Joining in with Cathy’s Monday gathering of vases is a lovely way to keep an eye on what’s going on in the garden and to mark the seasons passing but my garden is still merrily ignoring the fact that it is 6th November. For my vase today, I’ve picked a snapdragon, osteospermums, nasturtiums, a single pink rose, a stem of hesperantha, some sprigs of rosemary, a few scented pelargonium leaves and a few stems of guelder rose (Viburnum opulus) to add some autumn colour.
My garden is in denial and so am I. Yes, there’s now a chill in the air and there was even a little frost in the fields this morning but it doesn’t seem that long ago that the children went back to school after the summer holidays. Bonfire night took me by surprise and I’m certainly not ready to be seeing festive adverts on the tv and the shops full of glitter. I haven’t made cake or puddings (we have one from last year in the cupboard, so maybe I’ll skip pudding-making this year), or really thought very much about it. I would quite like time to Slow Down!
How about you? Are you organised and in the zone or are you taken by surprise by the unstoppable Christmas countdown?
Whatever your calendar situation, I wish you a lovely week ahead.
acoastalplot 
A beautiful arrangement, Sam. I like the rosy nasturtiums echoing the viburnum leaves. The rosemary adds a nice, vivid green.
I can’t cope with the thought of Christmas until the end of the month. The mild autumn helps the illusion that we are still in early Oct. I’m hanging onto that.
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Same here!
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What lovely muted tones your vase has, Sam – just like the special sunsets we can get at this time of year. I used to make cake, puddings and mincemeat during half term but these days it is when I think about it – at least I got the cake made on Friday though, and have just used the last of last year’s mincemeat so feel justified in making more now 😉 Sadly my extra pudding from last year does not look as it should do… 😦
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Oh no, what does it look like?! I should check mine before it’s too late to make another..!
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Just completely dried out – although it is possible that it was perhaps a 2015 pudding and not a 2016 one… Definitey worth checking yours though, to be on the safe side
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I always love your vase posts. Always imaginative and what an array of plants and flowers you have. Plus you are an excellent arranger. Mine normally look like they’ve just been plonked in a vase ! The C word is not allowed in this house until December 1st. I have made a cake but that is part of my programming for beginning of November. I mute adverts on TV and look away if it looks remotely sparkly. Keep being in denial for at least another few weeks :). B x
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Thank you, Barbara! The C word is not fully discussed until after my son’s birthday on 19th Nov at the earliest. I just don’t feel it until December anyway. It amazes me that there are people who’ve done their shopping already!
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Your arrangement has a dreamy air this week, Sam. I don’t care for the commercialization of our year-end holidays at all. The Halloween displays went up here in August (!) and the Christmas displays appeared well before Halloween. I expect to see Valentine’s Day campaigns before Christmas arrives.
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It is a bit bonkers, isn’t it!
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You have such beautiful sunlight in your photos! November is always grey here, as the mist and the fog around the Danube a few miles away barely manage to clear, so your sunny pictures are very welcome – especially those velvety Nasturtium flowers. 🙂 I think I am actually looking forward to Advent, as it means frosts and cookie baking and Christmas markets. November is a hurdle though… Have a lovely week Sam, and hope that sunshine sticks around for you!
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I am in denial too….what a gorgeous vase with those autumn leaves that perfectly complement the blooms.
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Beautiful colours in your vase but you can see the autumnal tones creeping in…
Hallowe’en passes me by but I do like fireworks night and the Remembrance Day parade, then it’s a matter of slipping into Christmas preparation, which I quite like. I’m enjoying this autumn though – wonderful walks across the fields and park, and round the villages, with the mist and the sunshine – and would like to think it’s going to be around a bit longer X
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No preparations at all here, although eldest son and I did google dog Christmas outfits earlier. Obviously I wouldn’t dream of buying one and forcing the dog into it or anything, I almost certainly wouldn’t do that. You’re right that November has snuck up on us this year. I was surprised to wake up to the sound of frost being scraped off of a car this morning. My hot water bottle is out. Lovely flowers. CJ xx
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Oh your vase positively glows with warm autumnal shades Sam. Those viburnum leaves are most attractive. I recoiled to see Christmas adverts on television this weekend. I don’t get into gear with planning/shopping until 1st December but we do not have any children in the equation. Hope that you have a good week.
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Some organising going on here, largely because I prefer to avoid the shops as it gets closer! Lovely vase as always x
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What lovely colours. It was inspired to use the guelder rose foliage.
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A truly seasonal arrangement Sam. Our local Garden Centre installed the Christmas goodies on the first of October. My daughter tells me Christmas music was playing in the shops last weekend! I do like Christmas as a family get together but the commercialism of all the festivals has become over done. I do wonder how old Easter Eggs are by the time they are eaten!
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I have to admit, Christmas has crept in here! The girls started learning carols on the piano this week which set the ball rolling. Then, yesterday, I was making preparations for my December Cooking the Books post and went so far as to make mince pies. I stole one and hid the rest in the freezer before anyone noticed. Or so I thought until Teenage Son came home and announced that the kitchen smelled all Christmassy and demanded to know where I’d stashed the goodies. I like this part, when we still believe it will all be good.
Your vase is a beauty. I can’t believe the beautiful light you have flooding through your window!
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Gorgeous colours. I’ve noticed that my garden colours chang with the seasons, and I’m loving th dusky colours and greens and berries right now.
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We finally had a tiny frost here, but we also have had September-like weather. Our newly planted grass keeps growing green and lush. If we keep this up, it will feel like Christmas in October. Fortunately, we have Thanksgiving in late November to ease us into the Christmas mood.
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