Creating a Bountiful Autumn Centerpiece

The vibes your autumn decor gives off depends entirely on what you pair them with. While we typically associate pumpkins with Halloween, they are suitable for so much more. Left whole, they can sit at many angles to give everyone at the table a beautiful view. These shapely gourds are a symbol of abundance, and when cut open, they make excellent containers for seasonal florals and fruit.

Ready to make your own?

Choose a pumpkin with a fresh, healthy stem, no bruises, and a flat bottom so it won't roll. Cut off the top and set it off to the side. Scoop out all the seeds and pulp. Place a block of floral foam in water and wait until it is completely saturated. Then insert the foam inside the pumpkin, leaving just a few inches between the top surface of the foam and the rim. Insert flowers, foliage, and fruited branches directly into the foam, working all around the perimeter of your pumpkin. In my design, I chose a mix of proteas, grevillea flowers, spray roses, zinnias, chrysanthemum, calla lilies, beautyberry, hanging amaranths, green kumquats, pomegranate, Australian pine, and eucalyptus.

Red, White & Blue Centerpieces

Beautiful centerpieces are a lot like wonderful guests. They add a festive ambiance, lure the eye, and spark interesting and inspiring conversations. With the summer’s abundance of fabulous florals, fruited stems and branches, anyone can easily assemble an arrangement that's dynamic, alluring, unexpected… and it might even become the talk of the table.

Consider hosting a 4th of July gathering and set the scene with a colorful arrangement fashioned with gorgeous proteas and array of other fabulous flowers and foliage. The good old red, white and blue is a classic color combination that will never go out of style, especially if you're gathering is on the 4th of July. Take the arrangement pictured above, for instance: The patriotic color scheme is vibrant and cheerful and the basket conveys a picnic vibe which is perfect for the occasion.

One of the best ways to get inspiration for centerpieces is to look to your table settings and consider the food you plan to serve… they can all kindle great ideas. You could echo the blue in a tablecloth or incorporate the same fruit you use as a garnish on desert.

Scroll down for a little more red, white and blue inspiration.

Thanksgiving Décor: The Horn of Plenty

When it comes to Thanksgiving, we can’t think of a more iconic symbol of the holiday… called the Horn of Plenty because it comes from the Latin word cornus which means horn and copia which means plenty. They’re often brimming with a bounty of fruits and grains, but our favorites are, you guessed it, mostly proteas.

Thanksgiving has always been epic to harvest time, and it's always taken place in the autumn… so, naturally this holiday would include the cornucopia, which represents all of those things. Beyond that assumption though, at what time the cornucopia made its way into our country's consciousness as a Thanksgiving symbol is difficult to say. But with its meaning of abundance, prosperity and good fortune, the horn of plenty now embodies Americans’ thoughts of thankfulness. Whether referred to as a cornucopia or horn of plenty… the meaning of this ancient symbol still resonates today.

So, gather up your favorite fruit, flowers + foliage and create something beautiful!

Spooktacular Pumpkin Art

The vibes your autumn decor gives off depends entirely on what you pair them with. While we typically associate pumpkins with Halloween, they are suitable for so much more. Left whole, they can sit at many angles to give everyone at the table a beautiful view. Cut open, they make excellent containers for flowers when hollowed out. While most popular in hues of orange, white and green, pumpkins offer wonderful options for color schemes, especially when they are paired with protea and other unique botanicals.

Simplely Gourd-geous!

Here is what you need to make your own:

• Fresh pumpkin 

• Knife 

• Clear plastic sheet or container 

• Chicken wire or Floral foam (optional) 

• Flowers, foliage, berries, cones, fruit 

• Clippers 

• Spray paint (optional)

Make it!

Carve your pumpkin so that you have a wide opening near the center of the pumpkin. Scoop out the seeds and pulp. Line the inside of the pumpkin with a sheet of plastic or container. If desired, cut a piece of floral foam with the knife to fit inside the pumpkin. Choose flowers and foliage with strong straight stems (proteas are perfect)! Insert the chicken wire or pre-soaked floral foam into the pumpkin and create your arrangement. Start with foliage, then add flowers, fruit, and other embellishments to create a full and interesting centerpiece.

