Stunning Fall Displays

Follow our steps, and your friends will swear a florist made these stylish arrangements.

Summer may be fading, but every day the colors outside turn brighter. That means now is the perfect time to fill your vases with fall foliage in rich shades of burgundy, orange, deep green, and coppery brown and gold-just like the ones seen here at the home of Mary Virginia and Jarrett Davis of Cashiers, North Carolina. Feel free to frolic outside, and then try our favorite leaf-arranging tips.

Head to a Pumpkin Patch

These gorgeous gourds aren't just for the front porch. Choose a few in various colors and sizes to place on tabletops and mantels. To make a pretty pumpkin vase, cut an opening in the top of the pumpkin, scoop out the inside, and insert a drinking glass in the bottom. Fill the glass with a bit of water; add leaf branches or flowers. To prolong a carved pumpkin's life, store it outside (if it's cool) or inside your refrigerator overnight.

A Go to New Heights

From your yard, cut leafy branches that are at least 3 feet long. Limit your pickings to two colors, such as red and orange or red and yellow, so the arrangements look purposefully put together. Place branches in tall, earth-toned pottery vases; metallic containers are also great because they reflect the rich, warm fall colors. Add a few flower stems or berry-covered branches. With a little water in the container, arrangements will last several days. SARA ANDERSON

FIVE-MINUTE SEASONAL CENTERPIECES

Think fast: Company's coming, and you want your tabletop to look dynamite, but you don't have a lot of time to spruce up your place. These speedy style tricks can save you at the last minute.

* Place small gourds or baby pumpkins, one on top of the other, in tall cylinder glass vases. Add a stem or two of greenery clipped from your yard as a finishing touch. Place one vase at each end of the table for a fabulous, fuss-free autumn look.

* With a knife, carve a small circle (about 1-inch-wide and ½-inch-deep) in the tops of six apples. Place votive candles in the holes, and line the apples on a runner down the middle of your table. Another hint: An inexpensive, washable scarf can double as a striking table runner in a pinch.

* Grab three glass globe vases from your cupboard (fishbowls will work too). Fill one with pecans, acorns, or miniature pinecones; one with yellow leaves; and one with vibrant blooms from one kind of flower, such as an orange mum or a fuchsia dahlia. Cluster the bowls together in the center of your table, or stack them on top of each other to build a mini tower of fall color.

Copyright Southern Progress Corporation Sep 2004
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