Welcome to Hawthorne Gardens Wicked Beautiful Flowers. . .
Established in 1831, specializing in black roses. . . dead or alive.
Meet Rod and Rowena. . .
Pull up a chair and have a seat as they are dying to meet you!
Rod and Rowena are the skeleton crew at Hawthorne Gardens.
Rod is an avid fisherman and set a record for reeling in bonefish last October.
He suffers from poor circulation and hates to be cold, so he likes to warm up his bones by the firepit this time of year.
He’s also a master gardener and beekeeper. . .
This variety of bee belongs to the genus, Bombus Skellitus, and like a lot of the bee population, have been dying off at an alarming rate.
Rod was recently reunited with his long lost love, Rowena.
Rowena is all aflutter this time of year and has a passion for flowers, serving as the in-house florist for Hawthorne Gardens.
Rowena is also a champion for spiders and crusades against spider-discrimination and arachnophobia. She spends her free time educating others on the benefit of having spiders in your home and garden, as she wants everyone to know they keep other pesky insects in check, feasting on aphids, mosquitoes, moths and those dreadful earwigs.
Rowena is terrified of earwigs. . .
Rowena is the life of the party and loves to set a pretty table!
Vibrant blooming plates with butterflies were picked from Rowena’s dish garden and served up on homespun black straw web placemats. . .
Join Rod and Rowena for a glass of Dearly Beloved Forever Red, brought home from their last visit to California’s wine country.
Dearly Beloved Forever Red celebrates the union of flavors that are timeless, rich and beautiful. . . . flavors of candied dark cherry, raspberry and blueberry develop into a bite of a warm berry pie.
All flavors to be savored for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health.
I like to keep the ‘Happy’ in Halloween and my tastes run more towards rib-tickling rather than spine-tingling. I hope Rod and Rowena tickled your funny bone today. ;)
🦴💀🦴
Hawthorne Gardens Table Details:
Hawthorne Gardens sign / Pier 1, several years ago
Hawthorne Gardens Pillow Cover / Amazon
Dishes / Lenox Melli Mello Eliza Stripe, HomeGoods, several years ago, used here
Grave Hill Cellars Witches & Warlocks Urn / HomeGoods, used here
Black and White Buffalo Check Tablecloth & Spider Runner / HomeGoods
Black Web Straw Placemats, Goblets / HomeGoods, several years ago
Napkins / Kohl’s
Butterfly Napkin Rings / MacKenzie-Childs Butterfly Garden, several years ago
Skeletal Hands / Target, several years ago
Crows & Ribbon / Michaels. several years ago
Gold Bee Skeletons / Grandin Road
Spider Goblets / HomeGoods, several years ago
Copper Flatware / Amazon
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Thank you for your visit, sharing with:
Metamorphosis Monday
Your creativity has no end! So enjoyed starting my day with your “tongue in jawbone” humor. We all need to step back and enjoy some fun. Thanks for reminding me.
Just love this fisherman skeleton, you gave me an idea to decorate the same way. Thanks for sharing your talents with us. Your blogs always relax me after a stressful day too! Happy Halloween Season 🎃
Is Rod and Rowena Dave and your alter egos-cackle, cackle? LOL
Thanks for always brightening my day!
Mary, You are a genius at creating a great story as well as an incredible table for one of my favorite holidays. I am up early this morning and your friends Rod and Rowena have given me my laugh for the day. Can’t wait to read about their next adventure.We all have skeletons in our closets but yours are the best!!
I’m glad to see that Rod has a new fishing partner Mary, everybody needs someone to rub elbows with:@) I notice a lot of black and white check this year… Been wondering how that tablecloth would look with a Christmas table setting…
PS-I have a silly skeleton craft on the Barbie blog now too-gotta love Halloween!
Hands down and no bones about it…..this skeleton crew is the best coupling I’ve seen in a long time! ♥ I knew Rod would make another appearance, but had no idea he was so talented – fisherman, master gardener, beekeeper! I am so glad he & Rowena are reunited this year. Rowena is styling to the max, and Rod is like, “hey, look at my woman”. Those plates on their table are beautiful, almost thought they were MKC, but boy, those Butterfly Garden napkin rings are a dead ringer match! This table makes me very happy, and I could really enjoy Halloween with decor like this to sink myself into. It’s a blast, and so is your humor and style, Mary!
