June Monday Morning Blooms: Garden-Inspired Peony Arrangement & Table

Despite our severe drought conditions this spring, June’s Monday Morning Blooms brought a little floral magic my way. A generous friend shared gorgeous ‘Sarah Bernhardt’ peonies from her mountain garden, inspiring a garden-themed arrangement in a vintage tureen and a table filled with birds, bees, bunnies and summer charm. Join me for flower arranging inspiration, easy flower care tips and a closer look at this month’s blooms.

Happy June!

It’s the first Monday of the month . . . time to gather with my flower-loving friends for Monday Morning Blooms, where we celebrate the beauty of spring with fresh flowers and seasonal inspiration!

We’re excited to welcome back Rita of Panoply,

joining us as a guest ‘bloomer’ today!

You can my bloggings friends’ links to their beautiful floral and table inspiration at the bottom of this post.

This post contains affiliate links. For more information see my disclosure policy.  As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.  If you purchase anything through an affiliate link, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Our common theme for June’s edition is garden. 🌿

If you’ve been following along lately, you know this has not exactly been our garden’s banner year here in North Carolina. Severe drought conditions have taken a toll on everything, especially our hydrangeas. We finally received two inches of much-needed rain last week, and while we were incredibly grateful, we could still use a boatload more.

Our peonies came and went weeks ago in our warmer Piedmont temperatures, but during a visit to the NC mountains last weekend, my sweet friend generously shared some of her gorgeous ‘Sarah Bernhardt’ peonies that were just coming into bloom. It felt like such a gift to enjoy peony season all over again. 💗

‘Sarah Bernhardt’ is one of my favorite peony varieties with its large fragrant double blooms that resemble old-fashioned garden roses. Their soft blush pink petals are irresistibly romantic and beautifully suited for a June garden table.

A Vintage Tureen Filled with Garden Blooms

To create my arrangement, I used a vintage tureen I found at a favorite antique mall. I fell in love with the bird design on the front, and the price was too good to pass up, due to some crazing and the fact that it was missing its lid. . .perfectly imperfect as a vessel for flowers!

Inside the tureen, I used a Pillow Floral Cage Arranger. It works much like chicken wire but without the sharp edges, and since it’s made of plastic, it won’t rust. Since it was slightly smaller than my tureen, I secured it in place with waterproof floral tape.

I started by creating the framework of the arrangement with Baptisia (False Indigo) foliage along with variegated Kaleidoscope Abelia from the garden.

Despite our dry conditions, I was able to cut a few Endless Summer Hydrangeas, although their blooms are definitely fewer in number and smaller than usual this year due to the lack of rainfall.

{ Last year’s garden with yarrow in front of plentiful hydrangeas }

Three sprigs of yarrow added delicate lacy accents and touches of soft pink color throughout the arrangement.

Conditioning Your Flowers for Longevity 🌼

To keep blooms looking their best:

• Cut flowers and foliage early in the morning when they’re fully hydrated
• Trim stems at a 45-degree angle for maximum water uptake
• Remove any leaves that would fall below the water line
• Place stems in a clean bucket of water with flower food/preservative
• Allow flowers and foliage to condition, preferably overnight, or for a minimum of 4 hours, to prevent drooping or wilting

🌸My Go-To Flower Care Favorites

Two products I always rely on for long-lasting blooms:

• Floralife Flower Food – nourishes flowers, balances pH for water uptake, and helps control bacteria
• Crowning Glory Floral Spray – an anti-transpirant that seals in moisture and helps cut flowers last longer

If you haven’t tried Crowning Glory, I highly recommend it! It dries clear and is safe to use on all flower types and works wonders, especially on thirsty blooms like hydrangeas. It typically dries within 30 minutes to an hour, depending on heat and humidity.

Optional but recommended: A Lazy Susan Turntable for flower arranging is especially handy for heavy vases or arrangements.

A Garden-Inspired Table with Bees, Bunnies & Butterflies 🐝🦋🐇

For the table, I leaned into a garden theme with all the charming visitors that make appearances in our landscape…bees, bunnies, birds and butterflies!

A Laura Ashley ‘Summer Palace’ tablecloth in sage green features birds that pair perfectly with my tureen centerpiece.

Bees are buzzing around the table with my favorite Napoleon Bee Flatware, which always makes an appearance during gardening and summer season.

And Honeycomb goblets joined my little apiary a couple of years ago and seemed right at home for this garden-inspired setting. 🐝🌸

Bunny dishes hopped onto the table paired with bunny napkins.

While rabbits may look adorable in the garden, they’re also some of the most enthusiastic diners in the landscape with their voracious appetites.

Butterflies fluttered in on Grace Teaware plates, layered atop Bordallo Pinheiro cabbage leaf plates for an extra pop of fresh garden green.

Table Details:

Bunny dishes / Grace Teaware, HomeGoods, several years ago

Butterfly dishes / Grace Teaware

Bunny Napkins / Shabby Chic, HomeGoods

Cabbage Leaf Plates / Bordallo Pinheiro

Wallace Napoleon Bee Flatware

Honeycomb Goblets / Williams Sonoma

 Laura Ashley ‘Summer Palace’ Tablecloth, HomeGoods

Bird tureen / vintage, antique mall

Even during a difficult gardening season, flowers have a way of lifting our spirits and reminding us to savor the beauty that still blooms.

I’m especially grateful for thoughtful friends, late-blooming mountain peonies, and the simple joy of bringing a bit of the garden indoors to the table.

Be sure to visit my Monday Morning Blooms friends below for more beautiful garden-inspired floral inspiration! 🌿

Lidy at FrenchGardenHouse

Pam at Everyday Living

Rita at Panoply

Thank you for your visit, sharing with:

 Between Naps on the Porch