BOUQUETS WITHOUT BLOOMS

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. 

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.

NANDINA BOUQUET AT OUR STORE

Magnolia leaves are my favorite, especially during the holidays.

MAGNOLIA LEAVES AS HOLIDAY DECOR

 My cedar tree comes inside too. 
I added some around silver holiday spheres in my dough bowl.

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.

BRANCHES AND LEAVES IN FALL COLORS

I put some of the colorful branches on the bench on my front porch too.

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.

DEMIJOHN AND BIRCH BRANCHES ON MY STAIR LANDING

Actually, branches work as arrangements all year long.

DRIFTWOOD BRANCHES ON MY MIRRORED TABLE

Yes, I painted Harry Lauder Walking Stick branches orange and placed them into a vase.

PAINTED HARRY LAUDER WALKING STICKS

Shed antlers make arrangements without blooms too.

SHED ANTLERS IN A JAR

Feathers can take the place of fresh flowers.

FEATHERS IN A VASE ON MY MANTEL

What do you use as a bouquet alternative?