Thursday, April 26, 2018

By Barbara Pronin Gardens are beginning to bloom, as are myriad parks and botanical gardens around the country. Enjoy the color of spring and summer with parties your friends and family will remember.

Afternoon garden party. Make this a casual lunch date for a few close friends, a chance to relax before the kids get home from school. Deck an outdoor table with flowers from your garden and colorful, perhaps disposable, tableware. Provide a simple main dish—a quiche baked from frozen or homemade, or sandwiches and a green salad, with seasonal fresh berries and whipped topping for dessert. Add iced tea or coffee and lively conversation to help welcome spring with panache.

Family picnic. With theme parks, kid sports and obligations beckoning, the old-fashioned picnic seems to be fading from memory. Bring it back on a Sunday afternoon at a local park. Spread a blanket under a tree and anchor it with a picnic basket filled with traditional favorites: fried chicken or family-favorite sandwiches, hard boiled eggs, cut carrots and celery, fruit, cookies and lemonade. Bring the Frisbees and hula hoops and/or other play gear and some books and/or board games to inspire a welcome bit of quiet time.

Ice cream float party. Provide the root beer and vanilla ice cream and let the your kids and a few friends put together their root beer floats. Add some badminton, horseshoes, or a lawn bowling set, and enjoy an afternoon of fun. If you have a swimming pool, make ice cream floats the highlight of a summer pool party.

Wedding prep party. If you’re the mom of the bride or the maid of honor, bring the wedding party ladies together in your blooming backyard for an afternoon of wedding preparation. Make table décor and/or place cards, put wedding favors together, or create a tribute to the bride and groom with photos from childhood to the present. Most of all, create memories for yourselves on a sunny spring afternoon. Iced tea and cookies may be all that’s needed for this fun, chatter-filled gathering.

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