At my house, we always have a foraged floral arrangement for Thanksgiving. Some years, we decorate with persimmons and bay boughs, and others with herbs and berry sprigs in juice glasses.
Photography by Michelle Slatalla.
With a free-form arrangement of branches and berries, you can make a dramatic garland that runs the length of the table, or you can confine foraged florals to centerpiece territory (and use the space at the end of the table for serving dishes).
Some things never change. But I’ve learned over the years that white dishes and unobtrusive glassware will make a beautiful backdrop to foraged florals.
The Basics
Foraged Finds
I headed into the late-season garden to see what still looked good enough to come indoors. From a smoke bush near my front door, I clipped some branches with moody, mottled purple leaves.
In autumn, shrubs sport all color of berries. In my Northern California neighborhood, there are lots of orange bittersweet berries, black privet berries, and purple privet berries.
Before arranging foraged finds, rinse them–extremely well–in the kitchen sink.
The Look
I used garden twine to tie a sprig to each napkin. See how at Botanical Napkin Rings for Thanksgiving.
I like a big napkin, preferably made of soft linen because the fabric drapes beautifully and absorbs spilled wine better than cotton. Hand-dyed in San Francisco, the napkins are $18 apiece.
To assemble the floral arrangement, I laid a linen runner down the center of the table.
I placed the napkins on top of the plates to add some height to edge of the table and offset the bulk of the foraged floral arrangement.
I wanted the table to contradict itself, to look glamorous and casual at the same time.
After you disassemble the tabletop arrangement, turn the water pitcher into a vase with a sprig of long-lasting berries.
The Day After