Preparing to Host a Garden Party

Spring is just around the corner and the warmer weather affords the perfect opportunity to host a garden party for yourself and your friends. You don't necessarily even need to have a garden in order to throw a wonderful garden party. You can set up your balcony or patio with some inexpensive potted flowers and with the right food and decorations, you'll be able to host a wonderful garden party.

When planning the menu for your garden party, you'll want to keep things light and cool. Offering a variety of small hors dourves is a good way to be sure to please all your guests without making them feel overfull. Start out with Ritz or Trisket crackers and a soft cheese spread or seafood dip. A vegetable tray that include celery sticks, baby carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, snap peas, cucumber slices, and ranch dressing is a must.

For the main course, chicken salad and egg salad sandwiches are good springtime fare, but also be sure to offer something for those who may not care for mayo, such as ham sandwiches with cheese and mustard. When making the sandwiches, cutting them into small squares and removing the crusts will go a long way towards a pretty presentation. This will also allow your guests to try a variety of fillings without overeating. If fussy cutting all those sandwiches seems a bit too much for you, wraps are a wonderfully simple way to make a good main dish. Fill tortillas with meat and cheese slices, chopped green pepper, sprouts, and roasted red pepper. These can then be easily sliced into smaller serving after they've been rolled up. They also look like pretty pinwheels on the serving tray. Small garden or chef salads will provide a wonderful side to the sandwiches.

Be sure to provide a fruit tray for dessert, as well as a more decadent choice, such as small cookies or cake. Petit fours are a perfect choice for an occasion like a garden party, since they are small and delicate looking. Topping each one with a small icing rosebud will be the perfect touch.

Iced tea and lemonade are great drinks to serve at a garden party. If you'd like to offer more adult beverages, plan to serve Long Island Iced Tea and Lynchburg Lemonade at your garden party. Tall straight glasses are an appropriate choice. Don't forget the ice, and make sure to garnish each glass with edible flowers, such as violets, floating on top, or tied to the straw. If you do tie flowers to the straws, make sure they are not so high as to annoy your guests when they drink.

Purchase some flower colored tablecloths, serving ware, and napkins. These don't necessarily have to be flowered, since you don't want to compete too much with the real flowers you'll use for decoration. Be sure to have lots of potted tulips and daffodils. Hyacinths are also beautiful springtime plants to use at your garden party, but they have a very strong scent, so it is best to keep them away from the food and eating areas. You can also use the potted plants as party favors for your guests. Place a small pot of tulips at each place setting and slip a place card into the plastic instruction holder that is in the dirt.

Follow these suggestions and your guests are sure to enjoy your garden party this spring!