Ways to Use Lavender and Wildflowers for Outdoor Dining

Key Takeaways:

• Blend lavender with colorful wildflowers for whimsical, meadow-inspired table settings
• Use rustic containers like vintage tins and wooden boxes to hold lavender and wildflower arrangements
• Incorporate fresh herbs with lavender and wildflowers for aromatic, culinary-themed displays
• Style mason jars with lavender sprigs and wildflower accents for casual, country charm
• Create garlands and runners with trailing vines, lavender, and wildflowers
• Use lavender and wildflowers as creative place setting embellishments

Few sights fill me with more unabashed joy than an overgrown meadow bursting with cheery wildflowers dancing amidst swaying lavender stems. Their inherent carefree spirit radiating from every vibrant petal and fragrant purple inflorescence ignites a craving to somehow bottle their pastoral magic for alfresco celebrations.

Which is why thoughtfully incorporating lavender and wildflower accents into outdoor dining decor has become my summertime calling. By seamlessly blending saturated blooms with serene lavender hues, you cultivate a botanical vibe so radiantly ethereal yet intentionally relaxed that each place setting channels pure meadow rapture. So prepare to embrace botanical wanderlust as I reveal the dreamiest Ways to Use Lavender and Wildflowers for Outdoor Dining!

Use this table to compare the best flowers to pair with lavender, with insights on color impact, texture contrast, styling symbolism, scent profiles, and optimal usage in farmhouse picnic or porch displays.

🌸 Companion Flower	🎨 Color & Visual Impact	🌿 Texture, Shape & Height	💜 Mood, Symbolism & Scent
Chamomile	White petals and yellow centers brighten lavender’s purple with a soft, sweet contrast that feels airy and clean.	Low-medium; daisy-like clusters; offers soft, airy scatter to balance lavender’s upright form.	Symbolizes calm and harmony; apple-sweet scent; perfect for peaceful brunches and garden tables.
Queen Anne’s Lace	Lacy white blooms create a floating softness that contrasts lavender’s linear shape, adding ethereal texture.	Tall; delicate umbrella-shaped flowers; airy texture that lightens heavy clusters.	Symbolizes sanctuary; no scent; lends vintage charm to runners, baskets, and windowsills.
Coreopsis	Cheerful golden-yellow creates vibrant contrast with lavender’s purple; adds energy to tablescapes.	Medium height; small daisy-like blooms; rhythmic visual pops throughout arrangements.	Symbolizes joy and cheer; unscented; brightens wildflower mixes, picnic baskets, and runners.
Cosmos	Soft pinks, whites, and magentas gently harmonize with lavender; adds romantic, airy softness.	Tall, fluttery blooms; thin stems; adds graceful movement to otherwise static table arrangements.	Symbolizes balance and harmony; lightly fragrant; dreamy for porch brunches and hanging baskets.
Yarrow	Warm yellows or blush pinks ground lavender’s cool tones with earthy warmth; adds rustic charm.	Medium; dense, flat-topped clusters; architectural; stabilizes looser wildflower designs.	Symbolizes healing and strength; mild herbal scent; perfect for wild, farmhouse floral runners.
Feverfew	Tiny white daisy flowers scatter light playfully among lavender, softening edges with fine detail.	Short-medium; clustered, delicate; acts as a filler while adding playful movement.	Symbolizes peace; subtle herbal scent; best for napkin ties, windowsill jars, and place settings.
Bachelor’s Button	Cobalt blue adds depth and contrast, intensifying lavender’s cool palette for a sophisticated, wild look.	Medium; rounded, spiky flowers; balances tall, thin lavender with textural roundness.	Symbolizes charm; lightly spicy scent; works well in mason jars, baskets, or window boxes.
Sweet Pea	Pastel pinks, lavender, and soft creams; blends seamlessly for soft, vintage cottage arrangements.	Trailing, soft, ruffled; perfect for hanging baskets, edge draping, or romantic bouquets.	Symbolizes gentle affection; sweet, intoxicating scent; romantic and elegant for summer gatherings.
Black-eyed Susan	Golden petals with deep brown centers create bold, rustic contrast next to lavender’s softness.	Medium-tall; sturdy; flat daisy heads anchor airy arrangements with stability and bold visual weight.	Symbolizes encouragement and motivation; unscented; ideal for picnic basket displays and wild centerpieces.
Mint & Rosemary	Deep herbal greens enhance lavender’s softness while grounding bright florals with earthy freshness.	Low-medium; spiky rosemary or soft, trailing mint; fills gaps and softens edges beautifully.	Symbolizes clarity, renewal, and comfort; intensely aromatic; perfect for enhancing sensory garden tablescapes.

