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 into vases, took photos and then placed the arrangements throughout the house to enjoy. To share them with you, I featured my first two vases last Monday, my second post today and there will be another next week.
The above vase is a beloved one that I bought from a potter in New Hampshire over 40 years ago. She had changed her technique and I was fortunate to get one of the last in her old style of glazing. The flowers are: Dahlias, red ‘Debora Renae’, yellow ‘Lemonade’ and pink ‘Chilson’s Pride,’ Zinnia elegans ‘Aurora’, Nicotiana alata (right foreground) and Nicotiana x sanderae ‘Select Watercolor’ in back. Filler is feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium).
My second vase has pink Dahlia ‘Chilson’s Pride’, spider flower (Cleome hassleriana), and Zinnia angustifolia ‘Profusion Cherry Bicolor’.
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 others are sharing this week.
Eliza Waters 
I’m so glad you gathered these before the frost, Eliza. So pretty. It looks liked our temps will finally be down in the frost zone this week.
Thank you, Sandy. Frosts seem to be coming later and later, a mixed blessing?
I think so.
Feverfew looks big, like Paris daisy.
They don’t require much to be happy. 🙂
That has to be hard each year, knowing the next day all color will ‘shift’ to white. But I suppose it will then give a huge appreciation next year when they all sing so beautifully again. Thank you for sharing the last hurrah kind lady, lovely arrangements. May it be ‘six months’ soon 🤗❤️🙏
Thanks, Mark. It is quite the step down in activity level for me, but rest is good, I guess. Already envisioning the spring!
Reading time, or online adventures of those gardens in the other half of the world. You never know what will ‘spring’ a new idea for next year 🤗❤️🙏
Very nicely glazed vase. ‘Chilson’s Pride’ is gorgeous. It’s gotten chilly here, no frost. Saw a Bumble, yesterday afternoon. 7am & 62°
Thank you, Alice. Mild today, with southern winds, and glad for the rain. 50s coming mid-week.
Hi Eliza. How beautiful and yet tinged with sadness as soon there will be no more vases. Or not like this anyway.
We are being deluged! (Is that bad English?? Anyway you know what I mean) It started raining last night and isn’t due to stop until tomorrow. We are so not used to rain. Thank goodness it didn’t do this for the whole time we were on the boat or we would have been very limited. As it is I am going stir crazy already and will have to walk in the rain shortly rather than be confined all day. We only have a week left before returning to the Shack so I hope the rain stops soon so we can continue exploring.
Hope you have recovered after the excitement of the No Kings Day. I am relieved there was no trouble -: it must’ve been quite something to be there.
MJ
Thank you, MJ. Yes, a bit sad as the last of these bouquets fade away. I could scrounge up some current things for a vase, but as you wrote, nothing like these!
I’m glad that the protests were peaceful and some were downright jolly with costumes and music. The signs were esp. good! The numbers keep growing, hurrah. 👍🏼
In the first bouquet, those red dahlias are such a deep and rich color. And what a pretty vase. The second bouquet is quieter but nonetheless lovely.
Thank you, Laurie. I love that red dahlia!
Your beloved vase is lovely. The second bouquet is especially appealing to me. I never would have guessed ‘zinnia’ for those lovely cream-and-cherry flowers!
Thank you, Linda. I think breeders are experimenting hybridizing species of various plants, combining features and hardiness. The ‘Profusion’ series has become an annual favorite of mine for its exuberance, as well as drought and mildew resistance.
This was a delightful bonanza of the end-of-season gathering, Eliza. It reminded me of the finale in a fireworks show–stunning.
Thank you, Jet. It does feel like that!
Both look absolutely delightful, Eliza, I’m glad you were able to safe the flowers before the frost. You have some truly beautiful dahlias, I especially love the pink one which looks great in the company of cleome and zinnia. Wishing you a good week
Thank you, Annette!
Oh I especially love your second vase today, Eliza, with its more limited colour palette – it’s just so pretty! You could have spread your last hurrah out over 6 weeks instead of 3 if you posted just one vase each week, couldn’t you?! 😉
Thank you, Cathy. I could have strung it out, but I figured folks would get bored seeing ‘old news.’ 😀
Oh, my, these dahlias have captured my heart! Such a wise thing to do, saving these beauties before the frost took them and sharing them here!
Thank you, Debbie. I miss those dahlias already!
What a lovely nod to blooming flowers this time of year. We had our first frost a couple of days ago but things are still blooming since it wasn’t too bad. I did cut down all the zinnias so I won’t have to do that once it snows closer to Halloween which it does nearly every year. Almost feel sorry for trick-r-treaters. But then the doorbell rings and I take back any sympathy. 😆
And the doorbell rings and rings and rings, lol! I always feel sympathy for those townies and suburbanites who get deluged. Even our small town center sees 400 kids… that’s a lot of candy to pay for$$! Thanks, Monika!
The pink and yellow dahlias are lovely and delicate. I think I need to plant more flowers for cutting next year!
Thanks, Tom. Cutting gardens bring me great joy, highly recommended! 👍🏼
Delightful — love the daisies with burgundy, light pink and yellow, just wow! 🤩
Thank you, Susan! 💕
Even with the touches of burgundy color you included, both arrangements still have a carefree, summery air to them, Eliza! I think I might have to order myself a ‘Chilson’s Pride’ Dahlia tuber to grow next year.
Thanks, Kris. I recommend it, a nice compact 4′ bush and loads of blooms that keep on coming.
I have fallen in love with that pink dahlia Eliza! ❣️It looks lovely in both vases, with the nicotiana or cleome complimenting it. Beautiful combinations. 😃
Thank you, Cathy. I share your love for ‘Chilson’s Pride’… it’s a winner! I’ve grown it several years and it produces very well.
I was just thinking the same thing about that Dahlia! and the Feverfew, wondering if it will grow here. I love the glaze on the vase, what is the new style like?
As I recall, the new style was all browns, grays and pebbly. Didn’t like it at all! The earlier style was turquoise, blues and greens, much more to my liking. You made me curious, so I looked to see if she was still working and it appears she is, though I couldn’t find a website, only her business registry. There were even some of her pieces on eBay.
Color always wins with me.
Gorgeous! They look like they could be water-colour paintings from a bygone era. 🙂
Thank you! 🙂
Lovely pre-frost memories. 💙 The vase brings to mind the ocean.
Thank you, Barbara. Good analogy!
you showcase the most beautiful arrangements
Thank you kindly, Dymoon! 🙂
What beautiful gardens you must have! Lovely arrangements.
Thank you, Rebecca. I’m happiest in the garden, so it is always an adjustment transitioning into dormancy. 😢
What a nice idea, so much better than letting them all go mushy. Good thing I’m not seeing something like this in January, I’d be putting together a big seed order for zinnias and tuber order for dahlias and then complaining in May!
Thanks, Frank. I know what you mean. Even though I pare my orders down to what I believe is austere, when the order comes, oy, it has to be dealt with!
Beautiful flower arrangements but my favourite is the second one.
Thank you! I miss my dahlias already. 😦
Your home must feel wonderful this time of year with all the beautiful flowers. Love the first arrangement!🙂
Thank you, S. I do love having lots of vases around the house. I go through the vases nearly every day to cull and refresh… it’s two weeks since the frost, and it is amazing that I still have a few flowers left. However, Summer is already a fading memory. 🍂