Giving Thanks Alfresco Table and Easy Flower Arranging Method

Find Thanksgiving table inspiration and tips to create a flower arrangement and table centerpiece using an easy flower arranging method. You’ll also find additional floral and table inspiration from my Monday Morning Blooms’ friends.

Happy Monday!

It’s one of my favorite days of the month when I join my

Monday Morning Blooms’ friends to share some flower therapy.

We’re excited to welcome back Sarah, from Hyacinths for the Soul,

joining us as a special guest ‘bloomer’ today.

You can find my flower friends’ links at the bottom of this post.

Our common theme for November’s edition of Monday Morning Bloom was ‘Thanksgiving’.

🍂 🦃 🍁

Regular readers know that I love harvest season and all things fall!

Thanksgiving is the best of both, while gathering together with family, friends and delicious food.

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We’ve had some beautiful weather recently, perfect for alfresco dining.

Our weather in November is typically mild and it’s shaping up to be an unseasonably warm. . .

more fitting for flip flops than for boots!

It’s not unusual for our temps in the Southern Piedmont of North Carolina

to be in the 60s or even the 70s on Thanksgiving day.

Join me at a table by the lake for some sunshine and alfresco dining.

I’m happy to be able to share some blue water views after weeks of staring at muddy water

and debris from floodwaters in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.

We’re so thankful we didn’t have the flooding that occurred along some of the smaller lakes

and that our beloved NC mountains had.

Catawba Riverkeeper, in conjunction with Duke Energy, NC Wildlife Federation, Lake Norman Marine Commission and others, has been working to clean up lakes, creeks and tributaries, to keep the waterways clear on the Catawba-Wateree River Basin.

The cleanup is ongoing, especially important for the 2.5 million people throughout the area who rely on the Catawba River for their drinking water. Our thoughts are prayers are with our western NC neighbors, some of who are still without water in Helene’s aftermath, and will be dealing with clean up for months and years to come. 🙏

Four National Guard Chinooks, three ex-Army Blackhawks, and several private helicopters organized by Samaritan’s Purse made 358 flights into 17 mountainous counties in North Carolina and Tennessee, landing at churches, schools, and fire stations to deliver tons of emergency supplies to people stranded by washed-out roads. This became the largest civilian airlift in U.S. history. Samaritan’s Purse has already given out 3,800 generators, 5,700 heaters, 13,000 blankets, and thousands of warm coats. You can read more, HERE.

If you are able to donate to help with U.S. Disaster Relief, Samaritan’s Purse is working at eight sites spanning five states (NC, GA, LA, FL, TN) in response to Hurricanes Francine, Helene, and Milton.

To create the centerpiece and for quick and easy flower arranging,

I used mason jars, adding them to a burnished copper container.

Plastic bags were placed in the container to keep the jars from shifting and in place once they’re filled with water and flowers.

I made a graphic with the steps to create my flower arrangement and centerpiece.

You could use the same method with any container, box or basket

that’s tall enough to conceal your jars.

I used a combination of grocery store and garden flowers and foliage. . .

a variety of mums in fall shades of rust and burgundy

to pair with garden hydrangeas,

Loropetalum, Abelia and Nandina foliage and berries.

If you’re buying flowers from the grocery store, always use the flower food packets

that come with your flowers to give them their longest vase life.

Flower food / floral preservative provides nutrients for your flowers and controls

the pH for optimal water uptake, while also reducing bacteria in your vase water.

Two products I swear by for long-lasting flowers are Floralife Flower Food,

available in individual packets, a 10 oz. container, or liquid for easy mixing.

and Crowning Glory Solution Floral Spray.

If you’re not familiar with Crowning Glory, it’s an antitranspirant spray

that seals in moisture and dries clear.

It’s safe to use on all flower types and is especially beneficial

for flowers that are prone to wilting due to moisture loss, like hydrangeas.

I’ve had flowers that lasted for two weeks that were sprayed with Crowning Glory!

Here are few tips to help extend the life of your flowers in your arrangement:

🍂 Cut your flower stems at a 45 degree angle for maximum water uptake and remove any leaves below the water line.

🍂  Always add the floral preservative packets to your vase water that come with your flowers from the store.

🍂 Check your water level frequently, topping off as needed, especially if using thirsty flowers like hydrangeas, and change your vase water every other day if possible… much easier to do with the individual jar method!

🍂 Remove any wilting and fading flowers as they produce ethylene gas, which can hasten the decline of neighboring flowers.

🍂 Keep your flower arrangement away from heat or direct sunlight.

The Farmhouse by Rachel Ashwell tablecloth provides a nod to harvest season

with pumpkins, gourds, berries and leaves in shades of peach, rust, aqua and teal.

And these handsome Tom Turkeys were found strutting their stuff last year. . .

John Derian’s Thanksgiving-themed collection for Target.

They’re layered on ‘Feathers’ Stoneware Round Serving Platters, used as chargers.

Amber goblets add a warm glow to the table. . .

Pairing with burnished chargers and hammered copper flatware,

adding some warmth to pair with autumnal colors.

Tricolor beaded napkin rings of gold, copper and bronze, marry teal beaded napkins

with rich paisley print napkins by Ralph Lauren Home.

Pumpkins and mums line a stone wall on the patio for some seasonal color.

Find 6 expert tips for keeping your mums alive until Thanksgiving from Southern Living, HERE.

Details:

Plates / John Derian’s Thanksgiving-themed collection for Target, used HERE

Tablecloth / The Farmhouse by Rachel Ashwell, HomeGoods

Burnished Copper Chargers / Hobby Lobby, several years ago

Flatware / Cambridge Silversmiths Jessamine Copper

Amber Goblets / Mikasa French Countryside

Burnished Copper Container / HomeGoods, several years ago

Napkin Rings and Napkins / Pier 1 & HomeGoods

Visit my flower friends to see their floral inspiration:

Pam at Everyday Living

Lidy at FrenchGardenHouse

Sarah at Hyacinths for the Soul

Thank you for your visit, sharing with:

 Between Naps on the Porch