Incredibly, we made it all the way to November 1st before we had a killing frost, weeks beyond the average. I decided to comb my yard on Friday beforehand to see what flowers I could glean that had survived the light, spotty frosts we had previously. Protected by overhanging shrubs, I was surprised that I came away with four small bouquets, two of which I share here.
The blue pitcher above contains Black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia hirta), gold Nasturtium flowers and stems (Tropaeolum majus), wild white Malva (M. moschata alba), Queen Anne’s Lace (Daucus carota), white Chrysanthemums and a few pitiful Zinnia ‘Yellow Profusion.’
The milk can vase above holds Beautyberry (Callicarpa dichotoma), Cigar Plant (Cuphea ignea ‘Vermillionaire’) and a vigorous late-blooming Fleabane (Erigeron annuus) tinted lavender from the cold weather.
As my gardens faded through October, I found I missed the creativity of making multiple flower arrangements every week from my garden, so this was an unexpected treat.
fall in a vase
Earlier in the week, I realized that I had never made one of my large arrangements the whole summer long. So I set off walking the trails by the river cutting berries from invasive Asian bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus) and European privet (Ligustrum vulgare), and seed heads of Japanese Knotweed (Fallopia japonica). They thrive down by the river and sadly, are slowly taking over, so a few less seeds self-sowing around works for me. From the woods, I added foliage of red oak (Quercus rubra) and American Beech (Fagus grandifolia). Passing through the garden, I cut Miscanthus seed heads, Christmas fern (Polystichum acrostichoides) and several branches of white Chrysanthemums.
Hope you enjoyed my encore of In A Vase on Monday, hosted by Cathy at Rambling in the Garden. Definitely the last of the seasons fresh flowers, if I get the creative urge from now on it will have to be twigs, berries and seed heads, so stay tuned, I might not be finished yet.
That large arrangement is so elegant! It’s amazing how even weedy plants and end-of-season remnants can be beautiful. I have one of those “Vermillionaire” cupheas. The hummingbirds loved it. I’ve taken cuttings; hopefully they’ll root to make a couple more plants next year. We haven’t had real frost yet, but eventually…
Thank you, Audrey! I’ve grown Cuphea a couple years now just for the hummers – they adore it, zooming in and out. Lucky you with the delayed frost, enjoy it while you can!
Beautiful Eliza and I would say you will always have something to be creative with in your Garden. 🌿🌸🍀
Thank you, Karen. Creativity is a wellspring that is hard to ignore and why would I? Hehe, it is Spirit moving, irrepressibly needing to be expressed! 🙂
Beautifully said 👏👏👏🌈
🙂 ❤
A lovely swan song – if that is what it turns out to be – of beautiful flowers.
Thank you, Anne. Yes, the frosts have finished whatever was left. Now I endure the long slog to April. 😉
So many colours! Such a magnificent collection of vases, especially the grand finale!
Thank you so much, Sandra!
Beautiful series of flower arrangements.
Thank you very much!
Beautiful bouquets, Eliza! I am amazed to see that you still had flourishing plants this late. Even without a frost most plants gave up on flowering a while ago.Obviously you’ve got a great bunch of gardens and even Mother Nature faded long before you did. 🙂
Hehe, thanks, Steve. I got lucky this year. 🙂
I am green with envy that you still have so many lovely flowers, Eliza. My garden gave up several weeks ago!
Thank you, Anita. It has been an unusual and exceptional autumn, but with the heavy frosts the past few nights, we are truly done. I’m glad I gleaned those last few vases, they are a sweet bonus.
SUCH MAGNIFICENT COLOURS SO LATE IN THE YEAR ELIZA, WELL DONE
Thank you, China, and for reblogging! x
Reblogged this on LIVING THE DREAM.
All three are stunning Eliza. Wonderful that you have been able to enjoy your garden a bit longer this autumn. The blue vase makes those yellows and golds even more beautiful. And the second vase is almost summery! I like your white Chrysanthemum. I bet it shows up well in the garden. Have a lovely week Eliza!
Thank you, Cathy. It has been a great fall all around. Happy week to you as well!
You have a special gift Eliza! I especially love the milk can vase!
Thank you, Dawn!
You’re welcome!
Lovely last of the season arrangements…although I don’t mind winter, the vase ingredients diminish drastically.
True. Thanks, Chris!
