Labor Day is Monday, September 7 this year, which means we are less than two weeks out from the day everyone unofficially agrees that summer is over — regardless of what the actual solstice-and-equinox calendar has to say about it. Pools start closing. Pumpkin spice starts creeping onto menus a little early. And somewhere between now and then, most of Tigard is going to throw one more backyard gathering before fall routine fully takes over.
We think that gathering deserves a proper send-off, so at tigardflorist.com, here is our guide to closing out the season right.
🎖️ The Bookend to Memorial Day
Back in May, we wrote about Memorial Day flowers and what the holiday means beyond the barbecue — the day that unofficially opens the summer season around here. Labor Day is its bookend, closing the same loop three and a half months later. One holiday launches the long evenings and the porch dinners; the other quietly wraps them up. It is worth noticing both, not just the one with the better weather.
🍕 One More Backyard Weekend, Done Right
If you are hosting — or just showing up with something in hand — a few practical notes for a Labor Day table that has to survive real backyard conditions one more time:
- Go low and sturdy. A tall, delicate arrangement does not survive a paper-plate buffet line or a sudden gust off a passing thunderstorm. Low, dense centerpieces hold up to bumps and breezes far better.
- Lean into what is actually blooming right now. Late-season dahlias and zinnias are hitting their absolute peak this time of year — we cover exactly why in our guides to dahlias and zinnias — and both hold their color and shape through a long afternoon outside better than almost anything else available right now.
- Skip anything with heavy fragrance near the food table. Nobody wants their burger competing with a lily.
- Bring a hostess arrangement that does not need a vase hunt. A jar or low bowl arrangement means your host can set it straight on the table without stopping the party to find a container.
📚 The Real Reason for the Long Weekend
It is easy to let Labor Day become purely a backyard holiday, but it exists to honor the American labor movement and the workers who built the standards — the weekend, the eight-hour day — that make the long weekend itself possible. A quiet nod to that history does not have to compete with the burgers. It is entirely possible to hold both at once: genuine appreciation for the holiday's origins, and a really good plate of potato salad.
🎒 The Season Actually Turning Over
Labor Day weekend also happens to land right as the first weeks of school settle into an actual routine — the new-backpack chaos has calmed down, the teachers know the kids' names now, and the long weekend arrives at exactly the moment everyone could use a proper pause before fall schedules fully lock in. Consider it one last long exhale before the calendar gets serious again.
So host the barbecue, watch the sky for one more good sunset, and let the table look like summer meant something before you pack it away for the year. We would be glad to help with that last part.