In A Vase On Monday—Gold Dust
As the week begins I join Cathy with In A Vase On Monday, an opportunity to share an arrangement using materials collected from the garden.
After some rain during the past week the garden perked up a little. The zinnias responded with fresh new flowers, even though powdery mildew is affecting the leaves. I planted Aucuba japonica ‘Variegata’ in Spring 2015 and it is coming along nicely. Its gold splotched leaves are the starting point for today’s arrangement, supported by orange and red zinnias.
The light was very low yesterday so I tried to photograph the arrangement in several places around the house.
In A Vase On Monday—Gold Dust
Materials
Aucuba japonica ‘Variegata’ (Gold Dust Aucuba)
Zinnia ‘Cut and Come Again Mix’
Zinnia ‘Burpeeana Giants Mix’
Zinnia elegans ’Cactus Flower Blend’
Porcelain. Rectangle Ikebana Vase Blue Zen (6.75L x 3.75W x 2H)
In A Vase On Monday—Gold Dust
I am behind lately in reading and commenting on garden blogs and hope to catch up soon. My head is swimming with ideas about gardening Friday and Saturday I attended a horticulture symposium at JC Raulston Arboretum which celebrated the garden’s 40th anniversary. The theme was “Horticultural Bright Lights: The Future of Gardening.” Here is a list of speakers.
Matthew Pottage – “Wisley—The New Chapter for the Flagship Garden of the Royal Horticultural Society”
Rebecca McMackin – “Brooklyn Bridge Park: Growing Biodiversity in the Concrete Jungle”
Hans Hansen – “New Plant Development at Walters Gardens”
Claudia West — “Planting in a Post-wild World”
Claudia West – Designing Plant Communities: The Art and Science of Successful Planting
Aaron Floden, Ph.D. – “Exploration, Discovery, and Bridging Botany and Horticulture”
Jared Barnes, Ph.D. – “Propagating Horticulturists: A Cultural Guide for Cultivating the Future of Horticulture”
Matt and Tim Nichols – “International Maples of Mystery”
As I told a friend this weekend, after hearing these inspiring talks I may not give up on my garden just yet.
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.
In A Vase On Monday—Gold Dust
pbmGarden 
Love your restrained arrangement today, you are so good at achieving elegance. I’m completely envious of the symposium you attended; it’s always wonderful to be inspired.
Thanks Christina. The opening in this vase is small, which enforces some amount of restraint. I’ve been in a gardening slump this year so it was invigorating to be surrounded by plant enthusiasts.
That happens to us all sometimes.
Great vase…love the pop of orange. The acuba is a “go to” for me, I think it works with nearly everything. What a symposium! I would have enjoyed all the programs…hope to hear Claudia West sometime soon. Did you enjoy her programs? Sadly, the rain is still missing us and it is hotter here than on the coast:^(
Hope my aucuba continues to grow well. It’s still quite small so taking even these few leaves was a sacrifice. Claudia West was a wonderful speaker and the concepts she covered were exciting. Her books sold out but I’m about to order it now. Perhaps you’d be interested in this: Her co-author Thomas Rainer will present the Jenny Elder Fitch Lecture: Planting Design in a Post-Wild World on Sunday, November 6; 2–4 p.m. NC Botanical Garden.
Your combination of blooms with foliage is so beautifully arranged and the mix of color and texture is simply stunning! Have a great week!
Thank so much Lee. Hope your week is good too.
The word ‘elegant’ comes to mind. Beautiful vase this week.
Thanks John. I began this design with much different idea than the way it turned out, but we’ll enjoy it this week.
Nice combination and somewhat unusual. Autumnal. I personally love Gold Dust Aucuba, though many people don’t – another true gardener plant!
It took a long time for gold dust to grow on me actually. What sold me was the idea of using the foliage in arrangements.
Many people write it off as an old lady plant. Indestructible in the shade and colorful works for me!
Beautiful arrangement and I love it’s location in that niche.
Thank Linda. The niche is a nice little accent for the foyer. I’ve always liked having it.
Oh that looks stunning Susie and the alcove is such a good place for situating a vase ps definitely loving the spiky zinnias more and more! 😉
Thanks Cathy, we had to move a bust of Th. Jefferson for today’s photo shoot, but he didn’t seem to mind. I noticed your beautiful cactus zinnia today. Glad you’re enjoying them.
TJ was very obliging then! The ‘cactus’ bloom was actually Dahlia ‘Purple Gem’ 😉
Oops! Well, interesting how similar some zinnias and dahlias look. I’ve had better luck with zinnias.
So elegant Susie. I found getting the light right difficult today both outside and in. Yours is perfect, it just glows.
What interesting talks, lucky you.
Thank you. Easy to notice the light is dimmer these days. Yes, the speakers were very knowledgeable and I feel I need a big dose of their wisdom.
So beautiful and it fits your little alcove perfectly. Your symposium sounded interesting, I can imagine your head would be spinning!
Thanks Eliza. The symposium was something I’d like to attend more often. There’s so much interesting stuff in the world!
Yes, there is. Isn’t it great that we’ll never run out of things to be curious about?
The symposium sounds wonderful, Susie. We all need garden pep talks once in a while. Your zinnias continue to impress me. I also planted a variegated Aucuba this year but the poor thing is hanging on by a string after a summer of too much heat and too little water. Still, it’s alive so I have hope it may grow and produce foliage worthy of a vase some day.
The symposium was good. It was a small group so it was easy to mingle with the speakers, arboretum staff and other attendees. Good luck with that Aucuba. Mine is doing well but in order to find it some shade it’s stuck hidden in a hard to get to location!
Oh, please don’t give up on your garden at all! That would be a terrible thing, including for us who enjoy your vases so much every Monday! Now, I must find somewhere in our flat to put a niche…
Oh thank you Joanna, I’m so happy you enjoy my vases. The niche does add some fun to the foyer.
Your photos are always exquisite Susie, and this lovely arrangement looks just perfect in that niche. I really like the way the zinnias pick out the golden flecks on the Acuba leaves. I am so glad the talks have given you new ideas and revived your interest in your garden!
Thanks Cathy. The flowers have ended up in a different spot but the niche worked out well for photographing them. The talks were stimulating. Now I need to put some of the speakers’ ideas into practice. Much harder to achieve.
Very beautiful. I would love to join in, but I’m disappointed to discover that I don’t own a single vase! I usually just put flowers in jam jars. My mother in law has offered to help out and is sorting through her cupboards for suitable materials.
Hi Karen, don’t let that stop you. I’m sure jam jars would be perfectly suitable. Just post a link to your flower post using the comment section of Cathy at RamblingInTheGarden.wordpress.com
thanks for your encouragement. I will!
Less flowers in a vase, better focus on the beauty of each one. Thanks for sharing!
Yes Anca, I agree. Glad you enjoyed it.
Perfect setting for a perfectly lovely arrangement…kind of a blending of East and West.
Thanks Rickii.