Spring Garden Party

This past weekend I hosted my first garden party. I had the idea a year ago, but due to time and other events, I was unable. However, this year I made it a priority and it came to fruition. I invited family and friends with a homemade stamp Garden Party invitation. (Video tutorial shown below).

The garden party consisted of hor d’oeuvres, garden games (see below), and a plant exchange.

In a tin container, I added ice cubes with flowers, Dasani Sparkling Water (Raspberry Lemonade and Meyer Lemon), water, and two sodas in glass bottles: IBC Black Cherry and Coca-Cola Origins California Raspberry.

For hors d’ouvres, my mom made egg salad sandwiches and turkey and cheese sandwiches with strawberry preserves. We also had a vegetable platter, fruit salad, hummus, strawberry cheesecake bites, caprese salad skewers, pineapple mozzarella rosemary skewers, deviled eggs, and Joanna Gaines Magnolia Table “Baked Bruschetta”.

The highlight of my hor d’oeuvres were my Planted Cupcakes. I used plant pot silicone molds (bought at Michaels) with Trader Joes Vanilla Cake mix and Duncan Hines Super Moist Chocolate Cake cupcakes. We used Duncan Hines Chocolate Frosting and crushed Oreo cookies to look like dirt. Finally, a real mint sprig was “planted” into the cupcake. These were definitely a hit!

Everyone brought a plant that described their personality for the plant exchange. All of the plants were beautiful! We had orchids, azaleas, lavender, succulents, marigolds, sunflowers, and tulips, just to name a few.

To do the plant exchange, we counted the number of plants (13 in our case). Each plant had two popsicle sticks ( 1-1, 2-2, 3-3, etc). One popsicle stick was placed in the plant, and the other popsicle stick was collected. The popsicle sticks were mixed up and each person selected one popsicle stick from my hand. Whichever number they selected, they would find the plant with the matching number and that would be their plant to take home.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

We played two games: Name the Flower and Fruit, Vegetable, or Berry (Botanical). (Links to my TeachersPayTeachers on the names of the games).

“Spring Into Action. Take a Plant.” As a party gift, the invitees went home with a plant that I started from seed. I placed the new plants into terra-cotta pots or Yoplait Oui! and La Fermiere yogurt jars. Some of the plants I grew from seed included rosemary, basil, lavender, pumpkin, winter squash, kale, Roma tomatoes, marigolds, sweet peppers, jalapeños, and gaillardia goblin flower.

I cannot wait until next year to host my second annual Garden Party, Lord Willing! Happy Spring!