Roses and Crabapples in a Vase on Tuesday

In this recent fall arrangement I used branches from my 'Royal Raindrops' crabapple trees for the first time in a vase.  I intended to participate in Cathy's 'In a Vase on Monday' meme but didn't get around to posting until Tuesday.  That's just the way life goes around here.

The base of the arrangement was formed by crimson 'William Shakespeare 2000' and pink 'Royal Jubilee' English roses.  Black leaves from 'Chocoholic' Cimicifuga helped fill in around the flowers.  Spikes of 'Miss Molly' butterfly bush shot out from the right side.

I also included a few late-blooming stems of 'Moulin Rouge' Astrantia (masterwort, above) and 'Invincibelle Spirit' hydrangea (not shown).

Tiny crabapples contributed to the fall feel, and blushing stems from my 'Peach Sorbet' blueberry bushes added more interesting foliage.

Japanese Anemone (A. robustissima) arched above the cluster of larger flowers.

The anemones are so pretty they get a second photo.
Yesterday the temperature dropped to 31 degrees Fahrenheit in the early morning and froze the water in my bird bath.  The flowers escaped this time but the end is near!

Garden Views on a September Evening

As the season draws to a close, the backyard garden is looking fairly full, at least from some angles.  It is very soothing to spend a few minutes there in the evening.

The flowers are mostly shades of violet with a few reddish butterfly bushes in the mix.  Next year there will be more maroon leaves in this scene with the additions of a 'Red Dragon' contorted filbert and a 'Royal Purple' smoke bush.

Four Russian sage (Peroskvia) plants are especially lovely when a breeze waves their flower wands back and forth.

As you see, the honey locusts (Gleditsia 'Shademaster') are already turning yellow for fall.  Near the bottom of the photo the dark green leaves of 'Totally Tangerine' geum still look fresh despite a long, hot summer.  I didn't even cut them back after blooming; they're just sturdy.

'Farmington' double asters bloom next to the 'Buzz Purple' butterfly bush.  Pollinators love both of these plants.

The overgrown dwarf Arctic willow is kind of a thug but so graceful that I happily keep it around.  Next spring I need to use a shovel to cut back the roots as well as cutting the branches nearly back to the ground to help it stay smaller.  In the meantime I have to keep reminding my kids that they are NOT allowed to whip each other with the wiry stems.  

Japanese Anemones for GBBD September 2015

The stars of the garden right now are the Japanese anemones (A. robustussima) in the northeast corner of the backyard.  The lavender  in the background above comes from a 'Rozanne' geranium.  Both the anemones and the geranium attract crowds of bees and other pollinators.

Japanese anemones are known for being aggressive spreaders through their rhizomes, and mine have indeed been spreading.  I just keep digging up the unwanted shoots and tossing them in the green bin, because I do want some of these lovely plants in my garden.

Their curvy stems are pretty in the garden or in a vase, and the pearl-like buds are attractive even before they open.

Dainty leaves form a nice backdrop for the flowers.  Anemones are supposed to be hardy down to zone 5, which is what I consider my garden, but our winters have murdered several other varieties.  Anemone robustissima is the hardiest and the survivor of several winters in my garden.

Who would guess that such an ethereal looking flower would spread like a thug?  I wouldn't recommend this plant for fluffy soils, as the spreading would get really hard to contain.  It's not as bad in clay soil, though.

The other lovely blooms right now are on the 'Little Lime' hydrangeas.  Usually we get a frost before the flowers have time to turn deep rose, but this year the deeper color has developed well.

The leaves are starting to color, the sun is low and the sky is a deeper shade of blue.  Happy fall!  Thanks to Carol of May Dreams Gardens for hosting Garden Bloggers Bloom Day.