Your CartI love watching “our” bees buzz around the garden this summer! They fly from flower to flower, pollinating while they gather nectar for their hive. It’s one of the silver lining things here in Southern California when we had our pandemic year. Because a lot of people pretty much stayed home for quite some time, our air quality improved, and we’ve have a surge of honey bees and butterflies last and this year! Inspired by these buzzing industrious bees, I’m excited to share this French Golden Honey Flower Arrangement today.
WELCOME TO MONDAY MORNING BLOOMS!
Today, Mary, Pam and Shirley and I are sharing a flower inspiration related to bees. I hope you feel the buzz and love…make sure to visit them by clicking on the links at the bottom of this post! Now…grab a cafe au lait, iced if need be, and let’s begin!
Since last year, our front garden has become alive with bees. They dart from flower to flower, happily drinking nectar and getting all the flowers pollinated with their little legs. I love bees! Not swarms of them, but a few or twenty happily buzzing in the garden.
ABOUT BEES
Honeybees are social, selfless, industrious, productive, and environmentally responsible. Did you know that even commercial agriculture uses bees to pollinate fruit trees? Honey is not just delicious, it helps cure pollen-related allergies. It never spoils {honestly, edible honey was found in the tombs of the pharaohs.} The sticky substance that bees use to fix cracks in their hives, called propolis, is rumored to have been the “secret ingredient” in the varnish used by Stradivarius for his violins. Beeswax is used to make gorgeous candles, in lip balms, in furniture polish and for waterproofing.
Keeping bees is growing into a passion that many home owners have fully embraced. Which is a good thing, because honey bees need our help! They have so many natural predators, and worldwide the bee population is way down.
I love seeing which of our garden flowers attract the bees. Usually, they prefer blue flowers, not red. They love lavender, any kind of herbal flower, and our roses.
For this week’s flower arrangement, I was inspired by the beautiful golden colors of the honey we usually eat at breakfast time in Europe. Most of the smaller hotels buy from local producers, and their honeys can have a range of colors from light yellow to deep, almost orange amber. I found the perfect roses in golden yellow and golden light apricot, and one of my all-time favorite summer filler, chamomile.
I set our smaller painted wood table and chair set in the front garden for a small lunch for four friends {which includes me!} – sometimes I like a change of scenery, and it doesn’t really get warm here until later in the afternoon.
The sprawling olive tree in the center of our gravel gives enough shade, and I love how the gentle breeze softly moves the branches. I broke the rules with the flower arrangement! I know you aren’t supposed to put a tall centerpiece on your table, because you want to see your guests. I couldn’t help myself, that antique French apothecary jar with the bee label was just so right for this setting! I will just put it on our bar cart out there when we sit down to eat. Are you okay with that?! {sometimes I just want to be a rule breaker.}
This antique French boutis {quilt} brought just the right French Country ambience to our table for four. I decided to use an antique hand cut heart made out of wood under the jar, to stabilize and also to protect the quilt.
The plate stack is a combination of my favorite and quite gorgeous white plates with a pewter rim, topped with fun melamine plates that look like paper plates and are decorated with bees!
What else but linen bee napkins would make this setting complete? A little favor of my favorite bee skep soap for each friend to take home!
Our everyday flatware features bees, so that was a natural! Inexpensive black glasses for our ice tea or water completes this table setting.
This little table is right past the front gate to our home on one side. It has a lovely view of our street, the little school across from us, but is fairly secluded by the wispy olive tree and the silver sheen trees we planted along the white low fence. It’s one of my favorite places for a morning cup of coffee too.
I hope you’ve enjoy my summer table for friends, and this French Golden Honey Flower Arrangement inspired by the delicious French honey from the Provence region.
Bees and honey, do they inspire you for summer?
Be sure to buzz over to my talented and very inspiring friends to see their bee inspired flowers today!
SHIRLEY at Housepitality Designs
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
Wouldn’t I know you would have a beautiful napkin with the all important bee. I would of course need the soap to give as a favor. You tempt me all to often Lidy.
Alice, sorry about that! 😉 Hope you have a brilliant week ahead, friend. xo
Happy Monday Lidy!…Where do I begin?…In love with your gorgeous arrangement in the oh so bee-utiful French bee vintage jar!!! LOVE!…Such a lovely, lovely table exquisitely curated to honor our friends the Bees. Those melamine bee plates are the cutest!…How wonderful that you have the perfect “bee my guest” soap to place on your pretty plate stack. I love that you have chamomile as a filler…one of my fav summer fillers too…What a most wonderful setting in your front courtyard. Truly a most wonderful space to entertain a group of friends and make them truly feel welcomed with your pretties and goodies! Happy to “bee” sharing our blooms with you today! Have a most bee-utiful day Lidy!!
