Pretty Fruit and Flowers Late Summer Table Setting
Embrace summer by hosting a pretty tea party on the porch. This late summer table setting pairs garden flowers with thrifted vintage finds for a charming Summer Celebration.

Dining al fresco is a summertime treat. If the humidity isn’t too high and the bugs will leave you alone, eating outside is indeed a summer pleasure! We are lucky to have a covered wrap around porch on our old farmhouse and it’s our favorite place to eat in the summer. Today I’m sharing how you can set a Pretty Fruit and Flowers Late Summer Table Setting with thrifted vintage finds.
Today’s post is part of our monthly Pinterest Challenge series, hosted by Cindy at County Road 407. Every month Cindy chooses an inspiration photo for our creative blogging group to design around. This month you’re going to get a lot of beautiful summer table setting ideas! If you’re visiting from Thistle Key Lane, I’m sure you loved Michelle’s easy summer whites tablescape. The rest of the inspiration is at the end; enjoy them all!
Pinterest Challenge Inspiration Photo
This month’s inspiration pic comes from the blog Hello Hailey. It’s #28 of a 40 Outdoor Table Decor Ideas for Every Season. This pic features a tranquil porch table setting in blues and greens.
Design cues I noticed:
- white dishes and vases with embossed texture
- multiple fresh floral arrangements as centerpiece
- woven textured chargers
- mophead hydrangeas in background
- wooden table
- covered porch as setting
- window in background
For these challenges, we’re supposed to use the pic as inspiration, but put our own design style into it. I definitely wanted to create a pretty table setting on our porch, but not in the morning! I am not a morning person, so my sunbeams are much more vibrant than this cool look;) We’re at peak summer color right now here in MN and are finally enjoying all the pretty, vibrant colors. So my table setting embraces the late summer beauty. Here’s how my table setting came together:
Pretty Fruit and Flowers Late Summer Table Setting
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Mix and Match Thrifted Vintage Dishes
When you find most of your dishes secondhand, you usually don’t have full sets. Which is the perfect reason to set your table with a mix and match combo. I found 4 pretty fruit and flowers plates this Spring at a church sale. I loved the embossed floral edging. The texture reminded me of the inspiration pic.
Modern plates are usually made larger, like my Portmerion plates. I’ve been finding these slowly, too. Having a combo of dishes with art around the edge and in the middle is perfect for layering. The smaller vintage plates fit perfectly over the larger newer plates, with the vining edge showing all around.
I didn’t use chargers this time, because this glass top porch table is smaller. Oval ones would probably work, but instead I used a woven crocheted tablecloth for texture.
The yellow gingham napkins were cut from a fabric scrap and tied with THIS leafy ribbon. I love using it for gifts, too.
Mix and match vintage glassware combines ruby thumbprint goblets and green depression glass cups. I picked a couple of fresh cucumbers from the garden, along with nasturtiums and mint. It’s been a wonderful year for gardening here, because we’ve had a ton of rain. Just starting to enjoy the harvest now! {see “25+ Creative Vintage Garden Decor Ideas (you can thrift and DIY)” for garden glimpses}.
Garden Flowers and a Repurposed Shutter Centerpiece
Because my table wasn’t wood, I wanted to incorporate some into the table setting. I had picked up this cute hand painted kitchen shutter for .25 at a church sale. The woman who had painted it was a very resourceful upcycler, before her time! The shutter must have hung near her wall mount phone and had address labels on each shutter piece. Such a pretty and smart way to repurpose an old shutter!
I always have some of THIS around to get off sticky residue. Then I washed the shutter with soap and water so I could use it for my centerpiece.
Different varieties of hydrangea, black eyed susans and purple coneflowers coordinate with the color scheme and are perfect for this late summer table setting. Grouped in old milk bottles, I lined them up on the painted shutter and grouped them at the far end.
Vintage Floral Daher Tin Collection Display
One of the best decorating ideas I’ve come up with was placing a painted glass front cupboard on our porch. I have so much fun creating seasonal displays in it. This summer’s cupboard is filled with my ever-expanding vintage floral Daher tin collection. I’ve picked up these pretty floral tins while thrifting for years. The large platter at the top was a recent find.
The floral-themed tins join enamelware coffee pots, wicker accents and clay pots for garden fresh style. The overall look resembles a garden, bursting with flowers and textures.
Summer Tea Party on the Porch
Each summer it’s fun to style a pretty outdoor table setting in different areas of our yard. This year’s summer table setting feels like an outdoor dining room with the pretty cupboard as the backdrop.
