Liza Lubell of Brooklyn-based Peartree Flowers was first bit by the horticulture bug when she was a college student, working as a landscaper in the Hamptons during summers off. Fast forward a decade, and her resume is a bit more polished. Since founding the company in 2011—known for its modern, color-drenched take on romantic flower design—she’s been tapped to do the arrangements for a Picasso exhibit at The Guggenheim and been named one of the top florists in the country by Martha Stewart Weddings. With nine weddings booked this September alone, fall is undoubtedly the busiest time of the year for Peartree. From budget-friendly buds to timeless autumn staples, Lubell talked to us about all things fall flowers.
It’s what helps me get over my end of summer blues. I really enjoy creating arrangements in the fall because there is seemingly endless bounty. We have the last bits of summer blooms commingling with branchier, more rustic autumn offerings, and it makes for the most dynamic and romantic arrangements.
The most timeless fall flower:
Dahlias — especially Dinnerplate and Ball Dahlias! Little known fact: they’re are at their prime in early fall. They love cold nights. It enhances the flower’s vase-life trifold.
Your current flower crush?
Current flower crush right now is the Strawflower. They are made of a seemingly impossible texture and when they bloom they have the feel of a dried flower. I love the white blooms and the harvest yellow, which, when combined, are a bright take on the harvest palette. A pretty common farm flower, most green markets sell them this time of year. Bonus: they dry absolutely perfectly.
Do you have any unusual sources?
If you can sweet talk your local apple orchard into letting you snip their trees, cutting small, unripe apples on the branch make for a beautiful display. You only need a few pieces to add some dramatic height and autumnal scent to your home.
Chrysanthemums have a bad rap as grandma flowers, but they’re actually incredibly gorgeous and nuanced. There are these muddy golden brown mums that are truly remarkable. They’re also incredibly budget-friendly: you can scoop up two big bunches for under $40 and they’ll last several weeks.
Do you recommend mixing in greens with your flowers?
If you’re eager to get messy with an arrangement, I love pistachio foliage this time of year. It has every ounce of fall coloring wrapped up into a single stem. I like to mix pistachio foliage with Persian Carpet Zinnias and pomegranates.
Are there any fall staples that can tide us over into winter?
Magnolia branches. Their rich green and brown tones are beautiful and sophisticated this time of year, but they also look great dried, so you can keep them for months.