Festive Fall Designs

When it comes to the changing of the seasons, there's nothing more stirring than when summer fades into fall. We transition into the cooler weather with rich, saturated colors and riveting textures. These warmer hues often play up the excitement of the season; plus, falling temps means we all have an excuse to bring ‘more’ of nature indoors. Fall is a time for all of these things, and for Protea (especially Pink Ice), making it the ideal time to let the autumn vibes flow with captivating festive designs.

Turning an ordinary arrangement into a ‘seasonal gathering’ is as easy as focusing on the accents you're bringing into it. Are you adding colors into your design that creates a warm and inviting aura? Concentrate, on the elements needed to achieve the look from Protea, Banksia and Grevillea, to Leucadendron and other fabulous fall foliage. How can you add an extra texture to the centerpiece?

In this season of abundance, there are so many wonderful options. You’ll also want to be sure to make full use of those richly colored fruit that flourish during this time of the year. Persimmons, pomegranates, apples or any other produce can be added to the arrangement or simply displayed off to the side to deliver more of an autumnal ambiance, while bringing even more nature inside to enjoy.

Simply Gourd-geous Designs

There’s a bounty of pumpkins being harvested this time of year, so why not use them as inspiration for your autumn designs? Plus, there are so many types of pumpkins—why stick to the basic orange pumpkin associated with Halloween? White ones, green ones, speckled ones, tall ones and squat ones... hundreds of pumpkin varieties exist making them ideal containers.

Pair them with an array of gorgeous blooms (like proteas), fruited branches and other interesting foliage + botanicals to make a festive arrangement. A beautifully fashioned pumpkin creates a charming way to greet visitors and delivers a festive yet elegant take on fall decorating. They’re simply gourd-geous!

Here is what you need to make your own:

• Fresh pumpkin 
• Knife 
• Clear plastic sheet or container 
• Chicken wire or Floral foam (optional) 
• Flowers, foliage, berries, cones, fruit 
• Clippers 
• Spray paint (optional)

Make it!

Carve your pumpkin so that you have a wide opening near the center of the pumpkin. Scoop out the seeds and pulp. Line the inside of the pumpkin with a sheet of plastic or container. If desired, cut a piece of floral foam with the knife to fit inside the pumpkin. Choose flowers and foliage with strong straight stems (proteas are perfect)! Insert the chicken wire or pre-soaked floral foam into the pumpkin and create your arrangement. Start with foliage, then add flowers, fruit, and other embellishments to create a full and interesting centerpiece.

Autumn Bliss

When it comes to the changing of the seasons, there's nothing more stirring than when summer dwindles into fall. We transition into the cooler autumn weather with soothing colors and riveting textures. These warmer hues often play up the excitement of the season; plus, falling temps means we all have an excuse to bring ‘more’ of nature indoors. Fall is a time for all of these things, and for harvesting protea (especially Pink Ice), making it the ideal time to let the autumn vibes begin with festive floral designs.

Turning an ordinary arrangement into a ‘seasonal gathering’ is as easy as focusing on the accents you're bringing into it. Are you adding colors into your design that creates a warm and inviting aura? Concentrate, on the elements needed to achieve the look from protea, banksia and grevillea, to Leucadendron and other fabulous fall foliage. How can you add an extra texture to the centerpiece?

In this season of abundance, there’s so many wonderful options. You’ll also want to be sure to make full use of those richly colored fruit that flourish during this transition from autumn into winter. Persimmons, pomegranates, apples or any other produce can be added to the arrangement or simply displayed off to the side to deliver more of an autumnal ambiance + while bringing even more nature inside to enjoy.

Fall Protea Prowess

Think spring’s the season to beat when it comes to proteas? Not so fast - our fall proteas are just as lush as their equinox-opposites, thanks to more neutral and deeper-hued blooms with a feathery flair and hardier, tactile shapes and sizes. In addition, fall gifts us with not only a bounty of gorgeous protea and banksia but awesome textural foliage like seeded eucalyptus, Australian Pine with orange tips, vines, as well as fruited branches. Feeling inspired by autumn’s offerings, we’ve created some bouquets, arrangements and wreaths with the exquisite flora being harvested, so here’s a glimpse of our protea prowess.

When designing, we are always focused on showcasing the proteas. If we’re seeking a romantic, chic feeling, we may suggest blooms in soft pink, cream and maroon hues. For a more whimsical and earthy look we’ll pull in the pods, fruit, berries and smaller blooms.