This year, it is in the garden that I have chosen to set our Easter table. Spring has arrived, the weather is mild enough, even if one still needs a warm layer, and the apple trees are in flower. Altogether, the perfect ingredients for a most charming French Easter celebration. We are lucky to have the most beautiful light at the end of the day, and these trees, adorned with delicate white blossoms, always bring to mind Anne Shirley in her early days at Avonlea. If you have been following along for some time, you will know how difficult I find it to resist a table with a country feel. It was already the theme of last year’s Easter table, but this time we have the added pleasure of celebrating outdoors, close to a season that is only just beginning to awaken.
To set this table, which I am sharing a day in advance in case you might be looking for a little inspiration, I chose a light tablecloth in soft shades of blue. It brings that fresh, almost airy note that quietly announces the arrival of warmer days. A gentle, luminous hue that pairs beautifully with the greens I felt drawn to this year. Blue and green always work so well together. There is something inherently elegant about this combination, and it blends effortlessly with the surrounding foliage, quite simply with nature itself.
I am very fond of these charming checked plates I found at a flea market, as well as the ones adorned with little birds. Two lovely finds, discovered at different times, that I enjoy bringing together to create a slightly mismatched, faintly old-fashioned effect, yet full of charm and poetry. They lend a sense of authenticity and settle naturally into the setting. I placed them on cheerful, floral placemats and added napkins designed by Vincent Darré, whom I happened to meet twice this spring while searching for fabrics for my curtains, for a collaboration with Monoprix. I love their whimsical, colourful animal motifs. They bring a joyful note to the table and sit beautifully alongside the antique plates, in a spirit that feels unmistakably springlike.
At the centre of the table, I arranged a bouquet with flowers gathered from the garden. Several varieties of tulips for structure and a slightly graphic touch, deep pink camellias, peonies just coming into bloom, and a few sprigs of lilac whose delicate clusters offer a soft contrast to the rest. I will share these flowers in a forthcoming tutorial, with the varieties used and a few tips to recreate this composition with its springtime allure.
For decoration, I kept things simple, with a few indulgent touches. A kouglof topped with a generous icing and scattered with citrus zest, and small chocolate eggs wrapped in brightly coloured papers that echo the tones of the table. They add a cheerful note and gently awaken childhood memories.
I also scattered here and there a few hand-painted decorative eggs from Poland. They come from a small town nestled in the mountains, Zakopane, often referred to as the Polish Chamonix, which I am particularly fond of. These eggs bring together everything I love in a setting: tradition, craftsmanship, and a touch of poetry.
This table celebrates spring without excess, yes, it does happen, with just the right balance of colours and patterns. And above all, it is the garden itself, with its trees stirring back to life and its flowers, that gives it its true beauty. It captures the pleasure of gathering, the joy of being with family, and the quiet happiness of simple things.
I hope this Easter table in the garden will inspire you, too, to bring out your linens and your favourite crockery, to set a beautiful table for those you love, and to savour this long weekend to the fullest.
Happy Easter!
