Mid-September and the choices in my garden are growing fewer by the day. Dahlia ‘Lillehammer’ still is putting forth blooms, but like the rest, it loses vigor as summer wanes. Making up the rest of the arrangement are white Flowering Tobacco (Nicotiana alata), pink Zinnias (Z. elegans), the last of the pink phlox (P. paniculata) and cosmos with a handful of Hyacinth Bean (Lablab purpureus) blossoms. Wild Heart-leaved Aster (Symphyotrichum cordifolium) and lime green leaves of Purple Raspberry (Rubus odoratus) are the filler and foliage. Props are a few white pumpkin gourds that once again self-sowed out of the compost, a nice surprise freebie.
I’m joining Cathy at Rambling In the Garden, host of the weekly meme showcasing arrangements created from our gardens. Click the link to see what gardeners all over the world are arranging this week.
Eliza Waters 
Eliza, this is fabulous!
Thank you, Laurie! 🙂
A very pretty arrangement. I always enjoy whatever freebies the compost provides. These pumpkins look great.
Thank you, Anne. Nature is bountiful!
Oh my! It is Monday already! It will be Monday here in two and a half hours!
‘Lillehammer’ ROX! I do not think of dahlias as one of those flowers that excels in white. I mean, it is typically one of those bright and sunny dahlia colors, not white like a big chrysanthemum. I have heard of ‘Lillehammer’, but did not believe that it would be as excellent as purported.
Although the stems are short for cut flowers, it has been quite prolific and not too tall, so a good one for the garden border.
A burst of colour before your Autumn arrives 🌺🌸💕
Yes, indeed. Today we’re feeling the effects of Tropical storm Florence, very humid and summer-like. Once it passes, we’ll be back to cooler, more seasonable temperatures.
Hope you’re enjoying your spring renewal!
Yes we started off our Spring quite warm but now it’s cooler. The weather all around the world is quite erratic! 🌸💕
To say the least! 😉
Oh, so gorgeous Eliza!
How your garden glows, and with your care, grows!
It is such a different ecosystem from here. You have rain, snow, moisture, rich soil.
Nicotina grows wild all over The Holler. Hollerites treat it as a nuisance plant and destroy it. It grows unasked for.
I don’t say, “You would actually pay good money for this in a nursery,” because I find my own self illogical. Why did I define some plants as weeds, and work hard at eliminating them, while simultaneously nurturing plants that are not endemic at the Holler.
The Holler is a hostile environment for vulnerable living things. I need to go with the flow of what survives.
Tumbleweeds, those little explosive ‘balls of fire,’ in a fire, do amazingly well here.
Thank you, Cindy!
Many introduced species end up being real problems without the natural controls of their point of origin. Most places are unrecognizable from a couple hundred years ago with all the introduced species (intentionally or unintentionally). Tumbleweeds from Siberia are now fire hazards, literally ‘great balls of fire’ in the West.
Trying to correct our wrongs, we can only do what we can to encourage natives and discourage invasive species. A Sisyphean task, I know!
Gorgeous! I don’t recall that beautiful vase, it is, of course, perfect with your blooms. I’m not familiar with ‘Hyacinth Bean’; what a lot of fun to have little ‘Boo’ Pumpkins growing out of your compost!
Thank you, Alice. The vase was an early marriage gift from hubby – lovely porcelain from Japan. I’ve managed to keep it all these years, through kids and pets. May it remain safe from the newest little hellion! 😉
You may have fewer flowers to choose from but they are still very vibrant and pretty. I like those white pumpkin gourds!
Thank you, Hien. I could send you some of the gourd seeds – they come true, as I’ve had them come up two years running. Let me know by email if you’d like some, I’d be happy to share them with you.
Me too. First time that I saw white pumpkin gourds … I learned something new.
All the blooms look in perfect condition so it is hard to accept that the plants are waning; here the heat has returned and the irrigation to the vegetable garden and cut flower beds is back on.
