Buffet-Style Summer Suppers

We threw a midsummer buffet supper last week, and – much to my surprise – the weather cooperated. The sun came out; it didn’t rain for an entire day, and the thermometer hovered at a civilized 80 degrees. Very un-Washington-like, and so perfect! It’s my favorite time of year to have a party, because I can go into the garden and pick all kinds of flowers and put them into one-of-a-kind arrangements, which gives me such pleasure. It’s very spontaneous, and sometimes surprising, because I never know quite what the bouquet is going to look like until it’s done.

Here are some photos of the planning process and food, but mostly the flowers. I also bought ferns and lots of tiny foliage plants and put them into moss-covered containers spiked with white amaranth blossoms for the little tables. The next day, I planted the ferns in the bare spots in the shady parts of the garden – a small way of replenishing what had been taken from it the day before. The green hydrangeas are enormous this year, so I made a towering bouquet of them for the buffet table; fingers crossed that they’ll dry naturally and stay on the table through the end of the summer in dried flower form! The dogs supervised the party preparations and then provided after-dinner entertainment by getting into one of those faux-snarling and nipping matches that always alarm people who don’t have dogs. All in all, a very lovely day!