Celebrate October with a Marigold Pumpkin Centerpiece

This centerpiece is a combination of cut marigolds, fall foliage and spicy red peppers. It is a bright color combination that is sure to make a splash at your next gathering.

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Cut Flowers:

  • marigolds
  • red peppers
  • ‘Black Knight’ alternanthera
  • brown sedge (Carex buchanii)
  • bittersweet

 

Materials:

  • pumpkin, medium sized
  • chicken wire
  • shallow vase to hold water inside pumpkin
  • carving tools
  • jar lid

 

Directions:
Cut a hole in the top of the pumpkin that is large enough to fit the vase through. I find it handy to trace the diameter of the vase on the pumpkin to use as a guide.

Remove the seeds and pulp from inside the pumpkin. A jar lid makes this task much easier. Set the pumpkin aside.

Now you need to make a floral frog. This can be done easily and inexpensively with a piece of chicken wire. Simply crumple the chicken wire into a ball and secure it to your vase with floral wire.

Set the vase with the chicken wire floral frog into the pumpkin. Add water to the vase and you are ready to begin arranging your flowers.

First you want to establish the framework of the arrangement by inserting the sedge and bittersweet. You can purchase bittersweet at the florist. If you don’t have either of these plants anything tall and spiky will do. I also like to use things such as wheat, ornamental grasses, liatris or salvias.

Next fill in with the round and full marigold blooms and peppers. Again, you can substitute with what you have on hand.

As a finishing touch add the alternanthera leaves so that they drape over the rim of the pumpkin. Other options are goldenrod, sprigs of ivy, and hyacinth bean vine.

When I place the pumpkin on the table I encircle the arrangement with a few sprigs of bittersweet.