I gathered the makings of this arrangement while walking along our trail by the river. As you can see in the background, most of the foliage has fallen from the trees and the garden is heading towards dormancy. Though the stalwart lamb’s ears and blood grass are still going strong.
Invasive Asian bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus) and European privet (Ligustrum vulgare) berries abound and continue to be spread in bird droppings, so I may as well enjoy their beauty before they get tossed for incineration. Red oak (Quercus rubra), Crocosmia foliage and Christmas fern (Polystichum acrostichoides) fronds were added to the mix placed in my Art Deco style tripod glass vase.
Thanks to Cathy at Rambling In the Garden, who hosts a weekly meme to showcase arrangements created from our gardens. Wander over to see what gardeners all over the world are arranging this week.
Eliza Waters 
Pingback: In A Vase On Monday – Along the Trail – The Militant Negro™
Thank you for reblogging – it’s much appreciated!
How cool! No flowers! That red oak is pretty sharp. It is not native here, but is a great street tree with complaisant roots.
Thanks, Tony.
Beauty is all around when we have eyes to see it; you certainly have those eyes, Eliza. The changing seasons are an inspiration to gardeners even if your garden is heading to dormancy as mine does in summer, there is always something to be treasured.
Thank you, Christina. Yes, it is good to train the eye to see beauty no matter the season– it feeds the soul (particularly in the depths of winter, or in your case, summer).
Lovely Eliza. Who needs flowers with all this vibrant colour?
I’m enjoying it while it lasts. Thank you, Chloris.
A very attractive arrangement.
Thank you, Anne.
Lovely as ever. I was only telling Jackie about your splendid arrangements about an hour before I came to this 🙂
Thank you so much, Derrick. I’m flattered!
What, I said, sets you apart is your vases and cloths
Gorgeous, a real celebration of a vase.
Thank you, Sandra.
You have a great eye, Eliza!
Thank you kindly, Peter!
Splendid Autumn colors! I love the word ‘quercus,’
Thank you, Alice!
This is as good as flowers!
Fruit are old flowers. 😉 Thanks!
I love that you gathered this on your walk. Beautiful 🙂
Thank you, Kim. Even though I neglected to bring clippers, I managed to wreak my havoc. 😉
Bravo!!! Sometimes I miss staying up North for the holidays (meaning harvest season for me) just for the fabulous botanical arrangements that I always enjoyed putting together. You, of course, outdo us all!
Aw, thanks for the flattery, Kathy. Much appreciated! 🙂
Great bouquet and wonderful vase. I especially like the way it echoes the landscape. Always such a shame realizing how beautiful some of those invasive plants can be. The berries are terrific and you are correct that you might as well pick a few. Just that many less for birds to eat and spread.
My thought as well. Thanks, Linda!
What beautiful berries, and how well they coordinate with autumn foliage – Nature is such a talented artist!
Indeed she is… thank you, Cathy.
It’s lovely to see your talent at work, Eliza. I find your vases most enjoyable and this one says autumn all over. Fab!
Danke sehr, Annette!
Another beautiful arrangement. I’m not looking forward to the day when there isn’t anything for the vase!
Me, neither, but we have to face the sticks and twigs of winter – ha! Thanks, Sarah!
And I suppose winter does give me an excuse to purchase flowers at the store.
Yes, we deserve it! 🙂
Nature provided the material but you had the vision to put them together, Eliza. I echo some of the other comments: who needs flowers?! I love the blue berries. I just planted 3 new Dianella in the hope that, when the plants mature, I’ll get some purple/blue berries of my own.
Thank you, Kris. The privet’s blue berries really stand out against their yellow fall foliage. I have to admit that most of the ‘invasive’ plants are pretty. I can understand how they came to be planted in the first place. Yet no one envisioned their proliferation.
Such lovely colours in the berries and leaves as if hovering against the background of your garden on account of that lovely vase. I love this arrangement.
Thank you so much, Noelle!
Wonderful! Such rich colours and such a lovely setting. In your first photo the vase appears to be part of the garden. 🙂
Thank you, Cathy. Yes, the dim light required a higher exposure that made the vase nearly invisible – a floating arrangement– ha!
Once again… Magnifique! ❤
Thank you very much, Julie!
