Don't get me wrong; I love gathering the first snowdrops of the year to put in a vases. Or the first lilies of the valley or Tulips or Peonies. But my favorite display of the year is the one I did this weekend.
I walked all through the garden cutting foliage and drying flower-and-seedheads. Periodically I went back to the deck and stuck my most recent handful of stems into containers of water I had at the ready on the table. When I had more than enough greenery I put a metal frog in the bottom of a bowl and got to work.
I love contrasting and comparing foliage at this season. Plus, this is a great way to see what lasts indoors and for how long. Until frost turns most of the garden to mush, I can keep replenishing this bouquet. The flowers that look like Hydrangeas are Euphorbia palustris, with a Cimicifuga flower spike gone to seed.
The display includes assorted Tricyrtis foliage along with the little orbs that are Anemone seedheads and the reddish dried flowers of Astilbes.
I clipped Cimicifuga foliage turning gold as well as some tending toward purple; neither lasted very long. The big green leaf on the bottom right is a hardy Begonia topped with Astrantia 'Vanilla Gorilla'.
I long ago lost track of the names of my Heucheras. I just know they give me lots of options for bouquets like this.
The stripped foliage of Tricyrtis 'Lightning Strike' is a standout in any arrangement. The bouquet also included foliage from Bergenias, Hostas, ferns and trailing stems of Euonymous minima.
To see what other gardeners have put in a vase today, visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden who hosts this marvelous Monday meme.
Taking time to really appreciate what your garden's produced is probably the very best aspect of flower - and foliage - arranging. The fact that you're able to use what you've cut to create new arrangements for weeks to come is a major bonus.
Posted by: Kris P | Monday, October 28, 2019 at 10:33 AM
My goodness. That is one big bunch of foliage. I love the variegated toad lily foliage. I think it would look great with the hardy begonia foliage. Fun vases this week.
Posted by: Lisa at Greenbow | Monday, October 28, 2019 at 07:14 PM
That marsh spurge is such a great ingredient for arrangements. An old Plant Delights listing says it blooms in early summer. Did those bracts last all season, or did your wet year encourage it to bloom later/longer? Does it self-seed? <--(another question prompted by the PD info)
Posted by: Nell | Monday, October 28, 2019 at 08:21 PM
That's fabulous, Linda! You are very talented with foliage combinations. They are truly beautiful.
Posted by: Beth@PlantPostings | Monday, October 28, 2019 at 09:03 PM
Perfection! I've been doing similar, as we flirt with a killing frost (so far not). What is the big "fanned" out leave front and center in the first photo. I should know it (I think), but can't place it.
Posted by: Loree / danger garden | Wednesday, October 30, 2019 at 10:57 AM
That fan-like foliage is a Thanksgiving blooming Hellebore. It has big buds under the fallen tree leaves though they are probably going to freeze with this change in the weather. It is an unnamed H. niger from the late Seneca Hill Perennials.
Posted by: Linda Brazill | Wednesday, October 30, 2019 at 01:33 PM
I think those are later flowers on the spurge. I planted it last fall and so it has not really had time reseed. Now I will need to watch it since you mentioned it. It is a fairly big and rangy plant. Its roots are getting a bit of pond water and it is not getting as much sun as it might like. The flowers did not last as long as cut blooms as I had hoped.
Posted by: Linda Brazill | Wednesday, October 30, 2019 at 01:39 PM