Make Fabulous Fall Bouquets With Seasonal Garden Ingredients
Late-blooming flowers shine when combined with fall leaves, garden herbs, branches of fruit, dried grasses and more
Lauren Dunec Hoang
September 26, 2018
Houzz Editor; landscape designer and former garden editor for Sunset Magazine and in-house designer for Sunset's Editorial Test Garden. Her garden designs have been featured in the Sunset Western Garden Book of Landscaping, Sunset Western Garden Book of Easy-Care Plantings (cover), Inhabitat, and POPSUGAR.
Houzz Editor; landscape designer and former garden editor for Sunset Magazine and... More
From dried grasses and seedpods to twiggy branches and clusters of blackberries, rose hips and curling leaves, nature offers an abundance of beautiful bouquet ingredients this time of year. Mixed with late-blooming flowers like dahlias and amaranth, the combination of colors, textures and forms can make for stunning arrangements.
To get started, take a look at the following seasonal ingredients. Whether you head outside to the garden or off to the flower market, try to think beyond only blooms for your fall bouquets this year.
To get started, take a look at the following seasonal ingredients. Whether you head outside to the garden or off to the flower market, try to think beyond only blooms for your fall bouquets this year.
Common ninebark features colorful foliage, dark stems and attractive flower heads.
Foliage
Leaves of deciduous plants are at their prime this time of year, with many trees and shrubs turning shades of red, gold and bronze. Be aware that not all deciduous plants work in a cut arrangement; they may drop their leaves soon after they’re put into a vase.
Dark-leafed ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Diabolo’, USDA zones 2 to 7; find your zone) and purple-leaf cherry plum (Prunus cerasifera ‘Nigra’, zones 4 to 9) provide long-lasting cut foliage that adds a rich burgundy tone to arrangements.
Foliage
Leaves of deciduous plants are at their prime this time of year, with many trees and shrubs turning shades of red, gold and bronze. Be aware that not all deciduous plants work in a cut arrangement; they may drop their leaves soon after they’re put into a vase.
Dark-leafed ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Diabolo’, USDA zones 2 to 7; find your zone) and purple-leaf cherry plum (Prunus cerasifera ‘Nigra’, zones 4 to 9) provide long-lasting cut foliage that adds a rich burgundy tone to arrangements.
Golden ‘Ogon’ spirea and dwarf Japanese maple (Acer palmatum ‘Rhode Island Red’) form an attractive pair in the garden and in a vase.
Japanese maples (Acer palmatum, zones 5 to 8) also hold onto their leaves after they’re cut, but gardeners may be hesitant to cut sprays of leaves from any prized tree. Trim branches from more vigorous Japanese maple varieties or combine seasonal pruning with foliage foraging.
Evergreen foliage in deep green and silver hues complements jewel-toned flowers and berries. Sweet box (Sarcococca spp.) has dark, forest-green leaves and is long-lasting in a vase. For silvery foliage, look for branches from olive trees (Olea spp.), eucalyptus and ‘Marjorie Channon’ kōhūhū (Pittosporum tenuifolium ‘Marjorie Channon’, zones 9 to 10).
Japanese maples (Acer palmatum, zones 5 to 8) also hold onto their leaves after they’re cut, but gardeners may be hesitant to cut sprays of leaves from any prized tree. Trim branches from more vigorous Japanese maple varieties or combine seasonal pruning with foliage foraging.
Evergreen foliage in deep green and silver hues complements jewel-toned flowers and berries. Sweet box (Sarcococca spp.) has dark, forest-green leaves and is long-lasting in a vase. For silvery foliage, look for branches from olive trees (Olea spp.), eucalyptus and ‘Marjorie Channon’ kōhūhū (Pittosporum tenuifolium ‘Marjorie Channon’, zones 9 to 10).
Semideciduous oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia, zones 5 to 9), shown here, makes a gorgeous bouquet ingredient. The leaves range from medium-green to red and deep burgundy and are bold enough to carry an arrangement. Place it in a jug or porcelain vase with pomegranates or trailing amaranth.
Tip: Don’t forget the kitchen garden. Edible gardens can be another great spot to find fall bouquet foliage. Herbs — including purple ‘Red Rubin’ basil, dill, fennel and dark-stemmed chocolate mint, plus edible veggie leaves like ‘Red Russian’ kale, chard, or beet greens — can look wonderfully unexpected in fall arrangements.
Tip: Don’t forget the kitchen garden. Edible gardens can be another great spot to find fall bouquet foliage. Herbs — including purple ‘Red Rubin’ basil, dill, fennel and dark-stemmed chocolate mint, plus edible veggie leaves like ‘Red Russian’ kale, chard, or beet greens — can look wonderfully unexpected in fall arrangements.
