Early Fall Bouquet

Fall is officially here. As I type this, I’m rejuvenated by the crisp, cool breezes wafting into the house from the open door. We are just on the cusp of autumn but the garden and land are yielding a bounty of lovely fall foliage and flowers.

For a quick bouquet to be arranged in a Mason Jar (what can’t you use a Mason Jar for?!), I gathered from my back step baskets brimming with begonias, then the hedgy stand of nandina, followed by snips of the radiantly purple Mexican salvia – my favorite fall perennial - and not to be forgotten wisps of asparagus fern and some small magnolia for greenery.

 

Of course, hydrangeas played their way into this bouquet and a duo of Limelight panicles share their limelight hued essence with the other floral elements to accent the arrangement as a whole. While I was arranging the stems into the jar, I noticed that the hues of the begonia leaves and the aubergine tint of the salvia were plum, well, plum! This depth of a jewel tone was just too gratifying to resist paring with my bouquet. A few stems of Strobilanthes or Persian Shield carry on the depth of purple that resonates so well for fall.

 

Within minutes a delightful arrangement of my garden tour was at hand. I often arrange the flowers in my hand while walking through and snipping the stems and plunking them into the container. This is a quick way to arrange flowers and also a very naturalistic way – the arrangement doesn’t come across as too fixed or arranged.

The key to arrangements like these is having a garden to cut from – a little patch of earth to yield what the Earth proper is yielding this time of year. Plan a garden for cutting and you’ll have a garden filled with bouquets just waiting on you. And may you always have an arsenal of Mason Jars at your beckon call too. From this Farmer’s garden to yours, happy, happy fall ya’ll!