Whereas yesterday it was bright and sunny, a lovely bonus especially as we had old friends visit for lunch, today it is rather murky and posed my arrangement in the conservatory, where the light would so much better than in the house for the photograph. I was just about to move the radio off the shelf..but saw that it gave the time and date...just so that I can compare this with post with posts from other years. Seeing the vase and the date: 20.11.2017 I will believe in the future, and remember this mild but wet autumn.
There's no doubt that Autumn is coming to an end. I am a bit of a weather watcher, loving clouds and the way many days and seasons are so variable. I would have said from my experience of previous years that Winter should be well on its way by now. Yet we still have bees and butterflies in the garden. We have had a couple of slight frosts...yet this new garden with its stone wall on one side seems to have its own micro climate, with nasturtiums still in leaf and flower.
Contents of small green glazed round vase: leaves of Mahonia Sweet Caress, Astrantia Major 'Sunningdale Variegated', two types of fuchsia, Wall flower Bowles Mauve, the lovely purple leaf and long flower spike is African Blue Basil I believe, a present from AlisonC, and some nasturtiums.
I remembered seeing the African Blue Basil at the Autumn Malvern Show in 2015, and adding it to my wish list then..., and wrote about it on my post! The plant been moved to spend the winter in the shed just by the window, but anytime soon it may have to come indoors if the temperatures start to drop too low.
I love the flowers you chose and am glad you decided to make this lovely vase. My garden was much like yours not too long ago with bees and butterflies and now we have an early snow....I love to watch weather too but hoping there won't be too many snowy days but just enough.
ReplyDeleteYour early snow I am sure add a lovely element, with frost laying its icy trail over stems and cobwebs. I too hope we get some here.
DeleteThe African blue basil looks intriguing, Noelle, and I must check it out - and I am so pleased your garden was able to surprise you with these offerings. Whatever winter brings, I am sure we will always find something to surprise us - I have found the stirrings of hellebore flowers today... ;)
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you went out to look, you found plenty and having the clock in too is a good measure of time. I saw the most amazing sunrise a day or two ago. Lots of red clouds and a tree with two birds silhouetted against it. Of course I had no camera on me to take a picture and it was gone in minutes but it is in my mind still.
ReplyDeleteIt was absolutely wonderful, I even went to wake Mr S up! It was gone in minutes but glorious whilst it lasted. You would have had wonderful views from your conservatory.
DeleteI’m looking at that mahonia for anplant pot bybthe back door. I love winter flowers and th foliage is very pretty and not spiky like most mahonias. Thanks for sharing. Here;s mine the week https://bramblegarden.com/2017/11/20/in-a-vase-on-monday-in-the-pink/
ReplyDeleteThanks you too Karen. Did you know that when you click on your name one reaches the sea of gravy? I found your vase via the link. On the whole I steer clear of spiky things, and the Mahonia is soft and does not catch at all. The flowers though are not as bold as the standard ones.
DeleteI just planted Astrantia Sunningdale Variegated this year and it didn't flower or do much. So it is nice to see what I might expect in the future.
ReplyDeleteMine was rather underwhelming the first couple of years. I moved it to a sunnier position with more room around it and it has been 'superlative' since then. Still flowering its socks off though the foliage this late in the year has turned all green.
DeleteI'm glad you elected to share more of your wonderful fuchsias, Noelle! The weather here is also very confusing. We had an especially hot and summer-like October but November was delightfully cool and crisp (well, our version of cool and crisp anyway) until this week. Now, for our thanksgiving holiday on Thursday, we're expecting a high near 90F (32C)! And we've still had only a tiny, tiny amount of rain. I fear that we might re-enter drought status the way things are going.
ReplyDeleteLove it, thought the Mahonia was a palm. Microclimates are amazing.
ReplyDeleteOur gardens are a constant source of amazement and I am also sure that without Cathy and this meme I would not realise just how much is out there worth looking at! Your autumn seems to have been kind to your garden so far with basil still in flower. Lovely arrangement!
ReplyDeleteThe basil isn't hardy, but it is in a pot now in our shed, and I hope to take more cuttings in the spring as that is the only way to propagate it.
DeleteThe fuchsias are so bright and cheerful and to think you still have nasturtiums. Here everything has become rather dreary and will be dull until the snow arrives, but I'm in no hurry for that!
ReplyDeleteI have also been surprised but just how much is flowering in my November garden. Your vase is lovely.
ReplyDeleteThanks Christina...I am checking gardens close by for plants that do well in the autumn, and have been interested to see the difference between here and where we used to live.
DeleteNot only the date but the time too Noelle :) What autumn loveliness in your vase. The African Blue Basil flower looks salvia like. I've had this plant on my wish list for a while and have some plug plants on order for delivery in the spring.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure you will love them. I was really taken by this plant when I saw it at the show in 2015, and just how lucky am I that I got the plant when visiting a new lovely gardening friend whom I met through IAVOM?
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