Tag Archives: 2017vase

In A Vase On Monday – Cyclamen and Everlasting

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In A Vase On Monday – Cyclamen and Everlasting

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share an arrangement using materials collected from our gardens.

In A Vase On Monday – Cyclamen and Everlasting

To finish out 2017’s flowery Mondays, I relied on indoor pots of cyclamen. Even their blooms are sparse at the moment, but the plants hold many promising buds.  For a quick arrangement I harvested the only two flowers available, one pink, one red, and dropped them into a small clear bottle.

Cyclamen persicum (Persian cyclamen)

Cyclamen persicum (Persian cyclamen)

Filling out the vase this week are royal purple, dried everlastings from last year.

Limonium sinuatum (statice) and Cyclamen

Materials

Flowers
Limonium sinuatum (statice), dried
Cyclamen persicum (Persian cyclamen)

Container
Sauer’s Almond Extract bottle, 1 fl. oz.

In A Vase On Monday – Cyclamen and Everlasting

In keeping with the theme of everlasting, today I am remembering my beautiful mother, Vera, a smart, gentle woman who was born on Christmas Day and who died much too young. She taught me much about love and grace. The nicest compliment anyone ever paid me was to say I had my mother’s smile.

Vera (December 25, 1919-July 19, 1974. Graduation photo.

Sending holiday wishes to every one of you.

Thanks to Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for hosting and encouraging 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.

In A Vase On Monday – Yuletide Greetings

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In A Vase On Monday – Yuletide Greetings

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share an arrangement using materials collected from our gardens.

In A Vase On Monday – Yuletide Greetings

With limited bloom options this week I again selected the Yuletide camellia. Despite very cold temperatures of late freshly opened buds were easy to find.

I was in search of something diminutive so I could use a new vase, a recent gift from my friend Chris.

In A Vase On Monday – Yuletide Greetings

Standing approximately 2 inches tall this runner vase is composed of three bottles decoratively wired together.

In A Vase On Monday – Yuletide Greetings

The blue glass adds to the charm of the vase.

In A Vase On Monday – Yuletide Greetings

A holiday tea towel, several sprigs of rosemary and small candles lend a seasonal touch to this week’s vignette.

In A Vase On Monday – Yuletide Greetings

In A Vase On Monday – Yuletide Greetings

Materials
Flowers
Camellia sasanqua ‘Yuletide’
Foliage
Rosemary
Container
Runner vase, 2-inch high blue bottles

In A Vase On Monday – Yuletide Greetings

In A Vase On Monday – Yuletide Greetings

In A Vase On Monday – Yuletide Greetings

In A Vase On Monday – Yuletide Greetings

Thanks to Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for hosting and encouraging 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.

In A Vase On Monday – Ruby Slippers

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In A Vase On Monday – Ruby Slippers

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share an arrangement using materials collected from our gardens.

Friday it rained, snowed and sleeted Friday with no accumulation. Meanwhile through the window glass I was admiring the way Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Ruby Slippers’ is living up to its name this year, the ruby part at least. Before snow resumed on Saturday afternoon, I ran out to collect a branch of red leaves to feature in today’s vase.

Next I checked and yes, looking unscathed by the wintry weather, Erysimum ‘Sugar Rush Purple’ and ‘Sugar Rush Primrose’ were going about their flowery business.  I highlighted these a couple weeks ago when they had just started blooming. This time I could detect a light fragrance.

Erysimum ‘Sugar Rush Purple’

What made the red leaves so lovely outdoors was the glowing effect of light streaming though them. In the pictures, without the backlit setting, the leaves are less compelling, but in person they are rather winsome. Husker Red penstemon was added at the lip of the vase, continuing the red foliage theme.

In A Vase On Monday – Ruby Slippers

The design needed more. More flowers. More height. Vertical interest. But the snow had returned and rather than going back into the garden, I made do by incorporating some saved pieces of mossy, lichen-covered wood.

In A Vase On Monday – Ruby Slippers

In A Vase On Monday – Ruby Slippers

These helped a bit, but I lost interest in working on this vase any further. I took it as far as I could.

In A Vase On Monday – Ruby Slippers

Today’s container is a ceramic ikebana vase with 3 integrated ceramic tubes, built-in stem holders, with openings near the base to allow water to flow into the tubes easily.

Ikebana Vase
Ikebana Vase

Materials

Flowers
Erysimum ‘Sugar Rush Primrose’ (Wallflower)
Erysimum ‘Sugar Rush Purple’ (Wallflower)

Foliage
Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Ruby Slippers’ (Lil’ Ruby dwarf Oakleaf Hydrangea)
Penstemon digitalis ‘Husker Red’ (Beardtongue)

Container
Ceramic ikebana vase has 3 integrated ceramic tubes, built-in stem holders

Erysimum ‘Sugar Rush Primrose’

One more thing: A thoughtful garden club friend, Debbie, recently surprised me with a gift. She is downsizing as she prepares to move to another home and so passed along her Ateco 612 12″ revolving cake stand to use with my flower arranging. The stand is five inches high with a cast iron base and aluminum top. I have seen florists use a similar stand to assist when designing, rotating the arrangement frequently to check all sides. Today I used the stand while photographing my flowers and found it very helpful. Thanks Debbie!

