October | 2018 | The Dress at 50

Everything is mended by the soil.
― Andrew Crofts, ghostwriter and author, from Secrets of the Italian Gardener

The calendar turns its page from September to October. We are still in our Indian Summer here, but the light is changing, its angle, its slant, it rise and fall. our dahlias are going dormant. I likely cut the last dahlia bloom from the garden on the last day of September. How apt. Here now are the autumn bouquets. Enjoy.

Labor Day Weekend seems so long ago. Here’s a bouquet I made for my cousin Janet and her husband Tim from a bucket full of flowers that we brought down to Terra Bella for our annual Labor Day Weekend visit. Looks beautiful on their dining room sideboard.

Close-up of this bouquet with the lone cream-colored gerbera daisy. This particular plant is a hardy producer and still going strong.

Here’s the other bouquet that I made, featuring the big red dahlia that started producing later in the summer.

Another view of the second bouquet full of zinnias, scabiosa, dahlias, and rudbeckias.

Close-up of the second bouquet, featuring my favorite deep-blue scabiosa.

The first gerbera daisy that hasn’t been hit by powdery mildew, early in the season or even now. With purple bee balm in the background.

A nice pairing – blue scabiosa and yellow rudbeckia.

Last view of the second bouquet – pulled back to include zinnias, baby’s breath, a different kind of scabiosa, and dahlias.

A compact September 6th bouquet for Joann.

Close-up of the September 6th bouquet.

A vibrant mix of pinks, blues, limes, and yellows in this close-up.

This zinnia is a favorite of mine. It stands out in this bouquet.

Looking down on the second September 6th bouquet, featuring rudbeckia hirta “Chim Chiminee,” dahlias, Helipterum roseum “Pierrot,” pale yellow and delicate scabiosa ochroleuca, and pink alstroemeria,

Dahlias are still going strong in early September.

Focus on the orange dahlia.

Another view of this September 6th bouquet.

September 11th bouquet. Remembering this date with light and life.

This is a surprise pink zinnia that sprouted this season, surrounded by cornflower blue bachelor’s button, baby’s breath, rudbeckia saraha, and rudbeckia hirta “Cherry Brandy.”

The second September 11th bouquet, topped by asparagus greenery.

Another view of the second September 11th bouquet for Joann.

The first of seven – I know, I need to be better about curating, but it’s near the end of the season! – close-ups of the second September 11th bouquet.

I love the intricate petals of this lime-colored zinnia.

Another close-up of the second September 11th bouquet.

One of my favorite dahlias still producing in September.

The bright and delightful rudbeckia hirta “Chim Chiminee.”

Rudbeckias (including rudbeckia hirta “Prairie Sun” to the left) and zinnias signal fall.

Last close-up of the second September 11th bouquet. It feels like fall in the garden. Still going strong, but different flowers shining in autumn.

I almost dug up this Scabiosa caucasica “Perfecta Alba,” which was planted last season but did not bloom. It’s now blooming like crazy. I’m glad I waited.