They're such fabulous plants, but I never seem to keep them happy over the long winter months.
So I chopped off their heads!
The carnage continued throughout the garden. Begonia luxurians I love you, but I'll buy a new plant in the spring. Chop.
Paris polyphylla, you look vaguely spider-like. Since you're as good as dead anyway wouldn't you like to be part of my Halloween bouquet?
The finished product...
Aeoniums, Chasmanthium latifolium seed heads, Abutilon megapotamicum 'Red', the Paris polyphylla...
Also a bit of Grevillea 'Ivanhoe' and Sambucus nigra foliage...
When it came time to put the knife to the Aeoniums I discovered many of their petals were already being devoured by the slugs and snails of the garden. Few of them were as unscarred as these...
Looking around the garden I spotted a few more unsuspecting plants who fell victim to my secateurs.
Looks like someone/thing beat me to these...
The small beheaded succulents were stuck in a green orb vase.
I'm emphasizing my ruthless approach to the garden for Halloween fun, but it's based on a desire to not add to the overwintering burden. I can't let these beauties just die in the landscape, but I've got no desire to try to find a spot for them inside.
This may be their last hurrah...
Unless they last so long I can plant them out directly in the soil in the spring.
Here's where the succulent vase ended up, on the dining table, along with a few other items gathered from the garden. Magnolia macrophylla seed cones, early Schefflera brevipedunculata seed-heads...
And a few of the Poncirus trifoliata fruit...
The big vase landed on the mantle, of course. With the same decor you've seen for a few weeks now.
Curious what other Bloggers have cooked up for Halloween? (Eye of newt? Toe of frog? Wool of bat, and tongue of dog?) Or maybe there are end-of-season Dahlias and lovely seed-heads. Either way you'll find links over on Cathy's blog Rambling in the Garden.
Hope you all have a spooky (and fun) Halloween!
All material © 2009-2016 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.
Those are both wonderful Halloween arrangements! Maybe some of the succulents will root in the water and you can keep them going till spring. I'm curious about the hairy-looking thing in the small bowl, is it some kind of Haworthia? It's very evocative of a tarantula.
ReplyDelete"The water"...hmmm, guess what I forgot to add? Okay no not really, I skipped it on purpose because that way it wouldn't get smelly and rank. Believe it or not they may start pushing out roots anyway. Oh and the tarantula plant is an Aloe haworthioides, part of a plant Peter gifted me years ago!
DeleteThis is the time of year when I have the most trouble cutting things to bring indoors -- I'd rather let them linger until first frost for some reason, a kind of reward for making it this far into the season.
ReplyDeleteLove the Paris polyphylla -- more than "vaguely spider-like" I'd say!
I almost cut the Paris polyphylla a few weeks back, but let it stay to enjoy it in place. However the rain had beat them down so they were laying on a fern and not really noticeable anymore. Our October has been so wet it's making a real mess out there.
DeleteLove the way the dark colors add a bit of mystery but don't fade into the background in the big vase. The small green vase really makes a statement the way those strong shapes curve over and around the rim. I have thought about growing that Paris but now I am not so sure. It does seem a bit creepy!
ReplyDeleteA bit creepy now, but amazingly gorgeous all summer long! (do it!)
DeleteThe arrangement on your dining table is very attractive. Love the way you've placed the Poncirus trifoliata fruit! The abundance of the mantle arrangement is perfect for the season! This is how I picture you taking cuttings: https://youtu.be/Eobuu-IexvI Happy Halloween, beheading queen!
ReplyDeleteCan you tell there's a long thin wood "spoon" under the Poncirus fruit? It's keeping them in place. Sadly I can't get anything to play with the link you shared...
DeleteThe big vase on the mantle manages to be both beautiful and a bit sinister at the same time - perfectly appropriate as set dressing for the early scenes of a horror movie, signaling that all is not what it seems to the innocent hero or heroine. The Paris polyphylla is perfect. I hope the succulents can hang on a while for you - I've kept some in vases as long as 8 weeks but I don't know if that will get you beyond the frost-fear zone.
ReplyDelete"beautiful and a bit sinister at the same time"...I love that description Kris! As for the succulents I did something similar last year (can't remember if I shared it or not) and months later when I took the vase apart everything still looked great and had started to root in the air. I wish I could remember how long went by...
DeleteThe Paris polyphylla totally looks like a bug! I had to take a second look... Danger, you have the most exquisite taste. The arrangements you create are so appealing and elegant. I love the vase that seems to have eyes carved out of it, reminiscent of a jack o lantern. Both displays are magazine worthy. Isn't there someplace you could enter these in a competition?
ReplyDeleteYou, chavliness, are very kind! Thank you for these compliments, you made my day!
DeleteI had to giggle at your ruthless chopping around the garden - what a delightful result you gave ended up with. Your centrepiece looks SO effective - thanks for sharing
ReplyDeleteThank you Cathy, for the continued inspiration! (3 years!)
DeleteFabulous, I love all of it! Happy Halloween. Wish you could see my gigantic Blue Agave. Wish I liked tequila!
ReplyDeleteJealous! What part of the world do you live in?
DeleteGreat job Loree. You managed to give these plants a lovely last hurrah. I adore the way you used the Poncirus trifoliata fruit.
ReplyDeleteThank you Amy!
DeleteOh my gosh, I really didn't expect the great glory of that large arrangement. It's extremely well-done. I was chuckling with your descriptions at the beginning. Happy Halloween!
ReplyDeleteAh thanks Beth! And I'm glad you got a laugh.
DeleteThe Malefacent of bouquets! I would expect no less from you, my friend.
ReplyDelete