This evening I returned the last of the leaves from my Autumnal altar, plus the surplus flower stems from my wife’s birthday bouquet, to nature. They will nourish the growth of the tree outside our apartment. A simple and sincere memento mori ergo carpe diem ritual gesture sealed the deal.
The flowers themselves, having lost their bloom, will be left to desiccate throughout the winter months and will be incorporated into my Spring altar (with my wife’s permission and endorsement, of course).