Modern classic: A warm fall container

Few plants speak better to the conventions of the classic fall arrangement than pumpkins, chrysanthemums and kale. And shades of burgundy, orange, brown and rust further attest to the lateness of the season. Yet this is not your typical outdoor display, for it boasts unusual varieties of these stalwarts, along with less commonly used plants.

Yes, there are pumpkins. But placing one—particularly the unusual French pumpkin—directly into the arrangement adds an immediate dramatic touch. Unique, too, is the use of an upright kale, strategically placed behind brilliantly coloured branches of ‘Flame’ willow. Also making a rare cameo is sedge, “an under­used filler,” says perennials expert Paul Zammit of Toronto’s Plant World.

Shopping list

A. ‘Flame’ willow (Salix ‘Flame’) x 1

B. ‘RedBore’ kale x 1

C. Leatherleaf sedge (Carex buchananii) x 1

D. Ornamental pepper (Capsicum ‘Medusa’) x 1

E. ‘Bressingham Ruby’ bergenia x 1

F. ‘Peach Flambé’ coral bells (Heuchera ‘Peach Flambé’) x 2 

G. English ivy (Hedera helix) x 1

H. French pumpkin x 1

I. Chrysanthemum x 1

J. Hair sedge (Carex comans bronze-leafed form) x 1