The garden party is the most forgiving format we host. The light does the work; the host's job is to stay out of its way.
Choose a single long table over clustered rounds. The line of it, set under climbing wisteria or a row of olive trees, becomes the architecture of the afternoon.
The centerpiece is the one place to spend. A low arrangement — never tall enough to obstruct conversation — of garden roses, sweet pea, and trailing greenery, gathered loose, will outlast every other detail in memory.
Serve family-style. Pass the bread, refill the glasses, and let the lunch last until the light goes gold.
