I like gourds in the fall. My husband told me once he knew when it was fall because I had the gourd arrangement on the dining room table. So, here is the 2016 version.
Florida is tricky about fall. September, in my opinion, should be, the transition to cooler weather. September, in Florida is a sweaty repeat of August. Fall manifests itself subtly, fruits appear on the Beautyberry, Muhly Grass bravely sends up a pink cloud and then slowly the calendar reaches October and becomes the savior of all things pleasant outdoors. We have now reached the magical day when a cold front arrives, humidity disappears and all windows and doors can be thrown open to invite the outdoors back in. In celebration of all things autumnal, here are the gourds filled with flowers from my garden.
The gourds aren’t all gourds. The striped centerpiece is a Carnival Squash, a vegetable, my husband wouldn’t eat squash on a dare, the result of a Midwestern upbringing featuring Butternut Squash baked with a lump of sausage. I had no worries about wasting an edible squash for a flower arrangement. This green one is an inedible gourd.
The mini pumpkins are just that and completely ornamental. Flowers from my garden include – in red, Tropical Red Sage (Salvia coccinea), in yellow, Beach Sunflowers (Helianthus debilis), purple berries, Beautyberry (Calliocarpa americana), pink plumes of grass, Muhly Grass (Muhlbergia), orange firecracker flowers and foliage are from Firebush (Hamelia patens). The off white spikes are a mystery volunteer (i.e. weed) . The ‘Autumn’ leaves strewn about being from the Raggedy Ann Copperleaf (Acalphya wilkesiana ‘Raggedy Ann’)
It occurred to me that almost everything here is native to Florida with the exception of the faux leaves from Raggedy Ann, and the gourds, maybe there is fall in Florida – you just have to open your eyes and see it.
The Shrub Queen 
Nicely done Queen.
LikeLike
Thank you, Flower
LikeLike
Wow! Looks so cute♥
LikeLike
Thank you, Summer
LikeLike
I love your use of native plants in your Fall arrangement. Fall is very subtle here too. I just came back from blazing color in the northeast. It is definitely still summer here.
LikeLike
Thank you, there is nothing to beat a Sugar Maple in New England for fall color.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Just got my lone gourd out! I love the flowers in the gourds as containers. I always think I will try it but never seem to get around to it. So I’m impressed.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, they are kind of difficult to cut a hole in, so be careful.
LikeLike
That is a fantastic idea, using the gourds and squashes as vases – so appropriate for the season, and as always I am intrigued by the local collection of material you have filled them with. Thanks for sharing – and now I must go and check out my own callicarpa…
LikeLike
Thank you, I think the Beautyberry in Florida out produces any others – they make jelly and ice cream sauce from the berries.
LikeLike
The verries must be much bigger than the usual UK variety
LikeLike
They are not bigger, just incredibly prolific.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I loved your closing comment about fall – very much the same thing could be said about the season here in Southern California. We woke to cooler temperatures combined with thunder and lightning this morning (although, sadly, almost nothing in terms of rain) when just last week we had the AC running most of the day to get us through yet another heatwave. I love your gourd vases too – do they hold water? After seeing gourds planted with succulents at a nursery on Saturday. I’ve been thinking of trying that myself.
LikeLike
The odd thing is the plant I associate with fall color is a Bilbergia pyramidalis Bromeliad and it is pink. Tropical weirdness. I am not sure if the gourds would hold water but I think it would be kind of mushy rotten so i have a prescription bottle in one and a shot glass in the other for water. Have you seen the grey pumpkins? I think they would look cool with succulents.
LikeLike
What a great idea for autumn. I love your gourd vases. And as usual lovely and interesting flowers which you don’ t get here.
LikeLike
Thank you, Liz. I like your flowers that I don’t get here!
LikeLike
In a Vegetable on Monday – haha! Love it. I’m impressed you created a fall look using your own flowers. It looks great!
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s the fall fashion squash! Thank you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Totally charming, Amy. You are one very creative lady.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Cynthia
LikeLike
So bright, colourful and upbeat! You seem very pleased about the cooler weather, and no wonder. Love the volunteer weed and the funny purple berries.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, I do love October.
LikeLiked by 1 person
A lovely idea for displaying flowers – love your arrangements, and the fact that they are all native too!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you
LikeLiked by 1 person
This is wonderful. You’ve made a very convincing autumnal Florida arrangement.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Now I have to convince myself.
LikeLike
They are so pretty. Wonderful idea- I might copy 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you – be careful cutting them, some are like rocks and you need a serrate knife and some sawing time.
LikeLiked by 1 person