Blooming and Drying Flowers

I have featured a few posts already about Autumn time setting in and how the weather had turned really cold, well it is the total opposite now. Autumn has turned out to be lovely and warm with sunshine and no rain. I mowed the lawn yesterday evening after work. I don't think it will need to be mowed much more now as there isn't as much growth. My Gladioli are in full blown again this year, they seem to be the one flower that does well for me. I picked a lot of hydrangea from my mother's garden and have dried it out. I love putting it around my home over the winter months. It dries really well and keeps its colour. I just cut the flowers off, put them in a vase of water and do not re-water them at all, the water will dry up and the flowers will too! Very simple. Hydrangeas are one of my favourite flowers and my dear grandmother had a garden full of them- they were so pretty and remind me of my childhood. I have set one hydrangea in our garden but as the garden has not yet established itself, I have no blooms yet- perhaps next year...

The countryside looks so pretty at this time of year with all the beautiful autumn leaves and berries. Do you like Autumn? What is your favourite flower?