Good morning dear friends and sweet readers!
Welcome to the summer tablescape bloghop hosted by Rita from Panoply! As always, there is a big thank you to Rita for organizing these wonderful bloghops. Today, you are in for a treat as 16 very talented ladies share their inspiration for a summer table setting. The theme was any way that you wished to interpret a summer tablescape, be it patriotic, tropical, alfresco, or whatever else one might conjure up. The links to my fellow bloggers can be found at the end of this post. You will not want to miss any of these wonderfully creative and inspiring tables.
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Segueing into the title of this post, our gardening season starts slowly here in Calgary, compared with others, as our last frost date averages between May 23rd and 27th. The rule of thumb is nothing in the ground before the long weekend, Victoria Day, which falls on the third Monday in May. And there is good reason for that advice; according to Environment Canada weather statistics, 61% of the time, there is snow, rain, and/or cold on the May long weekend in Calgary. Not the greatest odds for good gardening weather.
True to form… here we are on Saturday, May 16th of the long weekend looking out on the back deck. Yup, that’s snow. It snowed all day in fact. You can see the newly planted cedars in the background lol. Fortunately, cedars are not particularly bothered by snow, but I had also planted some Big Bang Spirea and their leaves are sensitive to snow and frost.
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Thank goodness for shrub covers because the spireas not only survived, but appear to be (dare I even utter it) relatively healthy, knock on wood. The weeds, of course, are thriving and keeping them in check is a never-ending chore.
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And my favorite acquisition this spring? It’s a Fairytrail Fresco cascading hydrangea and isn’t she a beauty?! Even the name is beguiling. I simply could not resist. It’s a zone 5 to 9 shrub so it won’t survive the winter here, unless I can figure out a way to overwinter it. But in the meantime, I plan on enjoying it as long as possible.
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It is fair to say that I have gardening and landscaping on my mind this year. It’s the first summer since we moved in at the end of June 2024 that even a hanging basket of flowers has graced our yard.
The inspiration for this tablescape started with a long hyacinth serving tray found at HomeSense earlier this spring. It was one of those “hmmm” items – the kind where you are positive that you can use it for something other than its intended purpose, but the “what” is not immediately clear. Shortly after, a trip to Michaels sent me home with a small moss-covered umbrella that reminded me of a fairy garden. Once at home, daisy salad plates and stemless daisy champagne glasses from my stash nudged towards a gardener’s tabletop theme.
I laid the hyacinth tray on a sunny yellow and white checked table runner.
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On one end of the tray, a closer look reveals clay pots topsy-turvy with the moss umbrella ready to protect tender new shoots if needed. There is a galvanized watering can, white distressed clay pots, and painted clay pots all of which are napkin rings.
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On the other end, a butterfly has landed on a moss toadstool, and there are more clay pots, an overturned watering can, and of course, gardening gloves covered with bees. Miniature gardening tools are scattered about, as are moss spheres covered in vines with yellow buds. Daisies are strewn about on the ground bottom of the tray.
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In the center, a daisy pitcher is filled with yellow and white daisies and other faux flowers that I don’t know the names of. Probably an anemone and some kind of lily maybe?
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For the place settings, I placed the salad plates on my trusty Mikasa off-white dinner plates and slightly distressed wooden green chargers. The salad plates are from Pier 1’s online store when they reopened in September 2020. I remember being so excited when they reopened, hoping against hope that the new owners would change their minds and open at least some brick and mortar stores. Sadly, they did not.
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A soft yellow napkin with the thinnest of pinstripes adds subtle texture and is encased by a yellow and green beaded butterfly napkin ring.
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I kept the flatware simple.
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Green wine glasses complement the hand-painted daisy champagne glasses. I’ve had the daisy glasses for quite some time just waiting for the right table to come along and make their appearance. They really are beautiful and I hope to use them on other tables.
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Resources:
HomeSense: Daisy champagne glasses (2022), table-runner, napkins, and daisy pitcher (several years ago), hyacinth tray (this spring).
Pier 1: Green wine glasses, chargers, watering can napkin rings, moss spheres (many years ago). Butterfly napkin rings were also originally from Pier 1 and were a find on eBay. Salad plates were from the online store in 2020.
Michaels: Moss umbrella (this spring), moss toadstool several years ago, larger clay pots many years ago.
Distressed clay pot napkin rings and painted napkin rings were eBay finds several to many years ago.
Dollarstore: Small clay pots, flowers, gardening gloves, several to many years ago.
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A few more pictures:
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An overhead shot of the centerpiece. Orange and yellow butterflies echo the yellow shades and the touch of orange in the salad plates.
