A quick post to show off my fall urn, in a rather crummy photo, shot between raindrops, with frosted edges to disguise my neighbour’s recycling bin. I hope you’ll believe me: this looks better in real life.
The inspiration to get cracking and fill the negative space left by the retreating annuals came from fellow Toronto blogger Irena of My Roots Run Deep. Take a look, and I’m sure you’ll be as impressed by her handiwork as I was. I even cadged her idea of using prunings from the euonymus as foliage. Thanks!
You’ll note a few ‘Annabelle’ hydrangea heads and a spray or two of my pyracantha berries. Free floral material always makes the skinflint in me happy.
The ever-greenery came from East End Garden Centre. As soon as I came away, I regretted not buying an $11.99 bunch of brown-backed magnolia leaves. But, other than twigs to create vertical line, the budget says that this will have to do.
A longer post soon, as Toronto Gardens has just received a Best Blog Award from both Deborah of Kilbourne Grove/Green Theatre and also from The Violet Fern. Sarah and I are honoured. The hardest part, as I’m sure all who have received one of these knows, is passing this chain along in a meaningful way. We are percolating on that topic.
12 comments
What a lovely cold season arrangement!
Lovely! I am planning to use cuttings from my garden to fill a planter under our front windows. I hope mine is half as beautiful as yours.
I just love this arrangement! Well done and marvelous urn to boot!
Rosey
Nice blog with very nice picture of flowers. Love the picture of Helen & Sara. They are adorable. Happy Living
Your urn turned out great! Can't believe you did it so cheap, I am etremely jealous. We charge $8.00 per stem for magnolia at the flower shop, it does last really well. And it is a nice contrast with its broader leaf to the finer needles of evergreens.
I've been doing my own winter greenery arrangements for several years. I love walking around the garden and open spaces and cutting branches and then arranging them in the big pots. Yours look lovely.
A most creative and colorful arrangement. It's lovely! Congrats on your award.
It's looking good Helen and a very good way of cheering up those dreary November days. I used Euonymus and rosehip trimmings to make a Christmas wreath for our front door a couple of years ago. Great fun to do and a lot cheaper than to buy one from the shops!
You're on the NaBloPoMo home stretch! Well done on what you've done so far, it's really hard to post so frequently AND keep up the quality, which you've done by the bucketload.
Have another slice of cake as your reward 😉
I love it!! Both natural and elegant. The Annabelle heads really add some great form.
The front urn is my next project. Right now it just has red dogwood and moss – rather austere after the festive pumpkins and flowering kale. I will definitely check out your link for more inspiration. 🙂
Your arrangement is lovely.
Gee, everyone, thanks for your comments. I really didn't expect this kind of response, but, as I said, thanks!
Thanks, Wendy, I ask myself why I don't do this with every season.
Deborah E. — I wish I had more things to take cuttings from. I kept eyeing the Austrian pines in the school across the way, but thought that might be a bit over the top. And naughty. Lucky you having stuff to clip.
Rosey, The urn is really some kind of resin or resilient foam, but looks amazingly like stone. Wish I'd bought more than one at the time, as I haven't seen them again in the same, warm "Cotswold Stone" buff colour.
Flowers, thanks: We love that picture, too.
Deborah at KG — Coming from you, that compliment is a big one. I guess compared to $8 per stem, $11.99 a bunch isn't bad. Don't let me talk myself into going back to get some!
Linda, I'm envious. We need more open spaces to collect floral materials from in the city!
Tina, Thanks and double thanks.
VP, Rosehips are so decorative. I can imagine they'd look fantastic as a wreath. (Wish I had another piece of that banana fudge cake, but our son ate the last of it.) Two more days of NaBloPoMo!
Ms. S — Red dogwood and moss sounds pretty already. I could use some red dogwood, myself.
Keewee — Thanks, and thanks for dropping by.
your urn looks great! love the berries and the hydrangeas. you have done a really lovely job. and thanks for the mention. I know what you mean about trying to block out the view of the neighbour's recycling bin…ha ha ha. any picture taken in my front yard features one or more bins in a cameo appearance. they are a foundation planting in and of themselves!
irena