
In A Vase On Monday – Pink October
Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share an arrangement composed of materials collected from our gardens.
I look forward to preparing a Monday vase each week and had planned to round up the last of the zinnias for today, but wow they really are past now. Time to pull them out and finally plant the pansies I bought a few days ago.
No frost yet but suddenly the air is chilly, clean and brisk. Yesterday’s sky was deep blue as neighbors gathered near the playground for an annual community BooFest, celebrating Halloween and harvest.
It seems strange but pink flowers seem to dominate this October.
Camellia sasanqua ‘Hana-Jiman’ is full of buds. Not many flowers are ready yet but I found two to use as a starting point for an arrangement. Oops! One dropped all petals as I began to work.

Camellia sasanqua ‘Hana-Jiman’
A pass-along from my neighbor Nancy, Chrysanthemum ‘Sheffield Pink’ is just opening as well, with only a few flowers available.

Chrysanthemum ‘Sheffield Pink’ (Hardy Chrysanthemum)
Yarrow is having a second flush of flowering recently. All the fancy Achillea hybrids in beautiful colors die out quickly in my garden, but this pass-along pink is aggressively loyal.

Achillea filipendulina (Fern-leaf Yarrow)
The three mixed Dahlia ‘Fireworks’ plants bought early in summer are looking stronger, but they have not been noteworthy. I cut two of the pinkish cherry red for a different pop of color. Another dahlia from this series is yellow with red markings, which I strongly dislike and did not cut, and the third is a salmony-apricot that I do like, but its produces the fewest blooms.

In A Vase On Monday – Pink October
For filler I used a few stems of Perovskia, which is also staging a nice comeback this month in the side garden. I found two stems of Arum italicum to use for foliage.

Perovskia atriplicifolia (Russian Sage) and Chrysanthemum ‘Sheffield Pink’ (Hardy Chrysanthemum), Arum italicum leaf
The container is a triangular black Ikebana vase that I used many times. It is a perfect size to hold and highlight just a few flowers.

In A Vase On Monday – Pink October
Materials
Flowers
Achillea filipendulina (Fern-leaf Yarrow)
Camellia sasanqua ‘Hana-Jiman’
Chrysanthemum ‘Sheffield Pink’ (Hardy Chrysanthemum)
Dahlia ‘Fireworks’
Perovskia atriplicifolia (Russian Sage)
Salvia guaranitica ‘Black and Blue’
Foliage
Arum italicum
Vase
Porcelain Ikebana vase, Georgetown Pottery, Maine. Triangle Black Wave (6.5 W x 6.5 L x 2H)

In A Vase On Monday – Pink October
Thanks to Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for hosting and giving us an opportunity to share flower designs across the world. Visit her to discover what she and others found to place In A Vase On Monday.