On October 10, we had our first frost, a heavy one that ended all tender plants in my garden. As I do every year, I gathered all useable blooms the day before, put them in vases, took photos and then placed the arrangements all through the house. I will feature a couple vases each Monday for the next few weeks to share them with you.
The above ‘cat in the garden’ pocket vase is a favorite, but I seldom use it as the opening is rather small and narrow. I filled it with Angelonia angustifolia Guardian Angel™ Berry Sparkler and a few Verbena bonariensis.
A second vase is more autumnal with Nigella papillosa seed heads, foliage from gooseneck loosestrife (Lysimachia clethroides) and burgundy Coleus. Blooms of ‘Autumn Joy’ sedum (Hylotelephium telephium ‘Herbstfreude’), love-lies-bleeding (Amaranthus caudatus), pink spider flower (Cleome hassleriana) and hardy daisy chrysanthemums (Dendranthema x) finish it.
Thanks to Cathy at Rambling in the Garden who hosts the weekly garden meme In A Vase On Monday, featuring flower arrangements from our gardens. Click the link to join the fun or see what other happy campers are sharing this week.
Eliza Waters 
Oh my, that is a lot of purply color! Gee, I can not imagine a frost so early.
Thanks, Tony. Frosts here used to come around the equinox, but CC has pushed that date forward a 3-4 weeks. A huge and rapid change in the past 20 years.
Extraordinary and disheartening.
It is a giant leap in evolutionary terms, a fact that deniers don’t seem to take into consideration. Our growing season is at least 6 (sometimes 8) weeks longer than in the 90s. Quite significant.
That is significant. I’m saddened by so many things these days, and continously puzzled by those who choose to ignore science for a fantasy world. In the end it serves no-one.
Agreed. 💕
Although we’ve had two light frosts, flower farms nearby and friends’ gardens were hit harder…oh well… nice that you had warning and were able to bring some joy indoors!
Thanks, Chris. It is inevitable this time of year. Work smarter, not harder. 😉 I used to try to cover things, but now I just glean and let the rest go.
I’ve never been tempted to cover things – at the end of the season I’m usually in a state of ‘garden exhaustion’ and am happy for dormancy/hibernation/guilt-free garden rambling with little to do. The down side of that attitude is I start buying tasteless produce earlier than if I HAD covered a few things…
That cat vase and those blooms were made to go together.
`That second bouquet is simply gorgeous.
Many thanks, Dale!
😊
Sad news
Yes, it always takes me a few days to adjust. 😢
You are a wise gardener to glean what you can before the deadly scythe of frost strikes your garden!
Thank you, Anne. Waste not, want not!:D
Delightful arrangements
Merci, Sheree!
Love the purples Eliza, and a pity of its demise. But…there’s always next year 🤗❤️🙏
Thanks, Mark. With time going ever faster, March will be here before I know it. 😉
Your arrangements are always lovely, and your vases take them to the next level. Applause to you this Monday.
Thank you, Judy!
Beautifully colored Angelonia, so perfect in the vase. I think we fortunately, were 5° above freezing. Verbena b. blooms for over 3 months. Your other vase is so pretty with the fall colors. Looking fwd to all your other arrangements.
Thank you, Alice!
LOVE that purple and am looking forward to the next few weeks as our temps will be dropping below freezing soon.
Thank you, Monika. It’s looking very autumnal out there right now!
Cat in the garden vase 🐾💜🍃🐾🤩 Purrrfect for that arrangement
Thank you, Susan! It’s a fun vase, right up my alley. 😉
I experienced that hard frost too. Always sad when that happens. I went out and covered a few things to try to preserve them, and I think they are okay so far – I have lots of cherry tomato vines still producing and I wasn’t ready to lose them! I’m glad you saved your beautiful flowers. I bet your garden is still lovely, with the hardy things still bringing delights.
Thank you, I miss the annuals already and of course, the hum of insects. Ah, well, time to rest!
I especially like the second arrangement. I’m more kindly disposed to the love-lies-bleeding in this one; it seems to fit perfectly. The colors are wonderful. It’s interesting to see how they’re echoed in the landscape behind the vase.
Thank you, Linda. While a flat background would show the flower details better, I like showing the changes in the yard as well. We’re definitely full-on autumn color right now.
Lovely that you could rescue your blossoms before the first hard frost nipped everything. No hard frost here yet. Nowadays, it comes about a month later than it once did. Looking forward to more pictures featuring your rescued flowers.
Thank you, Laurie. It can be a welcome thing to have a longer growing season, but one has to ponder if the price we’re paying for climate change is worth it. 😦
It was good that you were paying attention to the weather and cut your flowers on time. Love-lies-bleeding always catches my eye. I will need to try to grow some. The cat on your vase looks exactly like my cat.
Thank you, the cat vase always makes me smile. My cat no longer goes outside, but there was a time where I might see a kitty face keeping me company.
First frost already?? Well, I suppose it’s time, huh? We’ve dipped down into the 40s, but thus far, we feel more summery than fall. Love the idea of rescuing your posies to enjoy them in vases — and both of these are gorgeous!
