French Lavender Cocktails on the Potting Bench

Happy Monday! It’s my favorite day of the month, when I join my blogging friends for beautiful flower therapy and Monday Morning Blooms! I'll share Mary and Pam's links at the bottom of this post, as well as our special guest Bonnie from Living With Thanksgiving, be sure to visit them too, more flowers is always a good idea, no? Since summer has officially begun, I thought I'd share these French Lavender Cocktails on the potting bench with you today. They are perfect for all your summer entertaining.

WELCOME TO MONDAY MORNING BLOOMS! We're excited to have Bonnie of Living with Thanksgiving join us this time, I know, that if you don't know her already, you will love this sweet and talented friend! Monday Morning Blooms For Spring

Our theme for our flowers in June is watering cans. You may know that I love antique and vintage watering cans! Whenever we can get some antique French cans, I snap them up for the shop. {And have serious discussions with Mr. FGH who thinks every watering can that arrives here from France should be his to keep!} French Country Potting Bench

It's the beginning of summer and outdoor entertaining, so I set up our little black potting bench in the back garden for cocktails and appetizers before a summer BBQ. Potting Bench with Peonies

I filled my antique watering can with pink peonies and a new kind of wax flower that I've never seen before but isn't it so pretty? It has bigger clusters of the little pink flowers. peony quote

The cocktails are so good, they're French Lavender Cocktails. They are easy to make, I'll share the recipe at the end of this post with you. You can make them with or without alcohol, either version is refreshing and very good! Lavender Cocktails on the Potting Bench

I froze some of our garden flowers in ice cubes, such a pretty look in drinks in the summer. {Keep reading for my best tips on how to make them.} Everything fits into the large French gathering basket, including our favorite linen napkins. Lavender-Cocktails-on-the-Potting-Bench

How fun are these little charcuterie cups I made using our antique French seedling pots? Simply lined with kraft paper, each little pot holds some almonds in the bottom, a long square piece of white cheddar cheese, some peanut butter filled pretzels, a few strawberries, and salami rolled up and skewered on bamboo sticks. appetizers in antique garden pots from France

appetizers in antique garden pots from France

Antique and vintage flower frogs are a fun way to add a little card with a saying to your potting bench drinks station! I used an oval flower frog and added 'WELCOME SUMMER' with stamps to our gold bee name cards. French antique pots with charcuterie

HOW TO MAKE FLORAL ICE CUBES Floral Ice Cubes are so pretty in summer drinks! Here is how to make them. It's super easy. flower ice cubes

Use Flexible Ice Cube Trays. To make the large square ice cubes, I used a large silicone ice cube tray. These trays are flexibile which makes it easy to remove the ice cubes. You can get these at different stores, I bought mine at TJMaxx but Target should have them, and any other kind of store that sells housewares.

floral ice cubes

Use organic, edible flowers. Make sure the edible flowers are pesticide free. I used rose petals, lavender, and small wax flowers, and tiny petunias. Make clear ice cubes. I recommend you boil your water first, and let it cool. If you use regular tap water, your ice cubes will be cloudy, like mine were today. Fill the ice cube trays half way with water, then add flowers, and freeze. Then when they are frozen add the rest of the water to each little compartment. Adding water and petals in phases prevents the petals from floating and freezing to one side of your ice cubes. You will love using floral ice cubes in your drinks all summer!

Antique barkcloth pillow covers Vintage Barkcloth Pillow Cover

French Lavender Cocktails on the Potting Bench

FrenchGardenHouse Lavender Lemonade Cocktail A grown up lemonade with a French twist. Even though this is special, it's surprisingly easy, It makes a great mocktail without the alcohol too!

Water – 3/4 cup {you can use sparkling if preferred}
Juice from 1 lemon {about 4 tablespoons}
French Lavender Syrup
2 oz. good quality Vodka

How to Make French Lavender Syrup:

1 cup water
1 cup regular fine sugar Sugar
1-1/2 tablespoons fresh organic or dried culinary Lavender

Boil water, sugar, and lavender in a saucepan over medium heat. When it simmers, turn the temperature down to low. Stir continuously and continue to cook. After approximately five minutes, the sugar will have dissolved, and and the mixture will get thicker. Be careful not to burn or scorch! Once it is cool, pour into an air-tight glass jar, it can keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 weeks. If you make your syrup the day of wanting to make your drinks, make make sure you allow it cool. Mix all your ingredients, stir or shake, add your flower ice cubes and savor the flavor of summer in the French countryside! Thank you for joining me at the potting bench today. I hope the beginning of your summer is lovely! Please be sure to join my dear friends Pam and Mary too.

Do you use garden antiques when entertaining?

Be sure to visit my blooming friends:

Pam at Everyday Living

Mary at HomeIsWhereTheBoatIs

Bonnie at Living With Thanksgiving

Lavender Cocktails on the Potting Bench and me, Lidy at FrenchGardenHouse

A BIENTOT

Shop for the best in French Antiques, furniture with the patina of age, vintage accessories to delight you and your family & friends, and French Country utilitarian pieces. Treasures that make your home fresh, beautiful, inspirational and above all uniquely yours. Visit our shop FrenchGardenHouse.com

22 comments

Bonjour, Lidy,
What a lovely setting of all the above, I’m going to try the Lavander cocktail and I to use all my antique’s love them love all your smart idea’s flower’s are so pretty you do have a special touch, enjoy your summer partie’s my friend~~~~~Jean V.B. P.S. Thanks for sharing such a joy to see~~~~~

Jean Van Buskirk

Thank you, it’s a fun summery garden touch that everyone can do. Happy summer to you! Xo

Lidy

Thank you so much for this inspiring post. Once again, I’ve added it to my “French Garden House/Lidy Baars” Pinterest board. Your photos are always spectacular and I love and appreciate that you share your recipes. Vintage watering cans? Oh my, yes! I just picked up yet another one in Cambria.
It’s now on the deck at our lake cabin. Merci, merci!!!

Lynn Jackson

Loved this, especially the appetizer pots, adorable! Thank you for sharing your beauty.

Aquietlife

Happy Monday friend! I hope you are enjoying the beginning of the month of June! xo

Lidy

Set me a place at this gorgeous table!!!! Now I need to get a potting bench to have an outdoor serving table!!! You know how much I love your backyard oasis! Gorgeous table and flowers!! Happy Monday!

Shirley @Housepitality Designs

Thanks Anja! Our spring hasn’t been great as far as sunny late afternoons or evenings this year so far, so any time I can have people join us in the garden is a good time to have fun! Happy June!

Lidy

Love your idea to use your potting bench as sidetable for drinks,snacks in those cute little seedling pots and of course your decorations especially the watering can with the peonies

Anja

Good morning Mary! I know, you and Mr. FGH share a watering can “thing”…: ). It’s always a blessing to join you and our fellow flower loving friends on this special Monday of the month! xo Lidy

Lidy

Good morning Pam, so happy to have you join me this favorite Monday of the month! I hope you DO have a garden party soon, because this is the perfect month before it gets too hot, isn’t it? And everything is in bloom. Happy Monday, sweet Pam! xo Lidy

Lidy