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After emptying out our last storage unit in May, the patio furniture is now back home and beckoning on the deck. Bring on summer! And on that note: Happy thoughts, happy gardening, and happy summer everyone!🌼🌞🍉🍦😎
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Be sure to visit my fellow tablescapers at the links below for more fabulous summer inspiration!
Panoply – Happy 250th Birthday, America!
Home is Where the Boat Is – Oh My Stars & Stripes
Hyacinths for the Soul – Celebrate With a Patriotic Heart
Olla-Podrida – Night of the Iguana Tablescape
Everyday Living – America is 250: Let’s Celebrate!
Me and My Captain – Belmont Stakes, The Last Race of Triple Crown
The Cats Whiskerz – A Gardener’s Tablescape
Pandora’s Box – Summer Patriotic Tablescape and Kitchen Cart
Life and Linda – A Whimsical Elegant Pastel Summer Table
The Bookish Dilettante – Tablescape for America 250
My Thrift Store Addiction – Summer Serenity in the Garden: Elegant Breakfast For One
Corner of Plaid and Paisley – Celebrating America’s Favorite Pastime
Thrifting Wonderland – Searching for Summer: A Thrifted Tablescape
Red Cottage Chronicles – From Antiquing to Dinner: A Simple Summer Gathering with Friends
Dinner at Eight – A Casual Summer Table Inspired by Island Daydreams
Mantel and Table – Blue and White Tablescape – How to Enjoy a Beautiful Summer
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Wow – snow in May is something! Glad your sprieas made it through! And your hydrangea is lovely. I hope you do find a way to overwinter it. What a great hyacinth tray, and such pretty yellow and white along with all your darling garden things. How fun that they’re napkin rings. Love your summery salad plates, especially against the green chargers and wine glasses. Aren’t those the cutest champagne glasses to keep that white and yellow flower theme going? Love the butterflies too! Another beautiful table my friend! Perfect for summer!
Barbara, I know – that pesky snow lol. Thankfully, it doesn’t usually stick around this time of year so I’m thankful for that. Thanks for your sweet comments on the table – I really liked the hyacinth tray too and hope to be able to use it with other tables in the future. The daisy glasses were another lucky find at HomeSense and so happy to give them a home. I follow Mary Geddry at Oregon’s Bay Area and she was talking about all the Oregon counties that are in drought. I had no idea. I hope you have a wonderful summer my friend, and have all the flowers that you want and exactly the amount of rain that you may need!
Kim, I thoroughly enjoyed savoring every detail in your garden tray and place settings! They are summery and optimistic, as all gardeners are at heart. Even your snow is inviting since I’m sweltering in a humid 80F degrees with intermittent monsoons. I love how you’ve arranged the tray as a story unfolding with the suggestion of rain in the umbrellas and the growth of moss, followed by cheerful yellow flowers blooming and butterflies flitting about. The charming plates with an abundance of wild flowers sit comfortably with the pretty flutes that are sure to bring smiles all around. I love how the greens of the chargers and stems ground the airy flowers, and that you brought the gardener into the scene with the gloves. Have a wonderfully blooming summer!
Sandra, thank you for your lovely comments and I’m so glad you enjoyed the table. I loved your interpretation of it and you said it better than I did! I chuckled at the comment “have a wonderfully blooming summer” and I wish the same for you in your beautiful garden with koi pond. I’m sorry about the heat, humidity, and monsoons down there and of course, you are welcome to any and all of our snow; thankfully it’s all gone now although June is our rainy month so it’s been cool and wet. Looking forward to some sunshine. I hope you have a wonderful summer too!
What a darling tablescape. I love the gardening theme for summer, and the tray with the cute gardening vignette as your centerpiece is so cute. I am going to steal your idea (I just read a book Steal Like an Artist, ha ha). The Pier1 floral salad plates are so cute on your plate stack, especially with the glasses. I miss Pier1 brick and mortar stores, too, and I haven’t ordered anything from them in a minute. I need to take a look and see what they’re selling for summer! Have a Happy Summer!
Hi Ricki Jill. I’m glad the table inspired you, and yes, feel free to steal away. I can’t wait to see what you do with it and that sounds like a really interesting book that you read lol. Thanks for your comments on the table and I’m glad some of your renos are behind you now. Can’t wait to see your reveals so I’ll have to pop back and see. Wishing you a happy summer as well!
