SEASONAL INSPIRATION
Crafts, bakes and buys for a tea party inspired by the frothy and fragrant blooms of lilac and wild garlic
Darling buds OF MAY
Create a pretty retro drinks table with jugs of chilled pink lemonade and peach cordial, mismatched glassware and paper straws. Organic lilac flowers can be used as decoration and to add splashes of colour to drinks.
SPRING SPRITZ
Serve up jugs of tangy refreshments from zesty pink lemonade to a fruity cocktail, mixing peach juice, tonic water, gin and a handful of lilac flowers. Attach labels to jug handles – handwritten with drink names, ingredients and seasonal quotes – and place glasses nearby.
ABUNDANT BLOOMS
A wild arrangement of blowsy, late spring flowers in soft pastels, deep lilacs and gentle whites adds a flamboyant flourish to the table. Mix lilac and Solomon’s seal together with peonies in ceramic (which keeps water cooler so blooms last longer) vases or jugs.
WILD bakes
The scented leaves and flowers of wild garlic add seasonal zing to homemade cheese scones. Mix 225g self-raising flour, 1 tsp baking powder and a pinch of salt, then rub in 50g butter. Stir in 110g Cheddar cheese, 30g finely chopped wild garlic and 150ml milk. Knead and roll out. Use a cutter to stamp out rounds, brush with milk and bake at 200°C (gas mark 6) for 12-15 minutes until golden. Serve warm on a vintage plate.
Tabletop TRAILS
Floral cotton fabric sewn into a runner and trimmed with broderie anglaise offsets a white linen tablecloth and a mass of spring flowers beautifully. Cut your chosen fabric into a runner with a 30cm material overhang at each end and extra all round for a hem. Sew on the trim as you sew the hem, iron and roll out across the table.
For merchandise details, see overleaf
SQUARE DANCE
Gingham linen napkins in pastel tones add a vintage cottagegarden feel. Keep gently crumpled for relaxed get-togethers or starch for formal gatherings – dissolve 1½ tsp cornflour in 200ml warm water, add a few drops of lavender essential oil and pour into a spray bottle to use when ironing.
GATHER GARLIC
Swathes of wild garlic, with its edible pointed emerald leaves and tiny white starry blooms, are a forager’s delight in May*. Gather, wash and use the leaves to make pesto, wilt in butter for a side dish or sprinkle salads with the flowers for a gentle yet pungent seasoning.
