Summer to Fall Floral Arrangements

By Karin Lidbeck Brent

As a floral designer, this is an exciting time of the year when summer gardens and autumn meet and come together in a rich array of color textures and materials. Last year I was thrilled to design and style a floral feature for Country Living magazine that showed just how much more there is to fall flowers than the universal mum.

Below a white pumpkin sits in a pewter punch bowl surrounded by summer hydrangeas, lambs ear, leaves of huechera and the last of summer marigolds.

Michael Partenio

Shop the produce stand for pumpkins and gourds to use as vessels. It’s one of the benefits of an abundant fall yield. The bright summery shrub roses, pincushion, and phlox in this Cinderella pumpkin were gathered from the garden in late October—a testament to how long summer flowers can linger.

Michael Partenio

Small gourds make lovely containers. Try placing one atop a candlestick to create an arrangement with height. I love the way a bit of the bright purple cabbage and dusty purple huechera leaves mix with the bright pink gomphrena and the last of summer million bells.

Michael Partenio

Imagine when you head out to the farmstead this weekend just how much more you can do with this years fall harvest than simply cutting a jack-O’-lantern!