Forget those vases--if you've got a nice pumpkin from your garden (or the grocery store--we won't tell), you can collect flowers and fall foliage and make a beautiful arrangement for your Thanksgiving table.
First, choose a small, firm pumpkin with a thick, strong rind. If you're not sure, try a pie pumpkin, which should have sturdy walls.
Cut a hole in the top of your punkin' but don't get carried away. You want an opening just big enough to hold an 8-ounce plastic cup. Clean out the seeds and innards. You can roast and salt the seeds to eat later, or toss them out for the birds and squirrels.
Soak a piece of florist's foam in water, and trim it to fit snugly in the cup. Put the cup in the pumpkin, and then fill it with whatever suits your fancy. You can use colorful maple leaves, ivy, dried grasses, berry-studded branches, dried hydrangea blossoms, pine boughs, or whatever is at hand. For extra color, tuck in up some gold, scarlet, or dark purple mums or asters.
Check the plastic cup daily and keep it filled with water. If your flowers and leaves start to droop, pull them out and replace them with fresh cuttings. Be sure to keep a saucer or plate under your pumpkin, to protect the table or whatever surface it's sitting on. Try not to let water get into the pumpkin itself, as that will make it spoil faster.
If your pumpkin is going to be a centerpiece, make it full and pretty all the way around, and keep the arrangement low enough that guests can see across the table. If it's going to be placed against a wall, you can use taller branches and flower stems--like the ones in my pictures.
When your pumpkin starts to poop out, just toss it. Meanwhile, enjoy some beauty from your own backyard!
First, choose a small, firm pumpkin with a thick, strong rind. If you're not sure, try a pie pumpkin, which should have sturdy walls.
Cut a hole in the top of your punkin' but don't get carried away. You want an opening just big enough to hold an 8-ounce plastic cup. Clean out the seeds and innards. You can roast and salt the seeds to eat later, or toss them out for the birds and squirrels.
Soak a piece of florist's foam in water, and trim it to fit snugly in the cup. Put the cup in the pumpkin, and then fill it with whatever suits your fancy. You can use colorful maple leaves, ivy, dried grasses, berry-studded branches, dried hydrangea blossoms, pine boughs, or whatever is at hand. For extra color, tuck in up some gold, scarlet, or dark purple mums or asters.
Check the plastic cup daily and keep it filled with water. If your flowers and leaves start to droop, pull them out and replace them with fresh cuttings. Be sure to keep a saucer or plate under your pumpkin, to protect the table or whatever surface it's sitting on. Try not to let water get into the pumpkin itself, as that will make it spoil faster.
If your pumpkin is going to be a centerpiece, make it full and pretty all the way around, and keep the arrangement low enough that guests can see across the table. If it's going to be placed against a wall, you can use taller branches and flower stems--like the ones in my pictures.
When your pumpkin starts to poop out, just toss it. Meanwhile, enjoy some beauty from your own backyard!
1 comment:
wonderful arrangement of those fall flowers!! It is also best for a Halloween party!!
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