This year try some unusual floral materials for your designs. A good place to start is with some unusual veggies. These add interesting shapes and colors to floral arrangements. You will find them in farmers’ markets, and farm stands. Sometimes, they’re also available in the produce department of supermarkets.

Artichokes have earned a place in floral design. They add both color and texture. These are especially suitable for centerpieces and the like. You don’t have to settle for plain green. Purple artichokes are available.

There are a number of unusual eggplants that would look great in floral designs. These aren’t your classic purple eggplant. Hmong Red, also called Red Ruffled, is by far the most gorgeous of all the eggplants. The vivid red, ribbed fruits are two inches long. They have a flattened appearance. This is a favorite for floral design. It is even used as a substitute for miniature pumpkins.

Nipple Fruit, an inedible variety of eggplant, has got to be the strangest eggplant around. This is yellowish-orange. It is just great for fall arrangements. The odd shaped fruits are three inches long. These have several pointed tips at one end.

Okra pods are dried as an everlasting. But, they are also used as a fresh material. For floral design, the colored varieties are just ideal. The colors include deep red, reddish-orange, and red.

Regarding hot pepper, the best ones for floral arrangements are usually red, yellow, orange, or white. Wash your hands well after working with these vegetables. They can leave a hot, burning residue on the skin.

Round cucumbers can be used when ripe or while still green. If allowed to mature on the vine, they turn yellow.

Swiss chard is chosen for its colorful stalks. The ordinary one will have white or green stems. In highly colored varieties, the stems range from vivid red to neon pink, bright orange, and yellow.

Regarding melons, many of these are too large for floral arrangements. However, there are some unusually shaped ones worth considering. One of these is the African horned cucumber, which is also known as kiwano. This is related to cucumbers and melons. It surface is covered with spine-like growths. When ripe, it turns dark orange. However, it can also be used in arrangements when it is green.

Other melons that are particularly ornamental include the snake melon.

Generally, tomatoes aren’t the first thing that comes to mind for floral materials. There are some very attractive varieties available. Pink Accordion has many tiny ribs crowded together along the edges. These resemble the folds in an accordion.