Wow, snow Kim? A pretty table with garden accessories. Love the beaded yellow & green butterfly napkin rings. The plates are darling along with your daisy champagne glasses. The overhead shot is lovely with your hyacinth tray filled with cute mini garden goodies. Your acquired Fairytrail Fresco cascading hydrangea is gorgeous and has such a unique name. Good luck with the garden. Happy summer.
Hi Linda. Yes, snow, unfortunately, and it’s not all that unusual here. Thankfully, it doesn’t typically stay. Thanks for your comments on the table. I love the beaded napkin rings too, inspired by Susan from BNOTP, and a lucky eBay find. The centerpiece was really fun to pull together with mostly everything from my stash. Thanks for your good wishes for the garden and I’m pretty sure I can overwinter the hydrangea, fingers cross. It was a treat to hop with you and I wish you a most wonderful summer!
Kim, I am with you on the late garden times here in Ohio. I get so jealous when I see all of our southern friends with their gorgeous blooms so early in the year. Most of our flowers are just starting to get buds on them now. I love gardening theme and your tray of darling gardening delights as the centerpiece. Those beautiful salad plates look fabulous with the soft yellow napkins and the gingham runner, so pretty!! I hope you have a wonderful summer full of blooming beauties!!💛🌸☀️
Ha Ann – I hear you about our Southern friends and their early blooming times. I’m also a tad envious of daffodils in February as I sit under two feet of snow lol. But happy for them and happy to enjoy vicariously. Thank you for your comments and I have to say that it was a fun table to put together, imagining the upcoming planting season. I’m so glad you are seeing some blooms in Ohio now and I hope you have a wonderful summer full of blooming beauties too!.
Kim, your Gardener’s Tablescape is absolutely delightful! 🌿🌸 As someone who loves gardening, I was immediately drawn to all the charming garden-inspired details woven throughout your table. The combination of florals, garden accents, and thoughtful layers creates such a fresh and inviting setting. It feels like a celebration of everything we love about this season of blooms and growing things. I so wished for the return of Pier 1’s brick and mortar stores too. Your Fairytrail Fresco cascading hydrangea is a beauty, I hope you are able to overwinter it! As always, it’s a treat to join you at the table and hop with you. Wishing you a wonderful summer filled with plenty of blooms and garden joy. 🩷
Mary, thanks for your sweet comments. You are so right – there is just something about the blooming season that is inspiring in and of itself. Gardening and tablescaping were intertwined in my mind as I set this table, as I was so happy to be finally able to do some gardening (quite aside the snow)! I think I can overwinter the hydrangea – it looked fairly straightforward when I googled it. I’m sure going to try. It’s a pleasure to hop with you too and visit one of your lovely tables. Happy summer!
I really enjoyed your gardening tablescape, Kim. I spend a lot of time in my garden and loved seeing how you brought so many gardening items to the table. I grew up in Toronto which also has a later growing season. Waiting for the last frost to pass definitely began the growing season and the start of summer. Your flowers are beautiful and bringing them to the table with your lovely plates is a great idea. Love the summer colors. Hope you have a great growing season and enjoy your summer in Calgary.
Lynne, Thrifting Wonderland
Thanks so much for your comments Lynne and yes, waiting for that last frost date to pass seems to take forever – especially if you’ve had nice weather before it, which we did (prior to the snow). I had gardening/landscaping on my mind, and a gardener’s tablescape just seemed a natural extension to what was going on outside (or at least what I was hoping for outside). I hope your beautiful garden flourishes this year and you have a wonderful summer as well!
Kim, while your gardening zone (according to my lookup just now) is a 4a compared to my 7a, it still thrills me to see gardening in action and on your tabletop. Our last frost date is technically mid-April, but savvy gardeners typically wait until Mother’s Day her (2nd Sunday of May). I get so anxious, I’m out there in the first 70°F (21°C) and trying to make things happen. I love the salad plates and glasses you’re using here, and I think you will get oodles of use out of the hyacinth tray. I love the scallops. Those napkins with the subtle pinstripe are sharp!
I know you must be thrilled to have that last storage unit emptied – oh the treasures you’ll find! And the plantings are going to beautiful. I saw that cascading hydrangea last year with a YouTube gardener I follow. I don’t remember if it came out last year or whether she got her hands on a pre-release with Proven Winners, but it is a gorgeous variety of hydrangea. I would definitely try to winter that one over for lasting beauty. I look forward to seeing your garden grow, as I love sharing the dirt!
Thank you for participating in this summer tablescape blog hop!
