Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Your menu is probably planned and the guest list set, but have you thought about the pièce de résistance? No, not the turkey…the centerpiece!
I spoke with Kate McNamara and Allison Benford of Kati Mac Floral Designs out of West Chester, a full-service shop that handles everything from walk-ins to weddings, to get the inside scoop on what flowers—and food—will make the best additions to your Thanksgiving table this year.
Creative director Kate McNamara suggested several creative and easy ways to use in-season foods such as artichokes, grapes, cranberries, kale leaves, asparagus, herbs and mini pumpkins to create totally unique Thanksgiving centerpieces.
“Around harvest time you can use vegetables and natural items,” she said. “Artichokes are very fun. They are a large focal power and take up a lot of space. On average they can be 2–6 inches across and come in deep purples and greens. Pair them with some grapes and garden roses to create a gorgeous vineyard-themed piece.”
McNamara is also a fan of red-toned apples and cranberries, which can be easily mixed into different arrangements or put on display in a glass container. She also uses alliums, a flowering plant from the onion family, to incorporate a deep purple color into her fall centerpieces.
There are, however, some culinary treats that she steers clear of. “Sometimes we will use asparagus and things like that,” she revealed. “However, cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower smell so they aren’t as much fun.”
In addition to food, popular fall-colored mums, which can be placed in containers that you have around the house, are a perfect and inexpensive option for the center of the table.
“This is the season for mums. There are button mums, chrysanthemums, red daisy mums with yellow centers and great big football mums that come in bronzes and yellows,” McNamara said. “They all work really well to help fill out arrangements, but you can also do a simple table setting with just a few little vases filled with those rather than doing an elaborate, over-the-top arrangement.”
For a more simple, but just as impactful look, McNamara suggests putting herbs such as thyme and basil into small glass jars from around the house—a new trend she has noticed among top chefs.
“A lot of chefs are also showing you what you can do around your own kitchen to create your own centerpiece,” she said. “You can clip a piece of rhododendron and put it in a vase with herbs and things you have around your own kitchen to create a really beautiful vase.”
Shop owner Allison Benford added that creating your own centerpiece is important, but it is also a really great gift to bring a busy host.
“It’s really nice if you are attending someone’s Thanksgiving dinner to bring an arrangement, especially if the host and hostess are cooking the whole dinner and don’t ask you to make a dish,” she said. “You can get a large centerpiece for the main table and smaller ones for additional tables, which make nice take-home gifts too. A large arrangement is really nice, but it is also really nice to bring separate flowers for the moms and the grandmothers.”
Benford suggests ordering your arrangements as soon as possible in time for the holiday. Kati Mac Floral Designs orders fresh flowers daily and can whip up any last minute requests, so be sure to hit up the store in time to impress your guests.
Kati Mac Floral Designs is located at 36 South High Street, West Chester. Call them at (610) 431-9414 or find them on Facebook.
- Kati Mac Floral Designs Photography: Bonsai Doll Fern Photography
- Stylized Floral Designs: Kati Mac Floral Designs
