Why pumpkins and flowers work so well together
Pumpkins and squash come in every autumn shade: deep orange, butter yellow, dusty blue-grey, cream, and the knobbly green-and-white ones that look as though they've been painted. Put them next to the last of the dahlias, a few rosehips and some feathery grasses, and the whole thing just makes sense. They're from the same season, so they belong together.
They also give an arrangement weight. A jar of flowers on its own can look a little lost on a big table or a doorstep. Add a few pumpkins and suddenly it looks considered.
1. A pumpkin vase
This is the one that gets the biggest reaction. Choose a squat, round pumpkin, cut off the top and scoop out the seeds and flesh. Then, rather than filling it with floral foam, pop a jam jar or small glass inside and fill that with water.
Arrange your flowers in the jar as you would normally, letting some stems drape over the edge. The jar keeps the water where it should be, so the pumpkin stays firmer for longer, and when you're done the pumpkin goes on the compost and the jar goes back in the cupboard.
2. A doorstep group
The easiest way to make your front door feel autumnal. Gather three or five pumpkins of different sizes (odd numbers always look more natural) and group them on the step, with the biggest at the back.
Tuck in a few branches of foliage, some bundles of dried grasses, or a bucket of whatever's looking good in the garden. Add an autumn wreath to the door above and you have a welcome that lasts right through to November.
3. A table runner
For a dinner with friends or a Sunday lunch, run a line of mini squash and small pumpkins down the middle of the table. Between them, lay sprigs of foliage, a few seed heads and some small jars or bud vases with single stems.
Keep it low so everyone can still see each other across the table. It's simple, it looks generous, and nothing needs arranging in advance.
4. A dried-flower crown
For something a little different, leave the pumpkin whole and create a small crown of dried flowers around the stalk. Bunny tails, dried statice, seed heads and small grasses all work well.
A little natural twine wrapped around the stalk gives you something to tuck the stems into. Because the pumpkin isn't cut, it will last for weeks, and the dried flowers can be kept for next year.
5. A mantel display
The mantelpiece is the perfect stage for a longer arrangement. Lay a garland of foliage along it, then nestle pumpkins of different heights and colours along its length. Add jars of seasonal flowers at either end, or a few candles in safe holders.
It's the kind of display that makes an evening in feel like an occasion, especially once the clocks go back.
What to look for in October
If you're foraging from the garden or the hedgerow (with permission, and only where there's plenty), or picking up flowers from us, these all sit beautifully with pumpkins this month:
the last of the dahlias, before the first frost
rosehips and crab apples
chrysanthemums
hydrangea heads, which dry beautifully on the stem
seed heads such as teasels, poppy heads and nigella pods
grasses, beech leaves and bracken turning gold
Keeping it foam-free
Green florist's foam is a single-use plastic that doesn't break down and can't be recycled, so we never use it. You don't need it at home either. A jar inside a pumpkin, a bit of scrunched chicken wire in a bowl, or a bundle of twigs to hold stems in place all do the job just as well. And everything can go back to the earth when you're done.
Want to make one with a little help?
If you'd like to try this with someone guiding you, our Pumpkin workshop is on Saturday 17th October, 9.30–11.30, at The Cosy Space in Tysoe Post Office. It's £50, no experience is needed, and you'll take home your own autumn centrepiece.
There are just a few places left. You can book at hopeandgloryflowercompany.co.uk/workshops, pop into the Post Office, or ring 01295 680632.
If Saturday doesn't work, our Christmas Wreaths workshop on 28th November and Swags workshop on 5th December are open for booking too.
Happy styling.
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