Don’t forget to check out my post on the Best Lavender Companion Flowers for Summer and share the inspiration with friends.

How to Design Lavender and Wildflower Centerpieces for Picnic Tables

Lavender’s understated elegance provides the perfect canvas for wildflower arrangements that make you feel like you’re lounging in a kaleidoscopic meadow wonderland. For bright, sunshiny picnic tablescapes, I adore layering fragrant lavender spires trailing golden yarrow, magenta zinnias, azure cornflowers and sunny coreopsis blooms amid grassy dried foliage. The vibrant interplay captures the scene’s bucolic splendor.

If a more romantic wine country aesthetic suits your soirée, you can cultivate an heirloom nostalgia vibe by bundling together dusky lavender wands, antique pink poppies, burgundy amaranth tresses and feathery white Nigella for your centerpieces. Accent with vintage bottles, heirloom lace trim, and rustic terracotta vessels for an enchanting pastoral fantasy. No matter which wildflower direction you wander, intentionally placing the lavender as your botanical anchors prevents the designs from appearing too chaotic or messy.

Intrigued by more ways to blend lavender with wildflowers for outdoor dining decor? Keep reading!

What Are the Best Wildflowers to Pair with Lavender for Dining Decor?

• Zinnias: These bright, cheery bloomers come in a rainbow of warm sunset shades that vibrantly contrast lavender’s cool tones.
  
  
• Cosmos: The airy, ferny foliage and delicate petals of cosmos lend lavender arrangements a quintessential fresh-from-the-meadow appeal.
  
  
• Rudbeckia: Glowing golden and coppery rudbeckia daisies provide a rich autumnal undertone for harvest table lavender accents.
  
  
• Nigella: Whimsical love-in-a-mist with its intricately woven fennel foliage offers exquisite textural contrast against lavender spires.
  
  
• Gaillardias: Blazing orange, burgundy and sunny yellow gaillardia blooms create energetic lavender tablescapes brimming with joyful color.
  
  
• Queen Anne’s Lace: Airy, delicate lace-like umbels in pristine white or blush pink tones lend a graceful, romantic wildflower impression.
  
  
• Sunflowers: From dwarf cultivars to towering giants, sunflowers’ cheerful yellow rays enliven lavender decor with effortless meadow charm.
  
  

Lavender’s versatile purple hues seamlessly harmonize with so many colorful wildflower varieties, allowing you to craft arrangements that sing summer’s sweetest botanical serenade. Just be sure to edit your ingredient list for an intentional, curated feel rather than a chaotic overgrowth. Ready to explore more outdoor dining inspiration?

How to Build a Lavender and Wildflower Garland for Outdoor Tables

Lavender’s nostalgic charm radiates even more bucolic magic when arranged into beautifully drapey garlands perfect for cascading across outdoor tablescapes and patio railings. To construct showstopping swags, I prefer allowing wildflowers to gently trail amidst the lavender accents for a carefree, just-picked meadow aesthetic.

Begin by securing lush lavender stems bundled with florist wire into the garland’s base layer using a loose weaving technique every few inches. Then artfully tuck in pops of zinnias, sunny coreopsis blooms, feathery ammobium and trailing vines like jasmine and butterfly pea tendrils between each lavender cluster. For a lush, overgrown look, generously loop hanging amaranth tresses and vining greenery garlands around the garland’s shape too. Finally, let wispy love-in-a-mist stems trail dramatically from various segments to emulate that dreamy wildflower field spirit.

By channeling plenty of “unkempt” botanical energy through asymmetric lavender and wildflower placement, you ultimately craft heirloom-worthy garden garlands that romanticize every outdoor tablescape with effortless rustic grandeur. But the lavender and wildflower inspiration keeps blossoming – so keep reading!

