Our first light frost came two weeks ago and since then, there have been several more, slowly ending the garden season this year. While the annuals are the first to go, those near the warmth of the paved driveway and stonewall beds that retain heat have lingered a bit longer.
Gleaning what few blossoms that remain, I picked this little bouquet of jewel-toned beauties – Salvia ‘Black and Blue,’ deep pink Speedwell (Veronica spicata) and Hearts-ease (Viola tricolor) to put in a small silver antique bud vase. I’ve put it in the window above the kitchen sink where I can treasure these last blooms of the year.
Two chrysanthemums that I overwintered in the garage were planted out this spring and have produced well, so I picked a few sprigs to put in my little Lenox vase.
I thank Cathy at Rambling in the Garden who hosts the meme In a Vase on Monday, for hosting another garden season of sharing arrangements each week with gardeners all other the world.
Eliza Waters 
What an excellent idea to put these precious blooms in your kitchen!
Thank you, Anne. I see them most there, one is in and out of the kitchen all day. 🙂
Oh The Johnny Jumps Ups are so stunningly fragile and beautiful ! I used to grow them. They actually never died where I used to live, all year long, unless I gave them too much fertilizer.
They are sweet little flowers and always self-sow every spring. Gotta love that!
Those are very pretty! I like the idea of ‘a garden in a vase’ ..
Thank you!
Our dahlias still have a couple of persistent blooms but most everything else is gone aside from some asters. My two yard flower highlights of the year were fringed gentians and yellow lady’s slippers purchased from Nasami. You put together a lovely posy with the three purple beauties.
Thank you, Steve. We cling to these last flowers as if they were lifesavers. 😉 Nasami is a great resource. I love fringed gentians!
Lovely display, as always, Eliza… but those cute little pansies (heartsease) completely stole the show!
Thank you, Anita. I adore those little faces. 😉
I particularly love those blues
Thank you, Sandra!
That purple and vivid blues look gorgeous, but I do like the Chrysanthamems too. I have a photo of the same (or similar) Salvia, so now I know where to start looking to identify my image.
You must have an amazing collection of vases. They are all so different and certainly suit all the flowers that you grow.
Thank you, Vicki. My vase collection numbers well over 100! I started collecting them over 50 years ago :o! Even though I don’t need more, when I come across a special one, I can’t resist. There are worse addictions. 😉
Lingering….only to must let go…’till Spring arrives again….but fortunately there are many blooms to enjoy before then…Paper-whites, Amaryllis, Poinsettias, Primroses. We haven’t had a frost, yet, not far east of you.
It has been fairly mild overall, it seems. Wonder if it will continue?
I love those deep violet colors Eliza. I have found that the flowers of September and October are deeper in color than in the summer months. It makes me feel like they are giving us their best last hurrah before they leave us. All I have left are a few roses. Happy week to you!
Thank you, Cindy! The cooler weather enhances their beauty for sure.
Nice. 🙂 The last plants standing here are two New England Asters that are still looking pretty good.
Thanks, Judy. We really appreciate the last ones particularly.
Ah, the kitchen window sill…..the last place to be graced with the last flowers…..kind of like shrines! (Mine currently has one last brilliant pink zinnia & some gentian sage.)
I know what you mean, sacred space for the first and last of the season vases. Although, all small pieces find their way there all summer to be appreciated up close. 🙂
Late full gems. The mums are especially pretty. My nasturtiums are still going strong. If we have had a frost, it’s been very light. Of course, in the woods we are protected.
Thank you, Laurie. I’m surprised (sort of) that we haven’t had a hard frost so far into October. It’s kind of one of those good news/bad news things.
Yup. You got that right. This morning when I went out to put a card in the mail, I noticed the car’s windshield was foggy. Thought it might be frost, but it wasn’t. My finger made a line right through the moisture. Back in the day, it wasn’t unusual to have a hard frost the end of September.
I remember it was always Sept. 20-something for years. No longer. We are getting at least 6 extra frost-free weeks nowadays. Makes me (and the maple trees) nervous.
Can’t “like” this. Sigh.
IKR?
Lovely. I love heartsease
Thank you, Karina. Those little faces are so charming. 🙂
Such beautiful treasures!
Thank you, Maria!
Thank you!
I love relaxing with your flowers, Eliza. The lush purples and blues are wonderful and I love that little pansy greeting me in the first. And your bold reds and whites work beautifully together.
Thank you, Jane. I am in love with those little viola faces and the jewel tones make my heart sing. 🙂
Very Nice Eliza! Always like seeing your flowers! They are beautiful!
Thank you so much, Reed! It is sad seeing my garden go dormant. April seems very far away. 😦
Sweet endings, a garden dessert for the end of your season. When do you plant the Johnny Jumps Ups? I only know them as winter annuals.
Thanks, Amy. The JJUs self-sow freely and I don’t discourage them. I let them do their thing and they never disappoint. I even had a couple along the stone walkway this year.