Thank you, Debbie!
No frost here, yet. Warm temps continue. I look forward to your future arrangements!
Thank you, Sandy!
What a pretty kitty vase! Now that you’ve had your first frost you will have your summer memories to look back on.
Thank you, Barbara. It is fun to scroll through previous posts and revisit all the garden fun I had. 🙂
I’m glad you got ahead of the freeze. Pretty as the Angelonia in the first vase is, the cat vase stole the show for me as soon as I paged down to see it. You got a lot of use out of the Amaranthus this season – I must remember to sow the seeds next year.
https://krispgarden.blogspot.com/
Thank you, Kris. That vase certainly brings a smile to any cat lover. 🙂 I had only four Amaranthus and they produced a ton of flowers. One would have been enough!
A tinge of the bittersweet, seeing the last of your flowers for the season. Smart to prepare a few ahead. Angelonia is one of my favorite annuals, self-reliant and gorgeous.
Thank you, Susie. Definitely bittersweet, gardening is such a balm for me. I miss tending it and seeing all the pollinators that use it, too.
That first purply vase is an absolute delight, and what an intriguing thing the vase itself is! The first frost has a lot to answer for, and I look forward to seeing the remainder of your summer blooms over the next few weeks
Thank you, Cathy. I’m adjusting. 😉
Oh I can see why that cat vase is a favourite. How sad that frost has arrived. We’ve only had a light one yet, but still most flowers are gone over at this point
Thanks, Karina. It is sad to see the end of the flowers, but March will come round again. The winter’s rest will do me good. 🙂
Loving the cat vase here! Brrr already? The big vase is a great send off to summer with the touches of burgundy. Enjoy the flower filled house.
Thank you, Amy, A bit like a flower shop in here!
Lovely bouquets !!
Thank you! 🙂
What a great way to salvage the blooms. The purple flowers really pop in the cat vase.
Thank you, Rebecca, that is a fun vase. 🙂
Oh, that purple is gorgeous!! I love the vase, too. The way the second arrangement drapes is gorgeous. ♥
Thank you, Robin!
What a good idea! 40 years in winter climate, you think I would’ve thought of something like that!? 😜
Ha, thanks Bela. No need to worry about frost where you live now!
Surely not! 🙃🌊🌴😝
Lovely arrangements, as always. When I came back from my trip, the knife of frost had cut through my community garden flowers. I have snapdragons and a few Rudbeckia left.
Thank you, Tom. I know acceptance of ‘what is’ is important, but yeah, one can’t help but feel a loss. Onward!
I miss the flowers, but I’m already enjoying the beauty of seed season.
👍🏼 🍂
I had not heard of Angelonia. It looks like another of those Zone 9-11 plants that are meant to be grown as annuals. I’m in Zone 8 so sometimes manage to overwinter Tweedia and Cuphea.
I love the kitty vase!
Thank you, Audrey. I recommend Angelonia, a very prolific annual that comes in a wide range of colours.
What a cute vase Eliza! The purples are all lovely, especially the Angelonia. And I love the Nigella seedheads – so tall! It is bittersweet, isn’t it, when the frost finishes everything off. I shall look forward to your occasional glimpses back to October in the middle of winter!
Thank you, Cathy! I have a few posts in the wings. 🙂
You’re using my favourite colours here today! The cat pocket vase is super cute and suits the mop top of Angelonia perfectly. I’ve never grown Angelonia. Is it an easy Do-er? Shame to hear that frosts have started though.
Thank you, Allison. Angelonia is super easy. It might object to excessive rain as it tends to be drought tolerant. I basically plant it and forget it, and it just keeps on blooming. Beautiful range of colours, too.
wow what amazing colours…. love it.
Thank you, Dymoon!
So sorry to hear the first frost ended so many tender plants in the garden Eliza. The flowers you’ve brought in look gorgeous in their vases 💜 xxx
Thank you, Xenia. One must accept that resistance is futile! 😀
OMG, I just love the cat vase and those purple flowers!!🙂
🙂 Thank you, it’s a fun one!
I like your foresight to bring flowers in before the frost. Aren’t you clever. As for that cat vase, you’ve stopped me in my tracks. I did a double take, as it resembles a teacup gifted to me over forty years ago. If I’m right, I’ll share the link.
Thanks, Alys 🙂 That vase is from that era, so it may be of the same line. Do you still have the cup?
I do! I’ve used it for flowers over the years, but it currently resides on my crafting desk. Here’s a pic from 2020: https://gardeningnirvana.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/cat-mug-for-craft-room.jpg
My friend Carrielin gave me the cup when we were in college in the early 1980’s. I’ve always loved the handle.
Same artist, yes?
Yes, it is the same! How cool is that? The handle is a nice touch. Thanks for sharing the pic!
Im tickled pink!
💖
The flowers are so pretty! We also had our first frost by now. It is currently around 28F this morning.
Thank you, Maria! Nippy nights, and wood stove warming us up. 🙂
Wonderful!!
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