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The wind is cold out of the west. Even with brilliant sunshine, it was shivery cold as I dug the last tender fern to bring in today. Frost has been forecast several times over the last week, but thus far its been only a flirtation with that first autumn frost which decimates what’s left of our summer garden.
Most of our tender plants are either inside already, or snuggled up against the walls of our protected patio. I trust that area to stay a few degrees warmer than the garden, which will suffice until the weather turns truly frosty next month.
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I cut a half dozen roses early Saturday morning to take to my parents, believing if left growing, they would be frozen that night. But, as you can see, the roses keep unfolding peacefully. The colors may be a little off from May. Yet I believe these are almost more beautiful.
Last night hovered around 33F for a few hours around sunrise. But tonight, I believe, will be ‘it.’ We’ve had several weeks now to prepare and remember every last thing we can possibly bring indoors.
Except the roses….
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Even yesterday afternoon, I made cuttings from our favorite scented geraniums thinking to stick them in pots around other things in hopes they will root and last through winter in the garage/conservatory. And this afternoon, I cut a few more beautiful and wonderfully scented sprigs for this vase.
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The roses are the main attraction here. But they are accented with a few of the very first little starts I set out last April: A lacy Spanish lavender and a beautiful blue mealy sage. Both have bloomed non-stop for the last seven months. They might even come back next spring if our winter is mild. You might also notice a few stems of Euphorbia, ‘Diamond Frost,’ still blooming in the garden, and a few tiny trumpets of lavender Oxalis.
The vase was made by our potter friend, Denis Orton. These wonderful crystalline glazes are one of his passions, and we enjoy collecting pieces of his work from time to time.
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The roses are heavily perfumed ones, and have filled the house with their beautiful aroma as they warm up indoors. If frost does come tonight, we will still have roses to enjoy for the next few days, and the house will still smell of summer.
That was reason enough to venture out this afternoon to cut them for a vase, and touch with Cathy at Rambling in the Garden yet again. She faithfully cuts and arranges beautiful vases of flowers each week, photographing them and writing each week about what is fresh in her garden. I admire her dedication to this meme, and appreciate her giving other gardeners the opportunity to join in every Monday.
Please visit her page to see what other gardeners around the world have to arrange this week as we slip ever closer to the holidays.
I am far more likely to plant up a pot of something for the house than to cut flowers and arrange them. But every now and again, I can’t resist harvesting a bit of beauty and bringing it in for us to enjoy. And so with theses roses, safely in a vase indoors before the frost.
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Woodland Gnome 2016
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A Forest Garden 2017 garden calendar is available now
Forest Garden 
Some of my best bouquets have come from rescuing flowers from weather events. This is lovely.
Thank you, Rickii 😉 Makes them all the more precious to know they are rescued, doesn’t it? So much has gone in the frost these last 2 nights. Very sad. But I just rescued a few more geraniums (so tough!) and hope they will make it through until spring in the garage. Happy Thanksgiving! WG
Such lovely roses and I think the vase is fabulous!
Thank you 😊
What beautiful still-perfect roses! With the addition of your other froth bits and pieces we would be hard pushed to guess this was a late November vase – so lovely and thank you for rescuing the contents before the frost came and sharing them with us.
Our pleasure ☺ It dropped into the 20s, overnight , so we are very happy to enjoy the roses, and their sweet fragrance , indoors. Thank you for visiting , Cathy.