A proper tablescape is something I’ve tended to ignore up until recent years, and even now I only do such a thing partly out of an over-the-top joke for Suzie whenever she comes over. (There is no one less inclined to craft a tablescape than Suzie. I don’t think she owns a tablecloth, much less anything to go on it for decorative purposes.) So whenever she visits for dinner, I try to create at least one ridiculous sight on the dining room table.
For this New Year’s Eve table, coming as it did in the aftermath of the Christmas holiday, I wanted a simple and elegant wintry scene. Our backyard stand of Steeplechase thuja provided the evergreen sprigs that work surprisingly well as a miniature forest and anchoring greenery for a bunch of creamy single stock flowers.
They rise in a manner reminiscent of primroses, and the soft, subtle flower form is a deceptive veil for the potent sweet aroma they give off.
The greenery here – both on the stock and the scales of the thuja – is a major component, and my favorite part of this collection. A few little glasses hold one or two fronds each of the thuja, but taken together they create an impact greater than their individual parts.
If you lean in, you can get lost in the little forest of sweet-smelling blooms.
Winter keeps its cozy secrets.
Winter is the evergreen before the blooms.
