In A Vase On Monday – Aloe And Iris
Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share an arrangement composed of materials collected from our gardens.
Aloe from last week’s vase made an easily accessible starting point for today. The focal point is a reblooming yellow iris from a foundation bed in front of the house. The timing of this iris is interesting—one in the back garden had already bloomed a full month earlier.
Reblooming Iris – a passalong
This one opened Friday, the day after Hurricane Michael passed through town. We were extremely fortunate, not even losing power, though many neighborhoods nearby were without for days due to fallen trees crashing on power lines. On a day following a hurricane the sky is always clear blue, incredulously intense, pristinely innocent.
Leaves from Gold Dust Aucuba and cuttings from some ubiquitous-in-autumn, yellow potted chrysanthemums serve as filler.
Reblooming Iris and Aucuba japonica ‘Variegata’ (Gold Dust Aucuba)
Materials
Flowers
Chrysanthemum
Iris
Foliage
Aloe
Aucuba japonica ‘Variegata’ (Gold Dust Aucuba)
Vase
Ceramic bowl, black matte exterior, red glazed interior
Weighted florist’s pin, black
In A Vase On Monday – Aloe And Iris
This black and white study of the chrysanthemum buds illustrates how yellow serves as white in balancing light and darks in a floral design.
In A Vase On Monday – Aloe And Iris
Thanks to Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for hosting and giving us an opportunity to share flower designs across the world. Visit her to discover what she and others found to place In A Vase On Monday.
pbmGarden 
Loving your use of the aloe! Very striking!
Thanks, I suppose I’ll repot the aloe soon and pass it on. Every kitchen should have one.
Exquisite! Very lovely and professional looking arrangement!
Thanks Cindy. This went together quickly as the aloe was in place from last week.
What a beautifully coloured and shaped iris. A very dramatic arrangement!
Thanks Malc. The iris has 5 buds so it will keep going for a few days too.
I’m glad to hear you made it through the hurricane. I also found the use of the aloe interesting.
Thanks so much. Aloe is such a useful plant.
Yellow is one of my favourite colours in the garden, as is white, which is not considered a colour…..There is as always such poise and elegance in your arrangements.
Thank you Noelle. I’m a big fan of white in the garden also!
Beautiful arrangement as always. So glad that you are safe and sound after Matthew’s visit and hope your garden didn’t suffer too much damage.
Thanks Peter. Just had a tipped flower pot in the garden after Hurricane Michael passed through. (I had the name wrong in my post originally. Matthew is imprinted on my memory from 2016.)
‘Pristinely innocent’ – that implies such a lot, Susie, and makes one think. Glad you personally escaped disruption. The tiny chrysanthemum buds are perfect to accompany the iris and the greens are just the right shade, but your black and white photo makes us think beyond our first impressions, so thank you for that
Thanks Cathy–the hurricane brought down many trees in my town and many friends are just getting their power back on. We were grateful to be so lucky ourselves. B&W filters are fun to experiment with on flower arrangements.
I do believe you are the only one I know who would have been able to put these combinations together and end up with a dramatic arrangement. Eye catching it is for sure. 🙂
Thanks Judy. I like trying things that are a bit unusual–they rarely turn out as expected but I try to follow however they want to be.
It’s nice to see elements carry over from one arrangement to the next.
Hi Ricki, I expect this aloe would last through the winter as a supporting element, but will have to look for something different next week!
Do you happen to know what specie of Aloe that is? Most aloe here are known as Aloe vera, just because that is how they are labeled in the nursery. Any aloe that is easy to propagate and grow can be sold as such. I really do not know what the real Aloe vera looks like, or if I have ever seen it before.
Tony, the aloe is a passalong from decades ago and was only ever called aloe. I actually looked it up, but resisted calling it aloe vera, thinking it probably is, but I don’t know for sure.
There were a few different specie of aloe at my former home that were all purchased as Aloe vera, but none actually were. From what I understand, the real Aloe vera does not look like much. Prettier specie are easier to sell.
I am always surprised to see you have irises blooming again in the autumn. A lovely unusual arrangement, it’s so very Susie, no one else could have done it.
Iris in autumn doesn’t feel quite right, does it Liz?
Love it, that is cool and a great display of textures. I bet you did that with gloves!
Thanks Amelia. Gloves?
For the Aloe, mine are really sharp.
What a great combo.
Really love the aloe again, anchoring the rest of the arrangement so perfectly. 🙂