The red maples (Acer rubrum) seen above are starting to show their signature colors as the cool temps of the past couple weeks have brought us an early fall, but luckily, no frost. We officially celebrate the Equinox today, ushering in autumn. However, Nature has given us a short reprieve these past three days with highs in the 80sF (upper 20sC). A cool front passes through this evening, so we’ll be back to more autumnal temps tomorrow.
My favorite aster (also seen above lower right), the lavender Heart-leaved aster (Symphotrichum cordifolium) is peaking and I used it as a base for today’s arrangement in my vintage Art Deco vase.
With the garden still producing lots of annuals, I’ve added purple Angelonia (A. angustifolia), Zinnias (Z. elegans), pink and white Spider Flower (Cleome hasslieriana) and perennial pink Phlox (P. paniculata) and a few Christmas fern fronds (Polystichum acrostichoides).
Another simple vase of cherry-red Zinnias begs to be included. I love these colors!
Thanks to our In A Vase on Monday host Cathy at Rambling in the Garden. Click the link to see what other gardeners the world over are arranging this week.
Eliza Waters 
Gorgeous flowers and bouquets, Eliza!
Many thanks, Leah!
The cherry red zinnias are new to me. I know this plant in other colors.
Thank you, Cindy. They came from a mixed packet, but I’m thinking I might try saving some seed to see if any come true. A long shot!
Ooh, that red vase is absolutely perfect for those cherry zinnias! 🙂 Your first vase is gorgeous too. I love the aster and used one as the starting point for my vase too (yet to be posted). Have a lovely week Eliza!
Thank you, Cathy. Looking forward to seeing yours!
Don’t those Zinnias Zing! I love those colours too. Your first vase is a wonderful celebration of the Equinox.
Thank you, Sandra. We’re riding the cusp of the seasons; today is summery, but we know that will change before too long.
Beautiful vases Eliza and wishing you a happy Equinox and start to Autumn too 🤗💖🌺 xxx
Thank you very much, Xenia!
What a lovely soft bouquet that almost reminds me of spring. How I wish we were coming on spring instead of fall and winter.
Our September so far has been as hot and dry as August and doesn’t feel anything like fall. On the 90 degree days, I yearn for fall, but then remember that winter follows close behind. I keep thinking any day now, it will cool off, but at least we received some desperately needed rain over the weekend.
Thank you, Cindy. Your summer is really hanging on, isn’t it? The past few weeks we’ve had strong Canadian high pressure systems that have keep us cool and dry. So different from the past few years.
A lovely balanced arrangement for the Equinox Eliza.
Thank you, Andrea.
Beautiful arrangements! ❤️
Thank you, Irene!
Love your red zinnias!
Thank you, Peter!
Beautiful. Love addition of Angelonia. This is the first year in a long time I haven’t grown it. The fern is a nice touch too.
Thank you, Susie. I’ve been so pleased with the Angelonia. What a performer!
First vase is lovely, but the second one with the simple arrangement of cherry-red zinnias really caught my eye.
Thank you, Laurie. That color just snaps, doesn’t it? 🙂
Sure does.
Good that you are still enjoying the bounty of your garden. Two beautiful vases.
Thank you, Christina. The thought of ‘any day now frost could come’ heightens my appreciation of these last blooms.
The arrangements are beautiful, but that first vase…wow!
Thank you, Loree!
Looks like a perfect vase for Any ❤️❤️❤️ Day.
Thank you, Alice!
Wow! Beautiful images and beautiful flowers. Well done.
Thank you, Lane!
Your garden flowers are never-ending, Eliza! Wow!! The cherry-red Zinnias are drop jaw gorgeous! As for the rest of your bouquets …. stunning!!
Thank you very much, Amy! 🙂
You are so welcome!
I’m glad to see you’ve still got an abundance of flowers, Eliza. I hope this is the start of a wonderful fall season for you!
Thank you, Kris. I’ve started the process of cutting things back, like the sunflowers that were half broken anyway and things leaning over pathways. The garden is losing its forward momentum and is shrinking back to nothingness. The extreme yin/yang of the seasons here is quite remarkable.
Beautiful flowers, as always. I can’t remember seeing these vases before. They are the perfect match.
Thank you, Maria. Good eye about the vases, these haven’t been used for at least a year. 🙂
They look great!
Thank you!
So lovely, Eliza!
Thank you, Belinda!
The first vase has so many of my favourite colours and looks wonderful and while I’m not normally a fan of bright colours, (or Autumn colours), the red vase echoes the lovely bright red Zinnias.
Thank you, Vicki.
That cherry red is very striking. Super vase full as always from you
Thank you, Dorris.
Truly charming arrangements, Eliza. Your vases always wow me, and then the lively array of flowers, colors and textures of the bouquets are stunning. I appreciate you describing what flowers define each bouquet. The arrangement of the cherry zinnias in the cheery cherry vase is spectacular.
Thank you so much, Jet. I’m enjoying the bounty of the garden as long as I can. 🙂
While Autumn is in some ways sad, indicating the coming of winter, I do love to see the changing leaf colours, especially the Acers. Asters are another seasonal love.
It’s true. We just need to not think about what follows autumn. 😉
Reblogged this on Purplerays.
Thank you for reblogging!
Lovely flowers to celebrate the beginning of autumn!🙂
Thank you kindly!
I do love zinnias, and what a nice softening effect the asters have on them!
Thank you, Lisa!
Reblogged this on dreamweaver333.
Thank you for reblogging!
That first arrangement is filled with sweetness, and the second one pops in that red vase! Lovely, lovely, Eliza! ❤
Thank you so much, Julie!
Ahhh, how refreshing to be back amidst your garden. Stunning photography, and, as always, inspiring for me. Love this. Thank you for sharing. ❤
Thank you, Shayleene. So nice to have you visit! x
Love the two toned cherry red blooms together at the end – perfect for a sunny breakfast table!
Thank you, Chris!
Red maples?! Are they the blurred color in the background? I know they are not included in your flowers, but the name got my attention. It is one of the few North American maples that does well in our mild climate. The bronzed Norway maples that were planted as street trees in San Jose in the middle of the 1950s are what most of us think of as ‘red’ maples, only because the bronzed foliage is (considered to be ) ‘red’.
Your asters are rad. No one grows them here. Fleebane is a native, but looks nothing like asters.
Yes, Acer rubrum, not to be confused with the burgundy Norway maple, is green through summer, then turns red, orange and sometimes yellow in fall. One of the earliest trees to turn. They tolerate wet land and are also referred to as swamp maples. They blaze around ponds, making gorgeous reflections.
There are at least a dozen different kinds of wild asters around here, lovely this time of year and always filled with bees.
Red maples do not color as well in autumn of course, but they are nice trees nonetheless. They are proportionate to suburban and urban landscapes, and rather complaisant with their root dispersion. I miss the Norway maples, but they were a bit more problematic.
Beautiful!
Gracias!