The series “Flowerside Chats” showcases expert advice on celebrating the seasons with flowers, friends, and family. In the premiere episode, Alice Lewis of Alice’s Table and Amanda Gluck of Fashionable Hostess discuss how to have the perfect autumn celebration and holiday celebration tips.

Finally! After a year-plus of FaceTime and phone calls, we can break free of our bubbles and pods and spend the holidays with actual people — you know, our friends and family. Remember them?!

COVID restrictions have been loosened, but we all want to stay safe while we gather, so we invited two of our favorite entertaining gurus to share decorating ideas and strategies to make this holiday season especially memorable. The first episode of “Flowerside Chats” featured Alice Lewis, CEO of interactive online workshop provider Alice’s Table, and Amanda Gluck, creator of Fashionable Hostess. The event was hosted by 1-800-Flowers.com‘s social media manager, Mia Matacchiero.

It’s not surprising that a conversation about this season of holidays started with family.

“Get out the cozy sweaters, start putting the comfy blankets on the couches. That moment symbolizes bringing my family back together, having those gatherings around a big bowl of chili and getting ready for the holidays,” Alice explained.

Amanda agreed: “I love being able to set rich colors on the table and have really festive themes for each of the meals for all the holidays — from just fall dinners to Halloween and Thanksgiving, there’s so much fun to be had during the season.”

Extra-level excitement for a seasonal gatherings

This year there is even more excitement about bringing people together since we’ve been locked down by the pandemic for so long. (Fresh conversation! Hugging Aunt Faye and the twins!)

Matacchiero pointed out that in-person gatherings still seem a big step: “We were virtual before, and I think a lot of people may be hesitant or have anxiety around getting family and friends together again.” Both Lewis and Gluck suggested ways to be sensitive to everyone’s concerns about gathering.

“If you are able to, I highly recommend putting your table outside,” Gluck said, mentioning that the CDC still recommends people gathering outside. “If it’s not too cold, you can create a really fun fall display with cozy blankets on everyone’s seats and maybe plaid pillows.”

Setting the scene

Once you have the scene set outside, Gluck said, “You can really just work off the landscape around you and use garlands and greenery and your centerpiece to tie back to that. If it’s family and you are going to be inside, a really fun thing I’ve done is to create individual charcuterie boards.”

This approach cleverly sidesteps the issue of many (possibly germy) hands sharing one platter. “Rather than creating your big cheese plate, we have little boards for each guest or family,” Gluck said.

In a similar vein, she suggested creating a bar station where everything is displayed so guests can help themselves — “less room for germs to spread, and a little bit more peace of mind,” she explained.

Lewis agreed and offered another idea if you have the space: “You can create different little tables for each pod sitting together.” For a larger, casual get-together, she says, “We do it buffet style, some people sitting on the couch, some sitting at a table. I think we’re all so happy to be together that just a little bit of distance isn’t going to ruin the times.”

Seasonal party ideas

The experts also shared fall decorating trends. “This season I’m really thinking about entertaining consistently,” Lewis said, and that involves picking long-lasting blooms like mums. “Just bring those golden red colors into your home, but also think about the longevity of the bouquet. She loves mini sunflowers and added, “Sunflowers should last about three weeks if you buy them when their heads are faced forward.”

Lewis also had tips for cutting flower stems. “With all flowers, we want to cut a 45-degree angle. We want to increase surface area, and you don’t want a flat stem on the flat bottom of the vase — you don’t get any water,” she said. “When you receive them, cut about two inches off — the longer flowers are out of the water, the bigger a scab grows, and if you don’t cut that whole scab off, they’re not going to hydrate and last a long time.”

Another cool tip: Use plant food — it’s a sugar and a preservative, so it kills bacteria and feeds your flowers. Don’t have any? Use vodka! “Seriously, a splash of vodka, and you’re good to go,” Lewis said, with a grin.

Be a giving guest

Matacchiero asked both experts about the best way to thank your host.

“You can send ahead an arrangement and let them know their centerpieces are covered or that some beautiful flowers will be there, so that’s so convenient. I love that they have same-day delivery and so many seasonal options,” Gluck said.

Gluck likes giving dessert. She said she loves sending seasonal chocolate-covered strawberries. “Or I ask, ‘Can I bring dessert? Can I bring fruit? Can I bring the wine?'” she said. “Sometimes they’re like, ‘No, please just show up’ — so then I’ll send flowers.

“Or this time of year,” Gluck suggested, “you can come up with something seasonal. I love copper mugs for making Moscow mules (my favorite cocktail!). You can do a couple of seasonal cheeses, like a pumpkin cheese, maybe with a really nice cheese knife.”

