Pretty in Pink: Peonies Grace a Tablescape Designed for Peace and Love

I wear my heart on my sleeve. It’s no secret that I love, love, love peonies.

They are my favorite flower. (Don’t tell the viburnum or the hydrangea, nor the casablanca lily, or…)

I grow a variety of deciduous and itoh peonies ~ Paeonia Itoh ‘Julia Rose.”

My heart does skip an extra beat for ranunculus ~ I’m even growing them this year, for the first time. We’ll see how this turns out.

I find the papery-thin, voluminous, petticoat-like blossoms of the ranunculus and the peony, similar in a romantic, seductive way that is just so heart-clutching. Turns out they are genus cousins, if you will; part of the same taxonomy family.

But the fragrance of the peony makes it the luxurious, glamour-girl of the garden.

That it is also a symbol of peace makes this beauty the perfect star of my recent tablescape. Now that the peonies have been in full-bloom in the garden, I hope this lovely table decor, brimming with peace and love, inspires you … 

Inspiring Horticulturist & Author Abra Lee, Shares Garden History Discoveries from "Conquer The Soil"

I was smitten with Abra Lee and her groundbreaking work the moment I was introduced to her. (Pun intended.)

See, Abra Lee is a horticulturist; a gardener.
Lee is also a refreshing, revolutionary kind of garden historian, speaker, and author of the soon-to-be-released book Conquer the Soil that, according to Timber Press, her publisher, “profiles 45 hidden figures of horticulture—the Black men and women whose accomplished careers in the plant world are little known or untold.”

If you’re like me, there’s nothing better than “digging in;” satiating one’s curiosity.

I love to learn and to be inspired.

Abra Lee checked all the boxes. I couldn’t wait to soak up more. A garden adventure awaited…

A Bee-utiful Spring Table Design: Home Entertaining Pays Homage to the Garden & Pollinators

 

I love the happy colors of spring; they just seem to tickle us in yellow sunshine after a dark winter. 
I believe the art of home entertaining and distinctive tablescapes are more than just “pretty.” They tell a story…

For this special tablescape design, I wanted to keep the yellow color theme, plus incorporate an environmental message to honor one of our most beloved pollinators: the bee. 

Here’s how I designed the happy, layered look. 

Our Trees are Stars of Film, Poetry, & Books: Arbor Day Tree Tips to Grow Inspiring Native Trees at Your Home

 

Hands down, my favorite tree as a main character in the Avatar film is The Tree of Souls, the giant willow tree that is the Mother tree, that is the sacred soul ~ the connection to spiritual and guiding forces. 

There were also those magical floating trees. Ahhhh… 

It was pure heaven for me. And seeing it in 3-D is about as magical as it gets for a tree and nature lover like me. 

Ents are trees in Lord of the Rings. Their leader is Treebeard of Fangorn forest. They are similar to the talking trees in folklore around the world. 

In researching my homage to trees for Arbor Day this year, I learned more about The White Tree of Gondor that stood as a symbol of Gondor in the Court of the Fountain in Minas Tirith. 

There are the apple trees in The Wizard of Oz, the Whomping Willow Tree in Harry Potter and the Tree of Life in The Lion King. 

Why do trees so often inspire not only filmmakers but poets, fine artists, musicians and well, all of us?