Hello, Hello, my friends!! It’s so nice to be back here on the blog!

As some of you know, I spent the summer in Nashville with my daughter, which was a FAN-tastic experience all the way around. Just the best. Since having dropped her off back at school, I have been working away on my BRAND NEW home decor and accessories line. More about that at a later time…but be sure to check out my Shop page for a preview! (SO EXCITING!!)

So…while I may be a little on the late side getting back to my blog after my hiatus, I’m not too late to give you a few ideas for your fall floral designs! Ready?

What’s New For Fall…And What’s Not…

If you follow the blog or have had a gander at any of my fall designs from the past (see the Portfolio tab), you will know that I do not use garden mums in the fall. Ever. I go out of my way to avoid them, in fact. Why, you may ask? They’re pretty, provide great pops of color and are easy to drop into a window box or container. Yes, they are. And THAT is precisely why I avoid them. The fall is such a short season for us here in Boston that I want to be able to use it to create something different and totally unexpected before the long, miserable winter sets in. Now, that having been said, if I weren’t flower obsessed, I would TOTALLY be throwing a few pots of mums into my containers and calling it a fall….so I’m happy to call a spade a spade here….I’m not in the business of engaging in any sort of “mum shaming” or anything of the sort. I get it. I’m simply saying that mums are not my preferred fall flowering plant. And as a result, I’ve been left to my own devices through the years to find some cool alternatives. And if mums have got you down, or if you’re just interested in learning about some “new” design elements for fall, just keep on reading!

WINDOW BOXES

I never know what I’m going to do with my fall window boxes and urns until I make my rounds at the nurseries. I happened to have been craving “colorful” in early October, so that’s the route I took. I love the results!! To get the maximum color, texture and movement, I decided to go with:

• Fountain Grasses

• Pansies

• Celosia

• Ferns

• Ornamental Peppers

• Mini orange pumpkins white snowball pumpkins

• A few dried elements, including some curly willow left over from last spring

• Stewartia (from my garden)

Other ideas include Croton, Cabbage and Kale, Aster, Dianthus, Black Eyed Susan, Sweet Potato Vine (which I usually use if I’ve used it in my summer boxes…it’s great and lasts all the way through the fall).

URNS

I have been so busy this fall—and it’s been so warm until the past few days—that my urns are still rockin’ their summer flowers. I got lucky (or was I just smart??…no…lucky!) in that I used two types of hanging Begonias when I designed the urns back in May. And it just so happens that they got just the right amount of sun and shade. And water, thanks to my sweet and incredibly diligent husband.

Indoor Floral Designs

While my outdoor spaces are bright, colorful and full of texture and movement, I’ve been drawn to creating more subdued designs for inside. Designs that might not necessarily scream “FALL” to you but that are most decidedly fall in my book. As you will see, I use lots of dried elements in these designs, and I’ve even gone the subdued route with my pumpkin florals…let me know what you think!

So now that you’ve seen what I’ve been up to, I’d love to hear what YOU’VE been up to! Please comment below or contact me via email or social media. And send photos!!!

xo,

betsy