Summer 2015 was certainly a beautiful couple of months in New England and although it went by way too fast, we still have one last opportunity to celebrate! Labor Day weekend is September 4th through the 7th and Boston is booming with parties and barbecues to close out the season. If you’re hosting your own event, you’re going to want to head over to your local flower shop for some beautiful décor to go along with the grilled steak tips and potato salad. Of course, we all know that different occasions call for different styles including the flowers you display on tables and decks. Adding the right vase or centerpiece to your party can add the perfect touch in making this a summer we’ll never forget! These are a few of this year’s favorites that have been organized according to the particular type of event.
Brunch
I love Labor Day brunches because the cuisine is delicious plus the decoration is light and airy. Most of the time, light is used as the design base and often uses blossoms that are white or soft peach and pink. The trick is to make the displays as easy breezy as possible keeping them low and dainty. Think simple and delicate like short jars of one variety like dahlias, sunflowers, cosmos, lavender or garden roses. You can mix and match if you like but make sure that there are no color combinations that fight each other instead of blending nicely. Don’t be afraid to use clippings from your herb garden too like rosemary, thyme or sage. Many of the dishes associated with brunch use these as ingredients, which make it the perfect detail to add to your floral presentation.
Barbecue
photo credit: Lisa Greene via FlowerFactor
Okay, so you might think that flowers are the last thing guests are going to care about when scanning the buffet filled with barbecue delights but displaying a vase or two of blooms can actually enhance their mood and appetites! Unlike the brunch, which uses a calmer mean of creativity, backyard-grilling parties can manipulate a bigger impact with texture and tone as well as taller heights and sizes. Gerbera daisies make excellent choices along with yellow sunflowers, blue delphinium, hydrangea and anthurium. You can have a huge urn of multicolored stems or showcase a single variety. Colors that induce hunger are typically red, yellow and orange so if you’re looking to really put out a feast this Labor Day, try to keep these three options in mind. Also, stay away from fragrant blooms like lilies