It was foggy for most of the morning and I was mulling over collecting a vase of dead and skeletonized stuff for Halloween, if I got back in time to pick the seed heads. But by the time I made it back, there was golden sunlight slanting through the gaps in the hedge highlighting a few flowers and berries, so I changed my mind. The vase is now an eclectic selection of interesting pieces from the borders: dead, dying and very much alive.
Since I had started to gather some dead spikes of lovage, honesty and phlomis, I kept those as a topical backdrop to the colour of the living blooms. The honesty looks a little skull-like with sun behind it, so that seems appropriate too.
Persicaria, guelder rose berries and hardy fuchsia magellanica add some suitable bloody tones and drop-like shapes.
Mina lobata, tomatillo and crocosmia seedheads add some pumpkin colours around the edges.
It feels like the end of the season and November will see the beginning of the frosts. We are predicted some for Tuesday and Wednesday nights. However there are lot of little pieces of colour for now. I am still particularly enjoying the small, starry, pink flowers of aster ‘Lady in Black’, which arches across the vase here.
Bathed in the setting sunlight, the diverse individual flowers in the vase seem to blend together.
“It is, I believe, a quality that will mark out the English landscape to any objective observer as the most deeply satisfying in the world, and this quality is probably best summed up by the term ‘greatness.’ … And yet what precisely is this greatness? … I would say that it is the very lack of obvious drama or spectacle that sets the beauty of our land apart. What is pertinent is the calmness of that beauty, its sense of restraint. It is as though the land knows of its own beauty, of its own greatness, and feels no need to shout it.”
From ‘Remains of the Day’ by Kazuo Ishiguro
Thanks to Cathy at Rambling in the garden for hosting the popular ‘In a vase on Monday’ meme, despite being away in Edinburgh. Don’t forget to check out the links to other bloggers’ Halloween vases.
Happy Halloween!
Frogend dweller's Blog 
A beautiful transitional vase, Allison. A foot in each seasons!
Thanks. How nicely put.
This is a WOW for me! The color and abundance really give a sense of the season. Happy Halloween!
Oh, that’s great. It is funny how the look of the vase changed in every photo, but the flowers remain mellow and fulsome.
What an intriguing and well observed quotation that is. We came home to low lying fog today, and sadly it wasn’t quite light enough for a ramble so I don’t yet know what has been happening in my absence. Good to see your eclectic collection instead – I love the balance of blooms and seedheads and berries and Eliza’s description of a foot in each season is so appropriate. Thanks for sharing
Thanks Cathy. Thick fog here for a few days too. I caught up with your belated ramble and it looks great and melllow. I am impressed with your floriferous pelargoniums!
Thanks Allison – they obviously liked the haircut they had a few weeks ago. I am especially pleased with the outer two as they were just scrappy bits taken from the other 3 plants as I had 5 pots to fill 😉
True about the greatness of the English landscape. I love your arrangement and isn’t it wonderful when something you wouldn’t have ordinarily thought of comes together so beautifully.
You are so right, because I was quite schizophrenic about collecting the material, but I am very happy looking at the combination in the vase now.
It is a really beautiful mix of fresh flowers and dried seed-heads; not an easy combination at all but it all came together perfectly. A very good quote too.
Thanks. Yes, fortunately the dead stuff didn’t end up too stiff and draining. I’ve been enjoying other people’s use of quotes and this seemed to add to the theme.
This is vibrant and lovely. I like the Lunaria seed heads.
Thanks. I do too. I’ve been drying some other bunches in the greenhouse, but these tatty ones look better for Halloween.
The slanting light catching the frail honesty seed head does make it look skeletal, what fun! Lovely description of the quiet beauty of English landscapes ….
Thanks Kate. I can’t help but remember Anthony Hopkins’ brilliant portrayal of repressed emotions when I read it.
Brilliant book and marvellous film, I liked the reference very much.
I am so glad the sun came through, encouraging you to create this gorgeous vase! The Honesty does look rather scary on its own, but mixed in with flowers and fresh-looking foliage and berries it all looks very much alive! 🙂
Thanks Cathy. Honesty is definitely too stark on its own, but it is a good foil and when the sun catches the sheen on the ovals it helps light up the bunch.
Lovely, the seed heads set off your arrangement beautifully. I love it.
Thanks Liz.
Based on your vase, it appears your autumn is off to a lovely start! I envy you the Lunaria seedpods. I planted honesty in my garden this year, hopeful of getting some seedpods of my own, but I was sadly disappointed – the plants do not like my area of Southern California.
Sorry to hear about your honesty. I was lucky this year, because quite often mine get wiped out by mildew. I am trying to encourage the white flowered ones to spread.