In A Vase On Monday – Winter Bauble
Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden encourages us to share a vase highlighting what is growing in our gardens.
As 2019 comes to a close I chose small bits and baubles foraged from the garden beds for the year’s final Monday vase. Motivated to create a small design so I could feature two fresh, tiny blooms of Erysimum ‘Sugar Rush Red,’ I selected two petite but heavy, bowl-shaped glass candleholders as containers. I attached floral pin frogs to the candlesticks using florist sticky clay to make it easier to hold the materials in place.
Erysimum ‘Sugar Rush Red’
Spiraea this December has buds and a few white flowers. The fern-like greenery is Tansy. Several of its leaves came with a bonus streak of purple along the vein to pick up the color of one of the vases.
Spiraea Flowers and Leaves
An unusual find is a dried carcass from a daylily fruit, the loculicidal capsule. The daylily seed pod’s walls dry out and once the seeds are ripe the walls split apart. The fruit dehisces longitudinally through the locules. This three-valved chamber continued to dry, forming a conversation starter and interesting accent for today’s vase. (I welcome your corrections to my description of this process.)
Daylily Capsule
Daylily Capsule
In late October I had discovered one still holding its seeds; I am not sure if this is the same one that found its way into today’s vase.
Daylily Seed Pod October 24, 2019
The last ingredient looks like pine needle, but actually is grass, an unidentified oddity, the second clump I’ve found growing in the garden. The leaves are quite stiff and long, over 18 inches. It’s rich green color appealed to me and I decided to use it in an abstract way, formed into bundles and cut to even heights to form vertical pillars. Unfortunately the sharp prongs of the floral pin frogs were not closely enough spaced to hold all the grass securely. Next time I might bind the bundle with twine to keep the needles from spilling away.
In A Vase On Monday – Winter Bauble
The candleholders are 2 ½ inches in diameter. The contents in the clear one measure 6 inches tall; the purple, 7½ inches.
Materials
Flowers
Daylily seed capsule
Erysimum ‘Sugar Rush Red’ (Wallflower)
Spiraea prunifolia (bridal wreath spiraea)
Foliage
Stiff grass (unknown)
Tanacetum vulgare (Tansy)
Container
Small glass candleholders (2) fitted with florist pins
In A Vase On Monday – Winter Bauble
My 2019 Monday vases are collected into one place to see the year at a glance or to step though a slide show. I was able to participate 43 times this year.
Deep thanks to Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for hosting and giving us an opportunity to share flower-filled vases across the world. Visit her to discover what she and others found to place In A Vase On Monday.
Happy, Happy New Year! Peace, calm and joy and may you grow!
Erysimum ‘Sugar Rush Red’
pbmGarden 
Happy New Year to you. A lovely arrangement. Your stiff grass is rather useful in the vase adding a vertical contrast to the fascinating seed pod.
Thank you. I’m afraid to like that grass too much, fearing it is in cahoots with known aggressive plants taking over my garden. Useful today though! Happy New Year!
I love your Erysimum. Such a deep and velvety colour, and I have it’s summery fragrance in my head! I think I may have a deep purple one growing in the flowerbed alongside the cottage. I must go and have a look. And what an amazing creation the daylily seed capsule is! Makes you realise how magical the plant world is! Thank you. Happy New Year to you. Amanda https://therunningwave.blogspot.com/2019/12/the-christmas-underdog-vase-on-monday.html
Thanks Amanda. Happy New Year to you as well. The Erysimum has much more presence in that closeup than it did in the garden. Hope you uncover your purple one!
There are so many things to admire in your vase (and post) today! First, yes, the Erysimum – so red – it reminds my of my Clematis texensis ‘Gravetye Beauty.’ The daylily pod – I’ve had and seen many but have never noticed them decaying like this to create such an exotic cage – obviously I’m not paying close enough attention! Your glass bowl candlestick vases – thank you for describing exactly what they are and how you achieved this look – very informative – the photos make them appear quite large! Finally, your compendium of 2019 vases – wow – you’ve spent a lot of time there and it looks great. Did you start it early in the year and continue to add or did you spend a week hunkered down? Have a great 2020!
