Dried poppy seed pods make a simple arrangement along with a mini-pumpkin brushed in gold as a prop. Thursday is Thanksgiving Day here in the US, with pumpkin pie an essential part of the feast. Best wishes and gratitude to all who will be celebrating.
The vase, actually half a vase, was a thrift store find. Dating from post-war Japan, I was charmed by its delicate hand-painted chrysanthemums with gilt edging and the unusual design that allows it to stand on its own or be hung on a wall.
Thanks to Cathy at Rambling In the Garden, who hosts a weekly meme to showcase arrangements created from our gardens. Wander over to see what gardeners all over the world are arranging this week.
This week is the fourth anniversary for Cathy at 
The props, a skeletonized sea fan, small shell and piece of sponge coral, were also beach finds. The wooden puzzle of a tropical fish was purchased on a different trip to Jamaica.
Wander over to Cathy’s to see what innovative arrangements gardeners all over the world have created this week.
I gathered the makings of this arrangement while walking along our trail by the river. As you can see in the background, most of the foliage has fallen from the trees and the garden is heading towards dormancy. Though the stalwart lamb’s ears and blood grass are still going strong.
Invasive Asian bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus) and European privet (Ligustrum vulgare) berries abound and continue to be spread in bird droppings, so I may as well enjoy their beauty before they get tossed for incineration. Red oak (Quercus rubra), Crocosmia foliage and Christmas fern (Polystichum acrostichoides) fronds were added to the mix placed in my Art Deco style tripod glass vase.
Thanks to Cathy at 
Just in time for Halloween, this gal built an elaborate nest in a small maple sapling. When I saw her she was just inches away from my face, causing me to jump back in surprise. “Oh! Hello there!” She didn’t seem bothered by my curiosity and photo-taking.
Eliza Waters 