Lewis said it’s tough to carry gifts when you’re traveling for the holidays. “That’s why I love being able to send something in the mail. They maybe get it a day or two before you come in, and they’re so appreciative when you get there.”

And let’s face it: The holiday season is all about showing people our appreciation and how much they mean to us, whether it’s donating to a local foodbank or shelter, or inviting friends and family to celebrate together.

Matacchiero summed up the mood of the times perfectly:

“It’s always the little things in life that we come back to. I think we all get swept away in our job and our daily life and our small worries that we make so big, but [at holiday time] we are able to get back to the people you love and the great weather and everything you really do,” she said.

“Take that sip of hot coffee on a chilly morning, and you’re like, Wow, I’m thankful for this moment, that I’m healthy and I’m here and I’m able to really live in it.”

We’ll raise a glass to that!

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“Why We Celebrate” looks at holidays and occasions from all over the world, and explains their origins, the meaning behind them, and the reasons we observe them. Halloween traces its roots back to a Gaelic festival from the Middle Ages. Since then, it’s taken on a life of its own to become a monster of a holiday.

Halloween is big business in this country. The National Retail Federation estimates that between costumes, candy, and decorations, Americans will spend mire than $10 billion celebrating the holiday this year. But despite the monster it’s become, All Hallows’ Eve actually started out a much simpler affair.

It started as a folk festival

Many of the Halloween practices we carry on today originated in the British Isles in the 9th and 10th centuries, according to Regina Hansen, a master lecturer at Boston University and expert on the supernatural and how it’s portrayed in literature and film.

“Halloween was not always a children’s holiday,” Hansen says. “In the Middle Ages, many people commonly celebrated the feast of Samhain, which falls on November 1.” The Gaelic festival marks the end of harvest and the beginning of winter, or the “dark half” of the year. During Samhain, many believed that the souls of those who had been dead for a while were able to return to visit their homes, and those who had died recently were finally able to “cross over” to the otherworld. Because of this, on the evening before the festival, it was customary for people to go door to door “representing” the souls of the dead, who were said to be walking freely on that evening.

“They believed this was a time when ghosts and spirits came out to haunt, and the Celts would appease the spirits by giving them treats,” Hansen says.

The birth of trick-or-treating

This “souling,” as the act of walking door to door was called, is the origin of trick-or-treating as we know it today. Way back when, the treat was called a “soul cake” and was typically some type of spiced cookie or biscuit (in many ways similar to a snickerdoodle). But as popular as these baked treats were, and as much as people wanted to collect them, the “trick” part of the evening was also still incredibly common — even though it couldn’t be captured for a TikTok video.

“The idea of getting a ‘trick,’ and possibly having your home vandalized for not offering treats, is as old as the holiday itself,” Hansen adds. That’s how Halloween costumes came about: People wanted to be disguised so they could cause trouble and their neighbors wouldn’t recognize them. And if the costumes were scary and connected back to “dead souls” thought to be walking door to door — or could help you avoid being recognized by the ghosts believed to be present — then all the better!

The two ideas and traditions slowly merged, creating the spooky evening of ghosts and candy we all love today.

Say hello to Jack

Nothing says Halloween more than pumpkins. Whenever fall rolls around, we welcome in a world of pumpkins: pumpkin cookies, pumpkin pound cake, pumpkin pie, pumpkin coffee, and pumpkin butter. We also get a world of pumpkin decorations, including the ever-present smiling (and sometimes scary) carved jack-o’-lantern.

“Part of Halloween’s allure is that it’s also tied to harvest since crops like corn, pumpkins, turnips, wheat, and apples were all traditionally harvested in the fall,” says Lisa Morton, an author, screenwriter, and Halloween historian.

As for why we now mark the holiday by carving faces into pumpkins and lighting them with candles, that tradition, according to Hansen, originated centuries ago and was originally part of an Irish folktale centered around a man known as “Stingy Jack.”

As the story goes, Jack repeatedly played tricks on the devil. Because of his mischievousness, when he died, he wasn’t allowed into heaven — but the devil also wouldn’t let him into hell. Instead, the devil gave Jack a lump of burning coal and sent him off into the night, where he’s been wandering ever since. As he traveled, Jack is said to have originally carved out a turnip to hold his piece of coal — and many superstitious people did the same, making their own turnip lanterns in his memory.

“But when the Irish and Scots came to North America with their traditions, they quickly realized that pumpkins were easier to carve,” Hansen says. “And the rest is history.”

