Harvesting my small lavender crop is one of my most favorite parts of summer.  Working among the colorful and beautifully-scented flowers is a rite of summer for me.

I picked the crop this weekend and, since it was such a lovely evening, I used it for the inspiration for my al fresco dining. And, of course, my menu drew its inspiration from these edible flowers as well.

I wanted to keep the tablesetting simple since the table is a small square.  So, I simply gathered together a lot of the flowers into a single stuke shape and tied it with a complimentary shade of wired burlap ribbon.

A simple trim on the ends of the stems formed an even base for the bouquet to stand upright in the center of the table.

I carried the floral and color theme through by tying small bunches of the colorful stems with an airy ribbon. These gave a pop of color and  definition to the white napkins.

I like the clean, crisp backdrop of a white tablecloth. I often tend to  use plain white dishes because food really shows well on them. However, an all white table can be a challenge because it can sometimes look flat and lack definition.  I acquired these white dishes with a double dark rim this summer. They work well in these kinds of situations because they lend some depth and definition to a table.

I used my antique stemmed water glasses to add a bit of height and nostalgia to the setting.

This was my summery Saturday evening  dining table.

Four years ago, I wrote a story on the Five Sisters of Lavender Lane in Kelly’s Cross, PEI. These ladies had a small farm and sold edible lavender.  Unfortunately, they are no longer in business but, by following this link, you can get my recipe for Lavender Honey Ice Cream which was the finale for my dinner last evening.

Is al fresco dining part of your summer?