Autumn Oak Spray

Buy three. This is a stem designed to be grouped.

Three is the number. One stem, however full, reads as a branch someone brought in. Three angled apart so the branches interlace reads as an arrangement, and the density of the foliage means three is plenty rather than a starting point.

In a tall vase of 30cm to 40cm, use close to full length and let the bare lower stems disappear into the vessel.

On a console, cut down so the finished arrangement stands about one and a half times the height of the vessel.

Allow for the spread. This is a wide, full stem rather than an upright one, so three together occupy considerably more width than the vessel suggests.

It carries several colours at once, which is what turning leaves actually do.

Cheap autumn foliage is printed one flat orange. Here the leaves run from deep rust through russet and copper to a pale bronze, with individual leaves carrying two or three of those tones across a single blade and the undersides paler than the faces. That variation is the first thing the eye uses to judge whether foliage is real.

The leaves are deeply lobed with the wavy edge and raised central vein of an oak, and they have a papery, slightly curled quality rather than sitting flat and glossy. Real autumn leaves dry and curl; a leaf that stays perfectly flat gives itself away.

The branch is properly woody, with a textured bark finish and side shoots at irregular angles rather than a smooth green stem. On an autumn branch that matters, because by the time leaves turn the wood is the other half of what you are looking at.

It is wired throughout, through the main stem and the side branches, so the whole thing can be opened out and shaped rather than staying as it came.

• Several tones at once, from deep rust to pale bronze rather than flat orange
• Papery curled leaves, which is how real leaves behave as they dry
• Deeply lobed oak form with raised veining and wavy edges
• A properly woody branch with textured bark and irregular side shoots
• Wired throughout, so the whole branch can be opened out and shaped
• Genuinely full, so three stems make a complete arrangement
• 90cm long, usable full length in a tall vase or cut down
• No watering, no drop, no light needed

This is a dense stem. Three in a tall vessel is a full arrangement; five would be a hedge, and you would lose the branching that makes it convincing.

Bend the side shoots out and slightly down rather than letting them stand upright. A branch reaches; a bunch stands. The wire is there for exactly this.

Rust and bronze against a pale wall or a cream vessel reads properly. Against dark timber or a deep wall the whole thing goes muddy.

A tall stoneware or ceramic vase rather than glass. Glass shows the bare stems, and on a branch this full you want the base solid.

Green foliage through spring and summer, this from September. Changing one vessel of stems shifts a whole room without moving any furniture, and it is the cheapest seasonal change there is.

Dust with a hairdryer on cool rather than a cloth. A full stem has too many leaves to wipe individually and moving air clears them in seconds.

Handle the leaves gently. The papery, slightly curled quality is what makes them convincing, and it also means they crease more easily than a thick moulded leaf.

Do not stand it in water. If your vessel holds water for real stems, keep this one dry.

Cut with secateurs, not scissors. There is wire through the stem and the branches, and household scissors will neither cut it cleanly nor survive.

Keep it out of strong direct sun. The warm rust and copper tones will fade within a couple of years in a sunny window, and unevenly, which is worse than fading uniformly.

What to expect. The branch travels compressed and will need opening out after unpacking. Ten minutes bending the side shoots outward is the difference between a good arrangement and a flat one.

It ships as a long parcel with the branches compressed, and will need opening out after unpacking. Current timescales and charges are set out on our delivery page.

Not sure how many stems you need, or what vessel suits? Send us the measurements and we will tell you. Reach us via our contact page or live chat.

If it is not right, our returns process is straightforward, and everything is covered by our guarantees and warranties.

Our price match promise stands if you find the same piece for less elsewhere. Dressing a holiday let or a showhome? Ask about trade accounts.