Every region of the world has its own colors for fall.
Europe and northern woodlands of North America are renowned for their
spectacular brilliant reds, yellows, and golds.
The colors of fall woodlands in the South are much more muted,
yet are still subdued reminders of the changing seasons.
So, how do we Southern decorators introduce fall into our homes
given the limited range of intense colors in our foliage?
From where do the colors of a Southern fall come in the American South?
Seasonal produce and flowers in our region give us the
splashes of color that signal our fall, signaling short days and
cooler weather, but also promising festive holidays ahead.
Local farmer's markets, nurseries, and groceries stock
pumpkins, gourds, and winter squashes in varied shapes,
textures, and colors from which we create our fall vignettes.
Can Thanksgiving be far behind?
The Greenery, my favorite nursery near my mom's house,
is the place to go for inspiration.
The Greenery can be counted on to offer unusual shaped fall produce
and greenhouses filled with pansies,
a traditional flower for Southern fall and winter gardens.
Pansies love cool weather and emerge from freezes and snowfalls all winter,
their cheery faces brightening the dreariest winter day.
Pumpkins and pansies, with a few angel wing gourds, fill
my mom's large white stoneware bowl that her mother gave her many years ago.
Anyone can recreate a similar quick and easy table vignette.
Begin this easy arrangement with two six-pack starter pansy flats in
multi-colored pastel colors that complement the produce.
By leaving the pansies in their starter packs,
it will be easy to keep the pansies watered.
Lay the small pumpkins, gourds, and squashes around the pansy packs.
Choose produce with a variety of shapes and textures,
but limit the colors of the produce to two or three colors.
I used white, yellow, and green produce.
Stagger placement of the produce so that the pansies' plastic containers are hidden.
For smaller bowls, use two 4-inch pansy starter pots
instead of the six-pack starter flats.
The key is to place the pansy pots first, then add the small gourds,
squashes, and pumpkins around the pansies so that the pots are hidden.
Pumpkins with quirky stems make more interesting arrangements,
don't you think?
Circular bowls allow an arrangement to be enjoyed from all sides.
Another tip for more interesting arrangements is to vary the direction
the small pumpkins and gourds are placed.
See how the bottom striped pumpkin leans in and
the two pumpkins on top of it are propped against each other,
but leaning opposite directions?
The small white angel wing gourd leans against the
small white pumpkin with their two stems facing each other.
A final tip is to position the flowers so that some blossoms
lean over the produce which integrates the flowers and the produce.
Pumpkins and pansies are both traditional fall items in the South,
but selection of colors gives a new twist to this old favorite combination.
Want to see more twists on fall colors?
What colors does your region use?
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