Local Fall Flowers & Foliage: Inspiring Tips for Autumn Midwest Floral Design
The Tiny Florist brings pops of color and textural elements into local autumnal designs.
What’s Blooming Locally from Mid-September - November?
Fall is a favorite season for flowers, filled with rich colors and textures that make for stunning arrangements. While the growing season winds down, there's still an abundance of flowers and unique natural elements available for creating full autumn arrangements. Let’s dive into the local options from mid-September through November, along with tips for incorporating dried elements and other autumnal accents into your floral designs.
For many regions, early fall—especially mid-September—is the peak of local flower availability. This time of year, some of our favorite fall flowers include:
Dahlias: With their large blooms and vibrant colors, dahlias are a staple for autumnal arrangements.
Zinnias and Rudbeckia: These flowers add warmth with their yellow and orange hues, perfect for complementing the changing leaves.
Japanese Anemones: These delicate flowers bring a touch of elegance and contrast beautifully with bolder blooms.
As October approaches and temperatures drop, cool-weather hardy flowers start to take center stage:
Marigolds: Known for their deep oranges and yellows, marigolds are perfect for fall arrangements.
Strawflower and Gomphrena: These dried-like flowers bring texture and a unique look that holds up well to cooler weather.
Foxglove: A late bloomer with a soft, elegant appearance, adding subtlety to autumnal bouquets.
After the first frost, often arriving in mid-October, the availability of fresh local flowers wanes. This is the time to get creative, incorporating grapevines, dried flowers, grasses, winding branches, indoor plants, fruits, and vegetables from the last of the farmer’s markets to add interest and texture to fall displays.
Insights from Seasonal Styled Shoot
For our recent photoshoot series, we partnered with Chowgirls Catering and The Tiny Florist aiming to highlight seasonal bounty featuring orange and green elements, adding natural and dried elements to fill in when florals are not available.
Megan and Alyssa the artists behind The Tiny Florist embraced the natural shift in availability and took advantage of unique autumn elements. The first frost had just arrived, but local flower farmers in the Twin Cities still had beautiful foxglove and geranium foliage protected in hoop houses. Their peachy tones and soft textures inspired a color palette centered on warm oranges and greens. A fun discovery was milkweed pods, bringing a pop of chartreuse green that complemented the arrangement’s natural look. They also incorporated kale, vibrant tomatoes, and Chinese long beans from the market for a unique mix of texture, color, and edible elements.
With fewer options after the frost, The Tiny Florist team embraced a minimalist approach, focusing on oranges, greens, and the natural beauty of fewer items for maximum visual impact.
Tips for Incorporating Dried Flowers and Other Unique Elements
If you love the look of dried flowers or want to extend the life of your arrangements:
Source locally: The Twin Cities Flower Exchange offers a wide variety of dried florals for wholesale. Consider growing flowers at home to dry and use in arrangements.
Get creative with foraged materials: Responsibly collected branches, grasses, and fall foliage bring unique shapes and textures to floral designs.
Consider fruits and vegetables: Seasonal produce like squashes, apples, or ornamental cabbages can bring an earthy, farm-fresh feel to your arrangements.
Working with Your Florist to Source Local Elements for Fall
If a seasonal, locally-sourced aesthetic is essential for your event, aim for an early-to-mid-October date to maximize flower availability. As local flowers wind down, potted plants become a great alternative. These can be standalone accents or part of a larger arrangement, and make great take-home gifts for guests.
Whether you’re a couple planning a fall wedding or a florist designing autumnal events, embracing the beauty of seasonal, local flowers and elements brings authenticity and shape to your arrangements. Talk to your florist, find someone whose style resonates with you, and trust their expertise in sourcing from local farms and markets. With the natural beauty of fall, even unconventional elements can create breathtaking displays that celebrate the season’s abundance and charm.
Dream vendor team:
Photography: Mister Berndt
Catering/Event Design: Chowgirls Catering
Floral: The Tiny Florist
Floral Sourcing: Northerly Flora
Rental: Lulu Event Rentals
Venue: Theodore Wirth Park
Tabletop rentals: Collected and Co.
Sustainability Consulting/Design: LUUM Collective
