I started with Abutilon, white and a rich strawberry colour, which have scrambled up into the trees and are flowering madly, but it all wilted before I could get it into the vase. Instead I picked Rose ‘Abraham Darby’ and Erysimum for scent, Penstemon ‘Hidcote Pink’, a few stems of Sisrinchium, Hydrangeas, Tree Dahlias, and a lot of the bright green chrysanthemums which have aged to an attractive orange – pink shading to green – yellow.
The Tree Dahlia was looking amazing, with stems 4 to 5 metres tall and 1.5 inches thick. I had to prune some of them back to save my Pomegranate tree which was being smothered underneath them, and then a wind came last week breaking many and knocking others over. The fallen ones were still flowering, so at least it was possible to cut them. The flowers are simple, like a smallish white cactus type.
The English Rose ‘Abraham Darby’ is settling in after its third move in as many years. It is definitely happier in the orange garden, or maybe it’s all the rain this year.
There are one or two new Hydrangea flowers still, maybe these are stems that were pruned earlier in the year, but most of them are doing their graceful disintegration.
Head over to Rambling in the Garden for vases full of summer blooms, or pick some flowers and share.
Absent Gardener 
Magnificent combination of colors and beautifully presented.
Thank you! It was an unusual colour set but I’m quite happy with it.
I love your bouquet, Cath. It speaks of autumn with the integration of fresh and dried, a tribute to the end of a fabulous growing season.
Thanks Eliza, it’s a reflection of the garden now, with the summer flowers either finished or doing a last Hurrah.
Amazing that you have Tree Dahlias! Even here in central Italy they rarely grow to flowering because cold weather arrives. Your arrangement seems to say “look! Autumn is coming but it has been an abundant season.”
They do seem to flower much later – all of my normal ones have finished flowering. We had a frost last week as well but it doesn’t seem to have worried it.
I love a vase stuffed full as yours is. A beautiful tapestry of colours and textures. Some plants are so resilient about being moved, it’s amazing. Your rose is gorgeous. I brought loads of plants when we came here and some stayed 6 months in pots after a false start. Most survived and are thriving.
Me too – I am really enjoying this vase. It’s true about plants being moved, they often seem to enjoy it. You must have planted your pots well so that they survived that long in pots.
I have never come across tree dahlias before and it is hard to comprehend what something so tall must look like! It joins a pretty collection of late season blooms in your vase. Looking at Abraham Derby reminds me just how different the petal formation of different roses can be
It looks a little strange, really. I planted it at the bottom of a small bank, but it still towers over the driveway, with these small flowers at the end of the long branches. It didn’t die down to the ground last year, which with the rain is I guess why it is so big.
Abraham Darby is to me a perfect old fashioned looking rose, and those buds have opened up just stunningly. It’s a nice fruity scent.
The Hydrangea skeleton is a wonderful addition! I’ve been tempted to try growing a tree dahlia. There’s a mail order nursery in Northern California that offers the plants but they warn to protect it from high winds and those are a persistent problem in my area of coastal Southern California.
I got mine online, the tuber is just like a normal dahlia. I’m going to move it when it has finished, although I’m not sure where. We have a lot of wind as well, and it comes from all directions so it’s hard to make a sheltered sunny spot.
Lovely rich colors. The wind has been dreadful this spring.
Thank you. We often have strong winds – but where we are at least the winds are generally accompanied by rain.
Reminds me of an Old Masters painting.
Thank you, that is such a nice compliment. 🙂
A beautiful and bountiful bouquet, Cath! I have never heard of a tree dahlia either, and it must look quite amazing at such a height! I love the Hydrangeas at their different stages – very effective.
Eminent mix of hues and flawlessly introduced…
Thank you Cathy. I love the Hydrangeas right now too, there is such variation at this time of year.
Now there’s a bouquet jam-packed with beauty.