I love the autumn wildness of this arrangement. Beautiful! ❤
Thank you, Robin. Wild bouquets are some of my favorite arrangements to put together. Matches my spirit, hehe! 😉
A whole autumn in one vase!
Yes, it feels like a joyful celebration of the season. Thanks, Anca!
Another exploding arrangement. The colours and shapes are perfect for showing off the season. What fabulous black berries.
Thank you, Alison!
If you were to look up autumn in a dictionary, it could show a picture of this arrangement! 🙂
Aw, thanks for that, Christy!
Another stunning arrangment, and so much colour despite it being November!
Thank you! The smaller trees and shrubs are really coming into their color now, a month after the flashier big trees. It’s been a nice long season this year.
My goodness Eliza it is like happening upon an autumn scene in a vase…..I love the addition of the berries!
Thank you, Donna. It’s fun to gather as I go along, picking whatever appeals to me.
Eliza, just wonderful and so seasonal. Love it. The Ligustrum berries are a little bit of magic.
Thank you, Amelia. It feels that way, for sure.
What a gorgeous arrangement to celebrate fall! The colors are wonderful.
Thank you, Deb!
That is a nice lesson in creating beauty from what’s available. Privet, by the way, smells fabulous while it’s burning, like some sort of sweet perfume.
Thanks, Lisa. I’ll have to try burning it – it is spreading over a portion of our property, but not nearly as quickly as bittersweet. I wish it didn’t bother me so much, but it does!
I hope it’s the same thing I’m thinking of. My grandparents had a hedge of it. It also burns warm, unlike may woods that burn fragrant!
Lovely fall arrangements!
Thank you, Fi!
Wonderful. The oriental bittersweet is not something that I’ve seen before, but is even nicer than euphorbia europaeous in seed.
Thank you, Allison. Let’s hope you don’t see bittersweet. It is a nightmare vine that pulls down trees, spread far and wide by birds. Lovely poison is what it is!
Your creativity knows no down season. This is spectacular…and I love that vase!
Thank you, Ricki!
That art deco vase really suits your beautiful arrangement Eliza, wishing you a great day.
Thank you kindly, Karen.
It is just perfect Eliza – and to see privet berries celebrated like that is a real pleasure. I’m struck by how you are going with the seasons and celebrating autumn, while I’m still mourning summer! Happy walking this week – hope you have some sunny days!
Thank you, Cathy. Resistance is futile, lol. May as well go with the flow. 😉
Your arrangement Eliza shows just how beautiful autumn can be, the purple berries with the red leaves very sumptuous.The Art Deco vase is the icing on the cake, so to speak.
Thank you very much, Brian!
I love the faded, leafless, end-of-autumn backdrop and the way it contrasts with the beautiful, bright, very full colours of the flowers in your bouquet. What a gorgeous combination, Eliza 🙂 xo
Thank you so much, Rebecca!
Beautiful arrangement, Eliza!!! You are just so creative!! Just LOVE what you put into that vase of yours. Awesome! Our Fall here has been amazing! The change in colors has been very slow and now with so many trees bare, the Oaks are blazing with their final Glory. It’s amazing! I’ve never witnessed a Fall as I have this year. The colors have intoxicated me! And even the bare limbs mesmerize me with their arches and their shapes and the lacy designs they make. I’ve been obsessed with Mother this year …. And I cannot stop taking pictures. LOL It just feels so good and healing for me at this time of my life. Mother has been so generous to me and is rapidly healing my Heart. I couldn’t ask for more! 💞🍁💞
Gosh, I’ve been thinking the same thing. I am really enjoying this long, sweet autumn. ❤
Gorgeous, it looks as though the arrangement sprung out of and is part of the environment, which I suppose it is 🙂
Yes, from the land and into my vase for up close enjoyment. 🙂 Thank you, Andrea.
Your arrangements always brighten my day. This is beautiful!!!
Thank you so much! 🙂
What a beautiful arrangement. Never a repeat. Except with vases, and I also really like seeing this one again.
Thank you, I’d like to think each is unique, at least that is the aim. 🙂
Natural beauty of the season.
Thank you, Ali.
What a glorious arrangement against a stunning autumnal backdrop! ❤
Thank you very much, Judie!
Reblogged this on Purplerays.
Thank you for reblogging!
Stunning arrangement celebrating the bounty of the season!
Thank you, Peter. Gleaning on walks is one of my favorite ways to assemble an arrangement. 🙂