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Aren’t the seasons great!? Each have their own special qualities and autumn is no exception. And even though I’m stuck raking leaves from my front door every day for a month, the chore is a small price to pay. The fall colors illuminated by the autumn sun are indescribable. To my friends in the warmer climates, “You’ve got to come check this out”.

I took these pictures of homes I happen to pass in my travels. I can’t say whether these fall arrangements were done by a business or simply by the homeowner, but I will tell you that it’s not difficult to put something like this together.

autumn outdoor arrangementColor choice(s) is the one thing to focus on.  It really comes down to likes and dislikes with color because today flower color arrangements can be anything you like.

Keep It Simple

Now that you have an idea of color preferences for the mums, what else might you need?  Don’t over complicate things.  Think mums, possibly decorative kale, pumpkins & gourds, corn stalks and hay bales.  That’s all you’ll need in a autumn arrangement.

Make sure you include the hay bales. They not only add another element to the design, but enable you to set things at different heights and this really adds depth and interest.

How Much Of Everything?

Each one of these items takes up space. Unlike in a living landscape, you don’t have to consider growth.  In fact, notice in the pictures how the elements are all touching. This is purely decorative and temporary.

Look at the space or area where the autumn arrangement is to go.  If there’s a building or structure involved, try to nestle around it.  Get some height in the arrangement next to the structure for starters (think corn stalks and hay bales).

Now imagine the space each of these elements (pumpkins, flowers & kale) take up.  Let’s say each averages 18″ or so.  A group of 3 would fill a space roughly 30″ by 30″. If you think in terms of groups of 3, you should arrive at total number of elements in a given area.  Now divide that total number of elements into pumpkins, flowers & kale.

Yes, you can be that casual about it because if you follow a “rough count” formula like this, you can always make it work.  All these elements are “movable”. Play around with them until it “just feels right“.

I hope you enjoy these shots and if you find yourself grumbling over the autumn leaves that just blew in on top of your recently cleaned driveway, breathe deep the crisp air, marvel at the warm, rich colors and be glad it’s not snow. I bet you’re wondering what positive points I might be making about winter, well I have at least a couple of months to think of “one”:).

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