During the Spring and Summer my garden is bursting with blooms. I always gather them and bring them inside. Now that it's getting colder, most of the blooms are gone. That doesn't mean I still can't have an arrangement in my home. There is such a thing as bouquets without blooms.
I always turn to my shrubs. I filled a vase with nothing but clippings from my Nandina bush.
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| NANDINA BOUQUET IN A CHAMPAGNE BUCKET |
Most of the summer the Nandina is green. As it gets colder, the leaves become tinged with red.
I added it to a planter at the store.
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| NANDINA BOUQUET AT OUR STORE |
Magnolia leaves are my favorite, especially during the holidays.
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| MAGNOLIA LEAVES AS HOLIDAY DECOR |
My cedar tree comes inside too.
I added some around silver holiday spheres in my dough bowl.
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| CEDAR BRANCHES IN MY DOUGH BOWL |
When the leaves change from green to reds, yellows, and oranges, I snap off a colorful branch
and add it to a wicker-covered bottle on my screened porch.
At the end of my street is a tree that drops the most wonderful pods while releasing its leaves. They look like huge pea pods and turn a warm brown, curling and twisting perfectly. Here they're wrapping themselves around a vintage book.
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| BRANCHES AND LEAVES IN FALL COLORS |
I put some of the colorful branches on the bench on my front porch too.
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| FALL BRANCHES AND MY FAVORITE PAINTED PUMPKIN |
I even use branches without their leaves.
When a friend cut down her birch tree, I rescued some branches and added them to a demijohn.
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| DEMIJOHN AND BIRCH BRANCHES ON MY STAIR LANDING |
Actually, branches work as arrangements all year long.
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| DRIFTWOOD BRANCHES ON MY MIRRORED TABLE |
Yes, I painted Harry Lauder Walking Stick branches orange and placed them into a vase.
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| PAINTED HARRY LAUDER WALKING STICKS |
Shed antlers make arrangements without blooms too.
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| SHED ANTLERS IN A JAR |
Feathers can take the place of fresh flowers.
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| FEATHERS IN A VASE ON MY MANTEL |
What do you use as a bouquet alternative?
