In A Vase On Monday – Blue Jar Tower
Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share a vase of materials gathered from our gardens.
The white double hippeastrum (amaryllis) and the purple orchid may look familiar. The orchid appeared in Christmastide December 21, 2020; the hippeastrum in Blue Vase January 11, 2021; and jointly they formed the basis of Odds And Ends January 18, 2021. Redundant as they may be I am grateful to have these fabulous flowers in bloom for such a long period during an otherwise drab time of the year.
In A Vase On Monday – Blue Jar Tower
In A Vase On Monday – Blue Jar Tower
I was amused last week by how many of you commented you own, but mostly don’t (or even never) use a mortar, and you were surprised to see one used as a floral container. Each week as I search around for something to hold Monday flowers, pretty much any vessel is fair game to use as a vase. I didn’t plan today to try to use something unexpected as a container, but coincidentally my mother’s cookie jar, which normally sits on the same counter where the hippeastrum has been growing, is the inspiration for today’s design. These past weeks I kept wondering if I could transfer the plant into the cookie jar without breaking the stalks to give it a stronger foundation and yes, it was simple. The bulb was originally planted in a 6 by 6.5 inch ornamental pail. Luckily the pail had a removable plastic insert so I was able to lift the insert and move the contents without disrupting roots, stems or flowers. The cookie jar is two inches taller than the original container and much heavier.
In A Vase On Monday – Blue Jar Tower
Neither the cookie jar’s turquoise color nor its shape worked quite as well as I had envisioned. But all in all the 2.5-foot towering arrangement carries an awesome sense of floral drama for this time of year, even if the height made it difficult to photograph. This image was taken looking down at it from the staircase in the foyer and so has foreshortening.
In A Vase On Monday – Blue Jar Tower
Placed upon the buffet the vase fills the dining room.
In A Vase On Monday – Blue Jar Tower
Materials
Flowers
Hippeastrum (amaryllis)
Orchid
Foliage
Lavender
Orchid
Container
Turquoise Cookie Jar, 8-inches high, 6 inches at mouth
In A Vase On Monday – Blue Jar Tower
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 surprises she and others found to place in a vase this week.
pbmGarden 
The cookie jar worked well.
Thanks. It’s nice to actually use it. Doesn’t often hold cookies.
Gosh, it doesn’t look 2.5 ft but as you say the angle of the photo must be misleading – that’s certainly a sizeable arrangement and not something that could be accommodated in this house, which I suppose is why I avoid large arrangements cause there is just nowhere with a suitably uncluttered background! It’s good to be able to-purpose previous vases and it’s clever how you have managed to stuff the orchid container into the jar – it works really well. Thanks for sharing Susie, as always ps do you hear from Christina at all these days?
I thought showing the vase in the dining room would help suggest the scale. It feels huge. Moved it back into the foyer. I agree finding suitable backgrounds can be a problem for something so tall. The orchid is really two small orchids with individual liners, so they’re just tucked in gently. Thanks for hosting, Cathy. We exchange occasional emails, last time in September. At that time doing well, trying to stay safe at home like us all. I miss her and her garden.
Thanks for update on Christina – I haven’t emailed for a while but must do so soon. It alway bothered me that her contributions seemed to stop quite suddenly 🙄 but of course there us no obligation to blog…
I have been quite ready to stop blogging at different times but circumstances changed and it worked for me again.
And we are pleased that you are still with us! It hasn’t palled for me yet, but I do blog less than I did
I was speaking with my daughter in law yesterday and having bought my grand-daughter an amarylis each year since she was born: 10 years,, I thought it would be a bit cliché. They missed it and I am told they have a lovely white double coming out, which they had to go out and buy! Having seen yours, I now have an idea of how beautiful it looks.
I recommend you run out and buy another one for them (although late, you can say you’ve kept up your amaryllis streak). This one came as a gift and it’s been exceptional.
I’m always looking for vase alternatives too and your comments immediately had me thinking about the cookie jars I have, one a pig and the other a cat, but I quickly concluded that, headless, they wouldn’t work ;( My phalaenopsis also have an extended bloom lives but I can’t recall that any of my Hippeastrum have looked good for as long as your white one has. The first of my Hippeastrum to develop a bloom stalk now has a single open flower and is developing a second stalk. I’m trying to be patient.
Ha! Ha! Yes the headless image doesn’t work.😀 I find lidded jars or teapots never look quite as nice without their tops, the proportions that make them attractive in the first place are altered. Enjoy your Hippeastrum.
Good thinking with the cookie jar and what a lovely cookie jar it is!! I’ve learnt from experience that a very heavy or tall container is a must for Hippeastrums. The addition of the lavender foliage works nicely to combine the elements I think.
Thank you. I like using lavender with other foliage. It’s fragrant and I like the silvery leaves.
The Amaryllis and Orchid are lovely, and the blue jar is handsome to say the least. I also love the header shot.
Thanks Judy. Glad you like the new header. I’ve been looking back through photos of the meditation circle and came across those irises. I’m not sure what has happened to them but I don’t think there are nearly so many now.
Fabulous adaptation, Susie. It looks wonderful!
Thanks Eliza. It’s been great having that hippeastrum and orchid to carry me through January.
Beautiful arrangement. I’d be nervous about disturbing the roots of the orchid to arrange it around the amaryllis, though. How do you do that?
Thanks Cynthia. The orchid is actually two small ones in each in separate liners, so I was able to simply insert them atop the hippeastrum.
Lovely! As I scrolled down the page the orchids became visible and I scrolled down a bit more and saw the lovely jar and the little sprigs of lavender! The jar is a great shape… I often find vases have much too large necks as I rarely use foam or a frog.
Cathy, you’re right, there do seem to be three distinct sections! It’s a challenge sometimes to find a vase with just the right size opening. My garden club meeting yesterday (online) featured a local florist who gave a wonderful demonstration of creating winter flower vases. She used foam but recommended using branches or scrunched chicken wire to create a structure.
I love the almost cascade effect from the Amaryllis to the Orchid. I think you got your money’s worth from the Amaryllis!
Thanks Amy. The amaryllis was so tall and this time I didn’t want to cut the stalks. Let me know when your article goes out.
It’s the March issue (gardening issue) I am not sure when it hits the stands or what the editor will actually print, it is always a surprise.
Thanks. My mother-in-law used to write food articles for Gulf Shore Life. Don’t know if that one is still around.
You are getting a LOT of mileage out of that amaryllis!
Yes. It’s been just amazing.