Ways to Style Lavender and Wildflowers in Hanging Baskets for Outdoor Patios

• Weave wispy lavender bunches and trailing ruby Amaranthus stems through vibrant sunflower blossoms exploding from rustic macrame baskets.
  
  
• Plant swaths of bright orange daylily faces and pink coneflowers amid a central field of tightly clustered lavender in wrought iron hanging urns.
  
  
• Use recycled wood crate baskets to construct low, overflowing spills of lavender drifts, burgundy dahlias and feathery golden chamomile blooms.
  
  
• Fashion whimsical tasseled hoops of sky-blue nigella, cream pom-pom dahlias, and trailing English lavender sprigs for unexpected modern bohemian flair.
  
  
• Incorporate natural elements like birch bark shards and curling grapevine rings as stylish accents within tumbling lavender and wild aster basket installations.
  
  

When placing lavender and wildflower arrangements in overhead hanging baskets, there’s a certain artistic freedom that emerges from an elevated perspective. You can fashion extravagant, almost gravity-defying spills of color and texture bursting over the edges and trailing down below for pure visual drama. Those sky-high lavender and wildflower installations feel like living, breathing botanical chandeliers!

What Are the Best Ways to Pair Lavender with Bold Summer Wildflowers?

1. Tightly cluster bright magenta coneflowers, sunset-colored zinnias and riotously hued annual salvias into a rustic terra cotta urn, swirling smoky French lavender sprigs throughout.
   
   
2. Juxtapose lavender’s cool pastel hues against intense golden sunflowers, electric orange gaillardias and cheery lemon coreopsis blooms for high-contrast, garden-fresh centerpieces.
   
   
3. Create a lush, overgrown countryside meadow look by composing extravagant lavender cloud centerpieces punctuated by boldly crimson coxcomb clusters and statuesque oxblood amaranth towering overhead.
   
   

While lavender’s soft purple tones partner beautifully with muted pastel floral palettes, they take on a completely different persona when intentionally played against sizzling summer wildflower hues. By enveloping those fiery orange, sunny yellow and magenta blooms within a base of serene lavender hues, you amplify their high-octane vibrancy through natural visual juxtaposition.

Ways to Use Lavender and Wildflowers as Place Settings

• For a naturally romantic botanical touch, cluster sprigs of French lavender and trailing amaranthus around each linen napkin setting.
  
  
• Individually wrap each cutlery packet with raffia, tucking in a fresh lavender wand paired with an orange gaillardia blossom.
  
  
• Hollowed-out apple gourds make charming rustic votive holders when stuffed with wildflower accents and lavender sachets.
  
  
• Tie single culinary lavender stems with leather cord, dangling one across each guest’s bread plate accented by a sunflower boutonnière.
  
  
• Bring the enchantment of English cottage gardens to your tablescape by framing each place setting with miniature cloches filled with lavender “fog” amidst gomphrena and love-in-a-mist details.
  
  
• For alfresco dining displays that truly transport your guests into botanical reverie, why not embrace lavender’s full whimsical potential by incorporating wildflower accents directly into each place setting detail? Even the simplest fresh lavender stem or sachet can spark imaginative floral fantasy when partnered with charming meadow blooms like zinnias, larkspur or chamomile.

What Are the Best Rustic Containers for Lavender and Wildflowers?

1. Vintage glass milk bottles in mossy tones let lavender and cosmos trails flow out in effortless garden style.
   
   
2. Antique wooden crates and boxes with aged distressed patinas provide perfect vessel for overflowing lavender swags with sunflowers and nigella spills.
   
   
3. For pastoral sophistication, group galvanized metal baskets and olive buckets in a line, abundantly planted with lavender and wildflower meadow mixes.
   
   
4. Earthy terra cotta strawberry pots make delightful hanging basket options when stuffed with trailing vines, lavender wands and multicolored gaillardia blooms.
   
   
5. Even humble chicken wire cloches can become whimsical lavender and zinnia topiaries when left rustically unlined for a delightfully unkempt feel.
   
   

The inherent bucolic beauty of wildflowers calls for equally humble, time-worn vessel selections to retain that effortless meadow ambiance. Whether chipped enameled containers, recycled burlap bags or even discarded wooden tool caddies, these naturally distressed options provide perfect earthy backdrops for your lavender and wildflower harvests to shine.

