Floral Styling Tips For Outdoor Dining

lisianthus centerpiece in purple
While grabbing the last of our beautiful spring weather over the weekend we did some much needed yard work and then decided to treat ourselves to a fancy lunch outdoors. I’m not going to show you how grubby we actually looked after doing some trimming but suffice to say that our lunch table looked a heck of a lot better than we did! If you know me, around here it always starts with flowers. Fresh flowers are everything and even suggest…

french table setting al fresco
…the meal. This arrangement was inexpensive and easy to create with only a small bunch of purple lisianthus from the florist. I had some purple caspia, eucalyptus and wax flowers from last week’s flower run and mixed a small amount in, along with some of our yard clippings of wax myrtle. The urn has a hole in the bottom so I used a Mason jar inside filled with water…
sterling silver flatware shabby chic

Rustic and elegant, silver and shabby…my antique silver service came outside to join the shabby chic petite floral napkins…

beautiful outdoor table

The light in the shady part of our yard was all kinds of crazy beautiful at lunchtime that day and my husband waited patiently to eat while I snapped a whole bunch of photos for this post! I’ve often been asked about how I take my photos and talk more about it in THIS post…

limoges plates with purple
We love to eat as the French when possible and it means taking a long lunch with a glass of wine, catching up on what happened at work the previous week and unwinding…
blueberry chevre

Yes, purple is the color theme and this chèvre that is encrusted in blueberries is delectable! I purchased it from Whole Foods in the cheese case, so if you live near to one you should be able to find it there…

french dinner party
lemon tart with blueberries

In keeping the lunch light, a lemon tart with fresh blueberries was mouthwatering and the tartness of the lemons gave a nice contrast to the sweet wine. Yes, I definitely DO bring out the Limoges china for outdoor eating and entertaining and even though a dish occasionally breaks I don’t believe in saving it for special days. Every day that we can do this is special around our place:~}

shabbyfufu outdoor patio

Our garden is sunny, but in this jungle spot we installed a flagstone and pea gravel patio…as with all of the shady foliage the grass doesn’t grow. Ignore the dirt! We will be pressure cleaning it before summer sets in and anything alfresco is a thing of the past for months on end…

shabbyfufu outdoor entertaining
limoges china al fresco
vintage patio set shabby chic
Living in Miami has outdoor challenges like no other place I’m fairly certain with our intense heat and humidity and lots of rain. This old patio set sits out in the jungle of our garden year round and has a rusty patina that I love to play against a sumptuous table setting…
shabbyfufu romantic outdoor entertaining
table styling
purple wildflower arrangement

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29 Comments

  1. pamela lepage says:

    What a awesome table setting. Everything looks like a real treat and very relaxing.love the flowers.

  2. What a beautiful table in a beautiful setting. Yes, the French enjoy their meals unlike us who rush through or go through a drive thru. We need to slow down and learn from the French. Thanks for the info about the cheese at Whole Foods. I will check that out.

  3. Janet, I love it! You just don't reach down into a drawer and grab the plastic. You pull out your best and make even dining in the yard an experience! Are you sure you are not French?? We should all savor the moment like this…grubby or not. Sharon

  4. I love "everything"about this post the dishes, the flowers and the food.I too will be checking out the cheese. Great job! I hope you have a wonderful day.

  5. So beautiful, what a lovely place to sit and relax after the work in your yard. This would be a beautiful place to enjoy with friends.

  6. What a lovely setting! There is nothing like dining outdoors when the weather is favorable. I am so looking forward to our warmer weather when we can do likewise.

  7. C.D. Loken says:

    Your tablescape is absolutely breathtaking, Janet!

  8. Hi Janet, Everything is just beautiful! My mother always kept a plant or a floral arrangement on the table on her patio and it just gave everything a finished look. Thanks for this reminder of her. Blessings, Janet

  9. Anita at Cedar Hill says:

    It's just gorgeous Janet! I love it all.

  10. Gorgeous table settings and wonderful tips. Thank you for linking up with us at #HomeMattersParty . We would love to have you again next week.

  11. There's something about the color purple especially when it's next to anything green. Thanks so much for sharing at Merry Monday. So beautiful.

  12. So beautiful! Even your drinks look stylish and lovely! The flowers are beautiful! I finally made it to Trader Joes yesterday. What an awesome place! I brought home these beautiful mini lavender roses. You were so right about them being affordable! I love flowers and don’t buy them enough! I’m going to be treating myself more often! Cheers Janet!

  13. This is gorgeous Janet! What a lovely spot this is! I feel like I’m in the courtyard of a little restaurant in Provence! I would happily eat lunch here:)

    and by the way, I NEED that urn! I have the twin and would love a pair! 😉

    Sheila
    xo

  14. I love, love, love the variety of colors and types of flowers. I am glad you named what kind of flowers they were because I was going to ask that! The variety of purple colors, textures and heights were perfect. Glad you were able to “picnic” and enjoy them.

    1. Thank you Karen…much appreciate you stopping by the blog!

  15. Love your outdoor table and all the pretty plates, beautiful! And I love blueberries, I must try the cheese from Wholefoods!

    1. Cheese is wonderful mixed with berries…yum!

  16. Jan Schouw says:

    What a wonderful way to remind us that we can work hard, get grubby, AND reward ourselves with something so beautiful as what you put together for you and your husband. LOVE EVERYTHING YOU DID.

    1. Really kind of you to say Jan, and we have worked hard on our home for many years now! Happy weekend!

  17. No one has mentioned the tablecloth. I love it. Did you make it, buy it, or what.

    1. It’s an antique Margaret…you could probably find something similar at a flea market I would think.