Our Favorite Fall Flowers And How To Design With Them

Hey there,

Fall is here and if there’s one thing about us, we’re sipping on our daily PSL and enjoying the absolutely stunning array of fall flowers that make things feel oh-so Stars Hollow. With that comes, you guessed it, some of the most stunning, dreamy, fall-leaves-in-a-Pinterest-post, fall flower arrangements you can imagine shipped straight to your doorstep. If you’re as excited about fall blooms as we are, you’re in for a treat! Today, we’re sharing our founder and CEO, Christina’s, favorite fall flowers and how to design a stunning fall bouquet or flower arrangement with them. Get ready to bring the outside in with all the fall foliage and bits that make this season so special.

Meet Christina's Fall Flower Faves

Real talk, there will always be our staples that we like to incorporate into every arrangement (roses and eucalyptus, we’re looking at you!). But when it comes to fall specifically, there are a few more blooms we love to incorporate that are always on Christina’s list of favorite fall flowers:

Mums: These beauties are the stars of the fall flower show. With their vibrant colors and fluffy petals, mums bring an undeniable charm and fullness to any arrangement. They’re hearty and long-lasting, perfect for those crisp autumn days.

Cymbidium Orchids: Adding a touch of exotic elegance, cymbidium orchids come in a variety of rich hues that complement a classic look-at-that-stunning-fall-foliage-when-you-drive-down-your-street fall palette perfectly. Their unique shape and striking colors make them a standout addition.

Fall Foliage and Bits: This is where the magic happens and, as we’re sure you know by now, we love incorporating seasonal foliage into our fresh flower bouquets. During this time of year, adding elements like pistachio, ilix, coneflower, kangaroo paw, millet, broomcorn, hypericum, scabiosa pods, and protea add texture, depth, and that quintessential autumn feel – especially in those deeper hues we all love during the fall. These elements are like the pumpkin spice to your latte – absolutely essential!

Our Top D.I.Y. Flower Designing Guidelines

Now, we’re not much of rule followers ourselves and fully believe that a fresh flower bouquet should be anything you want it to be. Buuut we thought it would be fun to share a few of our favorite tips we’ve learned and have loved to follow when designing over the years.

First and foremost, don’t be afraid to mix textures. In fact, more is more is more in our book. Mixing different textural elements is key to creating visual interest and depth in a flower arrangement, so go wild! We also love to mimic how flowers grow in nature (aka not quite so uniform) by playing with different heights of your stems. Simply vary the heights of your stems to add dimension by trimming some taller and shorter until you’re happy with things. Taller elements like millet and broomcorn can be placed towards the back and sides of the arrangement, while shorter flowers can be arranged toward the center. This almost creates a “V” shaped arrangement, which for anyone who’s purchased an arrangement from Farmgirl before, knows we love to design this way.

Lastly, for fall florals specifically, consider the shades and hues of fall foliage, leaves, and flowers you’d naturally see outside like deep cranberries, reds, oranges, yellows, and even deep purple. Bring the outside in, as we say, with this color palette and you’ll be able to enjoy a fall moment indoors right on your countertop or table.

The How-To Behind The D.I.Y. Design

Gather Your Supplies. First things first, make sure you have all your floral essentials on hand. You’ll need your favorite fall flowers, some sharp floral shears like (our personal faves) Chikamasa Clippers, floral tape, a vase with fresh water, and your favorite flower food.

Prep Your Stems. Unwrap your flowers and foliage and give them a fresh cut at a 45-degree angle. This helps increase the surface area of the stem, which allows your flowers to hydrate and drink up all the water they need (which is especially important after their long journey to you if ordering from our online flower shop!). Remove any leaves that will fall below the waterline in your vase, to keep things clean and minimize bacteria, and add in your flower food.

Start with Foliage. Begin by creating a base with your fall foliage. Think of this as setting the stage for the main act and building a nice foundation for your focal flowers to shine. Pistachio and ilix are so beautiful to create a lush backdrop or foundation for the focal flowers to come, while elements like millet and broomcorn add interesting textures and height, so don’t be afraid to mix and match to create fullness and stagger the heights of the stems! Try creating a taller height on each side and a shorter center with these bits to create that “V” shape we mentioned earlier. It’s stunning.

Add Your Fall Focal Flowers. Once you’ve got your foliage where you want it, start adding in your focal flowers (aka the showstoppers). These are your roses, mums, ranunculus, or whatever favorite flowers you’ve chosen! Place these blooms strategically throughout the arrangement, ensuring they’re evenly distributed. Next, tuck in those gorgeous cymbidium orchids. Their bold colors and unique shapes will naturally draw the eye, so make sure they’re in spots where they can shine. From there, add your bits and bobs like coneflower, kangaroo paw, hypericum, scabiosa pods, and protea. These elements add that extra touch of fall, filling in gaps and adding texture. Don’t be afraid to let some pieces peek out playfully – it adds a whimsical touch that we love!

Final Touches. Take a step back and admire your work. Adjust any stems that seem out of place and make sure things aren’t too tight or too loose as they sit in your vase. Once you’re happy with your arrangement, place it in a cool spot away from direct sunlight and heat sources and enjoy.

We’d love to see your fall floral designs! Snap a pic of your fall bouquet and share it with us on Instagram by tagging us @farmgirlflowers or #FGFLove. If D.I.Ying isn’t quite your thing, we’ve got you covered. You can shop all of our farm fresh flower arrangements for online delivery here. Happy fall arranging, friends!

xx,

Team Farmgirl