With summer here we are all looking to the outside as our entertaining oasis. There are lots of things you can do to make your outdoor entertaining more colorful and fun with items you probably already have.

To begin make a list of all the red, white and blue fruits and flowers and candles you have on hand. For instance, begin with red; in the garden you may have cherry tomatoes, radishes or strawberries, or red roses, gerbera daisies or geraniums. If not, look for red candles you might have left over from the holidays. Next collect white flowers and or white candles, most likely you have on hand. As for blue, the first fruit that comes to mind are blueberries, make a trip to the local Farmer’s Market or grocery store, not only will they make a great centerpiece, but they are great sources for nutrition, eggplant if you have it in your garden will work for the blue element as well. For flowers, look for blue lobelia or purple alyssum in pony packs.

Take you blend of red, white and blue and try different combinations to suit your space. Don’t be afraid to mix it up. One idea,depending on what you have is to begin with a hurricane, add a white pillar candle, set it in the center on a large garden saucer. Buy a pony pack of blue lobelia or purple alyssum and ‘plant’ them around the hurricane and finally fill the hurricane around the candle with cherry tomatoes or radishes, or sprinkle small red flowers inside. Or you can add red flowers around the arrangement, put the blueberries inside the hurricane and eliminate the need to ‘plant’ your blue flowers in the saucer.

Another idea is to just set garden saucers in a line along the table top and add red, white and blue pillar candles in the center and add some of our local juniper branches or ivy tendrils then ‘sprinkle’ some red and blue fruits to complete your fresh red, white and blue composition.

I think once you have gathered what you have on hand that might resemble red, white and blue, you’ll be surprised how creative you can be, bring the kids in on the project, they are great sources of creativity.

Have a Safe and Happy 4th of July.