Chrysanthemum ‘Descanso’
Flowers
Fall is a rich time for flowers, with many late-blooming varieties at their peak. Dahlias and chrysanthemums are often the stars of fall flower arrangements. Choose from an assortment of colors, including creamy white, pale pink, gold, orange, mauve, dark red and burgundy.
Flowers
Fall is a rich time for flowers, with many late-blooming varieties at their peak. Dahlias and chrysanthemums are often the stars of fall flower arrangements. Choose from an assortment of colors, including creamy white, pale pink, gold, orange, mauve, dark red and burgundy.
Stonecrop (Sedum spp.), like ‘Purple Emperor’ shown here, are some of the most long-lasting cut flowers. They take up volume in an arrangement and complement other flower forms. Other fall flowers that last in the vase include alstroemeria, coneflower, wax flower and limonium.
Bright-colored flowers can make standout combinations, particularly when mixed with dark green and burgundy foliage. Some top varieties to choose from include sunflower, dahlia, chrysanthemum, zinnia, goldenrod (Solidago spp.), blanket flower and black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta, zones 3 to 9), shown here.
Other fall flowers that look stunning in the garden and in the vase include chocolate cosmos (Cosmos atrosanguineus, zones 7 to 9), celosia, strawflower, yarrow, aster and delicate Japanese anemone (Anemone hupehensis, zones 4 to 8). Japanese anemone, shown here, have particularly long stems — useful in arrangements that need some height.
20 Favorite Flowers for the Fall Landscape
20 Favorite Flowers for the Fall Landscape
Dried Grasses and Seedpods
To add textural elements to fall bouquets, turn to perennials and grasses going to seed. Pods and seed heads act like punctuation marks in a bouquet: eye-catching accents that stand out from flowers and foliage. A few sprays of ornamental grasses can add a feathery texture to arrangements.
To add textural elements to fall bouquets, turn to perennials and grasses going to seed. Pods and seed heads act like punctuation marks in a bouquet: eye-catching accents that stand out from flowers and foliage. A few sprays of ornamental grasses can add a feathery texture to arrangements.
Consider the following seedpods, seed heads and ornamental grasses for your bouquets: poppy pods, wheat sheafs, blue grama grass (Bouteloua gracilis, zones 3 to 10), maiden grass cultivars (Miscanthus sinensis cvs., zones 5 to 9), milkweed (Asclepias spp.) seed heads, nigella and thistle pods.
Some types of iris, such as Iris foetidissima, also have decorative seedpods that crack open to reveal bright red seeds.
Some types of iris, such as Iris foetidissima, also have decorative seedpods that crack open to reveal bright red seeds.
There are also a few summer- and fall-blooming flowers with decorative centers (that turn into seed heads) once the petals fall, such as sunflower, coneflower and upright prairie coneflower (Ratibida columnifera, zones 3 to 9), shown here.
Tip: Dried seedpods and grasses can last for years as preserved arrangements as long as they’re not exposed to water. If you add dried stems to a vase with water (usually in combination with cut foliage and flowers), the submerged stems in water will degrade, just as normal plant stems would.
You can extend the life of dried ingredients by keeping their stems dry. Fill the vase with water, as you would, but use the other foliage and flowers in the arrangement to hold the dried stems in place (instead of placing them in the water). Or, plan on trimming the portion of stem that was submerged in water and redrying the stem to use for another bouquet.
Tip: Dried seedpods and grasses can last for years as preserved arrangements as long as they’re not exposed to water. If you add dried stems to a vase with water (usually in combination with cut foliage and flowers), the submerged stems in water will degrade, just as normal plant stems would.
You can extend the life of dried ingredients by keeping their stems dry. Fill the vase with water, as you would, but use the other foliage and flowers in the arrangement to hold the dried stems in place (instead of placing them in the water). Or, plan on trimming the portion of stem that was submerged in water and redrying the stem to use for another bouquet.
Fruits and Decorative Berries
Fruits and berries also make great additions to fall bouquets. They stand out in arrangements, add form and weight (for heavier fruits) and nod to the harvest season.
Consider adding decorative berries from the following plants: hawthorn, rose, winterberry (Ilex verticillata, zones 3 to 9), red chokeberry (Aronia Arbutifolia, zones 4 to 9), cotoneaster and some types of viburnum. Heavenly bamboo (Nandina domestica, zones 6 to 9), shown here, stands out with its decorative red berries and foliage that turns to red and burgundy in fall.
Fruits and berries also make great additions to fall bouquets. They stand out in arrangements, add form and weight (for heavier fruits) and nod to the harvest season.
