A Toile Tale: blue stems

It certainly is time to break out these dishes! Why???

Because this is what my hydrangea bushes look like. This one is on the lower terrace, but the ones in the cutting garden look just this glorious.

So I set a table just in front of this beauty for dinner with Mr. Pressed Pants.

It was a lovely evening and I kept the dinner and the table very simple.

Even with that beautiful hydrangea bush I still wanted to add some of these incredible blooms to the table.

The dinner plates are by Nature's Home and the pattern is Hailey Sky.

This blue handled flatware is so old, I can't remember where it came from. The woven chargers and napkin rings are from World Market, but you can find them many places.

These large blue stems are also old.

I used these Emile Henry butter dishes from William-Sonoma as salt and pepper dishes. These are the only serving pieces I added.

As the night deepened, we saw the season's first fire flies.

Here's the view from the upper terrace. The deer have had a buffet in that flower bed, but thankfully, they have left the hydrangeas alone!

Here's the secret to droop-proof blooms: Alum. Yep, the stuff you use for canning and can find in the spice aisle of almost every grocery store. Go to the garden in the morning, and take a bucket of water. Then just as you cut the stem, dunk it about an inch in water and then into the jar of alum. The alum will clump around the stem. Wait just a couple of seconds and then put it into the water bucket. If you re-cut to arrange the stems, do this again.

Here's what to look for.

You'll have firm, beautiful blooms that will last and last and last. I hope your hydrangea bushes are as prolific as mine are this year. The last two years were very disappointing. Now, I hope that they keep on blooming all summer. I just can't get enough of them.

Joining:

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