PRODUCTION

Bringing the Garden Inside with Mike Darcy


November 8, 2022

Fall weather has certainly arrived with cooler temperatures and some much-needed rain. In my own garden, I can see the change in plants, and it is as if they know that summer is over. And they probably do! Living in the Pacific Northwest, we are very fortunate to have such a wide diversity of plants. With the onset of the fall season, it always amazes me that plants can put on such a wonderful show of color. The branches of many shrubs and trees can be brought into the home and used for simple or rather elaborate indoor arrangements.

With the help of my wife, we have put together some ideas for fall arrangements. The plants we have chosen are fairly common, and if not in your garden, they are probably in the garden of a neighbor.

Fall Decor and Colors on Dark Wood Dining Table

This arrangement can be the centerpiece on a table or countertop. There are assorted gourds, and the green-leaf plant in the vase is the herb, Sweet Basil. Basil is not often used in arrangements, but it has dark green leaves, white flowers, and a pleasing aroma. Plus, the leaves hold up quite well as long as the stems are in water. I took the leaves off the part of the stem that is in the water. The purple berry stem on the left is Beautyberry, (Callicarpa), and is a very easy plant to grow. The orange and yellow berries in the basil are bittersweet, (Celastrus), which is a vigorous deciduous vine.

Note: to get fruit on bittersweet, both a male and female plant are needed. The orange seeds in the foreground are from Magnolia denudata.

Little Giant, Galvanized Bucket, 3 pt

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Thanksgiving Vibes and Colors with a Ceramic Turkey and Pumpkins

While this grouping is outside on our deck and protected from rain by the overhang on the house, it could easily be duplicated for an indoor arrangement. Nothing here needs to be kept in a vase of water. This arrangement has almost the same assortment of plants as the above photo. A couple of stems of dried hop flowers have been added on the table. The addition of the turkey gives this a Thanksgiving theme. Other gourds could easily be added to give some additional color. Several clusters of seed pods from Magnolia denudate are in the top tray. This is an easy tree to grow and has fragrant white flowers in the spring. It is one of the few Magnolia trees that I have seen with such colorful seed pods.

The photos below, with just two plants, is a simple arrangement that makes quite a statement. There are many different Hydrangeas that could be used, for the photo on the right, Hydrangea ‘Annabelle’ is used. The pink-colored fruits are from Euonymus europaeus, (Spindle Tree) ‘Aldenhamensis’, which is an easy-to-grow small tree.

American Glove, Bamboo Gardener with Natural Rubber Palm Gloves, BBG C5301

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Novelty Indoor Watering Can, White, 1/2-Gallon

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Two different images of Flowers in Vase on Table

So many gardens have at least one Hydrangea which makes it an easy choice for availability. In the photo above on the left, there are some Hydrangea flowers that are past their prime, but very effective when used in an arrangement with several stems together. There are many choices to add for some additional color and in this case, it is bittersweet.

Most of our fall gardens have an abundance of plants to choose from for fall color and to use indoors. Many deciduous trees offer leaf colors with shades of red, yellow, and orange, and can make a statement in your house that fall is here.

Zenport, 8.5" Bypass Hand Pruning Shear

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Have some fun by exploring your garden for ideas to bring inside. You might be surprised at what you find.


We would love to see your garden arrangements, use #mywilcolife on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram and tag Wilco Stores.


MIKE’S GARDEN IS LOCATED IN OREGON’S WILLAMETTE VALLEY AND HIS ADVICE IS CONSISTENT WITH THE MILD CLIMATE THERE.
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