I am so excited to welcome you here today! Some of you who follow me on Instagram might remember that just before our Stay At Home order began, we started re-doing our back garden. Luckily, garden contractors can still work here in California, so our garden is actually in place by now. We have the basics in, and John and I have been planning out our "new" garden, I'll share the garden in another post soon. We had a French Garden planning luncheon in the back.
Please join us.
WELCOME TO MONDAY MORNING BLOOMS!
These Mondays are my favorite Mondays of the month, as we all join my good friends Shirley, Pam and Mary for floral therapy. I'll share their links at the bottom of this post, they always deliver beautiful floral inspiration you won't want to miss!
I'm ready to jump into spring, and a life in the garden! Sun. Birds singing. Beautiful flowers. We are just beginning spring here in Southern California, the trees are leafing out, the hydrangeas are just beginning to bud, and the birds are chirping! These days more than ever, as we are sheltering at home, I am so thankful for our garden areas. A place to enjoy the beauty God has created, to hear the birds sing, and to know that life goes on.
For our planning luncheon, I layered our small table on the back patio with a blue paisley tablecloth.
In the background, you can see my little French Garden House, and the old gingko tree with the bench built around it.
Since we've been on Stay at Home orders, I've not bought any flowers, and none of our flowers in the gardens are blooming quite yet. Except for this beautiful purple Santa Barbara Salvia Leucantha, or Mexican Sage Bush.
I'm making do with what we have, you too? Luckily, what we have blooming is delightful! I cut the flowers from the front garden. This plant blooms constantly from now all the way through fall here in our coastal garden.
The vibrant purple flowers are an appealing color combination with the antique French enamelware coffee pot . The flowers tend to droop, but oh that color! And the leaves are velvety too.
I used the tiniest antique flower frogs as place card holders for the gilded bee place cards.
The blues of the cotton tablecloth and napkins are a perfect mix with white and soft grey in the paisley design. Since we were having a salad and bread, these deep antique Victorian French plates are just the right touch for this garden planning session.
I love the French hand painted plates with blue delphiniums on the rims. Sadly, there were just two that survived over 100+ years, but two is better than none!
Under the old gingko tree, our bench is a favorite place to sit. The antique quilt adds a little softness, the pastel colors are sublime.
The tall pink blossoms are part of our Les Belles Fleurs faux floral collection, they'll be added to the line soon. Just a few in an antique French enamelware body pitcher lends a touch of spring to this corner.
A white painted vintage wicker tray is so charming and handy to take drinks and glasses to the garden for an alfresco meal. I served the fresh green salad from an antique French canning jar, the dressing in the French white pitcher.
One of the napkins keeps the rustic bread warm, all wrapped up on an antique bread board.
I used a few antique brass hose nozzles and sprayers as decoration. It's a garden planning luncheon after all!
I hope you are able to get out into an outdoor space soon to inhale the fresh air, watch flowers bloom, and hear birds sing!
These are challenging times, but we will get to the other side of it. I wish you a joy filled week with more blessings to count than you thought you would have.
Thank you so much for joining me today. Please be sure to visit my friends! Their links are below.
SHIRLEY at Housepitality Designs
and me, LIDY at FrenchGardenHouse
Please share with us some plans you might have for your garden, your balcony, or patio, or even a window sill, if that is where you "garden", we'd love to hear about it!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 uniquely yours. Visit our shop FrenchGardenHouse.com
27 comments
Sammie, thank you too! It’s so nice to see you here. It’s always a good idea to bring the freshness of spring inside, faux or real.
Thank you for inviting me to join you at your garden party. A garden party is not on my list but after viewing your garden and beautiful table II will going to the dinning room and bring a little spring into the house. Nice to know others use what in the garden for floral arrangements then add add a special touch with fresh and silk flowers. I have been a fan of silk floral and plants mixed it allows you to be very creative.
Your table is stunning, Lidy! So very "French’, not surprising! I’ve never used tablecloths much but you may have made a convert out of me! Paisley is so pretty and I love it in blue. Yes, using flowers we have is the best we can do, everything non-essential is closed here, so I have tulips and branches from my forsythia here and there. Soon, tulips.
I’m looking forward to seeing your garden! I’m making changes here and at the lake. Drawing out plans and looking at rugs, outdoor furniture and statuary, keeps me dreaming and happy!
Sending love from Chicago. Be well! ?
Shirley, it’s always such a joy to join you for our special Mondays. I love my flower friends too….wishing we could gather around a table all together. xo
Kristy, thanks for the visit! I’d love to have you visit and sit in our back garden too!!
Thanks, Rita! It’s such a blessing to have two gardens during this shelter at home time. In the mornings, we sit in the front garden for a coffee break and talk to our neighbors out for a walk. It’s gardening time….I can’t wait to go out to a garden center. Even though they are open, our garden plants aren’t really a “neccessity” so we are waiting. :) Hope your week ahead is a happy one!
Thank you so much Noreen. It is a blessing to be able to sit in the sunshine in the garden, especially during these uncertain times. I agree, I think the flower frogs might cause some confusion, although a lot of my younger clients really love vintage, so they might surprise us! Be blessed.
Anne, how blessed will we all be when we can finally entertain people we love in our gardens again?! Wishing you a beautiful week and gardening. xo
Pam, it’s always such a pleasure to gather with you all on our Monday Morning Blooms! The gingko trees are lovely, I feel that mine most likely would fit better in your grand property than my smallish California garden. :) Wishing you a blessed day, friend.
Linda, thank you for your visit! I’m blessed our paths have crossed this morning also! Wishing you a beautiful week ahead, Lidy