Hydrangea “cheater” bouquet..

I love shades of sage green any time of year, but it especially comes to mind for me during the month of November. Sage is the traditional herb for the classic stuffing for the Thanksgiving Turkey. Sage, or other sage colored plants in flower arrangements or tablescapes is a great way to complement the traditional orange tones that are used so heavily this time of year so they don’t look too corn~y {you know what I mean??}. Here is another one of my favorite easy flower arrangement techniques that can be used any time of year, in this theatre, sage green hydrangeas are the star of the show.

Puffy hydrangeas can serve triple duty in bouquet making, they give physical support for the other plants and flowers, provide background “foliage” as well as offering beautiful color to the mix.

This time of year, I love the gorgeous soft patina that comes over most hydrangeas. While the dusty blues and burgundies are entrancing, I think my favorite shade is this slightly mottled sage green.

By combining these bountiful beauties with other interesting fall foliage, you can quickly create a row of stunning displays with very little effort. Oftentimes I call this my favorite “cheater” bouquet, because the hydrangea structure really makes this all too easy.

So, here’s the process I followed. Much of the added color bouquets are remaining relics that are still surviving in my beds. Look around, some things that have gone to seed or to pod may can look like beautiful jewels when put on display. To start off I loosely filled vases with hydrangeas and hellebore leaves, creating the general shape and support for the bouquet. There are about 3 hydrangeas in each of these round glass vases.

Next, I separated the individual 4-petalled flowers of the hydrangeas and slid in stems of plants in complementary colors and textures. Here I am adding leftover lily pods near a delicate sprigs of Oregano that has gone to bloom.

I also added these deep blue thistles for an intense burst of texture, color and contrast.

Japanese Anemone flower heads thrive in my garden from late summer through the fall.

These bobbing baubles of peridot give interesting depth and highlights to the bouquets.

Finally, I highlighted the harmonious blue~green world with bright orange freesia for a burst of color and that gorgeous, fresh peppery fragrance.

I positioned the freesia blooms to add spots of color and also to balance out the shape of the bouquet.

I love how the flowers look mixed in with these pale verdant shiny gourds.

That gorgeous soft, blueish green color seems to make everything around it look even more beautiful.

To see another version of the floral design strategy, click on the image below to see a spring, summer version.