In A Vase On Monday—December Sugar Rush
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.
At my favorite local garden center I purchased some snapdragons at a marked down price last week, but a cold snap has kept me from getting them planted in the meditation circle. Also I picked up several wallflowers, a fall-blooming type that may not survive, but for now the plants are blooming in my garage where I placed them for protection (the temperatures fell to the low 20s F° this week).
This one was identified as Erysimum ‘Sugar Rush Red.’
Erysimum ‘Sugar Rush Red’
There also is a gold one, not included today, and a purple one which is. From what I read online Erysimum ‘Sugar Rush’ is specially bred so it can bloom in autumn without a preceding cold period and not just spring. These plants will probably be very confused as mild weather back into the 60s returns this week. Perhaps I can get them planted. Meanwhile they are useful for a Monday vase.
Erysimum ‘Sugar Rush Purple’
For today’s arrangement I placed 3 pots of Erysimum into a shallow ceramic bowl and tucked bits of lichen around the base of the plants.
In A Vase On Monday—December Sugar Rush
The lichen was a great find from the sharing table at last month’s garden club meeting. I never found out who brought it but when at the end of the meeting no one had claimed it, I could not resist taking it, along with some dried hydrangeas. I thought I would use some of the hydrangeas today but they were not needed after all.
Materials
Erysimum ‘Sugar Rush Red’ and ‘Sugar Rush Purple’
Lichen
In A Vase On Monday—December Sugar Rush
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 
Beautiful! Sugar Rush is a winner and I love the woodland effect you’ve created.
Thanks Marian. Hoping to overwinter these plants but even if they don’t make it, it’s been fun to use them now.
I love your use of the lichen…very creative.
Thank you. The lichen was easy to work with.
I love the lichen. What a great contrast to those red flowers. I think Monet grew wallflowers. I always wanted to try them but have never seen them to buy locally so that probably means they are not hardy here.
Thanks Linda. I tried wallflowers a long time ago without success. Was pleased to find them this time of year. Even if they last only a short time, I will have enjoyed them.
I love wallflowers but have never had success growing them – that red one is particularly nice. A lovely seasonal combination of red and green – I love both lichen and moss, and bringing them indoors is a great idea!
So do I Cathy. Hope these autumn blooming wallflowers will be a changing point!
Oh how intriguing – I have grown both these wallflowers from seed this year although they were sown and planted out very late. The red one looks redder in the catalogue than your ‘real’ one does which is why I bought it! The effect of them in the bowl with the lichen and branch looks really stylish – thanks so much for sharing the idea, Susie
Cathy, growing from seeds can really be an advantage but I seldom get around to it. Good luck with your wallflowers. Will be fun to see how red your red ones are!
I didn’t spot at first that there were two different coloured blooms in there. The difference is subtle and somehow helps to blend the whole together. Very beautiful and elegant arrangement as usual, Susie.
Thanks so much. The colors are very similar. Only one of the wallflowers in the group I purchased were labeled so I thought they might all be red.
It’s a very effective arrangement, Susie. It looks like something one has magically happened upon on a walk through the woods. I’ll have to see if that Erysimum is available here.
Thanks Kris. The collection of lichen was a lucky find. Hope you can find the Erysimum.
I really love the lichens and used to grow Snaps that color when gardening further north. Liberty series, I think. Be interesting to see how those work out. Mine usually got burned, but the years they didn’t it was spectacular and I always enjoyed the challenge.
Thanks. Last couple of years I’ve used snapdragons and violas in the meditation circle. They hang out during winter and then take off in early spring.
Winter color in the South, what could be better?
Cathy (the rambling one) nailed it: “stylish” is the word for what you have done here.
Thanks Ricki. I was happy with this one.
The lichen compliments the wallflowers so well – well done!
Thank you Eliza, this was an easy one to put together and I like the way it turned out.
That is so, so lovely. The way you’ve placed all the elements together and the colors of the lichens and the flowers…exquisite.
Thanks Beth, this is one that went together very quickly. Didn’t have time to fuss with it and maybe that’s the key. Hope you’re doing well.
A very elegant arrangement!
Thank you Anca, it surprised me how much I liked it. There’s not really much blooming here.
What a lovely bowl of flowers and lichen, I imagine it would make a beautiful and scented centrepiece on a table. I wonder if these erisimimums would grow to a shrub like the Bowles Mauve? I haven’t seen them here yet.
Thanks Cath. Don’t know anything about these plants first-hand but read this is a dwarf variety.
Very nice. I’ve never tried wallflowers in a container. When I’ve planted them in the spring they’ve been a little disappointing.
After we go down to 18F tonight, we’re heading back to 70F by Sunday. So will. Try to get the wallflowers planted.
oh I love that – you’re definitely one of my favourite flower arrangers, Susie 🙂
You are very sweet Annette. Thanks.
You never cease to surprise me with your arrangement.
In A Vase On Monday is a fun place to experiment. Not much blooming now though.