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
25 comments
Thank you so much for joining me today Jenna! I hope you’re enjoying beautiful Monday, 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~
Gorgeous arrangement and tablescape. I love it.
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!!
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.