The Blushing Hostess Entertains: Edible. Reuseable. Centerpiece.

Amelia Occaions. A fabulous idea for cocktail hour: Eat the centerpiece and take the herb pots home.

I have been thinking about flowers and centerpieces as the wedding season is nearly upon us.

Every year at this time I remember a wedding I attended in Panama: A floral extravaganza transformation had taken place in the backyard of the bride's parent’s home around a glittering pool ensconced in a perfectly verdant and undulating lawn. It was quite a small area for hundreds of guests as Panama City is a crowded place, but it was easy to forget all that in the botanical garden the place had become in two days time. There were five foot towers of roses, six display areas showcasing various native tropicals, and glowing chandeliers made of lilies that hung from tree branches high above to just above the heads of the guests. Staggeringly beautiful and wholly conceived, I imagine I will never again live to see flowers presented with such artistry and abandon. I tell you, I was a lucky girl to have witnessed such a thing and its glory marked me.

But, where there is beauty sometimes there is ugliness too. We knew the family well and had been invited to the home the next day for a spectacular brunch on the lanai. In the yard beyond, the previous evenings decor was being removed: One black trash bag after another filled with all these still-vibrant flowers. More than $50,000 worth of flowers, the brides' sister confided. And there it went, into the trash. The small arrangements were sent to family offices but the bulk was pitched. It was grotesque and in light of the world we now live in, deplorable. I don't care who you are.

I love flowers and certainly never wish them out of my life or home but for wedding and event centerpieces, this might be a good time to consider another type of centerpiece for a guest to enjoy at the table or take home: We could potentially help ourselves or someone else with a multi-use display such as these featured below.

Do you have a great edible centerpiece idea? Tell me about it and leave your link.