How to Use Lavender and Wildflowers in Rustic Table Runners

By stitching or weaving together trails of lavender stems and greenery into stunning garland runners along your outdoor tables, you’re essentially crafting the perfect free-flowing canvas to nestle in other wild floral accents. Now brimming gaps can bloom with trailing amaranthus ruby fronds, bouncy yellow billy balls and tangerine zinnias for energetic table artistry.

Or allow vining jasmine stems and amethyst hued statice to sensuously drape across the lavender garland’s textural base, emitting effortless vintage romance. If a more moody harvest ambiance suits your alfresco fete, try layering burgundy dahlias, rosy nigella and smoky grasses amid braided lavender ropes for earthy sophistication.

The key lies in letting loose with botanical energy so the finished textural lavender and wildflower design feels excitingly spontaneous yet purposefully curated. With lush overflowing ingredients and trailing accent pieces, each table becomes an immersive garden daydream.

Ways to Mix Lavender and Wildflowers with Fresh Herbs for Table Decor

Given lavender’s own herbal essence, it only makes sense to blend its intoxicating floral energy with other fresh botanicals from the kitchen garden when styling outdoor table decor. I’m utterly obsessed with the rustic, Provençal countryside aesthetic you achieve by artfully mixing fragrant herb sprigs like rosemary, thyme and sage throughout lavender and wildflower arrangements.

You can channel effortless French farmhouse vibes through simple pedestal bowls brimming with winding rosemary vines, lavender wands and sunny rudbeckia blossoms exploding skyward. Or celebrate early summer’s bounty with iron urns overflowing with flowering dill umbels, deep purple lavender spires and hot pink cosmos accents creating a vision of pure botanical abundance.

I also revel in getting ultra avant-garde by allowing aromatic herb tendrils to dramatically trail across tables intertwined with garlands of vivid wildflowers, lavender and sculptural elements like curling grapevines. The herbaceous aromas blending with lavender’s perfume creates an incredibly sensory and edible ambiance that chefs adore.

How to Style Lavender and Wildflowers in Mason Jars for Outdoor Tables

You simply can’t discuss laid-back outdoor entertaining without singing the praises of the humble mason jar for its pure nostalgic charm. As effortless vessels for holding wildflower and lavender arrangements, these jars possess an innate country spirit perfect for elevating casual picnics and barbecues into botanical affairs.

For example, incorporate your own DIY macramé lavender jar hangers filled with lush white lavender wands alongside dainty wildflower blooms like sunny coreopsis and star-shaped jasione for a sweetly innocent vintage touch. Or for more riotous sensory impact, cluster a variety of mason jars in different shades of aqua and amber glass, each abundantly overflowing with splashy zinnias, purple lavender and trailing amaranthus tails.

You can even stretch a single mason jar design across an entire table span by placing identical designs at every place setting cloaked by burlap runners for rustic uniformity. Just be sure to incorporate lavender generously within each contained wildflower display to elevate every setting with botanical panache.

Conclusion
As floral perfumes ebb and flow across the warm evening breeze, you can practically hear nature’s whispered summons to channel its meadow poetry into enchanting alfresco tablescapes. With humble yet breathtaking lavender leading the botanical cast alongside a vivacious troupe of wildflowers in full summer splendor, every outdoor dining space blossoms into an effortless countryside dreamscape.

Perhaps your pastoral reveries unfold through verdant lavender garlands cascading wildflower accents and herbal tendrils like sinewy botanical vines across sprawling farmhouse tables. Or even curated meadow arrangements bursting from repurposed rustic containers that make humble centerpiece statements brimming with nostalgic floral whimsy. You could even opt for overhead hanging baskets that shower guests below in sensory lavender perfume woven through sunflower rays and vibrant zinnia fireworks for a truly immersive wildflower fantasy.

No matter your ultimate lavender and wildflower vision to bring outside this season, always remember to edit those humble ingredients thoughtfully while still allowing an unrestrained, overgrown spirit to shine. Because only when we embrace botanical magic with soulful intention can we elevate simple backyard gatherings into the most enchanting alfresco adventures. Where every petal and fragrant purple spire becomes a living doorway to summertime bliss.