The origins of four classic Halloween symbols

1. The black and orange colors that signify most Halloween festivities symbolize two vastly different concepts. Based on traditional Celtic traditions connected to the festival of Samhain, the color black represents the “death” of summer. Orange, meanwhile, is meant to evoke a warmer, more wholesome autumn, the harvest season, and the changing of the leaves.
2. Black cats are a popular costume choice for young children and one of the quintessential icons of Halloween. The reason? During the Middle Ages, the loveable furballs developed a reputation for being symbols of evil and were often associated with Satan, witches, and witchcraft. People even believed evil creatures could take the form of a black cat and were afraid to be around them. That idea persists to this day, with the superstition of a black cat crossing your path being a sign of bad luck.
3. Vampires — Dracula, in particular — are one of the most beloved Halloween monsters of all time. Author Bram Stoker, whose novel Dracula was published in 1897, based his character off a real-life historic figure who lived in the 1400s. Vlad III, or Vlad the Impaler as he was known (because of the way he liked to kill his enemies), was the ruler of a section of Romania called Wallachia. Vlad’s father was a knight and a member of the Roman Empire’s Order of the Dragon. In Romanian, the word for dragon is “drac,” making Vlad III the “son of Dracul,” or Drăculea.
4. Love it or hate it, no candy says Halloween more than candy corn. An invention of Philadelphia’s Wunderlee Candy Company, this tri-color treat was created in the 1880s. Back then, though, it was called “Chicken Feed” and sold in boxes bearing the unique — and not at all frightful — slogan “Something worth crowing for.”

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While this beautiful lush centerpiece may look like you would need an advanced floral degree to create it, it’s really quite easy to make. You just need the right tools and someone to guide you along. That is where I come in.

How to make a DIY fall wreath

Most people think of a wreath as something you would hang on a wall or door — and only during Christmas. But these festive decorations are perfect as centerpieces, too, and can be displayed any time of year. Having the center of the wreath open provides endless design opportunities for personalizing it with lanterns, candles, or any number of other accessories.

For this DIY fall wreath, I used a beautiful amber Fenton glass vase as a candleholder. I really like how the amber glow complements the rich hues of the seasonal flowers in the wreath. You’ll want to select flowers that have lots of different textures and air dry nicely, such as hydrangea, rice flower, colored roses, fall leaves, and berries. Adding non-perishable seasonal accents like dried pods and burlap roses not only fill up the wreath but help extend the life of the it for weeks.

As the flowers begin to dry, the accents keep their color and shape. Then, when it is time to discard your fall wreath, you can remove these elements and reuse them in your holiday décor. Did someone say upcycling?

Watch this video to see how easy it is to make this fall wreath, and then I’ll walk you through some of the details.

Five simple steps to assembling this arrangement:

1. Start with a floral foam base that has been thoroughly soaked. Cut the stems of all the flowers and accents short, about 3 to 4 inches.
2. Starting with a base of foliage, insert short pieces around the outside of the foam and add additional sprigs on the inside rim as well as the top. Your foam does not have to be completely covered at this point. You can always go back and fill in any empty spaces after you have added the flowers and other accents.
3. Insert the largest flowers first; this establishes the size and basic shape. When inserting the floral stems, make sure the bottom end of the stem is in the foam and has not gone all the way through.
4. Next, add the dried pods and burlap roses.
5. Continue adding the remaining floral pieces, and finish up with berries and autumn leaves.

Adding a candle to the center of the wreath is a perfect touch for a centerpiece, but it is not necessary. It’s all up to you and the look you want.

How to make ribbon roses

Don’t you love these burlap roses? They are very easy to make and can be fashioned out of lots of different types of ribbons and fabric. I use burlap ribbon. The process is the same for any type of ribbon. And be patient. Remember: Practice makes perfect.

To make a 3-inch burlap ribbon rose, you will need:

• 36-inch piece of wired burlap ribbon (You can make these ribbon roses without using wired ribbon, but I find it easier to use wired ribbon.)
• Glue
• Wood sticks (I used green floral sticks, but you can also use a wood skewer.)
• Floral tape

Start by folding one end of the ribbon over the stick and glue in place. Start rolling the ribbon around the stick tightly to create the center of the rose. Then, continue to roll the ribbon around the stick to create each “petal.” Twisting the ribbon as you go helps to mimic the way each rose petal opens up from the center.

No two ribbon roses will be exactly alike, so don’t feel pressure to make each of your roses perfect. Give it a try and remember to just have fun with it.

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