In A Vase On Monday – Scarlet
Each Monday Cathy from Rambling In The Garden invites us to share a vase assembled from materials collected in our gardens.
Scarlet Beebalm with its spicy, minty scent has been blooming several weeks. I have been planning all week to showcase it in today’s vase, along with red daylilies.
In A Vase On Monday – Scarlet
In A Vase On Monday – Scarlet
Unfortunately Sunday was a resting day for the daylilies and the only blooms open were pretty tired. Think of the pair in the vase as placeholders.
In A Vase On Monday – Scarlet
Here are a few that were blooming Saturday—they really have been beautiful this year and more will open soon.
Hemerocallis (Daylily)
For filler I chose Salvia greggii, which is blooming better than usual now that some trees are cut and it gets more sun. All these red flowers were most uncooperative when I tried to photograph the arrangement late yesterday afternoon—lots of dark shadow and blobs.
I had Shasta daisies ready to step up and add light but I decided against them. A black and white image underscores the overall dark tones of the arrangement. Next time I would try to balance the lights and darks better. Also I feel the Monarda (beebalm) is a lost against the shaggy foliage of the salvia, the textures are similarly sagging and loose. In person this is much easier to read.
In A Vase On Monday – Scarlet
Materials
Flowers
Hemerocallis (Daylily)
Monarda didyma (Scarlet Beebalm)
Salvia greggii ‘Furman’s Red’ (Autumn Sage)
Foliage
Container
Porcelain Ikebana vase, Georgetown Pottery, Maine. Rectangle Blue Zen (6.75L x 3.75W x 2H inches)
In A Vase On Monday – Scarlet
In A Vase On Monday – Scarlet
Many 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 
As with the garden it is very helpful to see the vase in monotone to understand the values and weight of the flowers that you’ve used. I’ve never used Day lilies because they don’t last, do you think yours will last more than a day.
I’ll replace the daylilies with fresh ones. I learned that lesson as a young bride giving my first dinner party–early in the
preparations I stuck a couple of daylilies in a dish and shifted my attention to cooking. By the time the guests arrived the blooms had closed!
By the way, it’s been 4 years since you visited. Your photo popped up in my Memories in Photos this week. Such fun time.
That was such an amazing day. I can’t believe that it is 4 years already.
Your horizontal lines are intriguing and, somehow, add a hint of mystery to the overall image. Really lve it..
Thanks Chris!
That is one gorgeous arrangement. I looked at it and immediately thought ‘it’s on fire.’ Beautiful.
Thank you Judy! Maybe a good one for July 4th. I did have summer solstice in mind too.
You are in scarlet today too, Susie! I had to smile at the day lilies having a day of rest on Sunday – the placeholders still look perfect in the vase with that glorious monarda. I planted a number of plants last year and it doesn’t look as if any survived, although cuttings I took were fine in the greenhouse. As always, your arrangement looks really well structured
Monarda is not so sensitive here, native and quite common. There are some attractive cultivars (such as a raspberry) but I dare not add more to the garden. Mine used to move around the first few years. I finally relocated it and it took over an entire bed (in competition with columbine, which blooms first).
It’s always interesting to hear about plants’ habits in different climates, thank you
Monarda has such a wonderful form and I love the daylily accents. I’m not sure I’d have the patience to swap the flowers out daily but I have been tempted to use my ‘Spanish Harlem’ in a vase so I can admire the blooms more closely.
A lot of my vases are mostly staged. When they hold up I’m happy but when flowers last only a day, I just shift the others around or remake it with other flowers. I admit I didn’t actually replace the daylilies today, just pulled out the spent flowers and fluffed everything else a bit. If we’d had company over tonight it would have been easy to grab a couple replacements. But it is so nice for even that short time to enjoy the daylily up close. (Or your “Spanish Harlem”–just check on the arrangement all day long or put it where you’re sure to see it often as you work or pass by. It’s liberating!)
Love the photo with the shadows of the blinds and the reds in the arrangement. I usually have a difficult time with the reds showing up in photography – the Daylilies are short lived in a vase?
The daylilies were beautiful but only for a short time.
I love to cut Hibiscus, but it only lasts for one dinner party. They are hard to resist, as are the Daylilies.
That seems fine to me to enjoy your Hibiscus for a dinner party. There will be more, right? Enjoy!
One of my mother s favorite stories was she and mother had a huge dinner party and all the daylilies in the flower arrangements closed before dinner.
I can relate!
Glorious scarlet red. I like the Venetian blind shadows on the flowers. It gives them an extra dimension
Thanks. I tried many spots around the house trying to find some workable light.
That sure is brilliant! Beebalm varieties never looks so good for us. It is always prettier in pictures from other gardens. There is a salvia that looks sort of similar to it, which I know as bee balm.
Guess scientific names serve us best, but the common names are fun, even if confusing.
Lyonothamnus florbundus ‘Aspelenifolius’ is pretty fun!
Lovely. You can’t beat a pop of red to cheer the spirits.
You’re right–red is a huge pick-me-up!