Better Late Than Never....Thanksgiving Tableau…

I love to use nature as my inspiration…a centerpiece for my shop was of no exception. Typically, turquoise isn’t the go to Fall color, but this turquoise footed bowl at my shop got my mind meandering…turquoise is in the plumage of pheasants as is lavender…lavender and turquoise are in these begonia leaves…these leaves would look fantastic with Endless Summer hydrangeas still blooming strong…coral pepper berry and nandina would accent the hydrangeas…these sticks with moss and mushrooms add the woodland, autumnal touch, along with sugar pine cones…the brown cones reminded me of the brown in pheasant feathers…full circle and voila! An arrangement was formed in my mind and now I had to create it!


I used the begonia plants as my oasis. I watered them well and arranged them in a triangular fashion inside the bowl. Then I filled in the gap with the mounding floral stems of the Endless Summer hydrangeas…I picked ones that had already “dried” naturally, so I didn’t have to keep them submerged – just dampened from the begonia soil. Berries draping around the bowl soften the edges and mossy sticks poking out to add a bit of drama and vertical interest. Nestling pine cones and lotus pods gave me some brown, earthy elements along with the dried yellow flowers I found.


A friend of mine even had me use her stuffed pheasant in a similar arrangement and I loved the whimsy of the bird and made a “nest” of an arrangement with similar components for her table centerpiece. I really have a fondness for my feathered friends, so any chance to use a bird or feathers is fun!


So when constructing your Thanksgiving centerpiece and arrangements, use nature as your inspiration and use a bit of the unexpected. A fun color like turquoise, a wild branch covered in lichens, or even a bird!