This last damp week has seen a number of late flowering stalwarts succumb to mould, including: zinnias, celosia and my dark-leaved basils. The flowering heads on these plants have just keeled over. They look a bit like those floppy Resusci Anne dolls. So sad. The planned star of the vase (Celosia ‘Pink feather’) is gone. Ah well. I’ve moved on to sunflowers to inject a little sunshine instead.
These smiling faces are from a multi-headed sunflower from a ‘Mr F’s Mixed’ selection, so that’s as close as I can come to naming it I am afraid.
I’ve used seed heads of monbretia and some spikes of Persicaria ‘Red Dragon’ to echo the sunflower colours and to pick out more autumnal tones. Salvia uliginosa is flowering prolifically just now and adds a reminder of blue skies, occasionally glimpsed.
Mina lobata and sedum are going strong and will be flowering for some time (I hope). Their addition to the vase reinforces seasonal changes: red and purple pigments revealed as the green chlorophyll breaks down in the leaves.
My vase is a lovely chocolate brown jug, which I use all the time. Hopefully it grounds and ties everything together.
This is my contribution to In a Vase on Monday. My thanks to Cathy for inspiring so many of us to get out and pick some flowers. Do take a look at the wonderful arrangements being gathered all around the world!
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I love everything about this arrangement, Allison! The primary colors of salvia, Mina lobata, bright sunflowers, and the brilliant use of Crocosmia stems, anchored with dark purple-red leaves blending with the jug. Nice!
You are very kind. It was all a bit accidental, but I am pleased with the blend of colours and the positions of the sunflowers.
It’s lovely Allison, really striking and the sunflowers really bring it together.
Thanks Liz. Good job their stems were different lengths, ‘cos that helped the display … and I never think to cut things differently myself!
It’s always sad when beautiful flowers start making for the exit. My own zinnias and dahlias are developing mildew so they probably don’t have much longer on the stage. Your multi-headed sunflower is glorious, however! (The last of my sunflowers ended up in the compost bin last week.) I love the Mina lobata too.
It has dried up a bit over the last week, so in fact some of those plants I was bemoaning have been rescued by a bit of pruning. 🙂 Hanging on to summer!!!!
Beautiful – a really lovely collection. Adding the monbretia seedheads is inspired 🙂
Thanks Sam. The flowers have changed this week, but I am keeping those monbretia seed heads!
What abundance in your vase shouting it’s autumn!
Yes … “I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” ― L.M. Montgomery
So many of us have got autumnal tints in our vases today – and thank you for reminding us about the effects of chlorophyll breaking down. A multi-headed sunflower sounds a good idea and I am very much in favour of including my old favourite Red Dragon – and the blue to hint at some of the blue skies we are still getting was an inspired idea. Thanks for sharing
Nearly all my sunflowers are multi-headed these days, but that does leave them more prone to wind rock and snapped branches. I really enjoy understanding the science behind gardening, but I know I can be a bore about it.
Oh please keep on with any sciency bits – lots of us are just as interested! 😉
Very lovely – Mina lobata is new to me and I think it is rather pretty, especially with the other colours you have used. The salvia is a beautiful splash of blue. I immediately recognized the Red Dragon foliage and it reminded me I must use some of mine soon too!
I think that Mina lobata is very under used, but it is a climber, so I guess unless you are prepared for vertical growth it is tricky to place. I love most salvias, however, with its height and clear sky blue, I’d be lost without S. uliginosa.