Visiting Chanticleer Gardens in Wayne, PA, I have always been entranced with their wonderful floating arrangements made out of fresh seasonal materials displayed in a generous proportioned bowl. Easy to put together, even for the flower arranging newbie, there are no mechanics involved, just an eye for what goes together.

I ventured into my garden on a Fall day in October when foliage was just starting to turn colors and the Dahlias were still going strong and picked out the best of the best. Lasting four or five days, these floating beauties can be changed out for what is perfect at the moment.

How To

• Pick out the perfect wide bowl

• Browse your garden, picking up a variety of foliage, berries, and flowers
• Start arranging your foliage as the backdrop. Here I started with Japanese Maple and Dogwood that are showing fall color.

• Add larger flowers. Here I added some hydrangea and aconitum for a true blue color. Nestle the flowers into the water so that they are drinking to keep them fresh.

• Finish off with some berries and additional flowers. Viburnum berries look their best at this time of year and add a splash of color. Autumn Bride Coral Bells provides the spikey plumes.

• I ran out one more time to my garden to pick up a Cafe Au Lait Dahlia for the finishing touch. I needed a focal point to make this arrangement sing.

Lasting for a couple of days, this floating garden sits on my dining room table to enjoy.