Seasonal Tablescapes

Presented by Peter Longley, Horticultural Interpreter, The Springfield-Greene County Botanical Center, Gardens and Complex.

Peter Longley will be presenting a series of eight demonstrations of Tablescapes on a seasonal theme throughout the spring, summer, fall, and winter of 2011.

These will feature topical, intimate, casual, formal, and seasonal designs, and will embrace a lot more than just the table setting.

Peter was the Estate Manager of Tullamaine Castle, in County Tipperary in Ireland from 1966-77. During that time, apart from running a 250 acre farm and re-designing and maintaining some 25 acres of gardens and grounds, as Estate Manager, he trained and supervised the domestic staff from butlers to houseboys and serving maids. Later, as Cruise Director, he was the third senior hotel officer on board the Cunard ocean liner Queen Elizabeth 2, then the world’s most prestigious passenger ship. After retiring from life at sea, Peter ran a guesthouse in the Ozarks in conjunction with a retreat center at Alpha Meadows a few miles from Seymour, and supervised gourmet dining events and concerts in the noted English gardens that he created there.

This series will show the creation of appropriate floral table arrangements for each presentation, explain the china, glassware, and silverware used, and will be accompanied with anecdotes and a poetic or otherwise appropriate seasonal reading.

There is a fee of $ 5.00 per session and light refreshments appropriate to the theme will be served. To register, please call 417 891 1515. (You can register for one event at a time and do not have to commit to the whole series)

The Tablescapes, times, venues and dates are scheduled as follows:

6:00 pm The Summer Terrace on the Roof Plaza, The Botanical Center.

Friday, July 1

6:00 pm   Born on the Fourth of July at Drummond Deck, Close Memorial Park.

Friday, September 2

6:00 pm   Tuscan Summer on the Roof Plaza, The Botanical Center.

Saturday, October 15

2:00 pm   Formal Feast in the East Meeting Room, The Botanical Center.

Saturday, November 19

2:00 pm   Thanksgiving in the East Meeting Room, The Botanical Center.

Saturday, December 10

2:00 pm     The Dickensian Christmas in the East Meeting Room, The Botanical Center.