Magical September Flowers in a Vase on Monday

This may be the mildest and most beautiful September I've experienced. High pressure has dominated, so we've had clear blue skies, light breezes, and temps in the 70s and 80s (21-30C) all month. Some folks are eager for cooler fall days, but the conditions are perfect in my book.

Anyway, the garden is happy with a little help from the gardener with watering. And the flowers in the cutting garden continue to bloom with abandon.



The arrangement at the top includes various Zinnias (Z. elegans),



Foliage from Cosmos (C. bipinnatus) and Hydrangeas (H. macrophylla),



Blue Mistflower (Conoclinium coelestinum) blooms, which currently dominate the cutting garden, and

Cheerful Cosmos (C. bipinnatus) blossoms, which brighten any day.



The second arrangement is more typically summer "warm" in its appearance.



A few creamy white spikes of Mistflower add some sparks,



Along with more Zinnias that look like sunshine itself,



And a few sprigs of various Coleus (C. scutellarioides) foliage for more color and framing.

It's such a joy to have bright flowers and foliage from May through mid-October (or maybe longer this year?). And most of these were grown from seeds started indoors in March or tiny seedlings planted in the garden in early May. I will miss them.

Head on over to Cathy's blog, Rambling in the Garden, to celebrate "In a Vase on Monday."

Six Favorite Hummingbird Flowers

Recently, as I watched a sweet little hummingbird swoop from flower to flower, I thought about the amazing little creatures' favorite blooms, and the ones I'd actually seen them enjoying.

One flower that specific little hummer was nectaring on was Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis), which is very high in sugar content. Known to be one of the birds' favorites, Jewelweed is an annual that re-seeds itself and tends to have good years and "meh" years here. This was a good summer for this plant because we had plentiful warmth and rain.

Another plant I saw that particular bird visiting was Hyacinth Bean vine (Lablab purpurea). It's not hardy in my climate--the seeds or the plant--so each fall, I collect the seeds from the pods and replant them in the spring.



Mexican Sunflowers (Tithonia rotundifolia), including 'Goldfinger' shown here, are bright orange-red, which hummingbirds are known to notice. The little buddy in the first photo in this post, from a few years ago, was perched on a patch of Tithonias.



In prior years, I've also seen hummingbirds enjoying Cosmos (C. bipinnatus). And I can see why: They're certainly inviting little beauties with a platform for landing.



Fuchsia 'Marinka' has been a standby in my garden for decades, and I've overwintered two baskets of it in the sunroom for many years. I've enjoyed watching hummers nectaring up through the centers of the flowers, like poetry in motion.



Finally, Zinnias, like Cosmos, offer the little friends perching places and plenty of real estate with rich nectar. To see a previous post with hummingbirds enjoying Zinnias, visit this link.

The hummingbirds will soon be gone, and I will miss them. Their migration activity has been particularly busy the past couple of weeks. I noticed today there are fewer of them visiting. :(

It's "Six on Saturday"! Check out other "sixes" from around the world over at Garden Ruminations. Thanks to Jim for hosting!

July 'Vases' of Plenty

At this time of year, the options seem endless for floral arrangements. It's such a dramatic contrast to midwinter; although the slim pickings of midwinter help me appreciate the plenty of July. The flowering annuals I started from seed are great companions to perennial offerings.



In the arrangement at the start of this post, I used Hosta flowers at the top and back to help frame the collection. I don't know the variety; all Hostas in the garden were here when we moved in more than two decades ago, and they weren't marked.



Also framing the arrangement are Glads (Gladiolus grandiflora hybrids). I planted the corms in the garden after the last frost in early May.



Foliage from Hosta and Hydrangea (H. macrophylla) anchor the background of the arrangement.



Purple Coneflowers (Echinacea purpurea) add beautiful structure. 



A couple of 'May Night' Sage sprouts (Salvia x sylvestris) dot the sides.



Perhaps the stars of the grouping are the various Zinnias (Z. elegans) from the cutting garden, which I grew from seeds started in the sunroom in March.



The Zinnias shown here are 'State Fair Mix,' although I also have 'Zowie Yellow Flame' and 'Giant Purple' in the garden.



The Cosmos (C. bipinnatus 'Sensation Mix') flowers are so very plentiful and delightful. Their seeds were planted directly in the garden in early May.



