Joy Cantor, a master gardener living in Birmingham, took her passion for nature and turned it into a business. Seven years ago, Joy asked Fortune, the owner of Jabs Gym in Birmingham, if she could put a big pot of flowers by the front door. “I got a 36-inch-tall vintage galvanized steel milk bucket and filled it to the brim with colorful flowers. I choose the galvanized steel because I felt it embodied the personality of a real boxing gym -- strong, gritty and classic,” she says. “Jabs’ patrons loved it. That’s how I got my first clients.”
From there her business has blossomed and a variety of clients come to her seeking all sorts of greenery; from outdoor planters and window boxes, to indoor “plantscapes” like moss walls, cactus, succulent gardens and even six-foot-tall trees! Her creations can be seen everywhere from medical offices, community centers, restaurants, spas as well as many private residences throughout Metro Detroit.
Joy is a master gardener with a passion for all seasons, but fall is a true favorite! Joy brings her passion to create beautiful, trendy combinations for both residential porches and businesses alike. Whether it's vignettes with straw, gourds and pumpkins or a planter filled with kale and mums, Joy can bring that Michigan autumn feeling to you.
Excited to create the perfect autumn arrangement for your home this season? Here are some of Joy's expert tips you can utilize.
Joy encourages you to ask yourself what comes to mind when you think of fall. Is it sweater weather, a hayride, apple picking, fresh donuts and cider, an outdoor fit pit? What inspires you? Think of these things and how you can bring this feeling to your home whether it is indoors or out.
Some of Joy's favorite fall decor includes: grabbing an old bucket filled with wild wispy grasses, purple kale, pumpkins, gourds, and for height, tall willow sticks.
Having a small outdoor dinner party this fall? Joy loves to create a rustic tablescape using harvested wild grasses and flowers. As an extra tip she suggests using old bottles as tapered candle holders rather than a traditional candle holder.
Want to change your kitchen table, centerpiece or mantle above your fireplace? Gather a bushel full of artichokes, apples, gourds and Indian corn. You can throw them on a giant platter on your kitchen table or spread them out across your mantle.
Don't forget! As Thanksgiving approaches, grab pine cones and acorns you find outside and scatter them on your turkey table along with fresh raw cranberries.