A Marriage of Mums and Mistflowers

I'm cheating this week with my arrangement (as I have with other vases recently) ... for various reasons. Long story short, I had way too many Mums and Blue Mistflowers, so I basically clipped, clipped, clipped and plopped them in a vase with some pebbles in the bottom for a bit of fall vibe.



It's a marriage of Daisy Mums (likely a Crysanthemum x. morifolium hybrid) and Blue Mistflowers (Conoclinium coelestinum), and corresponding foliage.

Conoclinium coelestinum

Crysanthemum x. morifolium

They're plentiful and fresh, so the vases continue! For more garden arrangements from around the world, head on over to Cathy's blog, Rambling in the Garden, to celebrate "In a Vase on Monday."

Magical September Flowers in a Vase on Monday

This may be the mildest and most beautiful September I've experienced. High pressure has dominated, so we've had clear blue skies, light breezes, and temps in the 70s and 80s (21-30C) all month. Some folks are eager for cooler fall days, but the conditions are perfect in my book.

Anyway, the garden is happy with a little help from the gardener with watering. And the flowers in the cutting garden continue to bloom with abandon.



The arrangement at the top includes various Zinnias (Z. elegans),



Foliage from Cosmos (C. bipinnatus) and Hydrangeas (H. macrophylla),



Blue Mistflower (Conoclinium coelestinum) blooms, which currently dominate the cutting garden, and

Cheerful Cosmos (C. bipinnatus) blossoms, which brighten any day.



The second arrangement is more typically summer "warm" in its appearance.



A few creamy white spikes of Mistflower add some sparks,



Along with more Zinnias that look like sunshine itself,



And a few sprigs of various Coleus (C. scutellarioides) foliage for more color and framing.

It's such a joy to have bright flowers and foliage from May through mid-October (or maybe longer this year?). And most of these were grown from seeds started indoors in March or tiny seedlings planted in the garden in early May. I will miss them.

Head on over to Cathy's blog, Rambling in the Garden, to celebrate "In a Vase on Monday."

Six Signs of Autumn

It's nearly the autumn equinox, and signs of seasonal change are increasing. While the overall view of most of the garden here is still green, color is creeping in. For example, the Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina) foliage is beginning its dramatic display (above).



Crabapple leaves (Malus spp.) carpet the front garden.

Hosta of the Equinox (H. aequinoctiiantha) is blooming away, while most of the other Hosta species' blooms are long gone.



'Autumn Joy' Sedum (Hylotelephium spectabile) is in its resplendent, full glory.



Blue Mistflower (Conoclinium coelestinum), currently one of the prettiest blooms in the garden, is claiming center stage.

And it's only a matter of days until the Mums' (Chrysanthemum x morifolium) buds burst into bloom. Changes are evident all around, and while summer is my favorite season, early autumn in this part of the world is darn pleasant.

What's happening in your garden? Head on over to Garden Ruminations to learn about "Six on Saturday" highlights from around the world.

Wordless Life Cycles and Host Plants