Fall Flower Arrangements
I love flowers the way I love food aka I can't live without them. Obviously, they smell amazing and look great, but they're also a simple way to add happiness and joy to a space. As cliche as it sounds, our home doesn't feel complete without a vase of flowers or two. So, while it is a bit of an indulgence to alway have them around, it's one that it's totally worth it, at least in my book.
Like many people, I mostly buy my flowers at Trader Joe's or the grocery store to cut down on the cost. While the selections aren't always the best or the most consistent, with a bit of creativity you can easily create bouquets for your whole home (that would normally cost you hundreds of dollars) for a mere $20-$30.
Of course, there are a few tricks to at-home flower arranging (I'm no expert, although I did take home several years worth of grand prizes and first places for all kinds of flower arranging at our state fair, sooooo....). I shared a post on flower arranging before, but the biggest thing to remember is to go pick up your flowers early, especially at Trader Joe's. Their employees have told me that (at least at our local store) they put out the flowers around 6am. Hence, if you get there right after they open, you'll be getting the cream of the crop, not the things that have been left without water for 6 hours and grabbed and shoved for 12 hours. For these particular bouquets I spent about $30 on 6 bouquets of flowers (all from Trader Joe's) from which I then made 2 larger bouquets, 1 medium sized bouquet, 4 small bouquets and a handful of mini bud vases.
For fall bouquets, it's nice to, obviously, keep a fall color palette. However, if you're like me and orange and yellow aren't quite your thing, stick to deep burgundies, blush/nude shades (like those pretty spider mums I used here), greens, subtle orange or yellow pops and fun accent pieces (eucalyptus, etc). I also like to use things that are woodsy as I feel like that gives the overall arrangement a chic but rustic fall vibe. Favorite fall flowers to use include: mums, spider mums, Chinese lanterns, goldenrod, helenium, chrysanthemums, sedum, garden roses, calla lilies, wax flower, alstroemeria, protea (those are the flowers in the middle of the picture below), greenery and eucalyptus.
Once you've picked up your flowers, head home, put on some music, pour a cup of coffee or tea, set up a space and get to work. Depending on how many bouquets you're making, it can take anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour. It's a simple, mindless process but one that is incredibly peaceful, relaxing and gratifying. There are no high level skills required, there's no particular pattern to follow, their are no artistic talents needed. You simply place a flower in here and one there, rearranging and adding as you go along until you get something you like. Both the flowers themselves and the art of arranging them are one of those simple joys in life that are, well, so simple, they're often overlooked and forgotten about. I hope this post serves as a reminder to not forgot about the simple joy of flower arranging and that it inspires you to slow down, smell the roses, er fall flowers, and create some of your own fall flower bouquets for yourself (or a friend).
