Looking for an easy Summer dough bowl idea? Why not make a Rustic Dough Bowl centerpiece with blooming plants!
Do you need an easy Summer dough bowl idea for your summerthyme decor? Let me show you how to design a rustic dough bowl centerpiece with a few blooming plants and a dough bowl, of course! It is one of my favorite Summer dough bowl ideas!
Rustic Dough Bowl Centerpiece
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If you have been following me for a bit, you already know that I have a passion for dough bowls and European dish gardens! Anytime I can combine those two elements, I am, well, in my element!
For a super quick summer dough bowl, I designed a red, white & blue centerpiece using assorted potted annuals.
But before we get into discussing the plants I have chosen, let’s talk about the container I plan to use.
Dough Bowls come in Many Shapes & Sizes
Dough bowls get their name from their original purpose: making bread dough! An antique dough bowl was a great place for the bread dough to rise as the wood helped retain the heat which in turn helped the dough rise. Every kitchen had a least one dough bowl and they were often times handed down through the generations. Antique dough bowls are also sometimes referred to as trenchers. Now, instead of being used to actually make dough, they have become a decorating staple especially for Farmhouse decor.
They come in different shapes and sizes. In my personal collection, I have a round one, an oval one, a square one, a rectangle one, a couple of heart shaped ones and even one shaped like a Christmas tree. Late last fall, I purchased an extra-large one that is over 3 feet long!
This is going to be the rustic dough bowl for our project today. It works really well on our dining table in the lanai. It would look amazing on a farm table! I do miss my dining table from the farmhouse! Learn what else I miss by checking out this post: Kim Style; What I Wish I had Kept
There is also an introduction to the concept of “Kim Style” which is what I call my unique blend of several decorating styles.
Anyway, back to today’s topic of designing a rustic dough bowl centerpiece!
As I stated earlier, I have a fondness (ok maybe it is an obsession) with European Dish Gardens and dough bowls! Since this particular “project” is a very loose interpretation of a European Dish Garden, let’s briefly review the concept of a European Dish Garden.
How to Design a European Dish Garden
The beauty of a European Dish Garden, besides being so easy to make, is that you can combine plants that have different watering requirements together in one container since you are keeping them in their own pots. I generally use the concepts of the European Dish Garden when I am preparing a centerpiece for a specific event or when I need a unique hostess gift or present for a friend or family member.
The first step when designing a European Dish Garden is to choose your container. You can use any type of container you want. Please take into consideration where your finished European Dish Garden will be sitting. If the container is not watertight, you will want to add a liner or something that will catch the water, so it doesn’t leak on to your furniture.
For today’s project, each of the plants will either be placed in a pot with a saucer at the bottom, a decorative ceramic pot or wrapped in a speed cover. A speed cover is simply a premade foil covering. I used them a lot in the flower shop to save time.
If you are concerned about dampness between the bottom of the pots and the dough bowl, a circle of cork can be placed between the plant and the dough bowl.
The next step in designing a European Dish Garden is choosing your plants. Since it is Summer, I wanted to use plants that were easy to care for and would provide blooms throughout the season. For this project, I picked a traditional red, white & blue color scheme.
A hot summer mix color scheme of purple, hot pink and red would be striking as well.
The Plants
I decided to use Blue Salvia, deep red dianthus, red geraniums & White Peppermint Vinca.
Putting the Arrangement together
This couldn’t have been much easier! After wiping out the dough bowl, I simply lined up the potted plants! I didn’t repot the plants into the pots, I simply placed the 6 in potted plant into the 7 1/2 inch white pot. So easy!
In the case of the salvia, it was in a larger, taller pot, so I slipped it down into a decorative ceramic pot! The ceramic pot did not have a drainage hole so I will need to be sure to not overwater the salvia. I don’t want it to sit in water for an extended time.
The geranium is in a patriotic speed cover. I used a 4 1/2 inch speed cover for the deep red dianthus.
For a final touch, I added a small American flag to the center pot!
More Summer Dough Bowl Ideas
Let’s Play Ball
What would Summer be without baseball? This round dough bowl idea is so simple! I usually leave out a baseball inspired centerpiece all season long. To see how I put this together, please visit this post: How To Design a Summer Dough Bowl
Not A Dough Bowl but still pretty!
For this basket arrangement, I simply refreshed an old wicker basket with chalk paint and added two 6 inch plants. The White Peppermint vinca is quickly becoming a new favorite of mine! You can find all the how to information about this project here: How to Refresh an Old Basket with Chalk Paint
What Can I Use If I don’t Have A Dough Bowl?
If you don’t happen to have a dough bowl, a galvanized hog feeder can be used as the base for a summer centerpiece! I actually found this hog feeder when I was cleaning out the barn in preparation of selling our Illinois farm. More about all the treasures the barn held can be found here: Look What We Found in the Barn!
A Last Look at One of My Favorite Summer Dough Bowl Ideas
A Few More Summer Dough Bowl Ideas:
A Mother’s Day “Forget Me Not” Dough Bowl
Let’s Plant An Autumn European Dish Garden
Save This Pin for Your Favorite Summer Dough Bowl Ideas Board
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The PERFECT decor to create with a dough bowl – Love it and thanks for sharing! Creatively, Beth
Thank you , Beth! Happy Summer!
What a gorgeous and creative way to bring summer color indoors or out! I love how effortless yet impactful this dough bowl arrangement is — and your mix of red, white, and blue plants is just perfect for the season. I’ve been thinking of trying something similar and might use some of the stylish pots from DesignerPlants.com to elevate the look even more. Their range fits so well with your rustic-meets-elegant aesthetic. Thanks for the inspiration — bookmarking this for my next weekend project!