In A Vase On Monday
Monday again! Time to join Cathy with In A Vase On Monday to share an arrangement using materials gathered from the garden.
I chose a black triangular vase this week to highlight three surprise gardenias I found yesterday blooming along the north side of the house. The gardenia’s sweet fragrance is difficult to adequately describe, but is as luscious as its pure white petals.
Gardenia jasminoides
Relentless heat and lack of rain has characterized our weather the past month and as a result a mid-summer planting of gladiolas has failed. The plants looked strong and promising during July and I was looking forward to using them arrangements. But August sered the leaves and stunted the blooms. I salvaged just a portion of one to use with the gardenias today.
Gladiolus
There are more zinnias included this week. One of the few flowers able to withstand the recent temperatures, even their foliage is looking distressed.
Cactus Zinnia
When gathering flowers for today’s vase I also found a single stem of perennial sweet pea that looked fresh enough to include. Though the bloom is non-scented, the twining tendrils of this passalong add extra texture to the design.
In A Vase On Monday
Materials
Gardenia jasminoides
Gladiolus
Lathyrus latifolius (Perennial Sweet Pea)
Zinnia ‘Cut and Come Again Mix’ (Burpee, popular cutting variety, 24” H)
Zinnia ‘Burpeeana Giants Mix’ (Burpee, colorful huge 6’ Blooms, 24” H)
Zinnia elegans ’Cactus Flower Blend’ (Botanical Interests, 4-6” wide, 2-3’H. Heirloom Twist and shout. Double and semi-double)
Porcelain Ikebana vases, Georgetown Pottery, Maine. Triangle Black Wave (6.5 W x 6.5 L x 2H)
It is always such a pleasure to put together a weekly vase. Thanks to Cathy for hosting and giving us a chance to express our flower arranging passion. Visit her at Rambling In The Garden to discover what she and others are placing In A Vase On Monday.
pbmGarden 
Oh YES! Perfect. Zinnias really are such versatile flowers; I’ve used them in all my vases today and they work in all styles and all colours.
Thanks. Just out of college I received a small wicker basket of zinnias for my birthday from work colleagues. I nursed those flowers for weeks, changing out zinnias as they withered and replacing them with fresh ones from my own yard–one of my first experience of flower arranging.
This is SO elegant Susie and the gardenias almost look unreal in their whiteness, as if they have been carved out of soap somehow 😉 I agree about the tendrils of the everlasting pea – I should rememeber to make more use of mine as these are delightful. Thanks for sharing
Thanks Cathy. Finding the gardenias was a nice surprise. I like that soap analogy.
I love when gardenias bloom late in the season. They are always nice to bring inside for the scent. I love your combination.
It is like a gift to have a few more from these gardenias.
Oh, gardenia! I can practically smell it. You are right that it is a pleasure to put a vase together each Monday. I did one but I decided to leave the fog pictures up a little while before I put up the vase.
The fog pictures deserve the spotlight for a while, but will look forward to seeing your vase later.
You have outdone yourself! Scrumptious colors and captivating form.
Thanks Marian, so kind of you. I was going for just black and white but when I saw that pink, white and red gladiolus I couldn’t stop adding color.
This is my favorite of the Ikebana vases thus far!
Thanks. This vase style if fun to work with.
The layering of the plants was spot on.
Lovely arrangement, Susie! I expect the gardenia must smell heavenly. I love the coloring of the gladiolus and the sweet tendrils of the peas, a nice touch!
Eliza, you’re right. The gardenia is in the kitchen where it is easily detected–such a nice fragrance. The glads is from a mixed bag of bulbs and has a rather complex coloring I hadn’t expected.
Very pretty!
Thanks Cindy.
Beautiful colours and shapes!
Thank you Anca. I started thinking to have only black and white but glad the colors won out.
Lovely. I like the shiny black base anchoring the very pastel flowers arranged with an airy feel. I planted gladiolas this year and didn’t get one flower. I love both the Gardenia flower itself and the fragrance. I can’t even imagine how sweet it must be on that side of your house. 🙂
Judy, I was trying to achieve an airiness in the arrangement so glad it came across that way. There were just a few gardenias open, but when during their first bloom it is devine to sit on the front porch as the fragrance wafts across the yard.
How wonderful to have gardenias growing in the garden and how elegant your arrangement looks. A lovely combination of flowers.
The gardenia shrubs are about 8 feet tall and treasured as a dear former neighbor rooted and shared them with me.
You have bowled me over again this week with your arrangement Susie! I love the white Gardenia against the black vase. And the extra colour from the other flowers is a lovely complement. Beautiful! 🙂
Thanks Cathy, it was nice to have a different type of flower to use this week, although I still ended up using zinnia.
I adore all these flowers, but especially those gardenias – sigh!
Thanks Joanna. The gardenias do steal the show for me too.
That pink, red and white glad is remarkable! I’m sorry you lost most of them but you combined this one beautifully with other companions. Your gardenias always look perfect – not a blemish to be seen. I was surprised to see a single gardenia blooming in my own garden this week as my single shrub seldom blooms and our current weather hardly seems hospitable.
Kris, yes that is an unusual gladiolus isn’t it? Very disappointing that more didn’t survive. Nice that your gardenia offered up a bloom. They do take a lot of water.
Beautiful. Love the gladioli and gardenias.
Thanks. Fun to have something other than zinnias to include this week.
Exquisite! You are such an artist. I love the slightly bent zinnia and the gladiolus flower is so pretty.
Thanks. I really liked the bend in that red zinnia also.
Wish I could smell that Gardenia from here.
Me too. Sadly the gardenia didn’t last very long but the scent was intense.
I like the simplicity of the vase and the arrangement.
Thanks Brian. Wanted to let the flowers speak for themselves without a lot of fuss today.
The white background makes everything pop.
I’ve set up one spot where the light is somewhat reliable and having that white background handy makes it easier to photograph the arrangements.
What gorgeous colors! And the black vase is perfect. My garden is looking sad: except for zinnias and cannas, it’s just not a very happy place these days! Finding gardenias: what a treat!
Libby, thank you. Don’t think it’s possible to have a happy garden right now. Yesterday I noticed even the zinnias had drooped so I gave them an emergency watering. Hope for rain.
This looks very, very pretty.
Pretty ideas