All you need, provided by nature

A bouquet full of backyard goodies is a perfect fall antidote to your budget as well as a way to extend summer-garden memories. An autumn yard can offer an abundance of foliage for spectacular arrangements.

Many trees, bushes and plants are turning brilliant shades of bronze, copper and burgundy, while others are losing leaves, leaving in their wake graceful, artistic branches. Clip berries, hydrangeas and other garden flowers for an arrangement and mix in leaves, twigs, pods and pinecones for depth, texture and interest. The bouquet will dry naturally and should last until Thanksgiving.

Preparation

Fill a container with a few inches of water to help keep the leaves fresh, trimming all leaves that would fall below the water line. Create a framework for your bouquet using the sturdier branches of leaves, and add a few bare branches and pods in the background. Add a large hydrangea blossom as the focal point, resting it on the top edge of the vase, and tuck in some vivid leaves at the sides. Fill in the arrangement with more leaves, twigs, berries and branches.

To make more room for the arrangement in a vase with a narrow opening, remove the leaves from each stock, from the vase opening down.

Tips

Glue the pods and cone "flowers" to bare branches if needed.

Look for a vase that works with fall's earthy colors, and check out ones made of pottery, metal, stoneware and wood as well as baskets. Secondhand stores, antique malls, attics and basements are excellent sources for this type of vase.

Cost

Wonderfully free, or you can always find branches, pods and dried flowers in grocery stores and other retail outlets. Three to five stocks will cost a few dollars.