As the days get shorter and sun dips lower in the sky, finding the perfect window to hold an outdoor dinner party gets a bit tricky. We found just that moment this weekend.
Entertaining outdoors is so much more relaxed…for me. With limited space (in the bar) and a smaller table surface, all the extras are not required. The menu tends to be simpler, everyone dresses casual. It’s easy breezy.
Wouldn’t you know it, now that summer is almost over, the roses have started to bloom. These pink beauties are wonderfully fragrant and add a beautiful touch to the powder room mirror shelf.
Although the hydrangea didn’t perform as well as usual this summer, I’ve been able to pick several bouquets to preserve for fall and winter decor. Glycerine added to water will keep the blooms soft indefinitely and turn them warm shades of caramel and rust.
***two parts of water to one part glycerine
I love the light at this time of the year. It seems crisper and the long shadows it casts…what can you say! Except a big thank you to Mother Nature for special moments.
xox Judy❤️
Your roses are stunning Judy and they look like they would have the most beautiful fragrance! What type are they? What a treat it must be to eat outside in the bar without having to deal with the wasps…I get ambushed just harvesting my veggies from the garden never mind trying to eat outside. We usually eat dinner on our deck quite a bit but I’m sad to say that we haven’t eaten outside once this summer. First it was the rain, then the mosquitoes and now wasps. At this point I’m hoping to have a nice marshmallow roast before the snow flies! Enjoy these beautiful autumn days while they last. Hugs, Karen xo❤️
Hi Karen, the roses are David Austen hybrid tea but I’m sorry to say that I don’t know the varieties. The tags have long since faded or blown away. We have wasps here too and have had to get some extinguished as they had a nest right at the back door and Charlie was ever ready to attack. I try to remember that wasps are pollinators but what pests they are!! xox Judy❤️
Your roses are beautiful Judy!
It was so hard to plan entertaining on the patio. with the expectation of rain everyday. But for the last couple nights we have been getting together with our friends next door, and are going to make up for lost time on our patios this week. I like nothing more than impromptu get togethers, so you have an excuse for not having everything perfect. LOL Drinks and a few appies of what’s in the fridge and pantry.
I did this preservation technique with my hydrangeas last year, and I am still enjoying them. I love the way the glycerine preserves them to an amber/gold color. And, they are soft to the touch and in their appearance. My Annabelle’s were not as abundant this year. The Limelight was very late blooming, but it exploded when it did. What an odd Summer.
Enjoy the beautiful days forecasted for the next week.
Hi Karen, happy to hear you have been enjoying the outdoors. It’s too bad that the annuals are on their way out and soon we’ll be cleaning out all the containers. Preserving hydrangeas using glycerine is like magic…mine from last year are still beautiful too. Enjoy the weekend. xox Judy❤️