A Whimsical Garden Party Table…
Summer is just days away…my favorite season for a Garden Party!
I am honored to be collaborating with MacKenzie-Childs on this “Girls in the Garden” luncheon. Planning this event has been quite special and humbling for me. Many many years ago my sweet mom gave me my first piece from MacKenzie-Childs…a Courtly Check tea pot. It was after I had visited New York City and had accidentally fallen upon the MacKenzie-Childs shop, I was smitten! I went into great detail describing this magical place to my mom, every tiny detail was pure joy. Their colorful designs and classic black and white Courtly Check pattern had me mezmerized! Needless to say, receiving my first piece of MacKenzie-Childs from my mom truly meant so much to me. It sits on our stove to this day, reminding me of my mom and how she always shared an appreciation of a home and garden filled with color and whimsy! If you visit our home you will understand my love of this gorgeous style.
Welcome… come on in through the courtyard gate and into the Garden Party…
I decided to set up the luncheon table in the courtyard because it is a smaller, cozy spot surrounded by numerous Lemon Cypress topiaries, our lime and lemon trees, an old stone fountain and our tiny herb garden…truly a simple garden setting.
These adorable enamel “Flower Market” plates gave me all of the inspiration for the invitation, florals, menu and even the for the special “thanks for joining me” gifts for my guests! I will be sharing these in my next post.
I have used the Courtly Check plate chargers under the Flower Market plates, I love how the mix of patterns compliments each other. And these darling “Tic-Tac-Posie Napkins”… the pleated silk gingham trim with the natural linen are a perfect compliment to the chargers. They add such a special touch and I adore anything with black and white checks…always and always!
Tiny blooms at each place setting for my girlfriends to take home and enjoy…nothing fancy just little snips to create a simple posy bouquet…I used the Courtly Check Herb pots for these tiny bouquets. Aren’t they darling?!
I love our old wrought iron garden table but decided to cover it for the luncheon to highlight the beautiful tablescape. Just a square of lavender linen fabric over a round white table cloth… I like a simple layered look and this lavender linen feels just right with the table setting. I simply cut a square of the fabric and left the edges raw, I like the casual unrefined look.
The large centerpiece was such a joy to create, it was fun selecting blooms from the Flower Market in Los Angeles to match the colorful blooms found in the “Flower Market” plates. I adore this tall Courtly Check pedestal vase, the height is perfect, and when filled with all the the fun mis matched blooms it looked magical!
As you can see, I used a little bit of everything… When I create a floral arrangement I allow the shapes, colors and textures to take over and fall into place naturally. I begin with the greens. For this arrangement I used Pittosporum, Eucalyptus, Ivy, Geranium, Dusty Miller and Boston Fern, all clipped from our garden except the Eucaluptus. Once the greens are in place I add the blooms…
On this side you will find Garden Roses, Hydrangea, Pin Cushion Scabiosa, French Larkspur, Chamomile, Spray Roses and Gerber Dasies…
I used both white and lavender Hydrangeas, the white ones are from the Flower Market and the lavender blooms are from the garden. And a Shasta Daisy in honor of Daisy Rhubarb, my big white pup…
The magenta Hanging Amaranths adds the perfect touch of whimsy…it is hanging over with the Eulcaluptus. The lavender Hyacinth gives the arrangement a lovely fresh cut garden scent…one of my favorite fragrances! The dainty lavender Caspia a favorite “fill flower” of mine, it is tucked in behind the Hyacinth.
I adore the Courtly Check paired with the colorful blooms…this is my kind of happy!
The more the merrier…After I think I have finished an arrangement I will walk away for a few minutes then return with a fresh look to fill tiny missed areas that may need a touch of this or that. I will also pull some blooms out further and tuck others in, I prefer an unsculpted, natural look….fresh from the garden!
I adore these darling Black and White Beeswax Fishnet taper candles…they dripped ever so slowly and added a perfect touch of elegance to the garden table setting. I love having candles on the table even during the daytime!
It was a chilly June afternoon but we sat for hours in the old iron garden chairs, laughing, telling stories, reminiscing, eating way too much…
Even Daisy Rhubarb made a guest appearance…before the yummy food was served. I think she would have sat on our laps and joined the fun if we had let her!
It’s always so much fun to share a meal, laugh until it hurts and just relax with dear friends! But it isn’t over…I can’t wait to share all of the yummy menu details in my next post, I think you will enjoy the recipes and just wait until you see the desserts…
Thank you for joining me here, it’s a joy to share this MacKenzie-Childs inspired Garden Party with you. Please feel free to leave a comment or ask a question, I adore hearing from you!
You can take a peek at even more gorgeous MacKenzie-Child inspiration HERE…
XO…Janice