Having plentiful cut flowers through the end of October has been a special treat this season. Now I face the cutting garden finale, with low temperatures dropping to or below freezing for the next five days. Bye-bye, growing season.
The Snapdragons (Antirrhinum majus 'Rocket Mix') in the first photo will last a few days, but the Hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla) will dry and last indefinitely. Yay.
I will especially miss the Zinnias (Z. elegans 'State Fair Mix' and 'Zowie' Yellow Flame). They are so tall and vibrant and cheery. A flower stem from Coleus scutellarioides 'Wizard Mix' and filler stems of A. densiflorus round out the simple mix.
Oh well, time to turn inward and focus on the upcoming holidays. Plenty of dried and purchased cut flowers will be available in the the months ahead. Thanks to Cathy at Rambling in the Garden for hosting this meme.
Beautiful Beth! Love the first one with the special vase and one of my all-time favorites, hydrangeas. Bundle up and enjoy the weather each day.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Susie. I love the Hydrangeas, too. I think I like them at this stage and dried as much as fresh from the bud. I'm trying to be optimistic about the months ahead. Once I get over the first truly cold winter days, it's a bit easier...if the winter doesn't last too long. ;-)
DeleteLiking quirky things, I love the actual vase in your first contribution - and the simplicity of the contents. But what a glorious array of perfect blooms yu have in the other one - definitely a fitting last hurrah!
ReplyDeleteYes, I'm so glad I found that vase. It sits by the kitchen sink nearly all the time since it's a mini vase. I had a larger head vase, but it cracked. The last hurrah is difficult, but I'm thankful I once again had some healthy blooms this growing season. :)
DeleteI love the zinnias the best! They are my favorite flowers, especially the shocking vibrant colors. I hate to see them freeze. We have the same weather of 5 nights of below freezing in the forecast. I think I am ready for a slower time in winter.
ReplyDeleteJeannie@GetMeToTheCountry
I have so many favorites, but the Zinnias are with us for so long since they rebloom with cutting, from June through October. And they're also special because I grew them from seed. Sounds like your forecast is similar to ours. Brrrr...
DeleteThe snapdragon mimics a feather-flourish in a lady's fancy hat, Beth. Very stylish! I sympathize with your feelings about the end of your garden season - even though there'll be some flowers here through the winter, I'm feeling the loss of my dahlias right now.
ReplyDeleteYes, good point! That vase is definitely a favorite since it's fun to see her change of hats. ;-) Dahlias are really special, aren't they? I hope my next garden will be a little sunnier so I can grow more Dahlias.
DeletePretty! The last flowers are always special aren't they. 😃 Hope a few blooms survive another week for you, despite the colder weather… some of mine have kept going pretty well so far. 😃
ReplyDeleteYes, they are. We had a harder frost/freeze last night. A few of the blooms survived, including some of the Snapdragons and Fuchsias. But the Zinnias are done. :(
DeleteThose zinnias have such a lovely rich colour and look very good together.
ReplyDeleteThey are fun flowers to grow...and all from seed. They give me so much hope when I start them at the end of winter/early spring each year...and then transplant into the May garden. :)
DeleteJust added a dried Hydrangea from a few years ago to a display. They are such a wonderful flower to be able to use once everything else is cut down. Love the first vase itself. What a great container.
ReplyDeleteYes, agreed on the Hydrangeas. I still have dried ones from years ago, and now some new ones this year. I really enjoy the face/head vases.
DeleteMy last fresh bouquet was October 19th. It has been a lovely October.
ReplyDeleteHappy November!
Carla
Happy November! Yes October was warm and comfortable. What a great growing season, even with the heat. A little more rain would have been nice, but every year has its blessings and challenges.
DeleteWell, that's a lovely farewell to your summer flowers. I love your white lady.
ReplyDeleteThank you. Oh yes, she's a fun little vase. :)
DeleteYour late season blooms are lovely. My garden has a few hardy roses still blooming. Other than that, almost everything has been taken by the frost and now the cold.
ReplyDeleteMind blowing blog
ReplyDelete