I love the tarnished colors of the fall leaves and flowers, the crisp fall air combined with that damp, smoky scent and the chance to pull out the boots, bundle up and go to a tailgate party.

Since my hostess was such a tailgate pro and an excellent cook, all I could bring to the gathering was a bouquet in a decorative tin, so it was easy to transport, display and stow.

Wandering the garden with snippers at the ready I cut every branch and flower that caught my eye and used my tried and true 3-step process to build a bouquet inspired by a beautiful fall day.

First step, the greens:

Sprigs of sage and bay laurel created a base layer with both dark and glossy and soft and pale greens.

Branches of turning viburnum leaves added shape, height and more shades of green.

The stems of the greens create the support structure and “holes” to prepare for the next step,

the flowers:

I started with these beautiful Lacecap hydrangeas, they look like jewels with their beautiful pale shade of ruby and burnished gold filigree that has developed as the weather has cooled.

Next, golden dahlias and sprigs of Astrantia balanced and brightened up the mix.

Some of the final fall roses in orange, gold and apricot rounded out the arrangement.

For the final step, I like to add some sort of accent item:

something a little unexpected that gives the bouquet a certain finishing touch. I tried some orange rosehips, but they looked too awkward.

When I started sticking in stems of Japanese Anenomes, mostly with just remaining green staemens and a few buds bopping about, it gave the arrangement the perfect finishing touch: fresh with a touch of whimsy.

Here’s the back side of the bouquet.

Once my tailgate bouquet was ready I dug out some cozy socks, boots and layers {for the first time in months} and was ready for the game.

What are your favorite things about fall?