You definitely tickled my bones, thanks for the laughs and for the imaginative couple enjoying the day by the lake. Happy Halloween 👻
Mary, I am smiling with amazement! You have outdone yourself again. I love your creativity always but you entertained royally today! You also reminded and taught me about the importance of good bugs that help the environment. I love the butterflies which are no surprise to you I’m sure. I would love to know your source. They look so pretty in your mixed color pot of mums and scattered about. Those plates are also perfect for your table.
I could go on and on but have early appointments and must go now.
Mary, your creativity is so amazing! Rod and Rowena are the perfect Halloween couple and they are quite talented. I thought your plates were MKC, they are so close. Any child or adult would be fascinated to take in this setting with all of its rich details. Your commentary is always delightful. No one does Halloween like you!
Rod and Rowena are such a fun and talented couple and snappy dressers too! Rowena not only sets a gorgeous dinner party table but cudos to her for campaigning against spider-discrimination! Their outdoor setting by the lake with beautiful flowers and a gorgeously well dressed table make me almost want to join in. I’ll skip the spiders though.
Very creative but more than a little creepy!
😯
Oh my! What great way to start off my day – with such wonderful colors, imagination and humor – your Halloween table is over the top spine-tingling!!! I love Rod!! I don’t know why but he always reminds me a bit of my husband – I guess it’s the avid fisherman part- reeling in bonefish-glad to see him back! The colors are just fabulous, not only just in the mums and dishes, but also in all of Rowena’s stylish outfit – she has such a flair! Over the top fun and fantastic Halloween goodness!! Thanks so much for hopping with us again, Mary, have a wonderful Halloween!!
You are sooo clever. I got a hoot out of this :-)
Love it — you are soo creative!
So hilarious Mary! Rod and Rowena look quite relaxed with their Dearly Beloved Red at their slightly creepy lakeside table! Love Rowena’s plates, wonderful color pop with all the black and orange…your neighbors must love to see what you are up too 💀 I love the way you wove important spider and bee info in your post, so important! So many wonderful details and clever touches, so incredibly fun! I must get my skellie out!
Jenna
Mary, this was a rib tickling post! I love your narrative & everything displayed should give anyone a “hoot” of a good time! You have a wonderful collection of Halloween items. Your skeletons have to create a lot of fun around the lake. Your ravens & spiders & bee on the pumpkins & mums are delightful! Love your plates! They coordinate so well with the theme of the party! Have a wonderful day! Clara ❤️
Thank you for my morning chuckle! Rod & Rowena are a stitch, i saw Rod’s brother on the back of a motorcycle at Park Rd. shopping center this week too! Have a great day Mary!
Absolutely rib-tickling humor! Loved it all – the tongue in cheek commentary, Rod and Rowena, and the lovely setting.
Mary, your table is so fun with your dining skeletons, and all of the lovely details. The Lenox dishes are so lovely, and though not Halloween themed, they are the perfect bridge from Halloween to Hawthorne Garden. The silver urn filled with mums makes a festive centerpiece, I am sure Rod keeps all of the blooms in good care throughout the year!
Someone mentioned when they were making a new deck, they planted a Skelton underneath so when the new owners, 20 years from now, are putting a new deck on they will discover it. LOL
Mary. I can’t thank you enough for your post today. I’m reading this from my hospital bed. The best therapy I’ve had. Your posts are such a delight blessings Jacqueline
Oh I’m so sorry you’re hospitalized Jacqueline. Thank you for you sweet comment, Hugs and prayers. ♥
Rod and Rowena seem to be the perfect hosts for this garden party and that Rowena is an expert at table styling!
Rib-tickling for sure! Your creativity has no bounds. I would never have thought to use the butterfly plates and such. Thanks for the inspiration!!
Mary, I was so excited to read all about Rod and Rowena –their occupation, travels and hobbies. (Even their choice of wine.) It was like a storybook for adults. Your entire outdoor tablescape depicting life with Rod and Rowena was perfect and absolutely a belly-chuckler. I love your details, including your gold bees, floral plates and spider wine glasses and your appreciation of the life of bees and gardens. Your outdoor mums are stunning with your beautiful lakeside background. It is such a pleasure to be blog hopping with you and I hope your Halloween will be full of tickling fun.
That was so darn cute I am still smilling! I KNOW you had so much fun setting that table, I love glorious moments of fun! I took a pic of something that made me smile and I instantly thought of you when i spied it, tucked a pic on my blog, I thought they had your same sense of humour! Fun start to my day, may soon have black roses myself if the rains don’t come, we lose our water today for the next six months, how’s that for a scary thought!
