Each Little World

IVOM: Nearing the end

With the weather getting colder and windy, I decided not to wait to cut some fall foliage while it still was suitable for a vase; actually a low bowl with 3 different size metal ikebana frogs in the bottom.

This annual arrangement tends to be my last one of the growing season. I am endlessly fond of playing with an armload of foliage, thus at this stage of the game, if I cut it I use it. I wasn't  sure how long the golden Cinnamon ferns would hold up; but they were too beautiful not to use. I put this together on Wednesday, Oct. 14.

There were still plenty of lacy leaves left on the assorted Thalictrums to cut. 

I'm not sure what fern this is, but it had curled and dried in this elegant fashion in an earlier bouquet. When that arrangement was discarded, I moved the fern into this new display.

The Hakonechloa grass add a touch of lightness and brightness, but it dried up within a very short time.

The Cinnamon ferns crinkled up quickly but they paired nicely with the dried Hydrangea flowerhead. 

Cimicifugas, with their long wands of tiny pink or white blossoms, have a delicate air in flower that is quite a contrast from their dramatic purple-black seedheads.

Hosta flowers also produce unexpectedly dramatic seedheads as these green clumps demonstrate.

A week later, I added some golden Thalictrum foliage to go with the yellowing Hosta leaves and ferns. 

A few days later, I decided it was time to pull out the dying green and brown ferns and the Hakonechloa grass that looks like string draped in the bouquet.

Ten days after I put this grouping together, I added some fresh greens to perk it up.

A few stems of Oreganum l'Herenhausen' repeated the dark coloring of the Cimicifuga seedheads. 

The majority of Epimedium foliage is still green but I found these bronzed leaves on the E. 'Lilac Fairy.'

Almost all of the Hostas in the garden are visibly suffering from drought followed by cold and wind. But the foliage of Hosta 'El Nino' was in almost perfect condition. Thalictrum 'Black Stockings,' a June bloomer for me, is the only one with beautiful foliage still standing. 

I'm hoping I will find more foliage in the garden to keep refreshing this bouquet, but the next four nights our temperatures are dropping down into the 20°F., so I will just have to wait and see what happens.

In a Vase on Monday: Yellow Tricyrtis

I clipped more Toad lilies on Friday afternoon before the temperatures took a dive. The foliage on Tricyrtis hirta 'Lemon Twist' was hard hit by drought and heat at the end of the summer and was pretty crisp and brown. I removed most of it, though perhaps one might let it alone to echo the brown speckles on the inside of the flowers. 

The creamy white stems are the flowers of Heucher 'Brownies'.

I have a love/hate relationship with this toad lily because it always seems to have foliage issues by the time the flowers open.

But the flowers are so large and lovely, that last autumn I spread the plants out so I'd have twice as many this year. Worked beautifully: Twice the flowers and twice the crunchy brown leaves!

One stem of Tricyrtis macrantha, yellow bell toad lily, was finally opening so I clipped it and brought it indoors. Then I made Date and Nut Bread from Frances Palmer's just-published book, "Life in the Studio: Inspiration and Lessons on Creativity."

The flower and the slice of bread were both enjoyed by this gardener on a chilly afternoon. 

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day: 10.15.2020

Since our weather forecast predicts frost tonight and potentially a week of rain beginning on Saturday, I went outdoors yesterday afternoon with the garden clippers to see what was still in bloom. Autumn Crocus and Toad lilies were the only flowers left in the garden, though they were surrounded by beautiful foliage everywhere I looked. I brought an armful of Toad lilies inside for a vase. This grouping includes Tricyrtis formosana, T. hurta and T. 'Miyazaki'.

Even if most of these buds don't open, I always enjoy the look of them all puffed up, ready and waiting. 

Tricyrtis 'Lightning Strike' has dramatic striped foliage.

A little autumn at the door

I am definitely low key when it comes to outside decorations. I tend to do more indoor seasonal displays but sometimes it's nice to acknowledge the change of seasons.

This very large platter is next to our front door. We have 7 different wood fired ceramic platters on the outside walls of our house. Most are by Mark Skudlarek of Cambridge Woodfired Pottery in Cambridge, WI. When we saw them display on outside walls at the pottery, we did the same at our house. 

