PHOTO CREDIT: MAYESH
If you know, you know... there's nothing prettier than Smilax in the Fall. It's the most organic vine offering a rich, deep green foliage that stays beautiful for what seems like forever in arbors and centerpieces. And today's beautiful round up is proof of just that!
PHOTO CREDIT: SARA YORK GRIMSHAW, GARDEN & GUN
According to Haskell Harris post in Garden & Gun, Sara York Grimshaw says, “I love the freshness of using foliage with a vibrant fall palette and letting the vine drop from the table to the floor.” Sara is the the Charleston, South Carolina, floral designer who created the arrangement above.
PHOTO CREDIT: CLARY PHEIFFER PHOTOGRAPHY, MARTHA STEWART
For private home and small gatherings Smilax offers a natural and elegant, uncontrived appearance. I am especially fond of how this greenery, which can be purchased in bulk or foraged, looks atop cream-colored linens with candles and wooden chairs. The trailing greenery with a few loose blooms will transport you to an autumnal paradise.
PHOTO CREDIT: COLONIAL HOUSE OF FLOWERS, THE HAPPY BLOOM, HARPER FOWLKES HOUSE IN SAVANNAH, GEORGIA
There is no denying that Southern smilax is similar to its sister plant wisteria. You know what I mean, the way that it eats things alive in the wild. In all of the entailed tendrils it swallows things whole. This note aside, the loose and free-spirit look has created a bunch of Southern groupie's like us who forage like crazy to use it in hanging installations, front door floral design, mantels, arbors, and since we are being honest, anything!
PHOTO CREDIT: COLONIAL HOUSE OF FLOWERS WITH EMILY BURTON DESIGN, THE HAPPY BLOOM
And Holy Goodness! I love this aisle decor we made down at Musgrove near Sea Ialand, Georgia so much, I might have to run right out and recreate this on my dining room chairs right now, right here in Atlanta. Give me ALL the Southern smilax (PLEASE!) because it absolutely nails it when the design plan calls for striking and natural AND simple and elegant. In the world of beautiful features -- Style Me Pretty took the images from The Happy Bloom we created with this popular foliage and completely showcased it, here!
PHOTO CREDIT: COLONIAL HOUSE OF FLOWERS WITH MARTEL EVENTS, ELIZABETH LANIER PHOTOGRAPHY
For a Fall statement piece, consider pairing smilax with white garden roses, peach peonies, and a touch of Russian olive and tons of local greenery. I love the freshness of using smilax foliage with vibrant whites and cream bloom palette. I think the simple little vine gives a since of place especially when up next to world renowned Casa Blanca roses from Rosaprima in Ecuador. It makes it raw and worldly to me.
PHOTO CREDIT: AMY OSABA DESIGN, SAWYER BAIRD NEW YORK CITY FILM PHOTOGRAPHER + CREATIVE
I like the smilax vine to stick out and dance and drop and drape and do it's thing. You can look for the thick vine climbing in trees in the forest and in wooded and overgrown areas. Once you've seen it, you will spot it everywhere. You can also order it from wholesalers like Mayesh and from farms in the U.S.A. I've fallen for the lovely details of the styled foliage hanging installation (above) and the forever-kind-of-beautiful of this real dinner table at a workshop I went to by Amy Osaba Design in Atlanta. Greenery, especially smilax, looks good any where, any time, any how -- at least to me!
PHOTO CREDIT: KATRINA BARROW PHOTOGRAPHY
If this inspires you to create something beautiful with Southern smilax then check out our shop for supplies that make designing easy. And Mayesh Design Star: Smilax & Floral Arbor How-To post and DIY video below.