Recently I asked a handful of friends, “What is your springtime inspiration?” The imagery that soon flooded my inbox was brimming with florals. While ranging from colorful to monochromatic, English gardens to tropical vistas, the consistent thread was the arrangement of said botanicals in a natural manner: an ode to the garden. The union of nature & our domestic enjoyment is perfect to celebrate in the form of an April dinner party.
Set the stage by moving your houseplants into your dining room. Trees, ferns and potted plants will serve as a thematic but elegant nod to your evening’s decor. Hang votives from the trees and plants whose scale and strength allow. Use botanical themed linens. Serve drinks in colored glassware, a mixture of stemmed and stemless. Set your table with decorative china. Light candles and arrange amongst smaller plants & cuttings from your garden – or let your own inspiration drive the scene. If you can’t stop looking at images from the Chelsea Flower Show, make cuttings and arrangements with roses or camelias. If you’re more inspired by Ann Rice, mystical New Orleans or nighttime gardens, gather vines and darker colored florals. Wildflowers & flowering weeds make magical and unexpected arrangements when mixed with rich greenery.
Serve elegant food, keep the drinks flowing and the music playing. It will be a memorable evening for all. Cheers!
Why not dress the part? Delilah Dress, SOSUSU Boutique, 504-309-5026, sosusuboutique.com.
Garden or Trellis? No need to choose! Reversible Kantha Table Cover in Foxgloves, Maisonette, 504-437-1850, maisonetteshop.com.
Get in the mood with a Paloma Rose
- 2 ounces reposado tequila
- Juice from 1 fresh grapefruit
- 1 ounce of rose flavored simple syrup
- Grapefruit flavored sparkling water to taste
Add first 3 ingredients to a cocktail shaker, shake, pour over ice and top with sparkling water to taste.
The perfect backdrop Philippe Deshoulieres Jardins de Florence, Adler’s, 504-523-5292, adlersjewelry.com.
Rose colored glasses
Estelle Regal Goblets in Smoke, Hilltop Shoppe, 504-533-9670, hilltopshoppe.com.
