Leave a sketchbook for guests to
draw their favorite flowers and
leaves.

Natural Wonders

Arrange a separate and less formal gathering area away from the main table so guests can casually chat while seated before dinner starts. We made guests comfortable by laying out a blanket and botanical throw cushions for soft seating on the ground.

 

Use pressed leaves to adorn your
place cards.

Introduce your guests to botanicals by adorning their place cards with pressed leaves, as shown at right. Several days before the party, press leaves -- we used sage -- between the pages of a heavy book for 48 hours, protecting the book's pages with sheets of tissue paper. Remove the dried leaves from the book, and apply crafts glue to their back sides. Secure each leaf to a heavy-stock note card or stationery. Pen a guest's name on each card, and punch a hole centered at the top edge of each card. Thread a soft-color ribbon through each hole. Make the ribbon long enough to hang the place card at an eye-pleasing level on the back of a chair.

 

Spray-paint wicker, wood, or
metal chargers green to
coordinate with the botanicals.

The key to this party is in the place setting. Select china with a pleasing botanical pattern, in this case ferns and hostas. Then work the highlighted plants into other tabletop roles -- such as the leaf pressed under the tablecloth or the flower in the centerpiece -- to continue the motif. Select silverware with a flora look -- such as the oak-leaf-inspired handles on our knives, forks, and spoons -- and pick subtle botanical-print linens that suit the utensils.

 

Load a convenient standing tray
with plants and party necessities.

A table set for guests can quickly run out of room. Keep a standing tray handy to hold extra serving dishes, glassware, and napkins. Create a matching centerpiece to tie the tray in with the theme. Take a large glass vase, fill it three-fourths full with pea gravel, add a layer of potting soil, and plant it with caladiums and ivy. Fill air holes with potting soil and sprinkle on water to moisten the roots.