This morning the reality of the coming dark and foggy months meant I nearly didn’t go out and pick any flowers for a Monday vase. A cold and wet weekend has certainly put an end to any October glory… But Cathy’s In a Vase on Monday meme once again provided me with the motivation to try and find materials from my garden to bring indoors. Thanks Cathy!
So glad I made the effort after all!
Physalis alkekengi is collapsing now but the seedheads will light up the south-west rockery for a few weeks to come.
Then there was Golden Euonymus fortunei, Heuchera, Lavender, Sedum, Hypericum…
… Crocosmia leaves, Miscanthus, Verbena bonariensis, Persicaria, Teucrium hircanicum…
… Centranthus ruber, and Dichromena latifolia (White Top Star Sedge).
As you can see, getting a decent photo in poor light will be just as challenging as finding the plant material over the next few months!
Take a look at Cathy’s post at Rambling in the Garden, where she shares her vase for this week and links to many other lovely Monday vases.
Words and Herbs 
Hi Cathy, Oh I just love it! The colours, the textures, the everything. Fabulous!
Thanks Dana! It brightened the dull day for sure! 🙂
I love the flowers that look like orange paper lanterns. 🙂
Some people call them Chinese lanterns! 🙂
Lovely and very elegant. I have wondered about growing Physalis. Do you find it very invasive?
Yes! VERY invasive! Please don’t plant it in your garden as you will end up hating it for eleven months of the year! Perhaps in a large pot? I do love the orange seedheads though.
This is striking Cathy and a really lovely combination of colours. I have some Physalis contained in pots, its always makes me smile as its such a quirky plant.
I’m enjoying the colour indoors. 🙂 Good idea putting the Physalis in pots Julie. I wish I had been warned before planting mine – a well-meant gift from a neighbour!
What a lot you have found in your garden today after nearly not going out! I love the late autumn feel of this collection – the Physalis look lovely and every year I plan to grow them but somehow forget to sow them. Now that I have read your warning perhaps I will give them a miss.
Oh do be careful if you do plant some Julie! They have spread absolutely everywhere! They are lovely in autumn though. 🙂
As Julie says you found such a lot in your garden – the physalis is like a beacon in your vase, and the hypericum berries are a great idea. Love the persicaria and teucrium too. Our gardens are full of real bounty for us to discover, and these Monday vases are giving us the push we need to make these discoveries. Thanks for defying the grey day and joining in today.
Yes, I was quite amazed at how many bits and pieces I could gather. And I am planning next week’s already! I think this meme will help me get through many a grey Monday this winter. 🙂 Thanks Cathy!
The Physalis is quite beautiful, very unique and of course I like anything orange.
They do look striking both in a vase and in the rockery. I always save some of the seed heads for decoration too.
I adore what you have gathered and placed in the vase Cathy. We were both looking for interesting material. I had not thought of the Hypericum, but so much is fading even the foliage so I may be down to grass and seedheads soon and not for long either.
Yes, I’m saving some seedheads and just hope they don’t get too soggy before I decide to use them. I hope you get a shorter winter this year Donna! I’m hoping for sunny days – with or without snow!
You had a virtual florist outside when you looked. Interesting colors and textures that should cheer you up. Hypericum berries are used by florists a lot in arrangements–nice to have it growing. I passed on an offer of Chinese lanterns once because the person offering had already given me several things I was having trouble taming. Glad I didn’t take them because of invasive nature here, but gosh they are so attractive.
Yes, the odd bloom here and there, when gathered into a bunch, produces quite a lot of colour! You were wise to pass on the Chinese lanterns. They are lovely, but I’d rather have them in a pot than in the garden!
It might have been a grey day but but your vase is full of cheer. You found so many lovely things in the end Cathy and you put them together beautifully.
Thank you! I certainly learned a lesson that day Christina: the greyest of days can still produce cheer… if you go out and look for it!
Having a structure helps to get through dark seasons. 🙂
🙂 Very true Uta. Monday vases will be a positive way to start the week in winter especially!
Lovely. Your photography gets better and better all the time Cathy.:D
Aww, thanks Nancy! Lovely to hear from you – have a happy Halloween weekend!
It does take more effort to get outdoors when the weather turns cold and grey. I’m so glad you did though. You’ve gathered a wonderful collection.
That second photo is stunning! Beautiful composition and colors. I went back and looked a second time. Those orange lanterns are a delight.
Thank you Alys! 🙂 You always write such lovely comments! I’m so glad I went out too, and the bonus is that the vase will probably last all week and really brings colour to each day.
Thank you. So nice of you to say.
Bringing the outdoors in is soothing in many ways. I’m glad we both have gardens to choose from. xox
🙂
Oh ‘Chinese Lanterns’ bring back memories of our first garden Cathy. I had forgotten how cheerful they are at this time of year so much so that they can be forgiven any thuggish behaviour.
I must admit I pull up hundreds of the Physalis every year, and those that turn orange can then be enjoyed and not just tolerated! Would you plant them again? … 😉
Oooh, I like!! The physalis work beautifully with the colours and forms of the other ingredients.
Thanks Janet! I’m really enjoying those physalis and some more i have saved too.