HALLOWEEN FALL FLOWER ARRANGEMENTS - Fall colors with Zinnias, Mums, Dahlias, and Monkshood

Fall temperatures bring an end to many flowers in the garden. Zinnias, dahlias and mums however, are still going strong. Moreover, monkshood, a fall blooming perennial, usually starts it's bloom in October, lasting into November here in zone 6.  The week's arrangement features the colorful tall State Fair zinnias, garden mums, dinner plate dahlias, and monkshood. The tall purple spikes of monkshood grow as tall as 5 feet, and are a welcome sight in the fall with their 'hooded' flowers. All parts of this plant are poisonous, and are best in the back of the bed not only for this reason, but also because of its height. I always handle them with gloves, and have never had a problem in the many years I've grown them. They make lovely bouquets, having a long vase life, especially if cut in the bud stage. FYI: Several plants commonly grown in gardens are poisonous. They can cause nausea, vomiting, rapid heart rate or diarrhea if ingested, or cause adverse effects on the skin, such as rashes, itchiness, or even blisters. I grow all but 2 of these perennials and have never had any sort of problem with any of them. However it is wise not to ingest any of them, and I work with gloves at all times. Wisteria, foxglove, hydrangea, hyacinths, lily of the valley, chrysanthemum, rhododendron, azalea and narcissus are all toxic, but if handled correctly you should have no problems. 

MUMS - Long-lasting, colorful, prolific fall blooms when cooler temperatures arrive

There's nothing quite so pretty in the fall as colorful fall mums in the garden. Blooming when the nights are longer and the temperatures are cooler, these flowers come in all colors and shapes and sizes. They retain their bushy mound, and are, for the most part, very hardy; some of the bigger florist mums do best with a little winter protection. Whether it's a spider mum or a huge decorative mum, they last longer in the vase than any flower I work with--it's not uncommon for arrangements to last 3 weeks--even up to 4 weeks if picked in the bud stage. This week's arrangement is a nice fall color of burnt orange mum, and is a garden variety--keeping its nice, tidy mound and a manageable height of 18-24 inches. They are easy to grow and take care of, requiring little, if any, special treatment, returning year after year. After planting new plants in the spring, when all danger of frost is over, they appreciate a good fertilization. I use Osmocote. Keep moist, but not wet. I pinch or trim mine down to 6 inches until July 4th--this keeps them bushier and more manageable, as some will get very tall and fall over. I then keep them de-budded until the end of August if they form buds They will bloom when the nights are longer because they need darkness to bloom. If you want them to bloom earlier, you can cover them in the day for a few hours. Pictured are a few of the varieties I grow.

FALL ARRANGEMENTS - Cooler temperatures make the colors 'pop'

The Fall colors of the hybrid tea roses, miniature roses, and garden mums are brighter and last longer because of the cooler temperatures. After this last batch of rose blooms, I won't deadhead them anymore. This will get the plants ready for the winter; roses need a 'hardening off' time. They will be blooming through October. The mums will last through the fall, until a killing frost, which is usually the end of November here in zone 6. The arrangement will last at least 2 weeks, with the exception of the roses. Just pinch them off when spent, and the arrangement will look nice the remainder of the time. Mums have an extra long vase life, lasting 3 or more weeks. 

SUMMER ARRANGEMENTS - Filling a non-waterproof basket

There are a vast array of unique and fun vases, planter boxes, baskets, etc. to make your flower arrangements in. In today's weekly arrangement, I used a nice-sized yellow wooden basket. It has a handle for easy carrying, and holds a medium-sized bouquet. To use this basket, since it isn't waterproof,  I purchased plastic basket liners; they come in a variety of sizes, and can be found online, or you can purchase them from a floral or craft shop. Just cut oasis for wet arrangements to fit into the liner. Fill the liner so the oasis is saturated and then arrange, always using water with a floral preservative. After cutting my stems, I make a second cut, under water, then arrange. I then put the arrangement in the garage 'flower' refrigerator, set at 40 degrees, overnight. This slows down the progression of the flowers, and the arrangements will last longer. This arrangement uses State Fair zinnias, garden mums, tea roses and a gladiola stem. It will last well over a week.

HALLOWEEN ARRANGEMENTS - Using my first reblooming tall bearded iris, fall mums, dahlias, and zinnias

This weeks arrangements use the fall flowers that are still blooming:  dinner plate dahlias, mums, hybrid tea roses, state fair zinnias, delphinium, and, to my surprise--a reblooming tall bearded iris "ECHO OF SPRING," my first-ever, which was a rhizome that I just planted a few months ago. It was a prize for a winning entry in the 2014 AIS photo contest. These flowers, with the exception of the iris, will continue blooming until a hard freeze. The roses are especially bright, fragrant and huge, and the mums will last 4 weeks or more in the vase.