Happy Monday Shirley! I’m happy to bee sharing our blooms today, today. xo
Gorgeous arrangement and tablescape. I love it.
Thank you Renae! So nice to see you here, I hope you have a beautiful week ahead! xo
Oh goodness, that antique apothecary jar with the bee label is fabulous! And the honey colored roses, swoonworthy! Such a perfect and lovely table in your beautiful garden paradise, and all the bee touches are wonderful Lidy~
Thank you so much for joining me today Jenna! I hope you’re enjoying beautiful Monday, xo
Lidy, the antique jar with the bee label is so lovely with your gorgeous honey colored roses! The antique quilt is a fabulous foundation for your welcoming table. Of course, you would have bee skep soup as a gift for your friends to take home…I am sure it has a luxurious scent! Your front garden is a perfect place to set a table, have morning coffee, or just sit and watch our pollinator friends, the BEES!
Sharing Monday Morning Blooms with you is always a treat. Wishing you a BEE-utiful day!
Happy Monday Pam! It is always a treat to share our Monday Morning Blooms with you, dear friend. xo
Bonjour Lidy—-EVERYTHING is gorgeous!!! Just finished your terrific article with wonderful pictures in the New “Special Summer Issue” of Victoria magazine. I never knew you spent your childhood in “HOLLAND”. I always thought you were French descent with your fabulous pictures from Paris. Love all the items with the BEES—makes me want to sit down and join you!! Meilleurs Voeux—BetteJean Herrmann
Thank you Bette Jean! It’s such a beautiful issue, isn’t it?? Hope you are enjoying your summer.
What a lovely table setting and beautiful roses in yellow and apricot colors! Everything is a perfect homage to your local bees and a delightful setting for your friends to enjoy.
I grow a lot of lavender and the bees here have been enjoying the blooms.
Pat, thank you for joining me today at my little table, I am so happy you enjoyed it. I love bees, and they do love our lavenders too!
This is so very gorgeous, Lidy, and very subtly hints toward late summer with the soft colors of the apricot and pale yellow roses, and the soft blues in the quilt. I love all your touches, including the honeycomb soaps as gifts for guests (who wouldn’t love one of those?!). Thank you for sharing your treasures and garden for this MMB day!
Happy Monday, dear friend! Thank you for stopping by, wish we could sit at this little table and talk for a few hours! xo
Lidy, I definitely feel the buzz and love. Each one of you ladies’ posts delight. I’ve pinned each one to easily return to each for extended inspiration. You have captured the feel of Provence! The small table and chairs in the garden is so French. The colors, the garden spot, and the details on the table transport my mind to the French countryside. The bouts seals the deal! Thanks for the delightful post.
Thank you so much for joining all of us today, Sarah! Wishing you a gorgeous beginning of your week over there! xo
Lidy, your floral arrangement is just gorgeous! Your tablesetting is such a beautiful tribute to those so important bees. The sweet plates and napkins add the perfect touch along with the pretty French quilt. Wishing you a wonderful week, sweet friend!
Thank you so much dear Shannon! I loved visiting you today, too. Oh, if only our virtual visits could be real ones, that would be such a joy, wouldn’t it? Hope you have a very wonderful week! xo
Lidy, Your apothecary jar speaks to my bee-loving heart! I love the sweet flowers of the chamomile paired with your roses and ferns. What a wonderful table and setting in your garden to enjoy the flowers and hum of the bees set off with your pretty quilt. As always it’s a treat to share Monday Morning Blooms with you! Happy Monday <3
Mary, bees are so wonderful, aren’t they? Both real and “faux” they always bring a smile. It’s a delight to bee with you on every one of our Monday Morning Blooms!
Your flower arrangement is wonderful and unique! Elegant table! Congratulations to all of you,this Monday Morning Blooms post is unforgettable !
I want to be invited to your table. I love the bee soap I purchased from you. I know I was going to use as hostess gifts but I can’t give it away. Your arrangement is beautiful.
Thank you so much Gloria! I know, those soaps are so pretty, I just put mine {the ones I am keeping for me} in my drawers where my linen napkins live. They make them smell delightful!