Dressing A Garden Table in Summer
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I am loving these bursts of sunshine we keep having across the UK at the moment. There is simply nothing as lovely as a day pottering about the garden or eating outside. Last weekend we had dinner cooked outside every day, even if on Sunday Mr Rhubarb was stood over the BBQ holding an umbrella - that’s just part of the fun isn’t it?!
Looking at the forecast there’s still more plenty sunny days ahead so let Rhubarb & Hare help your outdoor entertaining with these beautiful handmade items, all made in the UK by small makers and businesses.
The national institution with the glugging noise which never fails to raise a smile whether you’re 8 or 80. These versatile jugs look perfect on a garden table. We use ours for water, but they look equally beautiful filled with flowers, especially with blooms picked straight from the garden. We have them in stock in an array of colours, including a new blue colour coming in shortly. To be the first to know when they're all back in stock sign up to our newsletter HERE
Rustic Candle Holders
I really love adding candles to my outdoor dining table of an evening. Whether it’s little tea light holders based on a French cheese mould design or if we have guests I do love to add proper dinner candles - they add a real sense of occasion but to keep the informality I use these handmade candle holders from Cleiog Ceramics as they don’t block any eyelines and aren’t likely to topple as you pass bowls of food back and forth.
Candles
We started stocking St Eval candles last year and I am thrilled to be working with them. Based in North Cornwall they work hard to ensure every element of their production is sustainable and they continue to use and evolve the artisan methods they started using when they launched over twenty-five years ago. Their olive coloured candles are my standard go-to colour as its such a rich, deep and versatile colour but as we head into brighter days I keep find myself leaning towards their Bedruthan Blue dinner candles - its such a strong colour and works so beautifully with the pinks, purples and greens in my garden.
Bedruthan Blue St Eval dinner candle £1.99
Handmade Napkins from Lottie Day
These exquisite purple Dahlia napkins made me first fall in love with Lottie Day's designs.
I am a massive Dahlia fan anyway and Lottie's original illustration is just heavenly. The purple colour is so gentle to give the design depth whilst still being neutral enough to work with most tablescapes.
Inspired by the flowers growing in her mother's garden in Norfolk, each napkin has been hand printed by Lottie in her Norfolk studio then heat pressed so they can be thrown in the washing machine regularly. Handmade in the UK on 100% natural cotton they come in a boxed set of six napkins.
Set of Six Handmade Dahlia Napkins £42
Handmade Cushion in Peony & Sage’s Danish Stripe Blue
In my world you can simply never have enough cushions, and this includes for the garden as well. I like cushions for my steamer chairs, for my garden dining chairs or just to throw about on picnic blankets on the lawn to make it a bit more comfortable for laying on the grass, looking up at the sky or the stars. And this 100% pure linen fabric from UK maker Peony & Sage is classic but fresh and has a gorgeous french vintage look and feel that's perfect for long, lazy summer days.
The Perfect Picnic Blanket
And if you prefer a more informal setting for outdoor picnics then you're going to need the optimum picnic blanket. I was on a quest to find the perfect one for quite a while before I stumbled across Atlantic Blankets. A family run business based in North Cornwall the owners Gemma & Al take inspiration from their beautiful coastal surroundings and with small children of their own, they know how to design gorgeous blankets that help create happy memories. They are committed to making everything within Britain, using traditional methods and mills that support the British wool industry. Their blankets are beautiful, comfortable and as a household partial to a picnic in the garden it is perfect for us. In fact, I always take ours with us wherever we go now because there are so many occasions where we’ve used it!
Pale Blue Herringbone Picnic Blanket £125