It’s cold and miserable outside and gradually it’s become wet as well. I’ve been cutting down sunflowers that were growing along the fence around the vegetable garden. Their heads have fed the birds and were beginning to go mouldy. I was hastily planting some sale bulbs (as most gardeners do at this time of year!), when I realised that there were actually some fresh-looking, small sunflowers growing through the holly canopy behind me.
That started today’s gathering of flowers. I am joining Cathy at Rambling in the Garden for her weekly ‘In a Vase on Monday’ meme. Use the link to check out other vases, including some nice ikebana work, some spectacular nerines and some gorgeous camellia.
Some of my flowers are a little moth-eaten, so look kindly and not too closely at them. It is the end of November after all and they have held out against frosts, wind and buckets of rain!
I titled the post ‘Bushy Tails’, because Salvia ‘Amistad’ flower spikes always make me think of tails. And I’ve shoe-horned a cute fox into the picture as I made it at the weekend to decorate my son’s birthday cake. Re-use, re-cycle, re-purpose! I realise that there is no similarity in colour between fox and salvia, but I did find some hyssop (Kudos Gold) and calibrachoa (Apricot Punch) to tie things together, hurrah.
There are also a couple of wind-burnt flowers of my favourite ‘Cherry Brandy’ rubeckia and a couple of blooms of slightly frosted (and therefore darkened) lychnis coronaria.
Have a good week!
Frogend dweller's Blog 
That’s a great haul for the end of November, Allison. Annual rudbeckias are one of new favourites and I want to make sure I grow even more than I do – I have a later sowing of Irish Eyes still flowering. In fact, some deliberate later sowings are probably a good idea for a number of annuals. I see what you mean about the Amistad tails, although from the title I was expecting something a bit squirrely – but your fox is very cute 😊
Oh, I like the look of Irish Eyes, so it is good to know it goes on flowering for so long. I am go to grow more too next year. I will watch for your selections! The title was a bit misleading, sorry. Sometimes I can’t think of one for the life of me, but other times it is easy. 😉
An intriguing title, rather than misleading! Watch out for another appearance of those smiling eyes…
Very nice selection of blooms for any time, much less November’s end. I love your ‘Cherry Brandy’ rubeckia.
Thank you. I might move that rudbeckia to the greenhouse as it has been a brilliant flower this year.
It is surprising what you can find in bloom so late in the season. It makes a very pretty vase. I am very impressed by your fox, what talents you have.
This year has been slightly better for late blooms than normal, because I have tried harder in the garden with all this time on my hands! Good job they opened garden centres is all I can say. The fox is from an idea I found on Pinterest (strangely addictive) and is simply made from an egg carton.
How lovely to find some sunflowers still blooming in November! I love the Rudbeckia and Saliva as well. The former have hung on into the fall here in years past but not now – I suspect we’re just too dry.
I was definitely surprised to see that ‘Cherry Brandy’ rudbeckia in flower still. The yellow variants are long gone. This one is largely in the shadow of the next door house so probably does stay more moist and protected.
Not bad for the end of November! The sunflowers are a great surprise, amazing to see this late. The fox is a cute addition. I think our wild ones may be in season, as I’ve heard them barking a lot lately.
That sunflower is entwined in the holly bush, which must be giving it a lot of protection. We don’t tend to see foxes in the garden, but they are around in the fields over the back. This one was made from an egg carton for a Japanese themed party cake.
And here I thought you’d crammed a fistful of squirrels into a vase! They’d be pretty cute, but your flowers are pretty, and they won’t attack.
Lol, your comment reminds me of this photo: https://frogenddweller.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/squir.jpg, multiplied by a few more.
A beautiful last farewell, Allison, and aptly named too. Such a gift to be able to pick sunflowers end of November and it’s a particularly nice colour. Grey and miserable here too, I’m glad I planted the last bulbs yesterday while it was still sunny. Happy December days 🙂
Yes, much nicer to work with a bit of sun on our faces. Freezing fog today, but some nice romantic views to be seen down by the river. Take care and wrap up warmly!
Wow, so many beautiful flowers so late in the year. The sunflowers take me back to September. 😃 Cute little fox too!
Thanks Cathy. We’ve since had snow and freezing fog, so these are now memories too.