It used to be that my summer decorating meant a cacophony of color in flower pots and accessories, but lately I am more drawn to a calmer, tighter palette of whites, greens and the natural element of wicker. I found this cute basket at a shop, and although at the time I wasn’t sure what I would do with it, I loved the fact that it could either sit on a flat surface or be hung on the wall.

Visions of towels in a guest room and rolling pins in the kitchen filled my head. But in the end, I decided to give it it’s first appearance as a floral arrangement. Starting with a couple of green foams (I should probably have used larger ones, but these were what I had on hand), I placed them in the bottom of the basket. To fill the rest of the void, I filled the basket up with crumpled tissue paper.

To make outdoor pots interesting and varied, there is the old adage “you need a thriller, a filler, and a spiller” and this rule holds true for most floral arrangements, as well. With that thought in mind, the thriller stems were the tallest and most expensive. I placed them in the center, near the back of the basket.

Next, I inserted the filler element, which were the hydrangeas in shades of sage and light green. They really take up a lot of real estate and make the basket feel very full. These were stems I had on hand from other years, and are of good quality. I also used some light green berry clusters, that added another shape and texture.

Moving on to the spiller, I used a couple of wild stems that spill over the sides of the basket, as well as some Dollar Tree ferns to fill in some gaps. The wilder stems give this arrangement the tousled look that I find the most attractive in florals, whether it be wreaths, basket arrangements, or even fresh florals placed in vases. It gives the piece an appearance similar to how the flowers grow when Mother Nature has her way.

One item of note in making this arrangement, as well as most times I’m creating florals, was the use of high and low products. Good floral stems can be very expensive, and usually they are worth it. For the prominent pieces in this arrangement, I used good quality stems, and for some of the filler pieces, less expensive and downright cheap pieces were used. In the end the overall look appears high end, and if you follow this “high low” recipe, only you will know that some of the sprigs were recycled or came from the Dollar Tree.

What I love about this basket arrangement is that it is so versatile, and can easily be used inside or out. When summer is over, it can easily be repurposed with autumn leaves and pumpkins. For the holidays, it can hold evergreens, pinecones and ornaments. The possibilities are endless and it makes the original basket purchase a smart investment.

Once finished, I placed this basket on our front door where it really popped against the black and gave the porch just the summery appeal I was looking for. If you want to bring a touch of summer to your indoor or outdoor decor, think of lightening things up with touches of natural elements like wicker, and a palette of white and greens. This color combination may not sound exciting, but it is a fresh nature inspired look that says “Summer.” The good news is that this arrangement will carry you through until the next change of season arrives, which the older I get, seems to happen quicker and quicker!

Good tidings,

Diane