Fall Flowers

Fall flowers color our homes. Every year my family creates very colorful dried arrangements. We use good materials, and they last well beyond the season.

This time of year it's fun to pick what some refer to as "weeds" from the yard or a nearby empty lot. Ella Wheeler Wilcox once said, "A weed is but an unloved flower."

We add a few red leaves as the weather cools, and stand them in an autumn vase next to an orange pumpkin or some warty looking gourds. It's surprising how festive the results can be.

For fresh cut flowers, you just can't beat the famous mums. Chrysanthemums come in many colors and sizes. They are one of the most versatile of any flower commercially grown. Huge brilliantly white blooms enhance the most elegant of weddings. Both natural colored and dyed mums can brighten any table.

Chrysanthemums are the royal flower of the Japanese Emperor, and because of that, they are a perennial favorite of ikibana masters.

Cut the stems under water and they will last for weeks.