I decided to start with this vintage pitcher, whose discoloration from age reminds me of the changing colors of the season. The glass frog fits perfectly, allowing me to create a network of leaves to support the flowers to be added last.
I love the burnished tones of peony leaves. These are rescued from an earlier bouquet so they curl and droop in ways that I find pleasing. Prunings from Weigelia ‘Wine and Roses’ and seed heads of Penstemon ‘Dark Towers’ provide some even darker elements.
Cathy, who hosts In A Vase On Monday, has made me aware of the importance of props when staging photos, so I added an unknown volunteer veggie (or fruit, who knows?), a little metal box shaped like a tangerine and a split open seed pod from the peony.
So here’s the setup.
And a close-up from a little different angle, where you can see the three different Dahlias: ‘Alfred Grille’ (the pale one), ‘Groovy’ (the small red one) and big NOID magenta. There’s also one sprig of Chasmanthia latifolia in there.
Here’s one parting shot: can you see the little rootlets in that vase? Sometimes a long-lasting bouquet will give you bonus new plants, as did these stems of Sedum ‘Stardust’.
A pretty bouquet! I planted Penstemon “Dark Towers” in my garden this year and I’m really enjoying the seed heads–an unexpected bonus.
Emily~Yes, and the deep mahogany leaves are pretty swell too.
Looks you have been getting a lot of spam, Ricki…. is it a common problem for you? I have found WordPress quite efficient at cutting it from my blog.
The peony leaves were an inspired addition as they pick out the colours of the dahlias brilliantly – and the penstemon sounds interesting so I must look out for that one. Seeing you using that ‘frog’ will encourage me to use mine, one I bought from yet another car boot sale! Your props are perfect, Ricki – you must be well-chuffed with the overall effect. I love the tangerine box! Thanks so much for joining in – it’s great to have the encouragement, isn’t it?
The spam is a new problem for me. I even upgraded WP to the latest version and Akismet to a paid subscription. As you can see, it has done little good. Have you any tips?
I have what might almost be called a “collection” of flower frogs. I can never pass one up in a thrift store. It might have something to do with word association, as I am gaga over frogs (the creatures). And yes, I think we are all buoyed by words of encouragement. Thanks for yours.
A beautiful autumnal arrangement, Ricki. Lovely dahlias and the peony leaves are an inspired choice. If I could resist cutting my penstemon flowers I might have some gorgeous seed heads too. I didn’t know that little flower arranging thiny was actually called a ‘frog’ … everyday’s a school day so thanks for sharing 🙂
And thank YOU for stopping by and leaving a comment. Flower frogs are kind of an old-fashioned implement but can often be found in second-hand shops.
At last I found a link to your blog Ricky, when you leave comments on mine the links just don’t work. The peony leaves are an inspiration, such lovely colours and perfect for the Dahlias. The props are really interesting too, I’m not good at props! Christina
Oh, Christina! Sorry for the inconvenience, but glad you were persistent. I just added email notification, if that helps. I use the Bloglovin reader to keep track of you and others I like to follow. Cathy always has such interesting props that I decided to give it a try. She seems to be opening my eyes to all kinds of new possibilities.
I love those colors. You’ve got such talent.
Grace~You are too kind.
That looks really lovely – and rootlets mean plantlets, so it is a double whammy!!
Yes, I love those little bonus plants.