A Tomato Trellis Garden Party

Want to make a tomato trellis in your garden for a fun Tomato Trellis Dinner Party? Enjoy this fun summer tablecape post with all the details!

Let me tell you about my friends, “Penny and Lu Lu.”

I mean Susie (Penny) and Carol (Lu Lu).

They have the most spectacular floral business in town, Penny and Lu Lu Studio Florist, and many don’t even know about it.

But … the word is spreading and people know when they work with these 2 creative minds, that they will get magic in return, whether a flower arrangement or an event.

My background with Carol goes back 25 years ago, when I’d babysit her 2 kids. Well, I should say “kid -sit,” as they were not babies. But Carol was a flight attendant and traveled a lot, and when her husband also had to be gone, I’d come in and help. This was during my single years, pre-Paul days.

I always admired Carol and her beautiful home. She just had a way with repurposing and making things look beautiful. It’s a gift, for sure. (Sh-h-h … Carol was one of my role-models, and she didn’t even know it!) :)

My background with Susie is … well, … that I shopped at her store while growing up in Medford, Flowers by Susie, because it was the classiest, most creative florist in town. Everyone knew who the talented Susie was! :)

Together, years later after working their design business together, they formed the new Penny and Lu Lu Studio Florist.

When I knew my blogging friends were coming to dinner last week, while here for a a blogging event, Carol and Susie came over and checked out my back yard.

You know I write about simplicity here on RE. Simplicity really is bliss, and life can be so beautiful, if you decide to keep it simple!

The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak. -Hans Hofmann

I wanted simple. (Foodie Crush does a great job capturing the moment, here.)

I asked if they’d help me use what I already had in the background, which in this case was the garden.

Why not let the garden talk?

So Susie and Carol (and Debbie) went to work adding a beautiful wisteria vine with tomatoes hanging from it. It made the backyard pop with color!

Which, by the way, is their specialty.

We pay very close attention to detail while personalizing an event–no matter the size–one is as important as another. -Carol (Lu Lu)

Which also made my heart sing, because I knew my little party would be tiny compared to some events they work with.

They’re so good with letting the imagination work for them: In our case, the trellis seemed to be the showcase.

Adding to the “garden theme,” using what was already in our backyard:

1. Small red school chair on our back patio ($4.99 Good Will bargain).
2. The current tomato beds in full bloom (they added in a few fresh tomatoes).
3. Shovels and pitchforks down by the compost pile.
4. Basket of harvest veggies that my husband had just picked.

We added in succulents and grasses to the table setting with $10 Lowe’s drop cloths that I had used for another party.

And then the centerpiece of red dahlias with a few tomatoes still on the vine.

I used my 21-year wedding dishes, Dollar Tree wine and water glasses, black napkins, and The Hip Hostess napkin swags (stay tuned for a fun giveaway later this month).

So beautiful, so elegant.

So loved by all of my wonderful blogging friends who came to have dinner with our family. It was a dream …

Keeping simplicity and repurposing and the “RE message” in mind, Penny and Lu Lu far exceeded my expectations of making my party special.

Here’s a “cheer” and a “thanks” to 2 creative ladies!

Are you good at repurposing and using what you have for a party theme?

To “like” Penny and Lu Lu’s Facebook page, please visit here.

(I was not paid to write this post today.)