Best Way to Decorate a Summer Table with Fresh Herbs

Intensify the pleasures of summer dining by combining the delicate scents of freshly cut flowers and herbs with the stronger aromas of herbs used in cookery and the spicy flavours of salad herbs.

Decorating a summer table with fresh herbs is a joy in itself. There is such a wide choice of plants and flowers available in summer that each detail can be a celebration of a different herb. For example, wrapping flowering rosemary around napkins will encourage your guests to appreciate the plant’s delicate purple flower.

For your tablecloth, choose a pale natural fabric such as undyed linen. This will allow the herbs to occupy centre stage rather than making them compete with a busy pattern. Height is important in any table setting, and one easy way to achieve it is to decorate candelabra or candlesticks. Soak a foam brick in water. (These can be bought in any florist’s and, if kept damp, will maintain the freshness of the herbs for days.) Slice off two chunks, one for each side of the candlestick, and use florist’s tape to wrap them together. Rosemary, lemon balm, eucalyptus, parsley, flowering apple mint and various pelargoniums make an excellent base. You can then introduce more delicate herbs and flowers such as flowering coriander and old-fashioned scented roses. Combining culinary herbs and fragrant herbs in a table decoration can produce very satisfying results, especially if the culinary herbs have also been used in the preparation of food.

A bowl of freshly torn or chopped herbs such as basil, mint, tarragon, coriander and flat-leaved parsley is an attractive detail – and will allow your guests to help themselves to handfuls to sprinkle on their food.

As with the tablecloth, choose plain or understated china, cutlery and glassware that will not upstage the greenery. Arrange the herbs loosely – think about how they grow in the garden – and let them ramble across the table.

Herbs wilt quickly, so make sure they are in plenty of water. Spray loose herbs with water half an hour before your guests sit down, to keep the table looking fresh.

If you have a conservatory to dine in, or if your dining room is full of natural light, take advantage of this environment to grow herbs in containers. Surround the table with pots of delicious-smelling culinary and aromatic herbs. For containers that are intended to be a permanent feature, choose unusual items such as china basins and chimney pots.