Thank goodness for Limelight Hydrangeas, whose chameleon-like nature provides bounty and beauty throughout the summer and into the autumn. In their early-season incarnation, their delicate lime-green cones add tonal contrast to the creamy white of their sister flowers, Annabelle hydrangeas.

They’re full-blown blooms of bounteous volume and opulence a few weeks later.

Gradually, hints of bronzey pink begin to appear, and they are now officially a fall bloom and joined with sunflowers, oak and Japanese maple leaves for a fall tablescape.

The salad plates are part of a set of four Pier 1 produced in their final days as a bricks-and-mortar retailer. The set was called Moody Blooms. Two of the plates were predominantly blue, so I named the table Moody Blues.

I used them in a table for the spring portion of Entertablement—The Four Seasons and served up Apricot Mousse to go alongside.

I’ve used the other two plates for a Moody Greens table. They’re placed on vintage Wedgwood Williamsburg Green dinner plates produced in 1965. The combination seems perfect for early fall, don’t you think?

Green chambray napkins are held in pewter-coloured sunflower napkin rings (April Cornell, discontinued).

The tones on the Pier 1 Moody green plate are rather dark and foreboding.

Especially this Hallowe’en-worthy flower.

I’m torn on the pink flower in this one; it’s consistent with the one used in the blue version, but I suspect it’s a large carnation and not a peony.

I decided to enhance the darker tones of the table by adding Colette plum water glasses by Juliska (discontinued; available at Replacements.com).

Eggplant and radish salt & pepper shakers continued the theme.

But a cheerful centrepiece provides all the warmth and vigour needed to welcome the autumn equinox in just a few days.

Then it will officially be fall!

We are just back from three weeks in the UK, and I’ll write about our adventures on Entertablement Abroad in the next few days. I think the highlight of the trip was our self-catering accommodation in the Neville Tower of Bamburgh Castle. The sitting room is at the top of the short tower and has large windows on both sides.

Looking toward the beach on one side.

And up into the Castle on the other side.

Looking at the changing vistas at different times of the day was magical.

At sunset.

And sunrise.

The beach below Bamburgh Castle is one of the best-kept secrets in England. That part of the coast has a 16′ tide that goes out for miles at low tide. The sand is like powdered sugar when dry, flat, and hard-packed when wet—perfect for walking.

The Castle, as seen from the nearby village of Bamburgh, which is essentially unchanged over the last many hundreds of years. It’s incredible.

Much more to come!

Today, after walking the dogs (ecstatic reunion on both sides last night), I will switch the house over to its fall wardrobe, starting with the kitchen tableware. I hope everyone has a lovely weekend!