The Zimbabwean Gardener Issue 19 Summer 2016/17 | Page 32

home & decor
A touch of silver
Brenda Brown from Perfect Touch guides us on how to put together the
perfect table setting to make special occasions even more perfect.
Brenda Brown, who specialises in
co-ordinating functions and floral
design, and her right-hand lady, Egness
Munhingi, put together a soft, elegant and
classy table setting by adding a few subtle
touches of silver that can be created at
home for any special occasion. The touch
of silver was bought in by using a few
silver accessories and spray painting a
couple of plants silver, too.
The charger
There is always a bit of etiquette involved
in setting a table, even with using
chargers, otherwise known as under
plates. In a formal setting, guests should
never walk up to a bare table place, so
the silver charger adds a welcome touch.
If you do use a charger, you don’t have
to use a tablemat, as it will look too
cluttered. But remember that the charger
plates are always removed before
serving desserts.
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The serviettes
The silvery grey serviettes, placed in
the centre of the silver chargers, were
wrapped in a classy napkin ring Brenda
made at home by using a button, a
leather fern leaf sprayed silver, silver
string and a red bead ornament to bring
in the touch of the festive season.
The glasses and cutlery
Bring out all the crystal and silverware
for the special occasion. Brenda laid out
one glass for water, wine and champagne.
People typically reach for water more
often than wine, so make sure the water
glass goes above the knife tip.
Flowers
The flowers really brought glamour to
the table – Brenda does have that magic
touch! I loved the long and soft grey
Penny gum strands trailing across the
table, with the groupings of echeveria,
full white roses called Naomi, and the
silver sprayed hypericum and leather fern.
If you can’t get your hands on hypericum
or fern, try spraying any of the following
silver: asparagus fern, ferns, echeveria,
ivy, and you can even spray King
Proteas once they have gone over. Old
Man’s Beard, Tillandsia usneoides, was
hung delicately from the hanging floral
chandelier and added a whimsical touch
to the table setting, especially when it
blew softly in the wind.
Penny gum
The winner of the day was definitely the
Penny gum, as its silvery grey foliage
added a unique softness and highlighted
the silver touches in the centrepiece.
Penny gum, Eucalyptus cinerea, is a
tree that every floral artist would love
to have in their garden, and though
native to Australia, it grows well here
in Zimbabwe. This fast-growing tree is
very popular with flower arrangers, as
it’s a wonderful filler for mass and small