No wire, string, foil, picks, liners, or Oasis needed—this is simple! All you need is a container and a roll of floral tape to execute this fall arrangement.
For this arrangement, I used a lot of different textures–more than usual–but I think it works as long as you don’t use a lot of different colors at the same time. To me, color and texture are two of the most important components to an arrangement. If I had to choose, color is most important to me so I urge you to really pay attention when you are choosing your materials and flowers and make sure the colors compliment each other. The color should move your eye through the arrangement gracefully as opposed to making your eyes jump all around. When I look at a painting, I like to feel as if I’m being gently guided through it; the same applies to a floral arrangement. At the flower market, before I buy, I line the flowers up and stack them on top of each other to see if the materials mesh well and are pleasing to the eye, if it all flows nicely. I’ll remove or add or substitute materials until it sings to me and then I’m good to go!
The key thing to remember when you are working with flowers is this: they are all beautiful so it is NOT possible to “mess up.” Don’t be intimidated.
- Choose any container—it doesn’t have to be the same shape or size as mine. I chose this red resin box from Martha Sturdy, which is perfect for fall. I love the color and its simple shape.
- Start with a tape grid. Using thin Oasis floral tape cut strips to go across the top and make a grid, as shown. Next, run a long piece of tape around the edge to hold the grid in place. Fill the container with water.
Adding your greenery is the next step. I start with two bunches (about 10 stems) of ruscus for my greenery. Ruscus is great because it arches and has pretty dark green leaves—great for this color palette. Remember to remove greenery shoots from the bottom of the stem up so there are no leaves under water. This will prevent the growth of a new ecosystem in the vase and make your arrangement last longer (and smell better—no moldy flower water!) At first, when you are putting greenery in, you might find that the stems will float up towards the tape grid. It’s hard to explain, but if it happens to you, don’t worry about it. As you start adding flowers they will push the stems back down. Just keep going. Don’t try to control it too much in the beginning.- I added two bunches of copper amaranthus (10 stems) in with the ruscus and this completes the backdrop for the arrangement.
- Once you have your base of greenery, start adding flowers. I add castor bean (the red spiky balls) and coxcomb celosia next, trying to get my biggest stems in early on and also adding the most textural materials first
- Sunflowers go in next. I pulled the petals off because I wanted to stay within my color palette of orange to browns and purples to reds. Plus, I love to take a flower and use it in a new way.
- Take care when placing the dahlias; some have thin stems and heavy heads, making it likely for the heads to snap off it you are not mindful.
- Zoe zinnias, plume celosia, purple mist millet, and orange crocosmia come next. I like the way the millet droops and the crocosmia dances. I couldn’t resist using the hyacinth bean with its purple pea pods and also the dark purple, nearly-black, scabiosa. I think the sea oats add a playful touch coming out of the bottom and also dancing in the arrangement.
Flower List
- Coxcomb celosia
- Plum celosia
- Zoe Zinnias
- Sea Oats
- Copper Amaranthus
- Sunflowers
- Castor Beans
- Dahlias
- Ruscus
- Scabiosa
- Hyacinth Bean
- Crocosmia
