Monday, October 17, 2016

In a Vase on Monday — cheater cheater pumpkin eater

My husband and I have both been traveling. I went to Phoenix, AZ, to visit my brother and his family. Andrew made a spur of the moment (relatively speaking) business trip to China. I beat him back home by a couple of days and knowing how much he loves autumn and Halloween I thought he'd appreciate my pulling out our meager collection of decorations and trying to get into the season. I say trying because my heart is still in sunny Arizona...

With a major storm approaching I didn't feel at all bad about cutting this Pennisetum 'Vertigo' — I've yet to successfully over winter it and won't be on the patio much more to enjoy it.

And knowing the heavy rain would have the Amsonia hubrichtii laying on the Agave ovatifolia in front of it, I cut some of it too.

The "fancy" PVC and shower curtain covers went over a couple of Agaves in containers (to keep the rain out), that's when I decided to add some browned Eryngium pandanifolium var. lasseauxii "flowers" to the mix. It would be a shame to just leave them to fall apart in the rain.

And finally there were a couple of stems on the Leucadendron 'Silvan Red' that could stand to be pruned.

No flowers but great stem color!

The finished arrangement...

BUT WAIT! Where did those yellow flowers come from? Ya, that's the cheater (pumpkin eater) part. They're wood and I bought them at the craft store (spotted while picking up some black paper for a different project). Aren't they fabulous?

I also spruced up the succulent arrangement from a few weeks back. Dried Craspedia globosa (billy balls) and a few colorful leaves bring in some non-green color.

This scene makes me happy, our vintage Halloween kitty fits right in.

And the velvet pumpkins are out to celebrate the season again this year.

I brought the Tillandsias in from outside (because of the predicted wind), call me crazy but I thought a couple of the big ones looked good tucked in the fireplace.

And pumpkins! Of course I bought a couple of them...love the subtle "dirty orange" of this one.

And this blue/grey/silver number is also pretty fabulous...and I do realize it's not a pumpkin...

What about you? Are you in the mood for the season?

I'm sure there are lots of other bloggers sharing autumn-influenced straight-from-the-garden vase arrangements over on Cathy's Rambling in the Garden...our hostess for this every Monday meme. You should check them out!

Meanwhile I'm considering baking some pumpkin cranberry bread. Maybe that will get me ready to embrace the season.

All material © 2009-2016 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

18 comments:

  1. I got out a couple of my pumpkins and have real ones by the front door but I am not really a Halloween person. I always say it's because I was in costume for the entire 1960s and so I am over dressing up! A friend of mine put together a fabulous book on Halloween costumes from an historic and creative standpoint. You can probably find it in a library if it sounds of interest: "Dressed to Thrill" by Phyllis Galembo. I do like autumn arrangements, however, as the colors and textures are so different and often quite dramatic like yours. I thought those flowers were real.

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    1. I share your feelings about Halloween and dressing up. I've just never never felt it. Same for autumn...although the colors of the season are some of my favorites. Thanks for sharing the book, from a quick Google search it looks interesting.

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  2. Your mantelpieces are always a delight - a feast for the eyes, and however many separate pieces there are they always look spot-on together. You have such a talent for this, Loree - thanks for sharing

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    1. Thank you for the kind words and push to share, Cathy.

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  3. Wonderful fall display Loree. Especially like the succulent arrangement--fantastic.

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  4. Fab wood flowers and the whole fireplace looks ready for the season! So, you don't go sit out on the patio in the rain? Go figure. I usually like autumn but this year's cold, gray, wet mess has me re-thinking that.

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    1. That's what the shade pavilion was supposed to be for. But look how that turned out.

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  5. Another batch of photos for your future book, I think! I hope Andrew appreciated the dressed-up mantle. I purchased a knucklehead pumpkin for the front porch (despite chiding from my husband that it's destined to be squirrel food) and added cat and mice skeletons but I've yet to add my bat or the human skeleton. I think I need more gourds too...

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    1. One of the first things out of Andrew's travel-weary mouth was "thanks for Halloweenizing" so yes, he did. I wonder if you could spray your pumpkin with something that makes it undesirable for the squirrels? Sounds like you've got quite the decoration collection!

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  6. I don't know how you put together such beauties week after week, even freshly back from traveling. :)

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    1. Ah, thanks Alan. You cheered my dreary afternoon with that comment.

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  7. Those flowers reminds me of Yoshihiro Suda wooden flower scuptures .

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    1. Naturally I had to look up Yoshihiro Suda, wow. I especially love his Magnolia.

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  8. Very nice, Loree! It all looks great with your color scheme and decor. I really like your signature green (pots, fireplace, rug, etc.). My heart isn't in Wisconsin, either, even though we had a high of 79 today. I'm dreaming of San Diego or Florida or Mexico.

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    1. Gosh, I guess that kind of has become my signature green hasn't it? Funny I never really thought of it that way.

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  9. Semi-off topic but, do you bring your Leucadendron indoors during the winter? It's gorgeous.

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    1. Sorry it took me so long to answer this Grace - no. This one is in the ground. I left it out over last winter as an experiment and it did fine. This winter though...who knows? I won't be digging it, we'll see!

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