I also added some Hosta flowers and Cosmos foliage to this second vase.



Finally, I've continuously placed single, tall Glads in this slender vase, which seems perfect for their regal stature.

I'm linking in with Cathy's In a Vase on Monday meme over at Rambling in the Garden. Head on over to see some amazing arrangements.

In a Vase on Monday: Late-Season Lovelies

At this point in October, I always wonder when the garden's fresh flower gifts will end. Still no frost here, so the cut flowers continue...but next week's forecast looks cold.



The first photo in this post shows my arrangement without Mums, but I added some. These Mums are hybrids of several varieties that have been on-site here for years. They are likely some hybrid of Daisy Mum (Chrysanthemum x. morifolium). The next photo shows the same arrangement as in the first photo, but with the Mums added.



I don't know if I prefer the arrangement with the Mums or not, but I kept them in.



The grouping also includes a few cuttings of Hubricht's Bluestar (Amsonia hubrichtii), a  clump-forming perennial that becomes quite golden after the first frost. 



Sedum 'Autumn Joy' (S. spectable) adds some bulk and structure.



The Hostas throughout the garden are slowly yellowing, although they're still erect. It's nice to have an extended season in this stage. This large-leaved Hosta variety was here when we moved in and not marked, so I don't know the variety.



'State Fair Mix' Zinnias (Z. elegans) just keep on giving until a hard frost. I grow them from seed and they're such a joy from late May through October.



In addition to the larger arrangement, I had a few Cosmos (C. bipinnatus), also grown from seed, from a previous grouping, which I plopped in a bud vase.



And finally, 'Zowie! Yellow Flame' Zinnias keep me smiling. How can a person be sad looking at these cheery blooms?

That's it for now. Will I have more fresh cut flowers this season? Time will tell. Thanks to Cathy at Rambling in the Garden for hosting this lovely meme.

Cut Flowers Aplenty

While I could spend hours arranging cut flowers, indecision and abundance are guiding me toward "quick creativity" lately. Not as "perfect" as it could be, but this arrangement serves the purpose for a happy display.



In addition to Hydrangea foliage, I included yellow and orange Gladiolus...



Various shades of Zinnias...



Bright pink Cosmos, and...



Spikes of Liatris.



About a week ago, I used similar flowers in this arrangement, also featuring Rudbeckia branches and Hosta flowers.

So many cut flowers; I feel rich with options. Have a great week!

In a Vase on Monday is hosted by Cathy at "Rambling in the Garden."

Quick Picks for Simple Summer Vases

It was hot yesterday, but I clipped a few blooms for some simple vases. I like to participate in the In a Vase on Monday meme--especially when I have homegrown flowers to share. As I gathered the lot and assessed, I realized I had two simple collections: one warm and one cool. I used a small Dutch-themed vase for the warm group, with the deep blue complementary to orange on the color wheel.



Rocket Ligularia (L. stenocephala) has been in this garden longer than I have (nearly 20 years), but I never thought to use it as a cut flower. That's embarrassing and too bad, because it works quite well, and some research told me it has a decent vase life. The flowers mature from the bottom up, and I've never liked the browning lower ones. So, I simply stripped them off before placing the stem in the water.



I always plant Zinnias for cut flowers, and my favorites are 'State Fair Mix' and 'Zowie! Yellow Flame.' The former give me large and tall blooms in a great mix of colors, while the latter are just delightful with their bright, hot colors. I also added Cosmos foliage to both vases.



The nice thing about Cosmos (C. bipinnatus 'Sensation Mix') is that the foliage is as fun as the flowers. Actually, there are many nice things about Cosmos: long vase life, pretty flowers, buds for continuous blooms, foliage that holds up under water, plants that grow and rebloom very fast...so many things....



As the Cosmos buds open, they'll fill this arrangement with more blooms. Maybe I'll find some more "fillers," too. Companions in this vase are Blazing Star Liatris (L. spicata) and a Tall Snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus 'Rocket Mix') that was standing upright after a couple hours in cool water.



Oh, and some cool pink Zinnias.



Earlier in the week, I'd picked some Stargazer Lilies (Lilium orientalis). I cheated with the background here, but they served out their time in a simple, single-stem glass vase.

In a Vase on Monday is hosted by Cathy at "Rambling in the Garden."