Our garden wraps the porch in blooming color, with bushes along the side for privacy. It’s the perfect place to enjoy our beautiful yard. And a great place to enjoy a tea party with friends.
More of my summer outdoor table settings to enjoy:
“Summer Garden Party Ideas with Vintage Milk Glass”
“A Pink Depression and Peonies Patio Party”
“Garden Party with Green Depression Glass and Vintage Junk”
A few of My favorite recipes to serve for a garden or tea party:
Dining al fresco is such a treat in the summer. I hope you enjoy adding all the pretty touches so you can turn your meal into a celebration to remember!
For more summer table setting ideas from my friends, visit my friend, Cindy at DIY Beautify next. She has put together the most delightful strawberry themed table; you’re going to love it!
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Pinterest Challenge: Summer Table Setting
Lora, the beautiful fruit and flower plates are treasure. They go so well with the colors and patterns of the table cloth. All your thrift finds provide a lovely setting for outdoor dining. The hutch is just a wonderful backdrop. Love the flowered Dahler tin.
Thanks, Carol!
Lora, I love all the Daher tins you have!! I have my mother’s old black candy box which was a Valentine’s gift from my father (I guess). It has a rosemaling look to it with flowers circling across it’s top. I’ll have to look and see if its a Daher! And your tea table out back… Lovely!!! (Great minds think alike, huh?) 😉 It’d be heavenly to sit out there with you. <3
Happy summer and I hope it stays cool out your way!
Thanks, Barb!
Lora, what a vibrant and beautiful summer table! I love love those embossed dishes, I have some similar and they’re my favorites! The gingham napkins and that awesome painted shutter add charm and summer color, as do the beautiful flowers and veggies! I love how you carried the theme to your green hutch… just so much inspiration!!
Thanks, Cindy:)
What a beautiful place to dine outside. That hutch is amazing and I love how you’ve filled it with such lovely decor. The dining area is amazing too. Your dishes with the fruit are beautiful and what a lovely setting you’ve put together. I would love to be sitting there and enjoying your pretty table.
Thanks, Marty!
Lora,
Your vintage dishes and that cute painted shutter are just adorable. Love your festive table.
Thanks, Rachel!
Such a refreshing summer dining spot! I adore all the vintage cottage pieces. so sweet and pretty. Your fresh floral display is the icing on the cake!
Yes, I was thinking it turned out very cottage styled, Debra;) Thanks!
I can’t get over the amount of spaces you have to dine and the beautiful surroundings! Seems like every piece of your table was made for your porch and lawn. Between the glasses, the plates, the shutter, the dining hutch and all its treasures, I can’t decide what looks the best. Gaaaah, it’s all fantastic!
The more areas to eat with more dishes, the better, right? 😉 We do like to switch it up; guess I get bored easily:) Always fun to dine al fresco, if the weather (& bugs) cooperate!
Another post worthy of a magazine spread Lora! Ahh…those colors and all those vintage floral motifs! You know I am loving it! I always use the red thumbprint dishes for Christmas, never thought about summer but I am inspired to use them in a colorful summer vignette now!
I can’t even take that blue cupboard filled with all the floral tins. Resisting the urge to go junkin’ telling myself I am too tired and it’s too hot to go thrifting for tins today! Haha!
You know your post is a success when fellow vintage lovers want rush out the door and hit the junkin’ trail!
Definitely, Amber! Always happy to inspire others to shop for more vintage treasures:) Thanks!
What a lovely table to sit down to and eat and the view of being outdoors would make you enjoy the food even more. Loved the centerpiece, table cloth, and dishes.
Thanks, Marlene! Yes, this is our favorite spot to eat outdoors so we can enjoy the view of the yard:)
Lora your table is so happy and colorful! The painted shutter is the perfect addition. I think your thrifting skills are paying off!
I’ve been honing my thrifting skills my whole life;) Thanks, Michelle!
Leave it to you Lora to find all these great vintage treasures to put together such a happy table!!!
Love the idea of the phone numbers on all the shutter louvers. Brilliant for next to a wall-mount phone — if they still existed.
Yes, that shutter is just too cute; love it! Thanks, Diane:)
So pretty, Lora!! Love all of your mixed matched dishes and amazing vintage finds. It all looks so lovely together for Summer!
Thanks, Rachel! Kind of nice to set a pretty table and not have to do any cooking;)