Spring Table Inspiration: In the Garden with Peter Rabbit
Some friends and I have teamed up to share our Spring tablescapes this week!
Ever since I was a little girl I’ve loved Peter Rabbit…
…all Beatrix Potter, really. The stories are charming and of course I love the gardens, the English countryside, and Potter’s beautiful illustrations! We had the stories as audiobooks (on cassette tape! I’m dating myself…) and I listened to them all the time.
Back when I was expecting my first child, I decorated the nursery in a Beatrix Potter theme and registered for sets of her books, adorable little stuffed Peter Rabbit, Jemima Puddleduck, and Jeremy Fisher dolls, a Peter Rabbit bank – all sorts of things! We still have them and I cherish them. If you’re unfamiliar with the story of Peter Rabbit, you can read it here!
While this tablescape is not overtly Peter Rabbit, meaning that it doesn’t use the well-known illustrated character in any way, it is a nod to him and incorporates some key elements from the story in a creative way. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
Let’s start with the centerpiece: A Watering Can!
“And [he] rushed into the toolshed, and jumped into a can. It would have been a beautiful thing to hide in, if it had not had so much water in it.” – from The Tale of Peter Rabbit
This particular watering can, by Hearth & Hand from Target, was a nice neutral base for filling with some bright, colorful Spring flowers, like these daffodils I found at my local grocery store. I wanted to add some height and additional texture, so I stacked it atop two slices of wood I had from our old tree. You can certainly purchase wood slices if you don’t have any laying around. I then tucked in two little bunnies just hanging out on the wood slices – perhaps resting like Peter! I got mine years ago and don’t even remember where, but these are really cute and whimsical!
Next, the Place Settings
“…he might have got away altogether if he had not…got caught by the large buttons on his jacket. It was a blue jacket with brass buttons, quite new.” – from The Tale of Peter Rabbit
If you’ve been around here awhile you may have gathered that I love all things blue and white! As a nod to Peter’s poor lost jacket, I used blue and white plates topped with blue and white stuffed gingham carrots. The tablecloth also has a bluish tint to it, but is actually mostly gray. I was going to use my favorite blue and white striped tablecloth, but mine is unfortunately too small for our table with the leaf in.
The vintage J&G Meakin “Dresden Blue” Ironstone plates were a thrift store find, and the carrots were from an Easter garland I purchased at Homegoods last year on clearance. The garland was too long to hang anywhere in my house, so I pulled the carrots off and used some on the table and some in my entryway decor. These are similar and super cute. These are also a cute alternative.
The distressed white chargers were from Hobby Lobby several years ago at Christmastime, and the white cloth napkins are by Hearth & Hand from Target. I just tied it all together with some simple natural kitchen twine. The utensils are our everyday ones, and the crystal glasses were a wedding gift I only pull out for photoshoots! Ha!
The “Place Cards”
“Mr. McGregor was quite sure that Peter was somewhere in the toolshed, perhaps hidden underneath a flower-pot.” – from The Tale of Peter Rabbit
For a simple but cute place marker, I wrote names on popsicle sticks using a fine tip sharpie and stuck them in tiny flower pots filled with potting soil – one for each place. Not difficult at all, but fitting with the theme! It would be cute to have a little plant growing in there, but I didn’t have any that tiny available at the time I put this tablescape together.
Spring Garden Accents
“First he ate some lettuces and some French beans; and then he ate some radishes…[Mr. McGregor] tried to put his foot upon Peter, who jumped out of a window, upsetting three plants.” – from The Tale of Peter Rabbit
I thought it would be super fun to get some carrots with the greenery still attached and use them as decor! To get them to stay upright I tied them with a little bow of twine and placed them in glass jars on either side of the watering can. We cooked them up and ate them with dinner that night, haha! I love it when things serve dual purpose.
Since Peter ate some radishes from Mr. McGregor’s garden, I definitely had to incorporate some of those bright cheerful veggies in this tablescape! I thought it would be extra fun to have them “spilling” out of a pot – just like the plants Peter tipped as he scampered out the window!
Unglazed terra cotta pots are typically safe for food and don’t contain lead, however to be safe I lined each of these pots with trimmed-down ziplock bags before placing the veggies inside. You can also thoroughly wash and dry the pots before use. Don’t use pots that have been previously used for chemicals, fertilizers, etc, as those compounds can soak into the terra cotta. Please note that glazed pots may contain lead depending on the manufacturer.
Do this at your own discretion. I felt comfortable lining the pots and using them, but it is up to you to judge for yourself if this is safe or not. This is simply a fun decor idea based on my own experience and research.
(Also pictured: the reason I rarely paint my nails…because I seldom have the discipline to remove the chipping polish!)
Had to include some blackberries in there, too!
“But Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cotton-tail had bread and milk and blackberries for supper.” – from The Tale of Peter Rabbit
This is in addition to the fact my son has been asking if I’d buy him blackberries. Dual purpose for the win again!
I layered some fresh eucalyptus stems from Trader Joe’s underneath for added depth and to tie the individual pieces together (connect them, if you will).
There you have it – a Spring Tablescape inspired by Peter Rabbit’s adventures in Mr. McGregor’s garden!
Thanks so much for reading – I hope it inspired you to create your own Spring tablescape!
If you enjoyed this post, don’t forget to Pin it for later!
Be sure to check out my friends’ lovely Spring tablescapes!
Cynthia at Vintage and Grace Living
Danielle at Faith and Farmhouse
Blessings,
Melissa
Oh, goodness. I am in LOVE with your adorable spring garden-inspired tablescape. I would like to share a link to your post in my weekly roundup tomorrow.
Thank you so much! That would be lovely š
Aw, thank you so much, Anne! <3
This is such a pretty spring tablescape, Melissa, The place cards is such an adorable detail!