Just looked up your clematis–it looks like one to add to the wish list. The daylily pod was a cool reminder the garden holds many treasures. Thanks for checking out the year’s vases. I did the first couple years (2014 and 2015) all at once as I recall; after that I’ve kept them up each week so I can quickly glance a year’s vases. I refer back to past years to see what was blooming at a particular time, what vase I used, even what titles I used–a bit obsessive I know, but it works for me. Happy New Year Chris!
The use of the grass is very creative. I also like dried seed pods, but the neighborhood association is not so fond of them. Have a good New Year.
Most of my gardening is done in the back, away from the eyes of the association. Happy New Year!
I am trying to be better about that, but if I see an empty space I can’t help myself.
Well, perfectly understandable!
Once again I’m amazed by what you can do with a vase, or in this case candleholders. I’ve always cut daylly seedpods off but, now that I know how they can transform themselves as they age, I’ll be sure to hang on to them. Pretty as the Erysimum is, that seed capsule makes this week’s arrangements for me. Best wishes with a happy new year Susie!
The plants look better groomed by trimming the spent flowers and would keep the reblooming types performing better. I usually trim them too but glad this one was left to express itself. Hope the new year is good to you!
The stiff grass may be a sedge. They made a fine addition to your pretty arrangements, and the seed capsule is a real beauty.
Noelle, thanks for the information about sedge. I will research with that in mind. Happy New Year!
It looks like a species of Juncus to me. That might be known as sedge in other places. (What I know as sedge are species of Carex. They have grassier leaves, and some cause nasty paper cuts.) Juncus effusus is (I believe) the common rush, although the only rush I must contend with is another species. Juncus might also be known as rush. Again, common names are regionally different.
Susie, I love these!! Wonderful texture and the daylily pod is so cool. If it comes to me what that grass is I will send you a note, the name is lurking in my brain. Happy New Year and I am looking forward to more of your magical vases.
Thanks Amelia. Will appreciate any help with ID on that grass and whether it’s good or bad to keep it! Happy New Year.
Very interesting and dramatic designs today – good way to close out the year. 🙂
Thanks Judy. Something different.
Nice foraging, Susie! I do love that rich red Erysimum. It looks like your grass is a rush (“sedges have edges, and rushes are round”) which grow here in moist areas. In Ireland, they weave crosses of them in Feb. for St. Brigid’s Day.
That’s a fun way to figure it out. Thanks Eliza.
I was thinking the same, and just mentioned it above, although we know them by their Latin name of Juncus. (What I know as sedges are species of Carex. I know rush as a generic term for anything that looks like Typha.)
It’s such a lovely idea to see all your 2019 vases together like this – I know you make a point of keeping the pictures in one place and I should really discipline myself to do the same. They are in monthly files already, so it should be easy enough to go back and pick out the main ones and copy them into a separate folder. As always I have enjoyed reading through the process of your vase today, about the seed pod and the unknown grass (my Mum and I were heartily amused over Christmas at some pre-packed chives which looked just like your grass, totally unlike the chives we would have picked from our own gardens during its growing season!). Interesting what Chris says about Gravetye Beauty – a clematis I have and have never thought to use in a vase. Thanks for sharing and for your continued enthusiastic support
Cathy, just a tip: search back through your Media to add the pictures you want to a Gallery. No need to copy to separate folders.
I laughed too at the chives imagery because I see it all the time in the grocery store! Was unfamiliar with Chris’s clematis so checked it out earlier. It’s a beauty. I have mixed luck using clematis in a vase. Hope the year ahead is bright for you.
Thanks Susie – but I suspect it might still be quicker searching in my monthly IAVOM folders
Stunning arrangements again Susie. You are always such a great inspiration. 😃 Have a very Happy New Year!
Thanks Cathy! Happy New Year!
The daylily capsule is fascinating, I have never seen them at that stage. Another creative arrangement. Happy New Year to you!
I agree, it is cool. A first for me as well. Good wishes to you and Judy for the new year!