Table Flowers That Never Get in the Way of the Meal

Hello, everyone. This is Butler Reina. Today, let me tell you about the "flowers" I always give thought to in my work at the table. When we speak of table coordination, our eyes tend to go to the china and the cloth — but in truth, the choice of a single flower can change the whole impression of a table.

There is a florist I frequent, one I visit even on my days off. Being shown whatever has come in that day, and consulting them — "I have such-and-such a gathering coming up" — is one of my pleasures. The florist knows the turning of the seasons sooner than anyone; just seeing the flowers at the shopfront tells me, ah, it is early summer already.

When choosing flowers for a table, what I mind most is scent. However beautiful a flower, if its fragrance is too strong it will erase the delicate aromas of the food. So the iron rule is to choose flowers of gentle scent. The other is height. If a guest's face across the table is hidden behind blooms, the conversation will not flow. A low arrangement that does not block the line of sight is the basis of a table flower. Before splendour, first do not get in the way. That, I believe, is the beauty of a flower content to play the supporting role.

Once, at a certain celebration, I quietly tucked a flower of remembrance into the arrangement. I cannot say the details, but the guest who noticed that single bloom, and whose eyes quietly grew moist — I have never forgotten it. Flowers can, at times, carry the feelings we cannot put into words.

In your own homes, too, do try setting a single seasonal flower on the table. Scent restrained, height low. That alone should make an ordinary meal just a little special. I will keep sharing such seasonal touches here in this journal.