It was my daughter’s birthday yesterday, so I picked what my garden had to offer. A rather strange mix of colours, but definitely autumnal.
They sit in a metal jug that has ‘Made in Yugoslavia’ printed on the base – a bit of European history as Yugoslavia no longer exists. What a complicated story that piece of the world has.
I have included leaves of Liquid Amber and the berries of this shrub
Can anyone tell me what it is? Cathy?
Joining Cathy’s garden party over on Rambling in the Garden which a such a wonderful celebration of flowers in bloom all over the world
I included Pheasant berries
Lusciousness!
And self-sown asters
which are a-buzz with flies and bees at this time of year
I’m hoping someone can identify this bee
Murtagh’s Meadow will know, I’m sure.
I’ve learnt from her website that many bees are identified by their bums! – so here it is..
The butterflies love it too
And at night I see little pale moths flitting around it. My front garden is a mess by my neighbour’s standards but it really is a wildlife haven and I love it.
I had to include one of my favourites, Schizostylis – has this got a prettier common name?
It’s fairy’s skirt of a flower deserves a better name. I love the twist of the bud
and the tint and pattern of the stalk carrying the waiting blooms.
Today she is dancing in to Cee’s Flower of the Day.
~
Ravelry
A wonderful collection of flowers and berries – I had never heard the name ‘pheasant berries’ before. The asters are especially lovely. 🙂
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Hi Cathy – sorry it has taken me so long to reply! life just bowls along and I missed your sweet comment. The proper name for the pheasant berries is Leycesteria Formosa, I think it has quite a few common names in different parts of the world. xx
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Stunning arrangement in a beautiful jug. I can’t help with any of your questions I’m afraid. Your garden is a busy spot for the local wildlife, just as a garden should be.
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Thank you Barbara – you can be my neighbour! Most of the gardens around me are clipped and cleared and paved – each to their own. 😉
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Your flower selection for your bouquet is really special, love the vase.
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Thank you for your lovely comment Charlie.
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I just adore that sunny orange vase! So retro, and you have filled it perfectly with those berries and asters. Yes, Schizostylus is now supposed to be called Hesperantha. But it has common names too, as described in this article: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/9690220/Botanical-identity-crisis-solved.html – I hope that helps!
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Thank you, thank you!! A common name of some kind of ‘lily’ is far more user friendly than even Hesperantha is – although, I admit that is more in keeping than the Schiz word! Interesting article. ❤
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The butterfly is a red admiral (Vanessa atalanta)…so pretty, as is your striking arrangement. Sorry I don’t know the berry or the bee. The foliage does not look like crabapple to me.
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Oo I didn’t know that a Red Admiral was called ‘Vanessa’ – a much more appropriately feminine name. Thank you Marian.
Having dissected the berries, I think the shrub is a cotoneaster – possibly ‘Cotoneaster franchettii’.
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Your bee looks like a common carder bee, a bit worn but you’d expect that at this time of year. They are the only bees left in my garden now as all the others have gone, till spring, when the queens will re-emerge from hibernation. Thanks for the bum shot too!!!! And beautiful vase and flowers too. Asters are a great bee flower. I’ve planted one this year but need to get more!
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Thank you MM, I knew you would know what it is. I’m only just realising how many different types of bee there are.
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Yes, there are lots of different ones and you have more there in the UK that we have here in Ireland. UK’s natural history museum has a quick guide to some of the common ones – http://www.nhm.ac.uk/research-curation/research/projects/bombus/bumblebeeid.html
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Thank you!!!
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I didn’t know that bees can be recognized by their backsides – now that’s probably something I’ll never forget! I love the asters and the pheasant berries. I planted a Leycesteria last fall but it’s still anyone’s guess as to whether it will survive here (much less bloom).
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HaHa! Bee’s Bums! Good luck with your Leycesteria.
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Beautiful!!
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Thank you Janette, the vase does look good in my daughter’s log cabin kitchen – the wooden walls set it off a treat.
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Such a balanced and beautiful bouquet – thank you for sharing all the luscious details with us!
Belated Happy Birthday wishes to your daughter!
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Thank you Del. She had a lovely day in the sunshine by the sea with her family.
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A beautiful autumn bouquet in a cheerful jug – It’s a perfect blend of flowers and fruit. I love the pheasant berries, which I haven’t ever seen before.
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Thank you Eliza. Pheasant Berries (Leycesteria Formosa) grows a bit like a weed here. I’m always pulling out little seedlings. They look so lush at this time of year – I wonder if pheasants really do eat them.
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Thanks for the name. I searched for more info and found we are a tad too cold here to grow this. But there was a lovely cultivar ‘Golden Lanterns’ that I drooled over. 😉
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I just looked up ‘Golden Lanterns’, gosh I didn’t even know there were other forms – that would brighten up the garden – lovely thank you.
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Only a gues but looking at photgraphs your berry bush may be a Red Chokeberry – Aronia arbutifolia.
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Thank you RJ, I looked your suggestion up and it prompted me to dissect the berry. After further investigation I think it is a Cotoneaster franchettii.
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Didn’t think of cotoneaster. Looked at berberis and pyracantha but they didn’t look right!
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Thank you for looking them up – they are similar. xx
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You will be pleased to know (as I am) that schizostylis has been renamed hesperantha! Could you mystery shrub/tree be a crab apple? Some of them do have berry size fruits. I recognised the metal vase immediately as I had a bowl with the same pattern – don’t know why I got rid of it which presumably I have 😦 Your vase has got such a perfect blend of flowers and foliage and fruit – just the right shades to complement each other. Thanks for sharing
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Hesperantha is a nicer name.
I picked some berries of the mystery shrub to dissect and see that they are the same as the cotoneaster berries inside, so looking on the internet, I think it is Cotoneaster franchettii
I have seedlings coming up everywhere. I hope the birds like it, but I have never seen them eating the berries.
Shame you no longer have the bowl, perhaps it will come to light someday – I love the perkiness and bright colour of the enamel.
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Ahah – I did wonder, but the cotoneaster I know has much smaller leaves. Cutting the berries was a good idea – glad you have found out what it is 🙂
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It’s good to know – to me it is much nicer than the more usual smaller, darker, stiffer one. It was in the garden when I bought the house.
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A generous and colorful vase of blooms for your daughter.
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Thank you, it turned out much better than I thought it would.
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Your bouquet is beautiful–a feast of colour and detail. I also loved the close ups and visitors.
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Thank you Janice. So good to know you enjoyed the post. It surprised me how much was there to pick.
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It is surprising how much flourishes at this time of year…and the beauty in changing colours as well.
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What a wonderful bouquet of flowers.Amazing what is still in bloom and I love the berries. The birds are busy in the garden eating elderberries. I doubt I could pick such a fabulous vase.
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I didn’t think I would find much, but once I started putting it all together in my hand it looks better than you’d think. The berries are much loved by the birds as you can imagine.
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Beautiful 🙂
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Thank you. A glorious sunny autumn day to show them off.
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