"O hushed October morning mild, begin the hours of this day slow. Make the day seem to us less brief Slow, Slow!"

Simple collections of fresh flowers can prolong the glowing light of autumn days indoors. Simmering reds, sultry oranges, claret purples--they are bountiful in the vast assortment of flowers available in fall.

"To bring fall into their homes, people can arrange a bouquet of fall colors and flowers in a loose, full style," says Mieke Stap, floral design expert for the International Flower Bulb Center in Hillegom, Holland.

Mingle fresh flowers and the unexpected finds of an autumn day in the woods, suggests Stap. Stems of rose hips and tiny scarlet berries, golden green grasses, auburn red leaves, earth brown seed pods nature is generous with material. Much of it is just outside your door.

Natural elements can bring botanical details to your bouquet while simplifying the process of arranging. Crisscross branches of fall leaves and create a structure to hold stems of tall, showy blossoms. Place gravel or small pebbles in glass vases to secure stems and enhance the natural look. Across your mantle, flaunt the colors of the season with an autumn garland of flowers and foliage. From a window, greet the world with a wreath of bronze leaves, flowers, and harvest grasses. Along a bookshelf, tuck jars of trailing vines and flowers in fiery fall colors of ripe persimmon and crimson.

When you flower shop, look for bunches that contain several stems of one type of flower. Buy just a few, or buy several bunches and arrange them as it pleases you. A large mass display? Or mix and match colors and flowers in several smaller bouquets? You choose.

Celebrate summer's last hurrah in an Old World still life for the dining room table. Amass a mixture of flowers in a large crock. Then, place rusty orange pumpkins and purple plums in the picture.

Greet visitors at your doorstep with a welcoming basket of fresh flowers. The coffee brown tones of baskets are a natural accompaniment to the warmth of fall flowers. Cover the inside of a basket or picnic hamper with a favorite fabric. Then add jars of water and flowers.

At holiday dinners, showcase the glories of the season with a feast of food and flowers. Herb expert and writer Emelie Tolley stacks a tier of cake plates, then fills the spaces in between with orange flowers, russet red apples, and fall leaves. For a simpler touch, dress up a serving platter with blooms of color.