Whenever I throw a party, or even just put together a simple gathering, the most fun part is creating an interesting, arresting, or just plain pretty centerpiece of arrangement. In the Summer and Fall, they're easy to keep eco friendly by using green on green foliage, a collection of backyard blooms, or Autumn leaves.

Flowers are not only expensive, but are often shipped for long distances, meaning a huge carbon footprint. Using local, in-season plants means you are supporting local farmers and cutting down on your carbon footprint.Minoo Hersini, creative director at Au Ciel Design Studio, created these beautiful displays below, which can inspire you to use everyday or reusable plants, from mosses and grasses to fruits and veggie to create your own decorative and colorful centerpieces.

 

 

Herbs and Radishes Centerpiece

Beautiful, unusual, inexpensive, and reusable (edible after the party!) this design is made by incorporating daikon radishes, mint, curly parsley, chives, enoki mushrooms and upland cress. Lastly, the containers are wrapped in weeping willow." Gorgeous, and wold make a great tabouli salad afterwards.

 

 

Grass, Setaria and Panicum Centerpiece

This centerpiece layers different grasses for a green on green look that's perfect for a table set with colorful dishes or tablecloths with patterns.

 

 

Steel Grass Centerpiece

The steel grass here lifts the rest of the components up to eye level from the top of a table, which is ideal for buffet style dinners, or cocktail parties where guests are standing rather than sitting. This centerpiece also includes peppers, beans, and green tomatoes.

 

Ornamental Kale Centerpiece

Ornamental kale is long-lasting and tough, holding up in cold weather (but not freezing), so it can be planeted outdoors is much of the country after it's used in this centerpiece. Other elements here include green chrisanthemum, brazilia berries and the container is wrapped in moss, which can also be replanted outside.

 

 

Oasis Ring

This low-lying ceterpiece is great for smaller tables full of conversationalists, as it's easy to see over. Made with purple cabbage, tomatoes, pomegranate, cynara/artichokes, winter red sedums, asparagus and quinces, pretty much the entire thing is edible after you've used it, and you can easily plant the seedum in your backyard or add it to a flower pot indoors.

About Minoo Hersini

 

Event planner, interior decorator, floral designer and fashion designer Minoo Hersini is the founder of Au Ciel Design Studio - an event and design studio that offers customized event planning on any scale. Ms Hersini has orchestrated such high profile events as The Princess Grace Foundation and The NY Arts Fund. Ms. Hersini's services have been requested by celebrities such as Vanessa Williams, Glenn Close, Bill & Hillary Clinton, David Letterman and Meredith Vieira.

 

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