A. Build your own cornucopia with our Cornucopia 101 by Nancy Clifton! 

This is a great time of year to collect interesting plant materials from your own backyard to make interesting centerpieces. Here are some plants to look for: Osage orange (Maclura pomifera), ornamental grass plumes, crabapple fruit (Malus sp.), red chokeberry fruit (Aronia arbutifolia), red-twig dogwood (Cornus sericea), red or yellow twigs, pinecones, evergreen twigs, ornamental cabbage and kale, interesting spent flower heads, yellow coneflower (Ratibida pinnata), hornbeam fruit (Carpinus), birch catkins (Betula sp.), sweetgum seedpods (Liquidambar sp.), beautybush (Callicarpa sp.), browned fertile fern fronds, and acorns. Consider using a hollowed out gourd such as a pumpkin as the container to put your plant materials in.

Once you have gathered all of your materials, it is up to you how you would like to arrange your display. Consider grouping the larger plumes, twigs, or seed heads in the back or middle of your display if you are looking for height. Another option is to group your arrangement by color—pastels, browns, oranges and reds—to highlight the wonderful fall colors. Most of all, be creative and have fun!