I love the intense butterscotch color of these bur oak leaves.

A few potted plants are opposite the front door by the stone steps up into the front garden. All are recent purchases; the rosemary will come inside any day now.

I had to move the three pots out of the way for a delivery, so I put them on the steps. I think I like that location better than on the ground since it raises them up where you get a better view.

IVOM: Gatherings before the rain

Saturday afternoon was the last warm day for some time. Rain was forecast for Sunday, so I grabbed my garden clippers and took cuttings of anything that looked appealing. We need the rain, so I am glad it arrived on schedule and I am equally glad that I cut enough material to make four bouquets.

These arrangements include Thalictrum, Cimicifuga, Aquilegia, Spirea, Hosta seedheads, Heuchera flowers, Annabell Hydrangea and Hakonechloa grass. There are dried Dahlia flowers and assorted seedheads from various years that I've saved to use now and again in fall displays

The photos from outdoors are the correct colors of this vase. It is now enjoying a spot in a front of a Cezannesque landscape painting where the light and wall color are influencing the image. 

Thalictrum flowers seem to fade almost instantly when cut and put in a vase. But I love the movement, whether the wind outdoors or me walking past the vase indoors. 

All those muted and rusty colors demanded to put near similar objects in the living room. 

IVOM: Late August blooms

I decided to clip a few flowers to save them from the hot and windy weather we've been having. A storm was forecast so I went out as the sky got darker. Alas, the storm passed us by again. So no rain, but at least we can enjoy a bit of beauty in the house.

Our gardening neighbor grows a Kiwi vine on the fence between our gardens. It crawls over onto our side in the most wonderful way. But I tend to clip the long tendrils that want to rise up into the adjacent trees. I decided it was time to bring one of them indoors to showcase. 

I added a lichen covered branch and a wand of hips from Rosa glauca.

The Kiwi leaves started to fade quickly, but they were fun while they lasted.

The Lohan has been patiently waiting for a new bouquet.

Fennel flower heads, Kirengeshoma palmata Koreana group, Hakoenechloa grass and a large quilted leaf of Hosta 'Inniswood.'

Though I've done a lot of watering, a month without rain has caused much of the foliage in the garden to burn and begin to brown. 

A quick arrangement for the table of Calamintha nepeta ssp. nepeta, the flowers of garlic chives and a few Hosta blooms. 

Still no rain but at least the temperatures have moderated, so I am out to the garden again to plant some of the things that are lined up on the deck awaiting their new homes.

Spots of color inside and out

We are having a heat and humidity wave but the rain keeps passing us by. I picked a quick bouquet of Heuchera flowers. I have a number of plants of this variety but haven't a clue as to which one it is. I only know it produces more flowers than any other one I grow. 

I brought in this broken branch from one of my species Peonies indoors because I love the seed pods. They start out looking like green jester's caps. 

To my surprise, it opened up to display its dramatic interior after a few days in water in the house. The red seeds are the infertile ones.

My Rosa glauca only got flowers on one long cane. I really grow it for the foliage and it never got Japanese beetles this summer, so I am more than happy with this modest display of rose hips coloring up. The foliage in this photo is from the Peony and Hellebore growing beneath the rose. 

IVOM: Hostas star

I am not a big fan of Hosta flowers but sometimes they call out to be used in an arrangement. 

The bowl is bored by Allium 'Summer Beauty' which grows in abundance in my garden. 

The central display are flowers from smaller Hostas like 'Golden Tiara' and 'Feather Boa.'

IVOM: A big vase for a big flower

Almost any type of summer blooming lily is tall and needs a vase to match if you want to display them indoors. This glass vase is perfect for one tall stem, which I think is also the perfect way to showcase these drama queens. This one is Lilium lancifolium flore pleno.

IVOM: Little leftovers

This stem on this Veronicastrum virginicum 'Fascination' had broken, so I clipped it off along with some Astrantia that needed cutting back.

Before i knew it, I had a vase full of flowers. 

As most of the filler plants in this vase are a week old, I aded assorted Geraniums and a few Heuchera flowers to perk things up.

I need to go out in the garden with my clippers, but without a plan, more often.