With the temperature rising and gardens coming to life, the summer sunshine beckons us to come outdoors.
Quality time with family and friends moves from the living room to the backyard for barbecues, water balloon fights and all manner of outdoor fun that can only be had in the warmer months.
An icy drink is essential to beat the heat and stay cool while enjoying the weather and what better way to hydrate than a glass of fresh made lemonade?
Here’s a recipe for a lemonade with a pretty floral twist, plus three ideas for decorating with flowers as you prepare to entertain this summer!
Sourced from: The Cookie Rookie
Ingredients
- 6 cups water, divided
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup honey
- 3 Tbsp dried lavender
- 2 cups lemon juice
- Lemon slices and lavender sprigs for garnish
- Blue or purple food coloring (optional)
Directions
- Over medium heat, combine two cups of water and sugar, bringing to a boil until sugar is dissolved. Turn off of the heat and stir in agave nectar and lavender.
- Allow mixture to steep for 2 hours (less if you want less of a lavender taste). Strain the liquid, pressing the lavender down to make sure you get all of those juices into your mixture!
- In a large pitcher, combine freshly squeezed lemon juice, lavender mixture and water.
- Feel free to add a couple drops of blue or purple food coloring if you want more color than the lavender provides. Serve over ice.
Now that you’ve made a pretty beverage for your guests, read on to learn how to create an inviting setting to go along with it.
Decorate napkins with twine and flowers
Give your table a rustic look using twine to wrap napkins and small sprigs of fresh flowers.
Twine like this can be found at craft stores while the flowers can be gathered from the wild, your own garden or picked up at the grocery store.
For extra floral flair, create a small bouquet to adorn the back of each chair.
Use edible flowers to garnish sweets
Make your favorite sweet treats or simply grab pre-made baked goodies from your local grocery store.
Most grocers have some selection of edible flowers in stock, but for a wider variety, check health food or speciality stores like Whole Foods, or order from online retailers such as Gourmet Sweet Botanicals.
Tie it all together with a grand sunflower centerpiece
Sunflowers are at their peak in beauty during summer and every table needs an eye-catching centerpiece to anchor the look.
Place your sunflowers in a pretty pitcher to accent the rustic feel created by the napkin holders and flowers.
If it’s just too hot outside, the party can be easily relocated indoors.
May