For this week’s vase, I’ve used flat umbels of sedum (S. ‘Autumn Joy’), which have 
deepened to a rich burgundy with the cooler weather. The vibrant leaves of red maple (Acer rubrum) and the gray-green of sage (Salvia officinalis) provide compliment and contrast.
Maiden grass (Miscanthus sinensis) flowers have a reddish tinge that goes well with the sedum and I love the drama they add to the arrangement.
I tucked in a few stems of unopened Asian bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus) as accent. The hard golden shells will crack open in a few days to reveal the orange berry inside. As this is an invasive species, when this arrangement fades, these will go in the trash and not in the compost. Asian bittersweet vine smothers all plants in its path and I try to remove as much of it as I can on my property, but it is a Sisyphean task.
The black, Ming-style glass vase creates a solid anchor.
Thanks to Cathy at Rambling In the Garden, who hosts a weekly meme to showcase what is blooming in our gardens by creating arrangements to enjoy inside our homes. Wander over to see what gardeners all over the world are arranging this week. Feel free to join in, sharing your own weekly vase with a link to Cathy’s blog.
Eliza Waters 
Lovely – love those blotchy maple leaves in particular:)
Many thanks! 🙂 Red maples put on such a great show.
Really lovely Eliza, I love foliage vases, the Acer leaves look really autumnal. My sedums are yet to turn that lovely burgundy and are still a little pale, I much prefer the darker shades.
Thank you, Julie. It can get such a deep rich color, a great plant for fall.
I love the colours!
Thank you, Sue. Reflects the landscape right now. 🙂
It does… autumn looks set to be lovely here… as long as it stops raining!
Beeau-tii-full!!
😀 Thank you, Val!
Beautiful Eliza! That just perfectly captures the spirit of autumn. – Blessings, Sarah
Thank you, Sarah. Autumn is definitely here!
Inspiring, as always!
Thank you Laurie. I’ve harvested one set of seeds for you and am waiting on two more. Soon come, mon! 😉
Oh, thanks so much!!!!
Ah the fall colors! You get such brilliant ones up there. We get beautiful yellow and golds, but not the shades of red or the variety as up there. Lovely arrangement.
Thanks so much, Mary. We took a drive yesterday in a loop up into southern VT. It was just starting here and in one valley in VT the red maples had already shed. Next week is peak here – wahoo!
This is ART! Love that invasive bittersweet but I could do without. American bittersweet is beautiful, too. A local nursery had bittersweet plants for sale but the owner couldn’t tell me for certain if it was American or Asian so I walked away – how irresponsible of that nursery, too!
Indeed, I think all invasives (even mint) should come with a warning label! But foreign ones should be outlawed. 😉
Ah so autumny, I love it! ❤
Thank you, Julie!
I am learning new words to use when I want to talk about nature’s everyone and surprising beauty (e. g., autumn joy, maiden grass, bittersweet). Better, however, I am learning to see. Thank you for another lesson!
“everyone” was supposed to be “ever-new”
Also, those little yellow shells – dangerous beauty. Another lesson!
😉
Thank you for your visit, Albert! 🙂
Oh I love the combination of miscanthus, sedum and maple leaves in that gorgeous green glass vase Eliza. An inspirational arrangement, thank you for sharing.
Thank you so much!
That is what I would call autumn in a single vase!Great!
Thank you, Anca. The colors really are starting to change. 🙂
The shape of this arrangement is perfect, Eliza and a great blend of contents. I was admiring the berries until you told us how invasive they were! Not something we have to contend with in the UK but at least they served a useful purpose in your vase. Thanks for sharing.
Many thanks, Cathy!
Gorgeous!
Thank you!
Wow Eliza! That is gorgeous.
Thank you!
I need a Love button. ❤ I've run out of ways to say how beautiful your arrangements are. You truly are an artist. 🙂
😀 You are too sweet! ❤
Beautiful.
Thank you. 🙂
What beautiful colors, one of my favourite ones!
Muchas gracias, Maria! 🙂
De nada.
I would have never thought of using leaves that were just starting to change – I think I would have felt that I needed to wait until they were completely red or orange. But I love it! I love peeling paint and rusty blotchy stuff, so I’m glad you chose those mottled leaves, and gave me a new idea!
Glad you liked it, thanks so much!
Oh my the black vase is perfect for these fall colors. I was just looking at my sage recently as a possible for a vase.
Thank you, Donna. I cut my sage back hard this spring and it rebounded with a passion. I love its foliage (both look and smell) in arrangements.
Oh, my, you have exceeded yourself! What a lovely bouquet and not a blossom in sight.
Other than the sedum, you’re right, I hadn’t noticed that! Thanks, Lisa!
Ack! How did I forget the sedum–and I had noticed it because I have two large plants…
The autumnal colors look wonderful against the glossy black vase, Eliza!
Thank you, Kris, I liked that contrast, too. Very October! 🙂
I love the colour of the maple leaves – I bet it’s starting to look very pretty in your neighbourhood! We don’t have many maples that turn red in our woodlands, but some lovely shades of yellow and gold. Miscanthus are a perfect accompaniment to your sedums here, and your dark vase goes well as a solid base.
Thanks bunches, Cathy! 🙂
Wow, that’s a stunning combination and vase, and such a lovely photo!
Thank you, Cath!
The contrast of the black, red, and yellow with the blue-green sage leaves is so dramatic, along with the sweeping red maple leaves and grasses. Such a dream of a fall arrangement, Eliza!
Thank you very much for your kind words, Hannah. 🙂
a vase of Autumn joy! I love the colour of the red maple leaves – they remind me of a long-ago holiday in Boston in the fall.
Thank you, Ann. Glad you got to witness an autumn in New England, they are special. 🙂
Another amazing arrangement Eliza! As read about and examined the details of the arrangement I realized that I have access to all of the plants included in the vase. It would never have occured to me to put them together! Your eye for putting arrangements together is wonderful. This afternoon I am going to try to gather the items in your vase to see if I can recreate your arrangement. Thank you so much for the inspiration!
Thank you so much. I am truly flattered. 🙂 I’ve love to see a photo of what you create!
Vibrant beauty…
🙂 ‘Tis the season!
I missed this on Monday – so glad I dropped by today and saw it, as this is one of my favorite vases that you have done!
Thanks so much, Sarah!