Thank you, Christina. We’ve had several cool nights (9C) recently, so they’re starting to pull back production. Smaller, washed-out blossoms is the result. The asters are just starting so there is still some color left. Sounds like you have had a return to summer.
Our summer this year was much shorter and cooler than is usual so I don’t mind the return to warmer temperatures; it’s 29°C today
A nice day- enjoy!
How big Will white pumpkins grow? I like them.
Thank you, Jim. These are ornamental gourds, but the seed companies now offer many white hybrid pumpkins and gourds. Aside from white, I’ve seen a nice silvery, sage green one, too.
Lovely vase, Eliza – the lablabs (also unfamiliar to me) and wild asters are a gentle, pretty touch. Can you eat those pretty little gourds that your compost generously produces/
Thank you, Cathy. I probably could steam or bake them for eating, but they probably wouldn’t yield much. Most gourds like this are used for ornaments, but it might be worth trying one to see. They might be quite tasty!
They are so pretty – just enjoy looking!
So pretty and the vase is beautiful. BTW: how many vases do you have?
I was wondering the same thing this am…so many pretty ones!
Thank you, Alice. The answer is roughly 117! Too many, if I could bear to part with any, I would. 😉
Ha! Curious myself, I did a quick count… give or take one I may have missed: 117! My hutch is packed with them. Obviously, more than I need, lol! There are many I seldom use due to size constraints, too big or small. But this year, my kitchen windowsill has many more small ones to keep them away from the kitten, who is getting into more mischief the bigger she gets. Cute, but argh!
It’s your life-long collection…they all have memories connected! Not something to part with.
You’re right there – been collecting since high school, nearly every one has a story. 🙂
So pretty and elegant! I would hardly guess it to be a September arrangement, the colors are so rich! Love the way the hyacinth beans are placed. 🙂
Many thanks, Joanna!
Gorgeous.
Such a stunning array of colour.
Thank you, Vicki. 🙂
Reblogged this on Purplerays.
Thank you for reblogging!
I can’t believe that it’s mid September already. Time certainly does fly when one is having fun (or old like me.) Another pretty arrangement in a stunning container and the volunteer pumpkin gourds are perfect!
Thank you, Peter! If you are old, what does that make me? 😀
Lovely, Eliza! That ‘Lillehammer’ is really stunning.
Thank you, Susie! ‘Lillehammer’ has been giving me loads of blooms for six weeks. A compact, good grower.
Very pretty, Eliza. Well done.
Thank you, Cynthia!
Your arrangement certainly doesn’t look like it’s a waning season, Eliza. Gorgeous arrangement with lots of color, textures and depth; elegant vase, and really cute little white pumpkins. Thanks for bringing the many beauties of earth to us today.
Thank you, Jet!
The blue vase itself is so pretty and you have filled it with your own lovely late bloomers – and those freebee gourds are gorgeous, so cute!
Thank you, Cathy!
Greetings Eliza, How very beautiful and inspiring too. I’m on the look out for new things to grow in my garden, like, more flowers for example and the dahlias seem beautiful to me, I think that I might try them.
Nice to have you visit, Agnes. Thank you. Dahlias are easy and so prolific once they start blooming, rounding out the late summer garden.
Thank you Eliza. And do they still attract so many earwigs? I remember as a child that the Dahlias were always full of earwigs! But then they are such a beautiful flower and such a variety of colour and type.
Yes, the flowers are loved by several insects, and slugs. I use copper flashing to corral the emerging buds in spring and once they get big enough, they are less vulnerable to slugs. Earwig traps are easy to make – google online.
Will do Eliza, thank you.
Beautiful… I love them.
I needed something for the office so got myself 3 red anthuriums. I look at it and feel ridiculously pleased every time.
