Early Fall Bouquet

I haven't cut flowers for a bouquet in a few weeks but I was prompted to spend a few moments doing so when I saw a perfectly formed white rose on a trip to take out the garbage.  There are 5 rose bushes arrayed in a semi-circle along the pathway leading to the trash bins.  Not an optimal placement in my book but they were there when we bought the house.  None of the 5 are particularly vigorous either - they get too much shade and are prone to rust.  However, I'm committed to do what I can this year to improve their condition because I do enjoy the sporadic blooms they produce.

I put together a bouquet of purple and white, with a touch of pink.

Rose, Cuphea, Nandina, Plectranthus, Salvia

Here's what I included:

• Rose (no ID)
• Cuphea ignea 'Starfire Pink'
• Nandina berries
• Plectranthus ciliatus 'Zulu Warrior'
• Salvia leucantha, aka Mexican Bush Sage

I have a dozen shrubs of the Cuphea, all currently badly in need of pruning.  The Salvia recently sprang into bloom in my garden and, seemingly, all over town.  I featured the Plectranthus as my favorite plant of the week last month.  It has developed more and more blooms every week since, although last week's Santa Ana winds flattened the shrub for a time.  I don't think I've ever used its flowers in an arrangement before and I'm not sure how well they'll hold up.  Although the plant is tough and resilient, the blooms are very delicate (and hard to photograph).

Close-up of blooms on Plectranthus ciliatus 'Zulu Warrior'

I'm joining the Seasonal Bouquet Project with this post.  You can read about the project here.  In brief, it's sponsored by Erin and Jennie, 2 flower farmers and designers working on opposite coasts.  Click here to see their floral productions this week, as well as the contributions of participating gardeners.