r
Andreana Bitsis

Bouquet of the Week: Autumn and Its Facets Worth Exploring

As part of our recurring Bouquet of the Week series, Garden Collage continues to present a weekly inspirational bouquet that incorporates intriguing new elements into the traditional practice of flower arranging. This week, Garden Collage Marketing Director Lena Braun styles a bouquet as a meditation on Autumn colors. 


Of all the seasons, Fall has the warmest hues on the color wheel– everything feels like a red velvet cake, with an earthy taste and golden glaze. At this time of year, I love being surrounded by this natural change. Every day looks different and produces a new masterpiece of landscape colors.

In this week’s bouquet, I wanted to focus on what is left once all the vibrant colors fade. I think humans have a great deal of sentimentality for the summer time, and sometimes tend to forget to fully embrace every season with all of its potential. The leaves are the earth’s inevitable reminder that a year comes to an end, like falling pages of a calendar, one day after another, perhaps even a reminder of our own mortality.

- Advertisements -

But there lies beauty in the drastic change of liveliness. Take Vivaldi’s The Fours Seasons– I love hearing the Winter concert (Concerto No. 4 in F minor, Op. 8, RV 297, “L’inverno”) but in life, I prefer the touch, smell and the feeling of Summer. One should embrace the different senses that can be touched on with each season, just like trees without leaves can create the most magnificent contrasts. The dark, stark silhouettes of the twigs and branches look dramatic and mysterious– a design path worth exploring this time of year.

I recommend using curly willow or branches from the park to create this “untamed” look. One can balance the rough wooden elements with some softer flowers like wild roses and the (still local) delphiniums. It is also great to insert some messy grasses like the Australian kind I choose for this week’s arrangement. Vases with different sizes (like the clear and smoky Reverso or the pink and blue grande version also by Reverso) add a playful aspect to the installation. Sacha Walckhoff, the designer of these beautiful pieces recently spoke at our Botany Salon where he emphasized the importance of nature in the design process. I can only agree, and therefore will continue to explore uncommon textures and materials with a child-like curiosity and an open mind for the unknown.

- Advertisements -
Related Articles