Changing leaves and gorgeous fall colors are everywhere this time of year, but if you're looking to bring nature's beauty to your front door, there are some easy ways to upgrade the look.
NBC's Chicago Today spoke with award-winning botanical and plantscape artist Tu Bloom, the official floral designer for the Grammys also known for his local shop Chicago Bloom in Rogers Park, and got his best advice on sprucing up your balcony or porch or even your dinning room table.
According to Bloom, the key to creating a good piece of floral art is thrillers, fillers and spillers.
"You have those three gorgeous components in a container, you've got a winning recipe," he said.
So what does that mean?
Here's a breakdown from Bloom:
Thrillers
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"Thrillers are typically the vibrant, tall kids in the classroom and they provide that oomph of color in a container," he said.
These flowers are considered the "wow factor" in a planting container.
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Fillers
"Fillers basically are the medium-high kids that fill out a container, that doesn't make it look leggy or tall and boring," Bloom said.
He suggested items like ornamental peppers, pansies and other similar plants.
Spillers
Spillers come from a Japanese tradition with bonsais, Bloom said, adding that these plants can be "anything that cascades like a waterfall."
"It's very surreal and longing," he said.
How should do the planting?
Bloom recommends really packing a container.
Another tip would be to reclaim items for your own yard.
"There's leaves, there's tree trunks, there's branches," he said.
Bloom suggested birch branches, which can be colored or spray painted. Other options might be oak leaves or pampas grass.
"Dry floral is huge and it's making a resurgence," Bloom said. "And I've got to tell you, this arrangement will last for years if you preserve it."