By Sally Sola, Founder, Cheltenham Flower School
I love September, I always have.
Summer hasn’t quite disappeared but there’s a definite change in the air. The days are beginning to shorten, the colours in the garden are becoming richer and the flowers are putting on one final, glorious display before autumn really arrives.
As a florist I have always thought September is a wonderful month. It’s a time of abundance, beautiful texture and changing colour, a lovely reminder of why working with seasonal flowers is so rewarding.
A Month of Plenty
One of the things I love most about September is the variety of flowers that can still be found growing locally. The exuberance of summer is still very much present with Dahlias, Cosmos, Zinnias and Scabious continuing to flower. While seed heads, grasses and foliage are beginning to add a little more depth and movement.
Dahlias are a firm September favourite. From soft blush and peach through to deep burgundy and rich autumnal shades, there seems to be a Dahlia for every mood or taste. They have such wonderful shapes from delicate almost perfectly formed blooms, to large blowsy flowers that demand to be noticed.
And then there are the little details: the grasses moving in the breeze, interesting seed heads, berries and bronzed foliage. These are the ingredients that give an autumnal arrangement its character and depth.
Letting the Season Lead
Autumn never arrives with a loud fanfare; it arrives on the wind and in the breeze whilst you are hanging on the last moments of summer. The golden shades of yellow, orange and reds almost soften the blow that summer has ended. You enjoy the autumn bounty whilst it’s here, knowing that their time is relatively short. When the season moves on, you move on with it, quite often prematurely into Christmas without even meaning to.
This is one of the reasons seasonal arrangements can feel so connected to a particular time and place. A bouquet made in September should look like September. It doesn’t need to imitate summer, and it doesn’t need to rush ahead into deep autumn, it can sit somewhere beautifully in between.
The Changing Colour Palette
September gives us a wonderful opportunity to play with colour. The bright, fresh tones of high summer can be softened with blush pinks, apricots and creamy whites. While deeper reds, burgundies, rusts and warm oranges begin to appear. You don’t necessarily need to use all the traditional autumn colours either. A few darker flowers or touches of foliage can be enough to give a familiar summer palette a more autumnal feeling.
I particularly love this transition period because the colours and combinations can be so unexpected. Soft pink Dahlias alongside grasses and darker foliage, for example can feel every bit as autumnal as a traditional arrangement of orange and rust.
Don’t Forget the Foliage
Flowers often get all the attention, but foliage is one of the things that can really bring an arrangement together. I firmly believe that the foliage needs to create a strong foundation for a design to be built upon. At this time of year grasses, seed heads and interesting leaves become increasingly important. They add movement and texture framing the flowers perfrctly.
When arranging flowers at home, try looking beyond the obvious blooms. A few stems of foliage from the garden, some grasses or an interesting seed head can completely change the feel of a simple vase of flowers. And don’t worry about everything being perfect, in fact a little movement and informality often make a seasonal arrangement feel much more natural.
Why Seasonal Flowers Are Worth Celebrating
Flowers don’t all need to be identical or perfectly formed, the compete opposite can be far more important. A slightly wonky stem, a flower that’s opened a little more than its neighbour or an interesting piece of foliage can be exactly what makes an arrangement feel special.
Working with flowers that are naturally available also encourages us to be more creative. Rather than starting with a fixed list of ingredients, you can begin with what’s looking beautiful that day and see where it takes you.
Bringing a Little Bit of September Indoors
A simple collection of September flowers in a favourite vase can be enough. Choose a few different shapes and textures, add some foliage or grasses and allow the stems to move naturally rather than trying to make everything perfectly even. If you have a garden look around before you head to the shop. You may find that some of the most interesting ingredients are already growing there.
Perhaps the real beauty of seasonal flowers is to encourage us to notice what’s around us. To appreciate a flower while it’s here. To enjoy each season for what it brings rather than wishing it would be something else.
Celebrate Autumn with Flowers
From glowing Dahlias to textured grasses and beautiful autumn foliage, there is so much inspiration to be found in the changing season. My two autumn workshops are designed to celebrate exactly that.
The Sustainable Autumn Floral Arrangement Workshop focuses on creating beautiful seasonal arrangements using environmentally friendly, foam free techniques.
The Locally Grown Autumn Dahlia Vase Workshop celebrates the extraordinary beauty of British grown Dahlias helping you create a relaxed, natural vase arrangement to enjoy at home.
Both workshops are an opportunity to slow down, learn new skills and immerse yourself in the beauty of locally grown seasonal flowers.
I’d love you to join me this autumn and experience the joy of creating with flowers that truly reflect the season.
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