Consider adding decorative berries from the following plants: hawthorn, rose, winterberry (Ilex verticillata, zones 3 to 9), red chokeberry (Aronia Arbutifolia, zones 4 to 9), cotoneaster and some types of viburnum. Heavenly bamboo (Nandina domestica, zones 6 to 9), shown here, stands out with its decorative red berries and foliage that turns to red and burgundy in fall.
Brambles, like blackberries and boysenberries, also make delicious bouquet additions. Be careful of thorns when cutting the vines and later when arranging them in a vase.
Fruit still on the branch looks gorgeous when mixed into a bouquet or as a stand-alone arrangement. In fall, look for edible fig, quince, pomegranate, persimmon, pear or crabapple.
Tip: Balance top-heavy fruits by choosing a heavy vase that comes up high on the branches to provide support. If you’re using a lower vase, bucket or other vessel, you can use a tangle of willow branches (stripped of leaves) at the base of the vase to provide a framework of support. Then, to avoid tipping, arrange multiple branches of fruit so their weight is counterbalanced in the vase.
Tip: Balance top-heavy fruits by choosing a heavy vase that comes up high on the branches to provide support. If you’re using a lower vase, bucket or other vessel, you can use a tangle of willow branches (stripped of leaves) at the base of the vase to provide a framework of support. Then, to avoid tipping, arrange multiple branches of fruit so their weight is counterbalanced in the vase.
‘Roger’s Red’ California wild grape (Vitis ‘Roger’s Red’, zones 7 to 10)
Vines
Look for vines in your yard (or in a neighbor’s yard, with permission) to add to fall bouquets. Placed in the side of a vase, the curling tendrils and cascading forms add a wild element. Grape leaves look fabulous but aren’t all that long-lasting once cut — worth it, though, for a short-term arrangement.
Other more long-lasting vines to try include variegated ivy, hops, clematis and honeysuckle. Don’t shy away from vines that are beginning to yellow this time of year. They will add more interest and seasonality to the bouquet.
Vines
Look for vines in your yard (or in a neighbor’s yard, with permission) to add to fall bouquets. Placed in the side of a vase, the curling tendrils and cascading forms add a wild element. Grape leaves look fabulous but aren’t all that long-lasting once cut — worth it, though, for a short-term arrangement.
Other more long-lasting vines to try include variegated ivy, hops, clematis and honeysuckle. Don’t shy away from vines that are beginning to yellow this time of year. They will add more interest and seasonality to the bouquet.
Getting Started
Before gathering the ingredients for your fall arrangements, consider the following details.
Size and scale. Think about the size and scale of the arrangement you’d like to create to help narrow down plant choices. Are you looking to create height and drama or something smaller and more delicate?
Before gathering the ingredients for your fall arrangements, consider the following details.
Size and scale. Think about the size and scale of the arrangement you’d like to create to help narrow down plant choices. Are you looking to create height and drama or something smaller and more delicate?
Vase. Knowing what vase you’d like to use for the bouquet can also help guide your ingredient selection. Vases with wider openings require more flowers and foliage while those with narrow openings are great for displaying a few choice stems — such as a branch of persimmons or a few spider chrysanthemums.
Color palette. You may choose to establish a color palette for your bouquet from the start (if you’re coordinating with decor or a table setting, for example) or let what bouquet ingredients you find come together in an organic way.
Design strategy. The classic adage of having one plant as a “filler” (like a spray of aster with many small flowers), one as a “thriller” (like a bold sunflower) and one as a “spiller” (like a trailing vine or amaranth) can be a helpful guiding principle for a well-rounded bouquet. If this design method speaks to you, embrace it. Conversely, ignore it and go for whatever you find inspiring, be it a bouquet of all high-watt “thrillers” or a minimalist arrangement of only fall branches.
Color palette. You may choose to establish a color palette for your bouquet from the start (if you’re coordinating with decor or a table setting, for example) or let what bouquet ingredients you find come together in an organic way.
Design strategy. The classic adage of having one plant as a “filler” (like a spray of aster with many small flowers), one as a “thriller” (like a bold sunflower) and one as a “spiller” (like a trailing vine or amaranth) can be a helpful guiding principle for a well-rounded bouquet. If this design method speaks to you, embrace it. Conversely, ignore it and go for whatever you find inspiring, be it a bouquet of all high-watt “thrillers” or a minimalist arrangement of only fall branches.
Tell us: What ingredients do you like including in fall bouquets? Tell us in the Comments.
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Picked some wild flowers on a walk the other day. Here's what happened...
The only ones from my garden are the rudbeckia & artemisia, the rest were growing along the roadsides.
Was expecting to see arrangements of flowers