Set a spell

Charleston, S.C.

This garden scene made me think of the expression "come set a spell" and then I wondered where it came from.

I smiled at this query on Yahoo:

What does "come sit a spell" mean?

i saw this phrase "come sit a spell" on a wooden sign on some lady's porch, and i have no idea what it means? no, shes not a witch..any ideas?

Heheh. Here is a better answer:

set a spell
To sit down for a period of time, especially in the company of other people and in order to relax or to engage in casual conversation.  [quotations ▼]