On October 10, we had our first heavy frost, ending 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, then placed the arrangements throughout the house to enjoy. (Most are now in the compost!) To share them with you, I featured my first two vases two weeks ago, my second two last Monday, ending today with my last installment.
One bright red zinnia (Z. elegans ‘Sprite’) accompanies yellow and orange marigolds (Calendula officinalis) in a cluster of several bronze fennel blooms, as well as a black-eyed susan (Rudbeckia hirta), a nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus) sprig, Verbena bonariensis and flowering tobacco (Nicotiana alata and N. langsdorffii).
The above stoneware pitcher is filled with daisies of feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium) and garden mums (Dendranthema), lavender aster (Symphyotrichum cordifolium) pink, purple and white spider flower (Cleome hassleriana) and flowering tobacco (Nicotiana alata and N. langsdorffii).
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 still amazed that gardens were still glowing with all these at this time Eliza. Gratefully received, viewed and put in the memory banks kind lady 🤗❤️🙏
Thanks, Mark. The long wait to April begins!
Gives you a chance to contemplate how your gardens will be arranged for next spring 🤗❤️🙏
Splendid! It is hard to imagine frost already though.
Frost in New England comes later nowadays, it used to be around the equinox, but I don’t mind having a few more weeks to enjoy the season.
the first frost did not take them all out!
I can’t bear to waste a single bloom!
I know!! and I felt the beauty in the photos – and needed the floral boost – all I have here are a few stray hydrangea blooms – and I treasure each one
xxx
Flowers feed the soul. 🙂
indeed – 🙂
and so do out blogging friends
wishing oyu a great week
🙏🏼
Must have been wonderful to wander thru your home a few weeks ago, with flowers everywhere! It’s great to end the season on a high note like that, eh? These are beautiful!
Thank you, Chris. The effort is worth it, for sure. And stringing out the joy for a few weeks here is too. Now we rest!
That was such a clever idea, to gather your last flowers, create the bouquets, and then take photos to share over time. Both of these are lovely, although the warm colors of the marigolds and zinnia are especially nice.
Thank you, Linda. I will miss the exuberance and choice of summer, but the time has come to rest!
The red, yellow and apricot-y are looking beautiful…love the Cleome flowers. Thank you for all your beautiful arrangements, this year!! Chilly last night, but no frost. Brought at least 10 plants in.
Thank you, Alice. Glad you enjoyed them. 🙂 We’ve had hard frosts every night now, the last stalwarts in the garden are getting tired.
Such lovely flowers. Now it is the waiting period for them to bloom again in the spring.
I am in the mode of cleaning up the garden and will be planting a few more bulbs to get flowers earlier in the spring. It is a lot of fun to plan the garden for the upcoming season. (Suzanne)
Thank you, Suzanne. The frosts have been coming nightly now, winter is on its way. Spring bulbs are something I always look forward to, esp. the tiny snowdrops that are the first to bloom, announcing the end of winter!
Such beauty! We had our first frost last night, but many plants died before that because of the long drought we had this summer.
Thank you, Hien! Heading into hibernation mode. 🙂
What a glory of beauty!!! Until next year…..❤️
Thank you, C. Are we ready for the dormant season??? 😉
yes. each year my body is more ready for rest – and the pause makes everything sweeter in the spring!
You managed to get a nice selection before the frost.
Thank you, I think I got about eight vases out before the end, worth the effort!
They each have their own charm but admit I did a lovely sigh when I saw the daisy one.
Thank you, Dale. Daisies never fail to cheer. 🙂
You’ve got that right!
I’m so pleased you were able to rescue so many of your beautiful blooms.
Thank you, Anne. Letting go of my garden is hard, but the gleanings are at least some consolation. 🙂
Distressed as I am when my summer blooms slowly give way as the season draws to a close, I can’t imagine how you feel when frost sweeps in and takes them out overnight. Your fall bounty was beautiful, though and I’m glad you can share the flowers with us now.
https://krispgarden.blogspot.com/
Thank you, Kris. It does tug the heart having to let go and adjust to a bland, sere landscape, with darker days and little to brighten things up. Thankfully, TJs has plenty of flowers to bring home. 😉
A cheery bunch to end your flowery season. Nice that you have (had?) so many lovelies in the garden.
