Garden Party

Set a simple, appealing table to dine al fresco for a graceful change of pace. Comb your home for tableware and furnishings usually found decorating indoor spaces. Guests will feel welcomed and pampered as they cool off in the shade.

weet serenity
A collection of cool whites is soothing to the eye on a warm summer day. Left: Salvaged bottles filled with an array of wildflowers add color and texture to the crisp white linens and soft blue dinnerware. Choose bottles that have similar shapes and neck diameters to unify the look. Our vases are filled with Queen Anne’s lace, asters, and snapdragons.

nature’s napkins
A white paint pen dresses up dark green leaves for distinctive place cards. Tie the napkins with a long stem of variegated monkey grass and tuck a glossy leaf under the edge of the grass. If you don’t happen to have variegated monkey grass in your yard—or something similar— a green ribbon will work just fine.

pretty pots
Fresh herbs in small whitewashed terra-cotta pots are just the thing to send home with guests to transplant into their garden. To whitewash pots, spray with primer and let dry Rub edges lightly with sandpaper to distress. Finish each favor by wrapping it with an 18-inch length of ribbon tied in a bow.

lime libation
Fresh Lime Margarita: Combine 1 cup tequila, Don Julio® Blanco; 3/4 cup Triple Sec; 3/4 cup lime juice; and 2 tablespoons sugar. Stir. Add 8 cups crushed ice. Combine 2 tablespoons each sugar and salt. Moisten rims of glasses with lime wedge. Dip in salt mixture. Pour drinks. Garnish with a lime slice. Makes 6 drinks.