When it comes to autumn, vibrant florals are typically not the first thing that comes to mind. It’s usually something closer to dead leaves, right? Beautiful orange and red foliage falling all around, but dead. But there’s so much more to the autumn floral scene. To enlighten us on the essential elements of a fantastic fall floral arrangement, we chatted with Courtney duQuesnay, who co-owns of Bubbles + Blooms with Molly McWhorter.

“There are so many wonderful fall flowers to choose from,” duQuesnay says. “To us, creating an arrangement that reads ‘fall’ isn’t so much about the specific flowers, but the overall feel created through color and texture.”

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During the autumn season, duQuesnay favors working with chrysanthemums. From bronze to burgundy, the beautiful hues of these flowering plants create a stunning color palette that mirrors the changing leaves, she says. And though these florals create a fall aesthetic, they don’t always have to be the stars of an arrangement. Sometimes foliage is the way to go when creating an arrangement that captures the fall look. Since it can be difficult to hunt down great greenery options at the grocery store, duQuesnay recommends rolling up your sleeves and turning to your yard to find the perfect fall flowers and foliage.

“Goldenrod grows wild this time of the year and is stunning in fall bouquets,” she says. “However, we’re seeing a move away from greenery and towards more luxe blooms like garden roses and peonies.”

Along with a mix of flowers and foliage, duQuesnay suggests adding extra style to autumn arrangements by incorporating wild, local elements like branches with leaves that are just starting to take on their fall colors. And consider incorporating everyone’s favorite fall decoration: the pumpkin.

“We love a white pumpkin overflowing with flowers,” duQuesnay says. “And we’ll use any excuse to incorporate fall fruit and gourds into our arrangements.”

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Bubbles + Blooms is hosting several fall floral workshops this season. Next on the schedule is a wreath-making class at White Star Market on November 13. Click here to sign up.

For more on Bubbles + Blooms, check out this story from the inRegister archives. And visit the company’s website here.