Thank you, Tina. Overall, it was a great garden year, but always sad to see the end. It’s a long walk through the desert until spring!
And our ‘second spring’ just sprung into action with some much needed rain and cooler temperatures. Our first ‘real’ cold front comes in tomorrow. The monarchs are coming through and I’m so glad there’s plenty for them in my garden!
Yay to that! 👍🏼 👏🏼
It’s tragic that the frost can end all your still-vibrant blooms in one fell swoop – here, it would instantly kill any dahlias, but hardy perennials would probably survive the lighter frosts. As you say, it is clearly worth your (superhuman) effort to cut all your blooms and enjoy them inside for as long as possible. I particularly liked the freshness of your second vase today
Thank you, Cathy. The switch from nearly too-many flowers to hardly none at all takes a serious mind-adjustment. It doesn’t get easier with the passing years!
Yes, that’s a good point – our first frosts are quite as debilatating as that
You know, I think these are even prettier, now that we know Fall and Winter are nearing! The colors are especially beautiful, and I like how you’ve compiled the warm colors in the first vase and the cool colors in the pitcher. I’m sorry to see this series end, but we’ll look forward to more of your creations next year.
Thank you, Debbie. They say absence makes the heart grow fonder!
Oh, they are beautiful arrangements, Eliza! You certainly have a talent for combining elements in collections. Happy vase day!
Thank you, Beth! 🙂
Lovely to be transported back a few weeks to the glory of summer annuals! I love your Calendula and Zinnias. And the second vase is so pretty with all the daisies and Cleome and Nicotiana too. Wonderful! 😁
Thank you, Cathy. It was a lovely finale to the season!
A beautiful ending to flower season!!🙂
Thank you, I enjoyed the season very much!
They went out with a bang!
Thanks, Monika, they certainly did!
A lovely way to say goodbye to the season. All the arrangements look great.
I cut my last few flowers from my cutting garden: two Rudbeckia and one tiny but colorful (blue-red) bachelor’s button.
Thanks, Tom. I will miss getting lost in my garden, but there will be more time to read and blog, I guess. Enjoy your last blooms. 🙂
I’ll continue to get lost in the woods and meadows! And I’ll start planning next years community garden plot, where I group flowers for cutting. vegetables, and herbs.
👍🏼 😎
They are so lovely as usual! I enjoy seeing your vases.
Thank you, Maria!
These are spectacular Eliza 💞
Thank you, Val! 🙂
Oh I love the calendula vase, although as usual they’re all wonderful. First real frost here on Monday. I have to think about digging stuff like cannas and dahlias… hmmmm.
Thank you, Frank. I picked up my first store bouquet yesterday… lovely, but just not the same, alas. I’ve dug and washed my dahlias… I need to divide them and wrap them to store, somehow not yet in the mood to do so!
A lovely season finale, Eliza! I must give Calendula another try. I seem to overwater them – I think?! The arrangement has a wonderful shape.
Thank you, Amy. I think calendula like it on the dry side, I know that they like it hot, but their fuzzy/sticky foliage might not like a lot of dampness.
I see them all summer on blogs and then decide to try them in winter – they almost get a bud and rot! Maybe I should try them in full sun?
Yes, full sun might work. It may be the humidity is too much? I think they originated in the Mediterranean, so hot and dry they seem to thrive in.
My Vermillionair and Salvia as well as Kale and a few others I see still hanging on brrr not sure how they are.
Calendula are hanging on barely, but not much else. The frosts have been thorough.
Ice many morning on all the cars and trucks here.
These are beautiful.
Thank you, Rupali!
Very pretty and a good idea to savor every last beautiful bloom!
Thank you, Denise. I definitely did. 🙂
Your arrangements are true art… beautiful creation of your garden’s creation 🥰
Thank you, Randall. I love playing with flowers! 🙂
Beautiful!
Thank you, Cindy!