Congratulations to Cathy at Rambling in the Garden on the sixth anniversary of her wonderful meme! And a pat on the back for all those who have been taking part and creating lovely arrangements throughout the seasons. 🙂
This week we have been set an anniversary challenge: to present an arrangement only 6 inches (15 cm) square/high.
I immediately chose my miniature crystal rose bowl as a vase and went out on Sunday afternoon in the bitter cold to see what was still standing after several nights of frost.
My now favourite Achillea – ‘Pomegranate’ – is still looking wonderful, so I snipped a tiny bit off and found some of its common cousin growing wild which I also added. Then I found a little Fleabane, tinged with pink. And that was all I needed for a pretty little display.
Of course, I couldn’t stop at just one tiny vase, and as I had already selected some of my favourite miniature containers as alternatives I filled them too…
I particularly like the fireworks effect of the fennel with the pennisetum. Just right for a celebratory vase!
This meme has changed the way I garden – I soon recognized how rewarding it is to be able to bring flowers indoors almost all year round, as well as enjoying them outside. And my planting choices were therefore influenced.
So a very big thanks to Cathy for the inspiration and for keeping this meme going with her encouragement and thoughtful comments on our vases weekly. So much dedication is remarkable. 😃
Words and Herbs 
So nice to still see such lovely colors when everything is dead here from abnormal cold. We had lows down to 20 last week and it killed everything that was left. Makes me appreciate your color all the more. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Cindy. Well, it hasn’t been that cold here yet, although the fog and mist also finishes off plants here. There is still plenty to enjoy out there though. 🙂
a most delightful display, Cathy, and the colour of that achillea is just gorgeous! which variety of pennisetum is this? I hope you’re both well and that your projects and new garden are coming on nicely. happy autumn days 🙂
Thanks Annette! 🙂 Lovely to hear from you. We are fine and putting evrtyhing away for winter now. The Pennisetum is called Japonicum and has lovely strong fairly short (40 cm ish) stems. Hope all is well with you too!
love the dark inflorescences! all well and a bit crazy as usual 😉 the greenhouse is a huge success and we’re still harvesting tomatoes – hope you’ll be able to get yours on the way next year x
I always enjoy your vases. So much colour left in your garden. Mine has gone thanks to frost and so much rainfall
Thanks Dorris. Yes, quite amazing for November really, especially after a few frosty days and nights. I hope it has stopped raining near you – our news is full of floods in the UK.
Our ground is saturated but thankfully I am not in a flooded area. We’ve had a dry day and I have been making mountains with leaves.
Love all your little vases, Cathy – I see the erigeron is appearing in a lot of vases today! The achillea is a great addition, and that ‘Pomegranate’ variety is stunning! Thanks for joining in as regularly as you do
Thanks Cathy. The fleabane is still flowering everywhere, but hard to find any that doesn’t look a bit tatty after the frost!
A lovely collection celebrating this week’s anniversary, Cathy. Your vases are darling and nice to see this late in the season. I want me some of that A. ‘Pomegranate!’ 😉
Happy week ahead!
This Achillea is proving to be a winner, flowering for such a long time. Just hope it is established enough to get through the winter. 🙂
A lovely display of vases and flowers Cathy. That Flea bane is so soft and pretty.
Thanks Karen. And the flea bane goes on flowering into winter. 🙂
Lovely, I did not recognize the Achillea due to the close view, such a wonderful colour, the Pomegranate and I love the Pennisetum.
Yes, the Achillea is quite stunning when viewed close up as well as from afar. 🙂
Such delightful mini vases Cathy! I love the pink yarrow and fleabane in that delicate crystal bowl…sooo pretty! ❤
Thanks Joanna! I rarely use that bowl so was glad the opportunity arose. 🙂
You have a nice range of tiny vases, Cathy. That Achillea is a standout. I’ll be keeping my eye out for it here.
It remains to be seen how tough this Achillea really is – I will do an update on it in spring. 🙂
I’ve always admired the tiny wild Achillea…as well as the garden varieties. I love the effect of the fennel but it is your photograph that has emphasized it. So much inspiration from sharing. Many thanks.
Thank you Noelle. I have also learned so much and been inspired by all the vases shared over the past years. 🙂
Magic! All very different and lovely. The fennel is particularly effective and fresh. Sadly, mine is all brown and spent for the year.
That lovely fennel is being undermined by mice… It has sprung back once already and I hope it will recover again. Any tips on getting rid of mice welcome! 😉
Cathy your vase with Achillea “Pomegranate” and wild pink yarrow and pink-colored Fleabane is lovely, wonderful, I love it. The other small vases are adorable. The fennel is fabulous and with the pennisetum it looks fantastic, I love it. Good that you still have flowers after several frosts. Wrap up well. I hope from your heart that you are very well.😀 My Mother will have Glaucoma surgery in both eyes because if she does not go blind. The preoperative one with the doctors to operate it of the first eye has it the 19 of this month and they will operate it more or less in a month of the first eye. When it is cured, it will be operated by the other eye. Sorry to tell you but I consider you a friend and I had to tell you. Take care Greetings from Margarita.
Hello Margarita. Sorry to hear your Mum needs surgery. Hope all goes well. Take care.
Thank you very much Cathy for your words of support and love. This is going to take a long time. I promise you that I will take care of myself and that I will take great care of my beloved Mother. Thanks again. Affectionate greetings from Margarita xx
Sometimes I think “the smaller the better” and you just proved me right.
Thanks Ricki! Tiny vases are nice for a change and good for table decorations too. 🙂
Beautiful Cathy! It’s amazing how some blooms tolerate the cold. I love the effect of your fennel too.
Thank you Susie. I think these flowers have all been bitten by the frost now, so I was just in time!
I love the effect of the fennel, Cathy. I never thought of that as a cut flower but it has my attention now! 🙂 Six years of vases. That’s impressive. And you’ve been so effective in highlighting the beautiful flowers in your garden. And the achillea is a gorgeous color.
Hi Debra. The vases have definitely helped me keep a record of what flowers when and have helped me remember plant names too. And apart from that, bringing flowers indoors every week is uplifting, especially on gloomy days!
You’re lucky you still have some flowers in bloom. I really like that ‘Pomegranate’ – I’ve never seen that variety before.
It’s turned colder here now, with a few flakes of snow the other day, so the flowers are getting few and far between now. But there is still a surprising amount of greenery out there. 🙂
Looks like they are all assembled for a party! 🙂
Precisely! 😉
Chrystal rose bowl? I have not heard of one of those in a while. They were quite trendy in the late 1970s, when people still knew what Waterford Chrystal is. Anyway, these tiny vases really show off the yarrow. I noticed fleabane in someone else’s vase too. Fennel? I would not have given it much thought. It really is pretty on display.
Well, I am showing my age with the rose bowl, although I must add I was only a teenager when I was given it! Good that I cut some of the fennel as the plant has fallen victim to the mice… strange they like such a strong smelling root….
Perhaps the rose bowl is more of an expression of discriminating taste rather than age.
😉 Thanks Tony!
You are welcome.