Plant a Garden Party

By Julia M. Usher
Published on April 1, 2006
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Simple terra cotta pots undergo a transformation from plain to pleasing. From left to right: unfinished; painted; painted and glazed; and the last — poised for plants — painted, glazed and sanded for well-worn charm.
Simple terra cotta pots undergo a transformation from plain to pleasing. From left to right: unfinished; painted; painted and glazed; and the last — poised for plants — painted, glazed and sanded for well-worn charm.
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Cardstock, a touch of tea and some bark-covered wire are all you need to fashion a menu into a set of garden stakes. Floral frogs also fit the pastoral mood and can be used to hold small recipe tags that look especially good next to more diminutive desserts.
Cardstock, a touch of tea and some bark-covered wire are all you need to fashion a menu into a set of garden stakes. Floral frogs also fit the pastoral mood and can be used to hold small recipe tags that look especially good next to more diminutive desserts.
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From left to right: lichen-covered rocks, sheet moss, purple hyacinth, miniature tête-à-tête daffodils, variegated ivy and wheat grass decorate the table.
From left to right: lichen-covered rocks, sheet moss, purple hyacinth, miniature tête-à-tête daffodils, variegated ivy and wheat grass decorate the table.
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Dimension is added to the tabletop design by upending terra cotta pots and stacking them to form a striking dessert stand that fills the party’s leading role as centerpiece.
Dimension is added to the tabletop design by upending terra cotta pots and stacking them to form a striking dessert stand that fills the party’s leading role as centerpiece.
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These buttery shortbread cookies, loaded with aromatic rosemary and ground pine nuts, deliver flavor with every bite.
These buttery shortbread cookies, loaded with aromatic rosemary and ground pine nuts, deliver flavor with every bite.
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In this garden, herb-inspired sweets, such as these Chocolate-Basil Truffles, make an unexpected appearance in pots and planters. A marker tucked in an antique frog identifies the dessert.
In this garden, herb-inspired sweets, such as these Chocolate-Basil Truffles, make an unexpected appearance in pots and planters. A marker tucked in an antique frog identifies the dessert.

When winter’s chill recedes and the first
spring blossoms appear, our thoughts naturally turn to the outdoors
— and perhaps outdoor entertaining. The allure of an al fresco
party may be hard to resist, but pulling one off can be tricky this
time of year, when Mother Nature’s moods are whimsical. But the
focal point of the garden party described here is an unusual

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