Yesterday (October 28, 2014), I had the pleasure of making two large, matching bouquets for a birthday event. The roses were just beginning to bloom in their last (fourth) cycle, and amazingly, a few hydrangeas had regrouped and were blooming fresh and blue. 

My 74" x 36" island counter is just the right length for working simultaneously on two bouquets. A good idea if you want them to match each other. I first added long stems of my favorite mint pelargonium (this will be gone after the first frost). Then came the hydrangeas making a nice poufy nest for long and lovely stems of mostly pink roses.

Hermosa, Pink Gruss an Aachen, Renae and Poulsen's Pearl are some of the roses included, two fabulous stems of Mrs. Oakley Fisher in bud, and long stems of Honor also made up the mix.

When the party was over, the roses were recycled for another designer, and I brought home the hydrangeas. Hmm– – – we'll see– – – there are many more rose stories out in the garden before winter comes.