Create a flower arrangement with this easy flower arranging hack and upcycle, using a garden center plant tray as a flower frog.
Happy Friday and Hello September, I’m so glad you’re here!
Fall is my favorite time of year! As much as I’m ready to embrace the season, our 90 degree temps are a reality check and reminder that it’s *not quite* sweater weather.
Since we’re several weeks away for mums, fall foliage and pumpkins in my neck of the woods, I’m joining my blogging friends with a sunny transitional arrangement for this week’s edition of Floral Friday!
You’ll find their links for more floral inspiration at the bottom of this post.
For this transitional arrangement, I used a flower arranging hack, upcycling a garden center plant tray as a flower frog.
I normally return my plastic garden trays and pots to Lowe’s for recycling, but after staring at this tray in my return pile, I had a light bulb moment. . . a flower frog!
The plastic pot ring is more substantial than chicken wire for supporting flower stems and a great alternative to floral foam for arranging flowers as it can be used over and over.
I used wire cutters (also referred to as diagonal cutting or side cutting pliers) to snip through the plastic tray holding the round pot ring. Wash the pot ring thoroughly before using so it’s free of any bacteria that would shorten the life of your flowers.
This particular plant tray/pot holder was 5 1/2 inches in diameter and fit snugly about a third of the way down in my urn.
I started with Limelight Hydrangea blooms that have made the transition from summer to fall and taken on a burnished hue. My blooms about a week away from the perfect texture for drying, when the petals beginning to feel ‘papery’.
I found Kangaroo Paws, a new-to-me fun flower at the grocery store. I added them along with yarrow in rust and gold, for some seasonal fall color to the arrangement.
I love sunflowers this time of year. The large brown centers with the sunny yellow rays are perfect for September when it’s supposed to feel like fall, but still summer outside.
Sprigs of lorepetalum cut from the shrubs add a pop of burgundy color. To use foliage from your shrubs in a flower arrangement, cut your greenery in the morning when it’s fully hydrated and not water-stressed from the heat. To keep your foliage from wilting, condition it first, allowing it to sit in a bucket of room temperature water for several hours or even better, overnight.
The petals of purple coneflower are gone but the dried flower seed heads add some fall interest and texture to the arrangement.
I added a grapevine wreath to frame the arrangement for some welcome texture, adding additional hydrangea blooms, lorepetalum, coneflower heads and gourds.
It’s still early to find gourds at the farmers’ market here, but I harvested more than two dozen from our ‘garden surprise’. I pulled the vine up a couple of weeks ago when it wrapped around our juniper and started heading for the roof! It was still producing gourds and growing like gangbusters.
If you’ve ever wondered if gourds are easy to grow, I can tell you they are. Just give the vines room to sprawl or climb.
Visit my talented blogging friends to see their floral inspiration this week:
Pam at Everyday Living
Lidy at FrenchGardenHouse
Shirley at Housepitality Designs
Thank you for your visit, sharing with:
Oh my so beautiful made my day when opened and seen these gorgeous flowers and the colors
There you go again being the most creative one….I just recycled my plant tray; however, the bottom of the tray was solid…so I will be looking for those trays that I can use for flower frogs!….Your transitional arrangement is stunning. I love the fact that you can pick most of the glorious flowers from your garden. I actually have a book of things I want to plant in the new house and you are one of my go to people for inspiration, along with my fellow Floral Friday ladies!…I had to chuckle a the gourd find…how great is that…so on my list they go! So great to share Floral Friday with you…my favorite Fridays!…Happy September and thanks for always giving us such happiness in our day!
You have the magic touch with floral arrangements. I wish the weather would cooperate and bring fall temperatures.
Mary, Your transitional flower arrangement takes my breath away! I love the combination of flowers you’ve used and the genius tip to repurpose your plant tray as a flower frog! Happy Friday and Weekend to you, sweet Gracie and cute Lola!
Just beautiful arrangements! You know how to put it together 🤗🌻
Mary, what a jaw dropping arrangement, it is fall perfection. Your tutorials are always so easy to follow. I do love the mix of flowers and textures and the use of the grapevine wreath with your surprise gourds makes a stunning statement. I love spending Floral Fridays with you. Wishing you a wonderful weekend! ❤️
Ooh and ahhh! I always enjoy your flower arrangements. Thank you for sharing.
Nobody does it better! Love everything you do, Mary!
Absolutely beautiful! Your flowers brighten my day. Thank-you.
Your transitional arrangement is beautiful. Our surprise vine has produced about a dozen small striped pumpkins and I am so delighted. I need to remember to plant some sunflowers next year but for now I will head to the grocery store to pick some up. I have plenty of hydrangeas to cut and some interesting lions ear plants with bright orange blooms to add in.Need to find my big copper vase and get busy. Now if our weather would just cooperate!
Beautiful!
beautifully done, Mary and what a great idea for a flower frog.
Ciao Mary, le tue immagini sono sempre belle!!!
This is absolutely stunning, Mary! You have the gift.
