… not really!
Walking past a card shop last week, I spotted these Halloween pumpkin mugs in the window; finding they were half price, at just £4, was an opportunity not worth resisting, even if the mug only gets used once a year. For today’s vase, it was filled with overblown blooms of Dahlia ‘David Howard’, already beginning to drop their petals, and a couple of spikes of late but ghostly heuchera blooms. There is also a small and lichen covered twig in amongst the blooms, not visible in the photo above, but evident in the overhead shot below:
Supporting the vase is a larger twig, the lichen suggesting tangles of spidery webs, and a ghostly paper lantern made to demonstrate the technique to The Tinker and The Boy when they were here on Grannie Day on Thursday. We also made pumpkin and bat lanterns.
It would not surprise me if there were more Halloween-themed vases today, but if you have blooms or other material to share in any vase or jam jar please join us by adding the usual links to and from this post. Please note, we are rapidly approaching the ninth anniversary of IAVOM when I usually throw down a challenge of some sort, so watch out!
Rambling in the Garden 
I love your cheeky little Halloween mug, and pretty David Howard dahlias. Sadly there’s no Halloween theme for me. But there’s flowers for my mum for a reunion after 6 weeks apart due to illness. The garden has decided it’s August again and is full of jewel-like flowers. What a joy after the past month stuck in bed. I’m also using my David Howard dahlias in my jam jar flowers. Have a great week. Karen xx https://bramblegarden.com/2022/10/30/flowers-from-the-garden-31st-october-2022/
Six weeks without seeing each other – presumably to reduce the risk of infection? Shows how poorly you were. You usually see so much of each other so it will have been a very happy reunion for you both.
Yes, it’s been a time! We usually do see each other a couple of times a week. Xx
Fun!
Pumpkin coloured dahlias are my favourite and the use of the lichen covered twigs to evoke spider’s webs is clever. Making Halloween decorations sounds like a fun way to spend time with grandchildren 🙂 My neighbour has a particularly freaky looking decoration out the front of her house. I included a pic with today’s vase:
https://plantaholicoz.blogspot.com/2022/10/in-vase-on-monday-pretty-posy.html?m=1
Congratulations on almost 9 years of IAVOM Cathy! That’s an amazingly long time to keep a meme going. Though pretty new to it, I’ve enjoyed contributing and love to see what everyone else comes up with. Thanks for hosting!
Thanks you. The lantern making kept them (age 5 and 4) occupied for a little while (it was half term last week, so I had them both all day; one is at school normally and the other at nursery in the mornings). Seems hardly any time since IAVOM started, mainly as an incentive for me to create a weekly posy
Love the mug! And it’s a perfect vase for October 31. My yard and garden was looking a bit spooky late last week, all covered in frost as the sun rose…
https://countygardening.wordpress.com/2022/10/31/in-a-vase-on-monday-one-final-dahlia/
Thanks Chris, it was an opportune buy, as I had an appointment at the opticians which is a few doors down from the card shop, otherwise I wouldn’t have seen it. No frost here yet (hurrah!)…
Oh your Halloween cameo is most scary indeed Cathy 😱👻🤣 No it made me chuckle instead and I imagine the little people in your life love that vase and the activities you got up to last Thursday. I remember making paper lanterns as a child but not sure that I would know where to start now. Dahlia ‘David Howard’ is a beauty and I liked the cobwebby accents too. Your use of a black background was most effective in conjuring up some Halloween magic this week. Once again I’m unable to copy and paste my specific post link but my vase can be found here : https://greentapestry.blogspot.com/
I am sure the skills would come flooding back if you gave it a try, Anna – can’t remember the last time I made some in fact! 😉 What a nuisance about the link – they are working for me again now though. I don’t know if it was a WordPress issue but I have had a Windows update on my laptop this week too
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The lichen does create a ghostly effect Cathy. 😉 What a great mug, and ideal for future Halloween/autumn vases. The Dahlia looks lovely in it. I shall look forward to the challenge for your anniversary Cathy! Here is today’s vase. Have a great week!
I picked up the lichen twigs when we were at my Mum’s one time, and haven’t managed to use them till now. No point resisting a £4 mug like this, despite the number of vases I have!
The mug is very cute and of course the dahlias are lovely. You’re more in the Halloween spirit than I am this year. Thanks for hosting and here’s my post: https://krispgarden.blogspot.com/2022/10/in-vase-on-monday-im-not-ready-for.html
If it hadn’t been for the grandchildren or IAVOM, there wouldn’t have been anything at all Kris!!
Halloween is my least favorite of Holidays. I do like these nicely pastel dahlias though. Were the intentionally set to stare outwardly above the partially obscured eyes of the Jack O’ lantern? They look maniacal with that silly grin below.
In hindsight I thought they looked like frilly hat!!
OH! They DO!
Oh, I see that too! 😂
A Halloween Treat not a trick, all with flowers: hightly inspired I would say.
Thanks Noelle
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Great arrangement in a wonderful mug.
Not sure if my pingback worked: https://threepsandq.com/2022/10/31/phloral-arrangement-in-a-vase-on-monday-halloween-hedgerows-and-garden-beds/
Thank you – and you made it! I had to approve the pingback, so I don’t know if it shows for you now
Oh Thanks, wasn’t sure if I did it correctly. I will know better next time.
Most people put links in their posts. I am not sure what the benefits of the ‘pingacks’ are, to be honest!
Cathy, your Halloween themed vase is a charmer. David Howard is such a lovely dahlia. I remember making those lanterns and what fun you must have had with that activity. Thanks for hosting. Wasn’t sure I’d get a vase in this week but here it is.
The dahlia looks very different when fully open like this – I don’t think they usually get this far before fading, as I seem to have a lot of them wide open this year. It’s such a distinctive colour, isn’t it? ps I have sent you an email
Oh, I love it. Very cute! Happy Halloween!
Thanks Beth!
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