Secret Garden won't stay a secret anymore..." said Adrienne. "For the most part in speaking with Diane about what she was looking for in a website. It was more about the love that she has for people. And she wanted to promote a place where those who have heavy burdens could come, eat and rest. To just be in a place where you can feel at peace. A place where you feel invited and not just another patron like at a drive-thru fast food joint."

The website has been designed to be not just an online brochure. I am hoping to be able to keep our patrons constantly updated with Her Secret Garden news, reviews, new menu items and also related offers and special events. It doesn’t matter whether you are a tea lady or are looking for the latest offer, the website really will be a great way to interact with our patrons in Rockwall.

When I first saw this site I was really impressed! We really believe more and more people are looking online for this type of information and we intend to promote our special offers on the website and through our email blasts. It’s great to see such a professional looking website in Rockwall, Texas. Even though, we have had a couple of physical address changes I believe that the website will give people the right direction to find us in the historic district.

When asked about the future success of Her Secret Garden Tea Room and Gift Shop...well, I am pleased to say that we have an exciting future ahead of us. I believe that God has great plans for our future and I see that we will be used in a greater way as a place for our local ministries, small groups, Red Hat Society members and other types to use our venue as a place to meet for brunch, lunch, private catering to afternoon tea. We will be expanding our kitchen for the increase as well as adding new daily menu items to special gift sales.

For those reading, please leave your comments and join our email database by clicking here . We want to hear from our beloved patrons to share their experience so that we can post them online for others to read.

God Bless,

Diane Palermo

Owner of Her Secret Garden Tea Room and Gift Shop

The Origin of Tea Time

Anna, the Duchess of Bedford (1788-1861)

Ever wonder how "Afternoon Tea" started?

Prior to the introduction of tea into Britain, the English had two main meals, breakfast and dinner. Breakfast was ale, bread, and beef.

During the middle of the eighteenth century, dinner for the upper and middle classes had shifted from noontime to an evening meal that was served at a fashionable late hour. Dinner was a long, massive meal at the end of the day.

Anna, the Duchess of Bedford (1788-1861) is credited as the creator of teatime. Because the noon meal had beco me skimpier, the Duchess suffered from "a sinking feeling" at about four o'clock in the afternoon.

At first the Duchess had her servants sneak her a pot of tea and a few breadstuffs. Adopting the European tea service format, she invited friends to join her for an additional afternoon meal at five o'clock in her rooms at Belvoir Castle. The menu centered around small cakes, bread and butter sandwiches, assorted sweets, and, of course, tea. This summer practice proved so popular, the Duchess continued it when she returned to London, sending cards to her friends asking them to join her for "tea and a walking the fields." 

The practice of inviting friends to come for tea in the afternoon was quickly picked up by other social hostesses.

Belvoir Castle

During the second half of the Victorian Period, known as the Industrial Revolution, working families would return home tired and exhausted. The table would be set with any manner of meats, bread, butter, pickles, cheese and of course tea. You would not see any of the dainty finger sandwiches, scones and pastries of afternoon tea. Because it was eaten at a high, dining table rather than the low tea tables, it was eventually called "high" tea.

God Bless,

Diane Palermo

Owner of Rockwall's Best Kept Secret

The Best Kept Secret in Rockwall

When I think about how "Her Secret Garden" started and all the miracles that took place in order for me to open the doors it truly takes my breath away. I thank God for His amazing provisions and inspirations.

A dear friend of mine gave me the name "Her Secret Garden." It all centered around being the best kept secret in Rockwall, Texas.

 

As the name denotes, I have tried to create an atmosphere of peace and tranquility. With life and its fast pace, I wanted to give people a pleasant place to slow down and catch their breath.

Originally, we opened in l989 inside a hair salon, just as a small boutique. One year later, I opened the doors to a 2000 square foot gift store. Three years later, I replaced half my store with tables and ventured out into the tea room business.  

 

It was all very new for me to venture into hospitality. But I enjoy entertaining and serving people in my own home and I thought it would be great to create a warm inviting place for people to have lunch. I could be just as gracious and hospitable. What most people never saw was the late nights that I would work to replace all the food that had been sold earlier that day...sometimes into the wee morning! Over the years, the tea room began to be the predominate source of attraction. Although, everyone loved to be able to come eat and shop so I continued to maintain the tea room and stock the gift shop.

 

It was the hardest day of my life when I had to close my doors due to an unexpected increase in my lease agreement that I felt like my baby had just died. A close friend reminded me, "When God closes a door, He opens another..." and that is just what He did. Suddenly, I got the call that 203 S. Fannin St. was available. The owner of the property was wanting to put a tea room in that location.

Nine months later, we took over the new location to paint and remodel. We had a successful grand opening with an astounding response! Returning patrons showed they still loved us and expressed that they were glad we were back.

 

I owe so much to the faithful customers who keep coming back and bringing their friends to have lunch. They have become in a sense a part of my family. We always enjoy seeing our regular customers and making them feel right at home. I love it when they come in and need a hug that I can take the time to give them one. I hope that they know that they are appreciated and are loved very much. I always pray that someone would be touched or made to feel special when they walk through the doors.

 

It brings a lot of love, satisfaction and fulfillment to entertain and cook for others. When I see that my customers are enjoying the place and the dishes served it makes it worthwhile. There is nothing more satisfying than being a blessing to another. Thank you to our friends and family! Look forward to see our first website that will feature our menu, a photo gallery and our services. Be sure to sign up for our newsletter which will inform you of our upcoming events, special incentives, brunch discounts and more!

God Bless,

Diane Palermo

Owner of Rockwall's Best Kept Secret