Creative ideas for decorating your Easter table with flowers
Easter is a time to celebrate with friends and family, often around the dinner table. For lots of people the long bank holiday weekend ensures that lots of Easter gatherings are booked in, be it an informal get together with drinks, or a more substantial celebratory feast with all the trimmings! I want to talk you through how you can decorate your home for Easter using seasonal flowers.
We are lucky that Easter falls in springtime, and although the date changes from year to year, we can be sure that it is around March to mid April. This means spring flowers are at their best so think narcissi, tulips, blossom, anemones and ranunculus. You really will be spoilt for choice!
INFORMAL EASTER TABLE ARRANGEMENTS:
If you are having guests over for drinks or grazing platters then something I would recommend dressing your table with something simple to accompany all the beautiful food and drinks. A big vase of bright yellow mimosa or zingy green viburnum will look fabulous centre stage, perhaps with a few smaller bottles or votives dotted around the platters to bring the colour throughout the whole table. Bottles full of simple tulips work wonders, and can really jazz up a table when you are short on time. I prefer using the double varieties as they have more texture and a lot more petals within the flower, however the single varieties are stunning too alongside the interesting parrot tulips and frilly ones! Think about having enough room to lay all your food and platters out, and don’t overcrowd a table. Less is more with this style of Easter flower table!
FLOWERS FOR A CELEBRATORY EASTER LUNCH:
I adore cooking a big roast dinner for all of the family on Easter Sunday, roast lamb with all the trimmings and of course homemade fresh mint sauce! If you are opting for a more formal dinner experience for Easter then I can advise on some flower arrangements that will work perfectly. Think about your dining table, and whether it is a round or long table, because your choice of flower arrangement will be determined by this. On a round table, I like to use a round vase or bowl, this will then replicate the shape of your table, and ensure all of your guests can be privy to the beauty of the flowers in the centre of the table!
How to dress your long dining table with easter flowers:
If you have a long dining table, then you could think about doing a few larger round arrangements interspersed with smaller bud vases. Use votives and vases in different heights to create interest throughout the whole table, alongside taper candles for colour and fun. Bring out the colour of your flowers with the candles, gone are the days of only having access to white candles! Match your linen to your flowers, I love a pale blue stripe or a soft yellow gingham to really embrace the spring feeling that Easter has to offer.
Using spring bulbs as Easter decorations:
I love to use potted spring bulbs as Easter table decorations, and these can be made well in advance, meaning you will have more time to spend cooking and entertaining! Grab some rustic terracotta pots, glass bowls or any special sentimental containers you may have that will suit your Easter table theme. Fill with potting compost and and in your bulbs, I would recommend pale blue muscari, narcissi, even fritillary would work and add into the compost. You can finish off the top of the bowl with some moss to look more aesthetically pleasing. This is a wonderful, natural way to add interest and spring feels to your Easter tablescape. You could always gift the pots away at the end of your meal as an Easter gift to your guests!
consider an Easter or spring wreath?
Wreaths are not just for Christmas and can be a wonderful way to dress your front door over the Easter period. Ask your local florist to create you a special spring wreath, or if you are feeling creative, have a go at making one yourself. I like to use a mix of living plants, such as violas and pansies alongside cut flowers, foliage and any spriggy bits you may find in your garden! This combination of plant material gives you a truly unique look and truly showcases all of the beautiful blooms spring has to offer. Here I have used hellebores, fritillaries and daffodils picked from my garden, alongside pussy willow, narcissi and anemone from The Forgotten Garden.
how to make an easter wreath:
If you are looking to get creative and make your own Easter wreath, here are some fabulous tips to help you get started!
Purchase a wire wreath frame and some garden twine from your local florist. I like to use garden twine to bind on my ingredients, because it is sustainable and will decompose with the pant material. The great thing about a wire ring is that you can reuse this, so once your spring wreath has finished flowering, keep the ring to use for an autumn wreath and then again your christmas wreath.
Create a moss base onto your wreath ring, this is where your plant material will sit. It needs to be full enough to support your spring ingredients and is a way to ensure your plant material will stay fresh. Gather a handful of moss and bind this onto your wreath ring with with twine. Gather another handful and work your way around until you have a completed moss base wreath. Do not cut your twine, as you will need this to attach your ingredients.
When using living plants in a spring wreath I like to cover the roots and soil with moss, this allows the plant to still be living and gain water from the moss. Twine the moss onto the plant and then attach this to your wreath. Place your plants throughout and these will form the majority of your wreath.
I add in foliage next, so use hardy foliage that will last such as box or berried ivy, the foliage will absorb moisture from the source, but anything fragile and delicate, like the honeysuckle I have used in the above wreath, will need to be placed in a water tube. Fill in the gaps in between the violas and primroses.
The final step is to add in your flowers, I cut hellebores and daffodils from the garden and placed these into plastic water tubes. These can then be pushed into the wreath and add the finishing floral touches! Be mindful to refill your plastic tubes as the flowers drink. I appreciate that a spring wreath is a little more high maintenance than a christmas wreath, however there is something so special about hanging something so beautiful on your door at this time of year.
If you are planning Easter celebrations this year I would love to know how you are planning to decorate your Easter table with flowers. As a wedding florist Easter is a busy time of year so I will be really looking forward to settling down with the family and enjoying the bank holiday together. Wishing you all a Happy Easter!