Rita, emptying out that last storage bin was such a huge relief – nevermind that a lot of the stuff just ended up in the garage lol. I have a lot of gardening pots and decor that I likely can’t use here so it’ll be slated for donation at some point. It’s been fun so far working in our yard although a bit challenging too as it’s very sloped. However, the trees are in now and that, plus a small shed and a level spot for my outdoor island and hutch, are the priorities for this summer. One down, two to go. Anything else is a bonus. Thanks for your sweet comments on the table and thank you for hosting – you do a fabulous job and are much appreciated. Happy summer to you!
What a darling centerpiece for your garden table. I enjoyed all your table elements. I found you through the Blog Hop!
Happy Gardening! 🌼🌿
Thanks Nancy for your visit and comment. So glad you found the blog hop – they really are fun and inspiring aren’t they? Happy gardening and happy summer to you too!
Hello Kim, I remember you telling us of the snow. Hopefully that won’t be seen again until autumn. The Fairytale Fresco cascading hydrangea is gorgeous, I don’t think I have ever seen one. I hope you can overwinter. Your spirea looks just like my ‘candy corn’ one. I always love a garden themed table. The hyacinth tray is a lovely foundation for all of the garden elements. I think it was a wise purchase. Daisies are a lovely summer flower and they are so sweet on the glasses. The overhead shot is fabulous and gives us a bird’s eye view of the entire table. It is always a pleasure to sit at one of your lovely tables way up in Calgary with me way down in Alabama! Wishing you a fabulous summer dear one!
Hi Pam. Yes, the snow and hopefully the last one until fall lol. I think I can overwinter the hydrangea – it looked reasonably easy to do from Googling it. The Big Bang spirea is very much like your Candy Corn – it seems that it is a hybrid that was crossed with Candy Corn and some other variety (can’t remember what). I really do like the different colors on the leaves and can’t wait to see what it does in the fall. Thanks for your sweet comments on the garden table – I had a lot of fun with the daisy theme. Wishing you a fabulous summer too my friend and one that’s not too hot with just the right amount of rain!
Kim, those hydrangeas are gorgeous and your pretty garden-themed setting is absolutely charming! Wishing you a lovely summer, Cecilia – My Thrift Store Addiction
Thank you Cecilia for your comments. Summer tables are always so much fun to do, aren’t they? I hope you have a lovely summer too and stay cool down there!
A gardener’s table is a perfect summer theme. Thanks for sharing your inspiring table. Love the daisy glasses, the basket filled with garden themed items, and the floral dishes. Have a happy summer, Kim!
Thanks Sarah. It really was a fun table to do and I’m glad you liked it. I loved your patriotic table as well. Wishing you a very happy summer as well and happy upcoming July 4th!
Ooh! A garden theme table setting! I do love a garden theme. I had to enlarge the picture to see all of the goodies in the basket at the center of your table. What fun it must’ve been putting all of that together. I also love the stemware and those darling glasses with the daisies on them. They remind me so much of glassware and dinnerware that my mother had when I was growing up. I was shocked to see that you had snow in May, and, like you, would have been worried about my plants, on the other hand, it’s supposed to hit 95° this week and snow doesn’t sound that bad. Beautiful table!
Thanks Pattie. It really was fun to put together the table – especially the centerpiece. I really like the daisy glasses and hope I can use them in other tables. Snow in May here is nothing out of the ordinary – fortunately, it usually doesn’t last. Hope you can survive the 95 degrees temps there – that definitely sounds hot. Have a great summer and stay cool!
Kim your photos of snow to sunny made me shiver and smile. I hear ya on the growing season as you and I live on opposite ends of the country….too much or too little as the saying goes. Your Canadian weather versus our Tropical Floridian weather are just not conducive to many of our favorite plants like hydrangeas. I do remember when living in Seattle for a couple years seeing hydrangeas growing near almost everyone’s home. They were so beautiful and in all colors from white to pink to blue. Your table is lovely and bright and cheery! I like your hyacinth tray and all the “mini” elements therein. It is almost like a fairy garden right down to the overturned watering can. Oh, my romantic imagination can and did run wild. I also like the overhead view as it captured the pretty butterflies perfectly. Your soft yellow pinstripe napkins and yellow and green beaded butterfly napkin ring are a perfect addition as is your daisy glasses. So pretty. Have a great and wonderful Summer…and lets hope you can save your hydrangeas! 🥰
Thanks so much Kari. I can’t quite bring myself to smile at snow in May, but what the heck. I just try and ignore it lol. Hydrangeas are definitely a favorite of mine and I think they have some varieties that survive here, but generally, they don’t do well in our winters. I’m sure the reasons they don’t do well in Florida are quite different lol although curious as to what they are. Thanks for the comments on the table – it was really fun to put together. Have a great and wonderful summer yourself!