Both vases are wonderful. You have pansies in October! (Actually, I’ve noticed that they’ve just appeared in garden centers here but it’s foolish to plant any as the Santa Ana winds aren’t done with us yet.) I’d love to grow Chrysanthemums but they really don’t like our summers.
Thanks, Kris. Viola tricolor self-sows freely all over my gardens and I let them do as they please. Though they flower all summer here, the shoulder-seasons are when they shine. I love V. cornuta as well, but they tend to cross themselves into oblivion after a few years.
I love all those shades of purple, violas are one of my favourites.
Thank you, Janet. Those perky faces always make me smile.
The blues and purples shine so brightly in the Autumn sun and against vibrant blue skies. Lovely captures Eliza 💕
Thank you, Val! 🙂
A wonderful ending to the season and thank you for sharing your beautiful flowers, garden and spectacular vases throughout the seasons!🙂
Thank you, it’s my pleasure!
Hardy beauties!
I’m grateful for every last bloom. 🙂
So very lovely!
Thank you, Fi!
So pretty, that salvia us one of my favourites.
Thank you, Chloris. I’m partial to it myself and always make room for it in my garden every year.
Oh that little viola!! What a beautiful shot Eliza.
Thank you, Sylvia!
Really pretty
Thank you, John.
Gorgeous colors in that first vase!
Thank you, Susie. I’ve always loved that combination, so vibrant!
Lovely flowers. We should be getting a frost tonight. We will see what things look like in the morning. 😉
More photo opps! 🙂
Both of these are so beautiful, Eliza! ❤
Thank you, Julie! x
Great arrangements ! Love the purple
Thank you, Harold!
❤
I love those blues and purples. So beautiful. ♥♥♥
Thank you, Robin!
Frost already? I am definitely not looking forward to this. Thank you for sharing your final blossoms of the season. So refreshing to see!
Thank you, Donna! We’ve had several light frosts, but no hard frost yet, which is unusual. Won’t complain about that, though! Thanks for your visit.
What beautiful colours Eliza! We have also had a couple of light frosts and the annuals are gradually being cut back. Enjoy these last days of flowers!
Thank you very much, Cathy. Bracing for the flower-less months ahead 😦 when I have to get my flower fix from a store, sadly not quite the same.
I love how Zen your arrangements are, Eliza. I especially like the purple bouquet with the three stabilizing leaves and the deep purple hues…and the adorable faces of the Johnny Jump Ups smiling throughout.
Thank you, Jet! 🙂
Once, in a fit of frustration, I wrote that all I knew how to do was arrange flowers. I am the go to flower arranger of my family. Have a party? I arrange flowers. The dog died? I arrange flowers. It felt like such a trivial pursuit–but even then, I sat and arranged flowers. They are so magnificently stunning and it truly is creating art. Looking at your arrangements reminds me of this. There is so much peace in stringing all those blossoms together, and it truly is a gift. I find we don’t take it seriously enough, but when I read through your blogs, it really is so genuinely comforting to see how you embrace and run with this art. I love it. Thank you, as always, for sharing. ❤
Aw, thanks for the beautiful comment, Shayleene. I’ve been arranging flowers since I could walk, it seems. There is a meditation to it, picking the flowers, trimming them for the vase, then the satisfaction of looking at this ephemeral piece of art as it fades. It is as well a lesson in non-attachment and acceptance of death as a part of life. Another beautiful thing that we share!
A lesson in non-attachment. I like that. It’s a good idea to reflect on for a while. Thank you 💙
Eliza, I did the very same thing with the last rose of the season … I put her in my kitchen on the window sill above my sinks. It’s sad when the gardens go to sleep. I’m gazing out at my gardens and trees as much as I can drinking everything up that I can. I love your flower arrangements. My favorite one is the purple one. My soul just sighed ….
Thank you very much, Amy. We do love our gardens so much, it’s hard to say farewell until spring.
I still have some flowers going, Eliza. And some of my crazy ground cover roses that insist on climbing are still blooming as well. I’m making my daily garden drinks very long …. I hear the “s” word is coming soon. *sigh*
nice ta ta till next ttime flowers
Thanks!
Beautiful purple variations. The second reminds me of one of my winter & fall landscapes … same colors!
Thank you, Denise!
Gee, I think I like the rich blue more than the white chrysanthemums. That never happens. I so like white.
Thank you, Tony. Those blues are hard to dismiss. 🙂
and blue is not such an easy color to get in such abundance. There are plenty of good white flowers, but not so many in blue, and many that are blue are actually purplish.
Those deep purple and blue tones are fantastic.
Thank you, Carol, among my favorite. 🙂
Love the colors, and the Violas are stunning. I was reading about Pansies too, and how they differ from the Violas.
Thank you, Maria. Yes, there are many Violas, violets to pansies. My favorites are V. cornuta and V. tricolor, like the ones here.