Sometimes there is a call for a party in the garden. in this case, the Texas-born gentleman’s 60th birthday. He invited 60 friends to celebrate with him; getting the garden ready for this many guests was my job. As he particularly likes yellow, as in yellow cars, clothes and cowboy boots, and anything else, as long as it is yellow, yellow flowers it was. A late August date meant sunflowers were available at our farmer’s market; yellow gerbera daisies in the centers of these arrangements suggested a little fireworks-appropriate for such an occasion. The yellow food coloring in the water was pure fun.
The black and white cowhide patterned tablecloths on the buffet celebrated the beloved home state, and were a dramatic foil to all those yellow flowers. An overscaled buffet says welcome, Texas-style.
A landscape should be designed to accomodate those once in a great while events-as those events can be so important in the scheme of things. Even a small garden can be outfitted to comfortably seat unusual numbers of guests. For this reason, I am fond of walls at seat height in gardens. They do a great job of providing a place to sit for numbers of guests when needed, in addition to providing beautiful structure to a landscape.
The fountain, holding forth with its own refreshing rendition of fireworks, welcomes guests on a hot August night. A giant pot filled with Miscanthus “Zebrinus” adds to the festivity. Yes, that was planned in advance. Advance notice I do not always get, but when I do get it, there’s time for touches like this.
As guests arrive, and start out to the garden, one can’t help but think of all the things a beautiful landscape and garden can be. A setting for birthday celebration is one of many. As good lighting can set and sustain a mood, special party lighting was in order.
A garden designed for good traffic flow, and different places to visit, encourages people to sit for a while, and then move around. The small tables encourage people of like mind and interests to congregate as they please.
Though we battled wind, votives in glass are such an inexpensive and festive way to light a party. the more, the better. It is an easy way to mark steps, as the natural light wanes. Garden torches are not the most elegant garden accessory, but they are a great party accessory.
Good friends and family, big water, a little fire, a breeze, a garden – all the makings of a great party.
Does Milo not look like he is having a grand time?
Long about this time during the annual planting season, I start to wish for a wedding, or other event. I really enjoy doing those landscapes that are just for the moment. Its not really landscape-its theatre. And there is not nearly so much dirt involved. This wedding I organized around two kinds of trees-this a willow on standard. Having a gray green foliage, and a delicate breezy texture, it was perfect for an allee to celebrate the arrival of the bridal party.
Planted in gray concrete pots, and whitewashed with a paint used to shade greenhouse glass, the trees were “underplanted” in montecasino and roses. Montecasino has the wispy field daisy look of perennial boltonia. The white rose is called Hollywood-it is my favorite wedding white rose. It opens flat, and lasts for days. A pergola I once covered in Hollywood roses without any water or oasis looked fresh 3 days later; even though the temperature was very chilly, that still speaks to great staying power.
Making another kind of welcome-gerbera daisies for the rooms of the guests from out of town. These flowers go beyond their beauty, and seem to express the happiness of the event.
The tent set up outdoors had a white walk sprayed onto the lawn with athletic field paint. On either side of the door into the tent, more pots. These pots were “planted” with Coralburst crabs, whose branches and trunks are painted white. A grower who had lost a number of them was happy they were going to be used for something. The mother of the bride greatly admires contemporary art and design, and very much liked the sculptural aspect of these trees.
The cocktail tables had their simple bouquets-some tall, some short. Every bouquet was oriented around a particular color, rather than a mix of colors. This has a contemporary feeling as well.
Each table had low flowers closely color related, and a canopy of a single coralburst crab. Tablecloths in subtle and varying colors were complemented with napkins tied in double faced satin in various shades of green. It was a fresh and contemporary version of a garden wedding reception, including the paper globe lanterns hung from the roof ridge of the tent. My favorite detail-the fern curls to which the table numbers are attached.
The fountain outdoors was decorated with a series of paper lanterns; we built metal stands to hold them, and the votive candles inside them, just off the surface of the water. Weddings in gardens have a special romance about them.