In A Vase On Monday – Green and Blue
Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share an arrangement using materials collected from our gardens.
To encourage more flowers I gathered all available zinnias this weekend. In the end only a few made it into today’s design.
Zinnia
Underlying today’s arrangement is Little Lime hydrangea, which continues to boost the summer garden. Originally I paired it with half-dozen 2-inch red dahlias, in a low green vase. The effect was so awkward I almost liked it. Unable to stop tweaking and adjusting, before I could photograph the result I had rearranged it beyond recognition or repair.
Beginning again I added a small blue companion vase. I edited the flowers heavily, keeping some hydrangeas, foregoing the dahlias, selecting a few zinnias.
In A Vase On Monday – Green and Blue
Stems of Pink Muhly Grass added for height also contributed an element of movement, though it proved more stiff than graceful.
In A Vase On Monday – Green and Blue
Materials
Flowers
Hydrangea paniculata ‘Little Lime’
Zinnia ‘Cut and Come Again Mix’
Muhlenbergia capillaris (Pink Muhly Grass)
Containers
Ceramic vases: Hand-thrown Seagrove Pottery (olive-artichoke) and an Eno Festival find (dark periwinkle blue)
In A Vase On Monday – Green and Blue
Hope you are enjoying summer. Heat for the past several weeks has been oppressive. Yesterday’s surprise afternoon rain was welcome.
Thanks to Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for hosting and giving us a chance to express our flower arranging passion. Visit her to discover what she and others found this week in their gardens to place In A Vase On Monday.
pbmGarden 
Zinnias are really staring this year, and certainly in yours. I saw some growing at the Bishop’s Palace this week…the plants are rather attractive too. I love the way you have paired the flowers with the green foliage in the blue vases.
Thanks Noelle. Zinnias seem slow to get going this year. The green hydrangea is new and I’m loving having it to play with in arrangements.
That Little Lime bloom makes a great foil for the zinnias, which are gorgeous. I have one solitary bright orange one which needs some friends before it can appear in a vase, although it would make a nice clash with some pink ones. Do you often cut all yours to encourage more? I am still a novice zinnia grower 🙂
The zinnias are just getting going this summer and don’t seem to be opening as quick as usual. I do think it helps to keep cutting them to encourage rebloom, but the main reason for cutting them all was we have had 100F (37.7C) temperatures the past few days and I figured they wouldn’t last as well outdoors. Thankfully cooler today.
We won’t have that problem here, Susie!!
If one vase is nice, two are perfect as far as I am concerned. I love the pairing and contrasting when you have more than one container. Those are great colors, shapes and sizes.
Thanks Linda. After fussing way too long trying to achieve my “vision” I finally just tucked a few flowers into the vases. Much more relaxed and compatible in the end.
Love the “pop” of Little Lime. Is your’s in sun or shade? Now that we’ve lost a few trees, I’m wondering if I have enough sun.
Marian, the little lime is in sun until about three. I have been so happy with this one. Good luck choosing something for your sunnier spots.
Love the ‘two sisters’ and think Little Lime is just delightful and sets off the red to perfection. Pink muhly is one of my favourites but it’s not a happy bunny here although it should be. Is it vigorous and free-flowering in your garden?
Hi Annette. My pink muhly is in a difficult spot for it to thrive but it’s roots are too deep for me to move it. Can be wonderful in the right place though.
Maybe mine will get better with time, here’s hoping 😉
Chartreuse is my favorite garden neutral. Goes with everything, I especially like it with hot colors. I use Muhly Grass sometimes, tool Looks great.
Thanks. I agree with chartreuse–so versatile.
The Little Black Dress of the garden.
Such lovely Zinnias and beautiful combination of colours. I’ve never grown Zinnias but the vases this week are convincing me I must. Thank you for sharing.
Do give zinnias a try. They like the soil to be warmed up before planting and prefer poor soil. Very rewarding.
I will they are on my list for next year!
They are lovely zinnias Susie, and look stunning paired with ‘Little Lime’. 🙂
Thanks Cathy, I’m enamored of Little Lime. Looking to find more ways to use it and making plans to add more greens to the garden.
The green flowers of the Hydrangea are an excellent foil for the Zinnias, Susie. I’m hoping to have some green flowers (Zinnias and Dahlias) myself but they’ve been slow to make a showing. I’m sorry you’re having a spell of miserable weather and I hope you get a break soon. We’re more humid here too and there’s even a slight chance of a thunderstorm, but I’m not getting my hopes up.
One year I tried a green zinnia but it sputtered out quickly. Hope your greens make a good show. We’re happy it’s only 93 today!
Very pretty. Beautiful vases. It looks like we are on the same wavelength this week as my arrangement also featured red zinnias and Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’. 🙂
– Mar
Thank you. Hydrangeas are such worthy garden plants. Love them.
Your final results are lovely in minature, zinnias are always so cheerful.
Thanks Alison. I agree–zinnias are cheerful.
A lovely combination with the lime hydrangeas make a great back ground for the zany Zinnias, I’ve never had much luck with them here, too cold and wet I think
Thank you. Yes, I think zinnias like it nice and hot.
As always, I love orange and red Zinnias. You’ve used them very effectively in these arrangements.