Last weekend, when I was out in Bridgehampton with my good friend Austin and her parents Shelly and Vincent, we all decided to take one last dip in the pool before it would be closed for the season. It’s always a little sad when summer ends, nights turn chill and the leaves begin to fall. While the hydrangeas on her parents’ property had been lush and white all summer long, by September, their color had faded to green and their branches begun to dry. To me, like the patina of old ironstone, they had become even more beautiful, the way anything good starts to age. After returning with all of our finds from Sage Street Antiques  and the yard sale in Sag Harbor, I was so inspired that I decided to make three arrangements, all with end of the season hydrangeas from Shelly’s garden, together with fresh cut flowers from local farm stands in Bridgehampton.

Cuttingflowers

This glazed yellow McCoy vase Austin picked up at Sage Street the day before. I thought the green hydrangeas, together with red zinnias from the farm stand, would make for a stunning centerpiece.

Yellowmccoyvase

The way these colors mix and play off one another—the punchy red, the muted green and the pale yellow—there’s something very Hamptons 1940s beach casual about it, don’t you think? I can see it on a breakfast table covered in a beautiful antique linen green and yellow plaid tablecloth.   

Zineasinmccoy

For the second arrangement, I used this small, pressed glass footed compote I picked up at Sage Street. 

Compotebefore

This arrangement is more formal with rose hips, lace cap hydrangeas and yellow roses tipped a deep shade of red. I see this one in an elegant dining room, an entry hall or even a woman’s dressing room. And remember, doing a flower arrangement like this is not as difficult as you might think! Check out this video to get started. (Hint: Think flower frog!)

Rosesincompote

For the last (and my personal favorite) arrangement, I used the silverplate decanter caddy I picked up at the yard sale in Sag Harbor. You may remember that it had been missing one of its crystal decanters, but on the same table just a few minutes later, I found three glass spooners that were the perfect replacement.

Silverplatecadybefore

Check out the final result! This one I see on a sofa table flanked by a pair of alabaster lamps with beautiful silk string shades. And what’s even better is how simple it was to do. Each spooner holds five hydrangeas that together form a lush, full arrangement in the caddy. I love how the bust faces on the sides of the handle peak out at the top. How great is that for reusing a piece that could have easily been thought of as useless? It’s not unlike the hydrangeas themselves, fading from summer to fall, becoming another sort of life.      

Hydrangeasincaddy