When my mom, Erika, invited me to her dinner party, I knew I should bring my camera. Mom always sets such a pretty table.

Mom has had many careers and artistic interests, but her first career in Germany was as a florist. She got her start at 14, working as an apprentice in a nursery/florist shop.

At first they had Mom pulling weeds but quickly realized her talents were being wasted.

Soon she was working on large floral installations for hotels, for festivals, and for special events.

She still can’t resist turning her parties into an opportunity for a little creative fun.

The Centerpiece

For this fall-themed party, Mom made sure the centerpiece was large enough to be interesting but small enough to be kept on the table when the food arrived.

Fall Dinner Party centerpiece — Fall Centerpiece

How She Did It

Mom used an ornamental pumpkin and two small gourds.

First, she cut the pumpkin in half horizontally and hollowed it out. The bottom of the pumpkin would be the bowl to set the flowers in.

Then she lined the bowl with plastic* and placed florist oasis foam in the center.

*Mom advises using a small plastic bowl instead of the plastic lining if you can find one that would fit inside the pumpkin. If you do use plastic lining, it’s also a good idea to have a small plate under the pumpkin in case it leaks.

The lid of the pumpkin is then re-attached off-center with wire, so that there is still an opening to arrange the flowers. The small gourds are set on either side.

All of the flowers and greenery came from her own garden except for the orange Gerbera daisy. She used sedum, hydrangea, maple leaves, and other garden greens.

I’m standing by to see what she does for Christmas!