Summer BBQ time is the time for easy, tough and carefree plants that can dress the patio in minutes and then go happily into the garden landscape scene.

Here are some Ideas that work.
For the 4th of July BBQ try red, white and blue flowers that can be used to make a patriotic statement. Group them in clay pots, use iron stands or make your own boxes by covering some card board boxes. It only has to last for a day! Think quick and easy ideas.

The Coolest prettiest Drink Cooler
Take one of those new Tin Cold Drink tubs. You could also do this in a regular Ice Chest with the lid up
Put your Ivy Geranium or other plant of choice into a plastic bag. Tie it around the base of the plant with some ribbon or a plain old rubber band. [This is to keep most of the water from the melting ice from over soaking your plant so it won't show up to your guests. ]Put your plant to the center back of the tub. If needed trim off some growth to make more room.
Pour in a little crushed ice and fill with your favorite wine, beer or soft drinks. Then fill to the brim with crushed ice. Add lemons or limes for accents and for the beer drinkers. Stick a knife in one of the limes so that guests can slice their own.

The quickie Watermelon centerpiece. Use a large watermelon, scoop out the fruit, even off the bottom and place your plant or plants in the watermelon shell. We used kalanchoes in this picture but geraniums or any other blooming plant would work. This is the easiest of all table decorating ideas.

Make a patriotic statement with a combination of Red, White and Blue pots of color. At the bottom of this page are pictures of some of the possible plants. These are plants that are pretty easy care and can double in your flower garden later. there are more choices but this gets you started.
Use stands, boxes, old pots or hang one pot under the next from your Patio cover or front entry way.

Clay pots and saucers make it easy.

Evelyn and Mary are setting up easy no-work, re-usable table decorations. Here are some pictures or stop in at the nursery any day [closed Tuesdays] before Labor Day to get these plants, terra -cotta saucers and pots The idea is to let your guests be involved slicing their own tomatoes and using the herbs on the table. Don't worry about how much they snip off, they'll re-grow for you in just days.

To the left we have saucers for plates and clay pots that act as risers. Your guests slice and garnish their own fresh tomatoes for salad.
Tomatoes, different kinds of Basil, scissors and the dressings to go with it. You could add fresh Buffalo cheese to make it perfect. Have several small clippers or scissors and extra pots of basil if your crowd is big

You can also mix and match any of your china plates using clay pots as risers.

On the right side we stacked up another pot and saucer combo and took sun dried tomatoes, put a nice dollop of cream cheese and an Arugala leaf on top. Big mixed olives on the side and maybe some other cheeses too. The choices are so many, chips and dips, bread with dipping sauce. You be creative. Use a matching clay pot to cover and keep fresh.

For a different look ...The California Fruit Table

Create a different look. Serve a big fruit salad and then use the melon shells to hold 6 inch Kalanchoes. Kalanchoes are versatile, inexpensive and you can use them for months. Terra cotta ribbed tall pots add accent and the shorter one makes a great wine cooler. [mostly for looks, have extras nearby] For the white Kalanchoe we put another clay pot upside down inside to bring the plant up.
We added the sweet edible tiny peppers and a fresh fruit tray and bread with the special spread I call
Lavender Orange Marmalade Butter. This is something different in a spread to go with the fresh fruit above Take snips of lavender and chop and pound to bring out the flavor, mix with equal parts Orange marmalade and butter. Makes a wonderful sweet tangy spread. Try it , You'll like it!

Make your party more fun. Involve your guests in making the spread using the lavender, butter and Orange Marmalade. Toast the bread first on the outdoor grill and it tastes even better.
After all your guest have gone home remove the plants and toss out the melon shells, plant the plants later when you have time.

Here are some pictures of Red plants, Blue Plants and White Plants. that you can use to make a patriotic show at your 4th of July BBQ.

White Argyranthmum Daisy flowers. You can buy small 4" sizes or large plants in 8"pots

Other white flowers that work are White tuberous Begonias, White Impatiens, White Angelonia [summer snapdragon, White Nemesia, Geraniums, Lobelia, Strawflowers there are more but that gives you some options.

White Impatiens

Blue flowers that look showy are Blue Lobelia, Scaevola, Nemesia, petunias are deep blue purple, Superbena comes in a great blue

Red flowers Geraniums of course, red Impatiens, Begonias, Always good are the tiny petunias we call calibrachoa or superbells, million bells. superbena and let's not forget that great long lasting plant Mandevillea aka Dipladenia. The newest one called Crimson is just so red and loves being in a container.