Mary, you have outdone yourself with this imaginative and playful tablescape. I too am all about the cuteness and not about the macabre in my decorating. I love the plates you used. You sure don’t think Halloween when you first look at them. I think the cutest thing of all was your story of Rod and Rowena ! Happy Halloween! Hugs, Dorinda
Mary, this is absolutely adoarable! I bet you had such fun playing dress up with your skelly friends! Love it! Blessings, Cecilia @ My Thrift Store Addiction
The Creepier the better! You couldn’t possibly top this one…nope I know you will. Lol!!
Amazing display and know you had a blast doing it.
Thank you so much for your time, work, and sharing your many talents with us all ❤️
You are hysterical!!!! This post put a BIG smile in my day!!!! Thanks!!!
This is so funny. I love how your garden decor comes with so much personality. Your table looks beautiful.
This was so much fun! Thank you for sharing with us!
Oh! My! Gosh! You are amazingly CREATIVE! Even down to your watermark on each photo! This was scary fun… I loved it and every little detail! Amazing!
🧡🖤🎃🖤🧡
Mary, what a fun table. Rod and Rowena are an adorable couple. Fun to read about their hobbies and stories. Rib tickling fun for sure. Hawthorne Gardens are quite lovely. The butterfly plates fit perfectly on this fun colorful table. I love butterflies. A beautiful setting with the black and white plaid tablecloth. The floral are gorgeous. Very creative and fun Mary. A pleasure to join you.
Oh what a fun storyteller you are, Mary. Rod and Rowena look perfectly happy at your outdoor table, and they’re dressed perfectly. I’d be happy to sit with them, dip some wine, and I’ll even bring a treat to share.
Oops…I meant sip some wine!
What a fun post!! Thank you – I loved it and found table décor inspiration!
Love, love, love Rowena’s hat. Can I borrow it for the big day?
Rod and Rowena are a hoot! Such a fun post!
Mary, no lazy bones in your body! What a delightfully frightful fantasy you’ve created. And, I love your clever, devilish dialog. I may die from splintering my funny bone, LOL. How envious I am that your skeletons at the feast are dining al fresco, while my skeleton crew is shivering inside. Such a richly detailed tablescape and hauntingly hilarious dark tale.
The whole post made me smile 😀
Hahaha – that’s great Mary! I love those guys! 💗
Mary, I first saw this on my phone so I came back tonight to leave you a comment. Rod and Rowena are a cute couple. They set a fantastic table too! Rita’s dancing skeltons and now these garden keepers, you two have inspired me. I had already been considering a small tabletop with skeltons, but haven’t pulled it all together. Thanks for the inspiration! I don’t have anything so elaborate planned, but hope to do something. You cute, clever dialog makes me smile. Actually smiling all day just thinking about this fun table!
You are Hysterical! I love this! My birthday is on Halloween, so you can just imagine the fun I have decorating in . October!
Love everything but the spiders – cannot handle them!! Love your guests & table looks so great!! Happy October!!
Creeptastically spooktacular! Happy Halloween!
What great lunch guests! ❤️
Another magazine worthy Halloween setting. Rod and Rowena are having too much fun!!! Loving your Halloween party in the Hawthorne Gardens by the lake!!
Tell Rod and Rowena I send my best! Hope they enjoyed your hospitality. Stunning setting! Made my day! 🎃
I love this! The table is gorgeous and the attendees are fun loving!
You are SO creative. What an adorable table!
Oh my goodness Mary! Your creativity never ceases to amaze me. Your table is definitely Spooktacular! Every last detail. Rod and Rowena are the sweetest “dead” couple I have ever met!!
Your tablescape is everything! I would love to feature you on my Sunday’s Best Linkup. Our current theme is The Witching Hour. Party starts every Saturday at 8:00 pm EST. Hope to see you there.
I love the dishes. I love the crows. I love the decor in the mums. I love the costumes of your skeletons!! I love the bows and butterflies on the pumpkins!! It’s all just so fabulous!!! I was pinning away!
Thank you for the giggles. Your table is fantastic! Love your wonderful creativity and the setting is beautiful. Pinned and it is a pleasure to be on the hop with you. Hugs!
Oh how fun is this! I love Rowena’s flair for flowers and tablescaping! This post brought a smile to start off my day!
As usual, your creativity shines. What a talent!
Another black and white buffalo check tablecloth. I love it! Rod and Rowena look like they’re having a grand time at this lovely table by the lake. I never associate butterflys with Halloween, but they fit right in here. There are too many fabulous details to mention, but I especially love the lush centerpiece of mums in the urn. A show stopping tablescape, Mary! It’s always a pleasure to hop with you!
Always a fun table here. I love Rod and Rowena. They certainly know how to party!