Hi GPODers! We’re back in New Jersey today with more fall container design inspiration from garden designers Ellen Goldfarb and Tracy Buttrick.
Yesterday, we saw how Tracy used colorful plants to make the most of limited planting space. Today, we’re looking at three arrangements that take a different approach, using dried flowers and other seasonal materials to bring autumn interest to front entrances and other outdoor spaces. Let’s check it out!
This pot (and a matching one on the other side of the front door) was made for a fall engagement party a few years ago in Ridgewood, New Jersey. Since space was limited because of traffic through the front door, we needed to keep the arrangements on the slender side. We used pampas grass plumes (Cortaderia selloana, Zones 7–11), bittersweet vines, pumpkins-on-a-stick (Solanum aethiopicum, annual), balloon plant seedpods (Gomphocarpus physocarpus, Zones 8–10), a small garden mum (Chrysanthemum × morifolium, Zones 5–9), ornamental cabbage and kale (Brassica oleracea cvs., annual), and ornamental peppers (Capsicum annuum cvs., annual). Because of its airy appearance, it has always been one of my favorites.
This bowl, one of a pair, was designed to sit on top of a column where it could be seen from a large sitting room window. It contains bottle gourds (Lagenaria siceraria, annual), wild rose hips (Rosa multiflora, Zones 3–9), balloon plant seedpods, panicle hydrangea flowers (Hydrangea paniculata, Zones 3–8), and broom corn (Sorghum bicolor, annual).
This pot, one of a pair flanking a grand entrance in Saddle River, New Jersey, was designed for a client who traveled frequently and couldn’t water. For stability, we used a wooden dowel in the middle of the arrangement and wired the stems to it. We began with broom corn, northern sea oats (Chasmanthium latifolium, Zones 3–8), dried eucalyptus (Eucalyptus cvs., Zones 8–11), drumstick flowers (Craspedia globosa, annual), foxtail millet (Setaria italica, annual), red brunia (Brunia albiflora, Zones 9–11), panicle hydrangea flowers, and seeded eucalyptus stems.
Thank you again to Ellen and Tracy for sharing these autumn beauties with us! This is my favorite set so far, and I absolutely love the second image. It’s amazing how much character a gourd can add to a container. Looking forward to seeing more of these!
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