Thank you, Kavita. I love it when beauty inspires happiness. It is what I strive for daily. 🙂
PS, its spring here in South Africa,my bougainvillea is just busting out of its trunk, its arms are out stretched with blooms the colour of my sari…I’m so blessed. I fought tooth and nail with my husband. Its thorns have caressed none too gently his metallic blue car but I don’t care. These blooms are mine, all mine… And i say this with glee.💞
🙂 Thorns and beauty, an even exchange? 😉
Yes indeed.💞
BEAUTIES
Thank you, Lana!
Thank you for the smile. That is truly one lovely arrangement. The vase is beautiful, and the white pumpkin gourds are perfect with that dahlia. You certainly know how to start the week off right. 🙂
Thank you, Judy. Glad to add some beauty to your day. 🙂
Just so beautiful!
Thank you, Sylvia!
Your choices may be fewer, but your arrangments are still beautiful!
Aw, thanks so much, Karina. ❤
I’m not sure which impresses me most, Eliza: your beautiful arrangement featuring the lovely white dahlia or those adorable self-seeded white pumpkins!
Ha, thanks, Kris! Those wee pumpkins were a delight to discover. 🙂
Beautifully arranged Eliza, and such gorgeous shades of pink with lovely white highlights. The tobacco plant makes me think of a fizzling sparkler! 🙂
Thank you, Cathy. Much appreciated!
I love that about compost piles. They never fail to deliver. 😀
It’s true – one way or another! 🙂
Things may be waning but it is not evident in your fetching arrangement.
Thank you, Ricki!
A pleasing combination of colors, Eliza. Your surprise white pumpkins add nicely to the arrangement!
Thank you, Jane!
What an eye you have for these arrangements, Eliza! Really beautiful.
Thank you very much, Belinda!
So very gorgeous.
Thank you, Fi!
Your arrangements are always so beautiful that they make me gasp when I see them. In a good way, of course. 🙂
🙂 Thanks so much, Robin, glad to know that.
Beautiful arrangement and vase and I love all the color you still have remaining in your garden. My garden planning still needs plenty of work next year and the only color I have is the little bit showing in the trees.
Thank you! Aside from annuals like dahlias and zinnias, late summer bloomers like phlox, perovskia, asters, helenium, perennial mums and grasses carry a garden through the end of the season. Although you need to focus on deer resistant plants. 😉
Thank you for the recommendations and the deer are very busy helping me with the fall cleanup in the flower gardens.🙂
Love the vase, flowers and especially, the gourds.My husband jokes me (I am a gourd fiend) he knows it is fall by the gourds on our table. Lillehammer is a snowy beauty and great centerpiece, I hope the steamy breath of Florence evaporates shortly.
Thank you, Amelia. A centerpiece of gourds for the table in the fall is a necessity. 🙂
Florence gave us 3.5″ of rain and because we’re so saturated from the wet summer, it all went into the stream and river, threatening our new footbridge. Luckily, it abated with just inches to spare, close call. Hubby spent HOURS of blood, sweat and tears on that thing and it would have been BAD to lose it. Now, the clouds have moved off and it is a perfect evening!
Yay,happy your new bridge was spared. These storms are difficult mistresses. The centerpiece is required! Share pictures, please.
Nice! And fall arrangements will be nice too. Can’t wait to see! How’s Diabla?
Ha! Thanks for asking. She is cutest when she sleeps, lol! She has learned to jump high, so now, NOTHING is safe from her, countertops, cupboards, the bookcase. My decorating style is turning minimalist as I put everything away. Might not be a bad thing to reduce my usual clutter. 😉
I think they never lose that tendency to jump high. I remember when I had my cat many years ago. Even when he was a senior cat he would still once in a while jump on countertops or try to climb a shelf. As kittens they are electric though. Diablitos!
🙂
Some lovely freebies
Thanks, Brian. 🙂
Love that display. Beautiful.
Thank you, Alison.
Wow. Those colors are perfect, the creaminess of the dahlia matches the pumpkins perfectly and I love it with the pinks and magentas!
Thank you very much, Frank! Hope you enjoy the autumn days ahead.