Congrats to you on finding these beauties. As always, your vases cause me to drool. :-)Speaking of ‘beauties’ do you like the Beautyberry? I’ve been looking at that to purchase.
Thank you, Judy. We are at the northern end of Beautyberry’s range, so they die to the ground every year, which is not a problem as they bloom from new wood. It makes a nice small shrub about 4′ high. I think it would benefit in our zone 5 from a warm, sunny spot against a building, if you have it. Mine is away from the house, so the berries are smaller and later, some failing to form before frost comes. It does earn its common name, the color of the berries is splendid. 🙂
Thank you so much for the info. I may have a perfect spot.
Wowsah, Eliza! I’m agog at all that is still blooming in your gardens. No hard frost in my yard until last year, but except for nasturtiums, there was nothing in bloom. You’ve done your usual fantastic job of arranging the flowers.
Thank you so much, Laurie! 🙂
I am stunned you have this many flowers left. Wow, Eliza!!
Yes, it was a surprise to me as well. A bit here and there added up! It is a lesson for me to reconsider understory planting. The bigger ones keep the little ones warm, at least for light frosts, and may warm up earlier in spring. Nanny-gardening, lol!
Hmmmm ….. you’ve got a very good point. I’ll remember that come Spring.
It’s wonderful that you have flowers this late. I’m still picking Zinnias, if anything they are bigger and more than in summer.
Nice, I love zinnias. The garden is our lifeblood! Thanks, Christina. 🙂
Wow…..you still have so many beautiful flowers! I LOVE the “weed” one. I’ve always preferred the “common folk”. My last flower is the orlaya which is still putting out buds despite the frosts.
Thank you, it was an unusual year, happily. Orlaya sounds a keeper. 🙂
Oh, Eliza. The arrangements are all so beautiful. I can’t pick a favorite. ♥♥♥
🙂 Thank you, Robin!
So many lovely displays despite the frost. The large Fall in a Vase bouquet is particularly attractive.
Love the blue milk can vase.
The Cigar Plant is one we have here in Melbourne and I remember my Mother growing a similar one in her garden when we were children. I could have put my hands on one of my own photos of it if I’d still had the old computer and the old image library.
Thank you, Vicki. ‘Vermillionaire’ is a strong hybrid, a great plant.
Beautiful colors..I love Beautyberry. Just picked a large handful of Cuphea, it will root & welcome the Hummingbirds. Light frost, last night…31°
Thank you, Alice. Yes, the yard is about done, but the winterberry is shining!
You had a nice selection of flowers for your vase. Is the Cigar Plant an annual for you?
Thank you. Yes, Cigar Plant gets knocked down with the frost, but it roots easily, so I take cuttings to overwinter inside.
Mine grows most of the winter and spreads to make more. My single plant has gotten out of hand.
I can well imagine. It can grow three feet over our summer, so with no checks, it probably becomes a shrub for you. A friend in CA cuts hers back a couple times a year to keep it under control.
I did not know that. I’ll bring some up north for my family.
Eliza, these are gorgeous!! And they’re a perfect example of how much beauty is all around us, whatever the season, if we’ll only just open our eyes!
Thank you so much, Debbie. It’s true, looking closely bears much fruit. 🙂
What bounty, Cindy, and they all look so fresh and vibrant – hard to believe it’s November! I especially like the clean contrast with the blue jug in the first vase
Thank you, Cathy. It’s been a great autumn. ~Eliza
All stunning and delightful!
Thank you, Cindy! x
These are all so beautiful, Eliza! Thank you for sharing such beauty. I appreciate your creativity and the brightness that it offers us in your posts! 😍
Thank you very much, Carrie! 🙂
How very lovely!
Thank you, Fi!
Very pretty and lovely to find so much to choose from. Grasses and berries add so much to the look. I like the little white Chrysanthemum.
Many thanks, Alison.
A beautiful end to the cut flower season Eliza, the second is unusual and lovely.
Thank you kindly, Andrea. I was happy to eke out a few more vases before the frost arrived.
You certainly have some great gifts..and a wonderul sharing nature. Thanks for creating three lovely vases and sharing. All the above comments I agree with too, and did not get in earlier enough to say them.
Thank you so much, Noelle!
What beautiful arrangements Eliza – bursting with colour !
Thank you!
