It seems like yesterday: we were on the beach, under the warmth of the sun... an iced drink to cool off... and instead here we are, already here... back in the city, at work and, above all, in full swing. fallBut no regrets, because the most enveloping season of the year has arrived. Autumn has a melancholy charm that only true connoisseurs can grasp. It's the season of blankets, cuddles, and hot drinks when it's raining outside. And it's foliage season, the time of year when the trees' leaves turn a thousand shades of yellow, orange, red, and brown. In some regions of Italy, Europe, and the United States, tour operators even organize tours to witness this natural spectacle.
To celebrate this dramatic change, here are some ideas for you decorate your table in autumn, your home or your event in the fall.
Let's start, of course, with flowers: it's a common misconception that autumn and winter are devoid of interesting blooms. Far from it! In autumn, we find many wonderful flowers that may not have the bright colors of summer blooms or the delicate pastels of spring, but they are just as captivating.
To recall the colours of the season we could start with calla lilies orange or burgundyDahlias are available in the same shades, and can also be mixed with pale pink ones or with pink proteas to tone things down a bit.
We continue with the strelitzia and all the infinite varieties of roses with autumnal hues. Hydrangeas also come in muted colors, perfect for these months. A wonderful idea would also be to dry the summer ones by placing them in bags and hanging them upside down.
It would be lovely to add some amaranth to our arrangements. It's perfect in both green and wine red.
Finally, a very particular and typical flower of this period is the flower of thephysalisThe physalis plant is a small bush with green leaves and orange, upturned calyx flowers that enclose a small, ball-shaped fruit. You've probably seen it in some restaurant like decorating a dessert, because the physalis is also used in cooking as a decoration. The flower, however, due to its particular orange color, is very suitable for this time of year. The English also call it Chinese lantern, because the shape of the flowers is reminiscent of Chinese lanterns, or Winter Cherry.
Then we have the berries, to be inserted in floral compositions with an autumnal flavour: above all the Symphoricarp, both white and pink, and St. John's wort in red or honey. Berries can create beautiful displays with just a few elements. Try, for example, arranging a few sprigs of rose hips on a copper or brass cake stand...a few small candles at the base...and you'll have the most romantic table imaginable!
But why not use more unusual materials for our decorations? They can range from the most common ornamental pumpkins from bark and sea urchins to dried leaves and, if desired, food. You could imagine a semi-edible centerpiece, made by combining flowers with bread, cheeses, pomegranates and chestnuts, both red and green apples, grapes, persimmons, artichokes, and pears. The result will be surprising and reminiscent of the still lifes of the greatest painters.
Another very simple idea is to use ears of wheat, perhaps tied in bunches with simple string or orange yarn, as a centerpiece. Or, use candles arranged in a candle holder or a common jar filled with acorns, corn, hazelnuts, and other dried fruit. Also striking are leaf-wrapped candles and floral arrangements with a pumpkin as a base, created simply by attaching a small sponge to the pumpkin with florist tape, into which you'll gradually insert the selected flowers.
And even corncobs can become a very valid element for the autumn decorationThere's even a variety of ornamental corn that produces cobs with kernels that aren't yellow, as we're used to seeing them, but rather various colors and shades, ranging from orange to brown to even black/bluish. If you want to plant this variety in your vegetable patch, garden, or balcony, April is the perfect time to do so.
Finally, autumn is also the season of Halloween, a typically American holiday that we have imported to Italy a few years ago and which falls at the end of October. To create a floral decorationfor a table or for a buffet Halloween party For your children, all the flowers suggested so far are still valid, perhaps adding a delicate touch of purple. Your arrangements could be made, for example, in witches' hats and suspended with fishing line. For the table, go all black, with dark roses as place cards and plenty of bottles used as candle holders. Pour some wax on them a few days beforehand for an even more "creepy" look.
Let's put away our swimsuits for a few months, put on a heavier sweater, and enjoy this warm, enveloping, wonderfully romantic Autumn!
You can find more table ideas and inspiration in all of our articles...you'll be spoiled for choice! Enjoy!
(pic by Pinterest, thanks to the research of my tireless team!)
