What is it about the fall time that makes us feel instantly cozier? From the pumpkin spice lattes to the arrival of fall decor, our environments shift into a world of autumnal colors. In the flower world, bright summer colors give way to deep burgundy, Jack-O-Lantern orange, and our favorite, candy corn colored dahlias.
While there are many flowers to fawn over this time of year, there are a special few that we favor using in our fall collection.
1. Marigolds
Marigolds are the unsung heroes of not only summer but fall as well. Their bright orange blooms give an instant pop to any arrangement making them our go to when we have a client who wants lots of color. They are also budget friendly making them affordable for any arrangement, and they dry so nicely.
We've used dried marigolds in Day of the Dead decor, flower crowns, dried arrangements, and wreaths. Unlike other dried flowers, marigolds keep their pigment, if anything they will slightly darken, and they are just as sturdy when preserved.
To dry marigolds all you have to do is hang them upside down. We do this in our backroom on a rickety old ladder that we've come to use for hanging flowers. We tie a little bit of twin to each stem and suspend them from a ladder rung. Within a few days, they've dried out beautifully and are ready to be used.
While we dry about half of our marigolds for various uses, we keep plenty for fresh arrangements such as our Cali arrangement because as mentioned before, marigolds are the perfect pop of color for even our smallest arrangements.
2. Dahlias
Summer brings pastel colored dahlias such as gorgeous sherbert colored and light pink blooms, but fall dazzles us with jewel toned dahlias from the deepest burgundy that nearly looks black, to stunning shades of purple. Then there's one of our absolute favorite dahlias which has candy corn colored petals.
Dahlias don't need an explanation into why they are such gems to work with, but we will say that their unique and wide variety of colors makes them easy to apply to nearly any color palette.
Some time ago, we had a client who wanted an arrangement inspired by an album cover that featured rainbow hues. At the time we had these gorgeous dahlias (pictured below). I mean how dreamy is that pink and yellow dahlia?! The center is a bright yellow that fades out into a pastel yellow with blush colored pink petals.
Sometimes when we get dahlias in we just marvel at how nature could produce such beauties. It sometimes seems unreal that flowers can have such deliberate patterns and colors as if designed by someone.
3. Amaranthus
I sometimes refer to amaranthus as caterpillars because of their bug-like appearance. They are known for their unique appearance and are used as accent flowers in arrangements such as our fresh flower arrangement, Heidi.
What makes them so great for fall are the colors they come in from a reddish pink to a burnt, pale orange (pictured below). Their colors are perfect accents to fall palettes that usually encompass shades of orange, red, and deep blues. This color in particular keeps any blush tones from looking too bright and summerish by bringing out the warmer, peach tones.
4. Tulips
At first glance one may think that tulips are more of a summer flower, however, they come in such gorgeous hues such as red and orange, that they can easily be added to a fall palette. Our favorite color of tulips that get featured a lot in our work is these sunset colored tulips which you'll find in the Aurora arrangement.
This arrangement is predominantly orange and red with some feverfew mixed in for a touch of yellow. The colors are not only fall staples but are reminiscent to a sunset. We have blooms that are single colored such as red roses and orange marigolds, while the tulips have both colors.
When closed they appear yellow, however once opened they flex petals of subtle red centers that go into brilliant orange, then finally yellow. The smooth transition of the colors mirrors a sunset and pulls together the palette exquisitely. Its like a burst of bright colors amid the darker jewel tones giving the arrangement just a bit more vibrancy to keep it from looking to dark.
5. Scabiosa
Scabiosa are known for their dainty petals and large buds which often give them a slightly whimsy appearance. You can find them in deep shades of burgundy and purple among other colors, and they are best used as accent flowers to another main bloom.
Scabiosa are featured in our fall arrangement, Twilight, and are positioned in such a way to make them appear as if popping out of the arrangement. Their various heights and darker heads give a dynamic look to this arrangement.
We love the contrast of the almost black scabiosa next to the yellow roses and snapdragons. It makes this lovely transition with the lighter carnations and alstroemeria otherwise without these transitioning shades it would be too jarring.