Mary, You have a natural talent for flower arranging. Your creations are so artistic and then you provide us with such wonderful tips I feel like I could do it myself…if only! :) Thank you for the beauty you send our way and inspiration. Happy weekend and doggy kisses and hugs to Lola and Gracie.
This is a show stopper Mary, I feel a sunflower painting in my future! I love the wonderful combo of colors, textures, and shapes you’ve chosen to create this stunning fall arrangement. Your flower frog is so genius and I love the wreath around the bottom to extend and frame the arrangement. Only you would have beautiful gourds just randomly growing in your garden, I swear I think the plants tell each other, “You must bloom at Mary’s!” Watching and worrying about you and Florence…
Jenna 🌻
Absolutely stunning! Breathtaking!
What a beautiful arrangement, Mary! The sunflowers look so wonderful with the hydrangeas, and those kangaroo paws are one of my favorites for fall. It’s a blessing to share Floral Friday with you, sweet friend! Hope your weekend is a lovely one. xo Lidy
Kangaroo paws are new to me too! They are great for a fall arrangement and so are the yellow and rust yarrow, limelights, sunflowers, coneflower seed heads, and lorepetalum.
Your repurposed garden tray into a flower frog is a great idea.
What a nice surprise the gourds were! I was wondering where you had bought them so early. Would you believe I haven’t seen pansies yet here either! If I remember correctly I don’t plant pansies until November 1st here because it is usually so hot.
Love how you framed your arrangement with the grapevine wreath, hydrangeas, and gourds.
I sure do enjoy Floral Fridays!🍁
Thanks for your tips for the flower frog, Mary! Your arrangement is stunning, and those kangaroo paws are new to me, too. How wonderful to have used your very own gourds to add to the grapevine wreath. As always, thanks for your inspiration! Happy weekend with Gracie and Lola!
It’s a stunning arrangement. Your posts always make my day.
Thanks for inspiring us with such a gorgeous transition arrangement. You have used two of my favorite flowers, sunflowers and limelight hydrangeas. My limelights have faded, last year about this time of year I brought some in and sprayed them with a dried flower preservative. They still look pretty good. Next time I purchase potted plants I am going to look for the tray you featured, such a great idea.
Brilliant and Gorgeous!
Beautiful! Thank you for the inspiration this hot, muggy Friday morning!
Mary, your transitional arrangement is just stunning. That you can pick some of these beauties in your arrangement in your garden is so joyful, isn’t it? I love using our hydrangeas and other garden flowers in our own arrangements here at FrenchGardenHouse. It’s always inspiring and delightful when I visit you here, friend. Happy September to you, Mary, I love being part of Floral Fridays with you!!
Mary, my sentiments exactly about fall. It is my favorite too, but for us it is still weeks away. We are having a break in temps with some much needed rain. I love your arrangement in the large urn. I pinned it for future reference. The Kangaroo Paws are a perfect addition. I see them in our markets and love to add them in for a touch of rust. The flower frog hack is fabulous! I need to look for that type of tray. I’ve not seen it. It’s perfect for these large heavy urns. Thanks for sharing!
Hi oh my goodness….what is in the bottom of the planter to keep the flowers watered? Just beautiful. Thanks again.
Hi Terry, there’s 6+ inches of water in the urn below the flower frog. 🌻
Wow you make such beautiful arrangements :) I LOVE sunflowers.
Great idea for the flower frog and how fun that you grew the gourds! I still haven’t seen any real pumpkins here yet. Happy Weekend Mary:@)
Fall shades are my all time favorites and this arrangement screams “where are you fall”….hurry!
Glorious from the bottom of the urn to the tallest of the pretty flowers.
God Bless.
You are such an inspiration to me and others that drool over your lovely pictures. Most of us take time to celebrate the big moments in our lives such as holidays or birthdays, but your surround yourself with absolute jaw dropping beauty all the time and remind us that everyday should be a celebration and we should all take time to celebrate this wonderful thing called life.
My favorite time of year. Your fall arrangementsi are just beautiful.
Very pretty Mary! I’ve never heard of kangaroo paws, how cute. Our temps finally dropped to the low 70’s with very cool nights, so now it’s starting to feel like fall. Tomorrow I’ll take down the buntings and gradually start the transition to fall items. Hope Flo doesn’t come your way and you have a fun, safe weekend.
Oh I was just about to deadhead the coneflowers the other day, then something told me not to. I was thinking about leaving them for the birds, but now I have this idea! Thanks!
I love the blue & white rug with flowers & birds can you give me the source????
Hi Terri, I don’t know where you’re seeing a blue and white rug? It’s not on any of my posts.
Mary, you do the prettiest floral arrangements and thanks for the floral frog tip.
Gorgeous ! Love the tips.
Wow, Mary, what rich colors! That arrangement is stellar, and I love those weird, little kangaroo paws! And you is so smart ;) to use that planter tray as a frog!
Mary, may your you, your hubby and doggies be okay during this upcoming storm. You all will be in our prayers.
Thank you so much for all your wonderful posts. They mean a lot to a gal from the dry desert.
Thank you so much Pat 🐾🐾
Absolutely beautiful arrangements made my day