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.