Ooooh you still have so many beautiful colours. We’ve had about 5 nights frost already and plenty rain too – a very typical autumn so far:)
Thank you, Karina. I was pretty amazed at my gleanings. All the color that is now left is rust and tan with a bit of evergreen thrown in. It’ll have to do until spring.
All are pretty but I love that third arrangement. Walking through your garden knowing that a killing frost is imminent must be a bittersweet experience but you did a great job prolonging your enjoyment of the garden with your cuttings. It’s not that I’ve never experienced frost but, on the rare occasions it’s occurred, it’s come as a complete shock, with no time for bittersweet recollections. I hope you’ll continue to share what you glean from what Jack Frost leaves behind.
Thank you, Kris. My fingers get twitchy when I don’t have something to work with, so until the snow flies, I might have a few things to work with. Did I just say ‘snow?’ I was wondering what that bitter taste in my mouth was! ;D
Glorious. 🙂 … every season has its own unique collage of shapes and colours. I think there’s lots out there for you yet. 🙂
Thank you and for the vote of confidence. 🙂
Another profusion of loveliness! I may have had my last bouquet over the weekend. We’ll see. It’s supposed to frost Friday.
Thank you, Lisa! And we’re due to get snow, oh dear, too soon!
Yes, a bit crazy, us too on Monday, apparently. It’s been too warm for it to stick and I doubt there will be much, but still…
Exactly…:)
What an amazing selection for your encore!🙂 Loved the vases and flowers and your final large arrangement is spectacular! I will miss your beautiful flowers, garden and arrangements, but look forward to seeing the beauty you capture and create through the rest of fall and winter.🙂
Thank you so much, Susan! You are very kind to say so. ❤
🙂
All lovely, the second vase being my favourite. I do love the striking colours!
Thank you, Belinda! The hues worked in my favor on that one. 🙂
Eliza, these are absolutely beautiful. Each one is joyous. We’re anticipating a freeze soon—later than usual.
Thank you, Susie. I think because these were the very last of the season, I’ve enjoyed them all the more. Now they are forecasting snow on Friday!
I am amazed you have so much left to pick from in your garden this late in the year. And they are as pretty and bright as any summer bouquet. I must go look again and see what I can salvage since cleaning up and leaf collection has occupied most of my time and thought.
Thanks for the tip about applying lime. I’ll give that a try.
I’m so glad I went round to glean, it was an unexpected bonus. But we are definitely done now and snow is forecast on Thurs. nite. So the long slog begins. 😉
Your vases and flower arrangements are always so spectacular Eliza! This week I think I liked the top one the best, if I had to choose. They are all gorgeous!
Thank you kindly, Maria! ❤
❤
Wonderful! I think that cuphea looks interesting. I’ve been eyeing up a fuchsia (speciosa) which looks quite similar.
Thank you, Allison. The Cuphea is a popular annual here; I love it and strike cuttings so that I can have it inside in winter. It flowers non-stop!
What lovely displays! I particularly like the blue vase and its occupants.
Thank you very much, Val! That was my favourite, too. 🙂
Pretty. I love the milk jug vase.
Thank you, Wendy!
All the arrangements are wonderful Eliza, what a treat to see so many flowers at this time of year! 🤗💖🌺 xxx
Thank you, Xenia! I was happy with the late showing, too.
Love ‘Fall in a Vase” and surprised to see Cigar Cuphea in November in Massachusetts! Weird, in Georgia our first frost was 11/7?! crazy. Soft, silent snow will soon blanket your garden – what will next year bring?
Thanks, Amy. Yes, it was an unusual fall this year. The cuphea was protected under a cypress. It, along with a nasturtium, lasted all the way to Nov.1 – amazing. Snow expected only one week later. We’ve slid to the other end of the spectrum in one week!
Unusual, indeed! Time to relax by the fire.
Ha! How did you know that is what I am doing right now? 😉
Exactly what I would do 🧡
All beautiful!
Thank you, Harold!
Funny we both used ‘encore’ in our titles this week! I love your arrangement in the blue vase that works so well with the yellow & gold. Your second is very nice too … natural and autumn feeling.
Thank you, Denise! GMTA 😉
oh my, they are just incredible works of art….you do an amazing job of arranging!
Thanks so much, Jen!
Beautiful flowers!!
Thank you!
You’re welcome 😇
Thanks!