A Patriotic Table for the Fourth

Are you ready to celebrate the Fourth of July next week? I've set the table indoors, but it can easily be taken outside if the weather permits.

Early Summer Flowers

Welcome to the garden! Come with me to see the early summer flowers.

First up is a cultivar of milkweed native to eastern North America, beloved of butterflies. It's commonly known as butterfly weed.

Asclepias tuberosa 'Hello Yellow'

   

An Everyday Table

I totally enjoy designing tablescapes for holidays and special occasions, but of course we don't celebrate special occasions every day. That doesn't mean we can't put a little thought into the settings we have from day to day.

 

The Birds of Toulouse

After three days of rain we had a short break in the weather. I had been enjoying the return of birdsong this morning and found it to be the perfect inspiration for a table setting!

To bring birds to the table, I selected these luncheon-sized plates, in a pattern named 'Toulouse'. They're a pretty pale aqua, with spring-green leaves. A butterfly in a soft coral and blue flits above a wood thrush still sitting on its eggs.

Spending Late Spring Afternoons in the Garden

Spring is my favorite time in the garden! Trees and shrubs leaf out with the softest of greens, and the profusion of flowers lifts the spirit. Come with me to the garden -- these photos were taken from mid-April to mid-May and bloomed in roughly the order shown. 

Clematis 'American Beauty'