Sunday, November 21, 2010

November Monthly Garden Bouquet

By now the garden is completely done for the year.  Frosts have become more and more frequent and then on Saturday the snow came.  Now that winter is here, what to find for a bouquet?


Last week while the ground was still bare I stole into the yard and picked the remaining flower heads.  None of them alive anymore but still just as pretty.


Hydrangea blooms that were once white are now dried to perfection by the cool temperatures and fall winds.

The flowers of sedum have dried and slowly opened to reveal their seeds.


Fluffy seedheads of goldenrod (above) and ligularia (below)


And finally for a twist of colour, I've included a few stems of red osier dogwood.


This bouquet will quite possibly last me months, bringing a dash of autumn into the house, reminding me of all the wonders that will come again next spring.  quite possibly one of my favourite bouquets thus far.

To see more beautiful monthly bouquets, please visit Noelle at Ramblings from a Desert Garden.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Very pretty bouquet, hydrangea is always my favorite, fresh or dried.It is so delicate.

Northern Beauty Seeker said...

Very pretty! I really like the Goldenrod. It's funny how you notice the beautiful form of something once its colour has muted.

Like my vase of branches on the fireplace mantle, these bouquets last and last, so enjoy! :)

Nutty Gnome said...

That's a lovely autumnal bouquet - you've inspired me, so I think I'm going to raid my garden to see what I can find! :)

Balisha said...

Hi Marguerite.
I noticed that you were the first to post a MGB at Noelle's. I just put mine up. I have really enjoyed this project...Isn't it amazing what you can do with just a few dried stalks... when they are put together in a vase? I hope that you have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Balisha

Marguerite said...

GardenWalk - Hydrangea is the gift that keeps on giving it seems. Particularly pink and blue varieties that retain their colour in muted tones when dried.

Ms.S - It's true. I found myself studying the seed heads much closer than I would have looked at the flowers themselves.

Nutty Gnome - I must confess I was inspired by Tatyana's Clean-up bouquet from last month's bouquets. I saw her dried seed pods and started planning this bouquet.

Balisha - The curse of being the first out of the gate, I forget to look at others bouquets after me. I'm headed over to your blog right away to see what you have this month! It is a wonderful project isn't it?

Stephanie from GardenTherapy.ca said...

how pretty - what a great idea to make and post a bouquet each month.

lifeshighway said...

Lovely, and quite a great idea. I have never cut a dried plant bouquet from the garden. Sounds like the perfect thing for the guests this weekend.

Melanie J Watts said...

How pretty. Hydrangeas are one of my faves too. although last year my Hydrangea winterkilled to the ground all I got was stems and leaves, no flowers, hopefully next year.

Floridagirl said...

Very creative bouquet, Marguerite! It all reminds me of the changing of the seasons back when I lived in Zone 7. Especially love the hydrangeas and the goldenrod seedheads. So pretty!

Marguerite said...

Stevie - I love this meme. It's a challenge to find a bit of nature to bring inside and reminds me that so many things in nature are beautiful. Perfectly coiffed plants aren't necessary.

Lifeshighway, the best part - no watering required!

Melanie - What a shame about your hydrangea, I didn't realize they weren't that hardy.

Floridagirl - LOL, zone 7 still sounds so much warmer than it is here! But I do think I would miss changing seasons in your warm climate.

One said...

Hydrangea is very beautiful, fresh or dried. They don't fare so well for me as it is very warm here. Putting ice water helps but it is too much trouble.

SeaBlush said...

Perfect way to remember the blooms of summer :)

Marguerite said...

One - It seems hydrangea are rather fussy, some climates are too cold and others are too hot. Seems I'm fortunate they are happy in my yard.

SeaBlush - It is lovely isn't it? Something to remember and something to look forward to.

fer said...

Very beautiful bouquet! I like the second flower, the dried petals look like a little butterfly.

Marguerite said...

fer - Those little flowers make up the larger heads of the hydrangea blooms. And you're right, they are like little butterflies! I hadn't thought of that.