Fall Calla Lily Bouquets

Fall Harvest

• A mass of lilies filling a pumpkin says fall harvest in an unexpected way. Cut the top off the pumpkin so the diameter of the hole is no more than 6 inches across. Place a glass in the pumpkin that isn't visible over the edge. You may have to scrape the bottom inside of the pumpkin so the glass is level. Fill the glass with calla lilies with stems cut only 2 to 3 inches taller than the height of the pumpkin. In other words, if the pumpkin is 8 inches tall, the calla lilies should be from 10 to 13 inches high. Use deep red, purple and yellow calla lilies.

Sophisticated Halloween

• Halloween means goblins and ghosts and, of course, orange and black. Mix the black star calla lily with stems of orange oak and red maple leaves for a bouquet that's sophisticated but reminiscent of Halloween. If you're using dried, dyed fall leaves, mist with water to soften the leaves, spread them out and let them dry upside down so that they fill out a bit. Place newspapers underneath to catch the dye if it drips off. Tie with a black lace bow.

Autumn Simplicity

• Calla lilies are stunning and don't need much other decoration. Fill a vase with lilies in purple, yellow and orange. Add in a few bunches of wheat heads. The wheat should show above the blossoms of the lilies. If the wheat is too short, tape a group of wheat stems to a wooden skewer using floral tape. The shapes of the lilies and the wheat head complement each other.

Halloween Topiary

• Create a topiary of lilies. Tie orange raffia around a group of six to eight black calla lilies about 4 inches from the bottom of the flowers and 4 inches from the ends of the stems. Cut the stems so they are straight across. The flowers should be able to stand level. Place them in a shallow clear glass cylindrical vase. Add kumquats to fill the vase around the stems and keep them stable. As the calla lilies open, the top of the topiary will fill out.