Ateco 612 Revolving Stand

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.

In A Vase On Monday – December Gifts

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In A Vase On Monday – December Gifts

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share an arrangement using materials collected from our gardens. December gifts are those special wonders one finds in the landscape this time of year.

Yesterday a friend mentioned some of her hellebores are already full of buds so I though I might find some to feature today. None were available but I did harvest some of the hellebores’ young, tender, pale green foliage, along with some lovely patterned leaves of Arum italicum and a few stems of fresh aquilegia greenery.

In A Vase On Monday – December Gifts

The red and black container is from my collection of five red and black raku pots by North Carolina potter, Charles Chrisco. I inserted a tall drinking glass into the vase to help hold and support the stems without using floral foam.

The foliage took no time to set in place. With the dynamic shape and texture of the arum, the green materials could have stood alone if necessary. There is very little blooming now so the choices were chrysanthemums (fading), Erysimum (scarce), or sasanqua camellias (best potential).

In A Vase On Monday – December Gifts

Many readers have been enamored of this red Yuletide camellia when I have used it in the past. It has been a prolific bloomer this year. The weather has not been too severe yet so many of the flowers were in good condition this morning.

Camellia sasanqua ‘Yuletide’

Of the two sasanquas in my garden I favor the more fragrant and delicate looking Hana-Jiman. It blooms earlier though than Yuletide and is nearly finished for another year.

Camellia sasanqua ‘Hana-Jiman’

Camellia sasanqua ‘Hana-Jiman’

The camellias cooperated without much struggle and I was satisfied with the result. I snapped one portrait in the kitchen before moving the arrangement to the foyer to catch the natural light of early morning.

In A Vase On Monday – December Gifts

Materials

Flowers
Camellia sasanqua ‘Hana-Jiman’
Camellia sasanqua ‘Yuletide’

Foliage
Aquilegia canadensis (Eastern red columbine)
Arum italicum
Helleborus x hybridus (Lenten rose)

Container
Red/black raku vase, Charles Chrisco, Chrisco’s Pottery

In A Vase On Monday – December Gifts

In A Vase On Monday – December Gifts

A black and white view is always instructive. This one is from overhead.

In A Vase On Monday – December Gifts

Thanks to Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for hosting and encouraging 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.

In A Vase On Monday – Variations

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In A Vase On Monday – Variations

Note:  After some upgrades and ad blocker installations I’m having difficulty leaving comments on websites other than WordPress. Will continue to try to resolve the issue, but meanwhile please know I’m enjoying your posts.

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share an arrangement using materials collected from our gardens.

Spiraea branches caught my attention last week and I decided to play with them again.

Spiraea prunifolia (bridal wreath spiraea)

From the window overlooking the garden the aging leaves look deep orange, up close they range from golden to rust. For some reason the sections I cut are more uniform in color.

Spiraea prunifolia (bridal wreath spiraea)

This variation of today’s design is closest to my original concept of featuring a nearly bare branch to explore rhythm and curves.

In A Vase On Monday – Variations

It seemed to need more. In adding Wintergreen boxwood I fumbled the lichen-covered branch and never got it back into good position. Securing the materials in place would have saved extra work, but I opted to keep moving, taking the opportunity to experiment. In the end today’s designs are about process more than result.

In A Vase On Monday – Variations

I do like this orange and purple pairing, marigold and lavender.

In A Vase On Monday – Variations

In A Vase On Monday – Variations

The fragrance of lavender adds another layer to the pleasure of creating with flowers.

In A Vase On Monday – Variations

The lichen branch here is moved toward toward the back of the dish where it no longer works to counterbalance the rightmost stem of spirea. I decided that piece of spirea could be removed altogether.

In A Vase On Monday – Variations

Also here an echinacea seedhead moved from front and center to the tip of the lichen branch. Offering interesting texture and color close-up, it did not have much impact to the overall design.

Echinacea purpurea (Purple Coneflower)

The lichen branch had lost its purpose and effectiveness, so I removed it and the other lichen bits entirely.

In the next iteration a still green cutting of Clematis ‘Jackmanii’ sweeps out gracefully in this version. The originally favored bare branch of spiraea has been removed, simplifying the line. The spare quality here interests me and this is the stage I kept to display in the foyer.

In A Vase On Monday – Variations

Originally I had planned to use a small companion arrangement, formed simply from a young Husker Red penstemon tucked into a small black holder. It did not add much until I came back to the mostly bare branch of spiraea.  Adding the tall stem changed the dynamics and energy once again.

In A Vase On Monday – Variations

By moving the point of view slightly the composition shifts significantly.

In A Vase On Monday – Variations

Ultimately I returned to a simplified version, replacing the quilted runner underneath with a white linen towel.

In A Vase On Monday – Variations

Clematis ‘Jackmanii’

Clematis ‘Jackmanii’

Materials

Flowers
Lavender
Marigold

Foliage
Buxus microphylla var koreana ‘Wintergreen’ (Wintergreen boxwood)
Clematis ‘Jackmanii’
Echinacea purpurea (Purple Coneflower), Seedhead
Lichen covered branch
Penstemon digitalis ‘Husker Red’ (Beardtongue)
Spiraea prunifolia (bridal wreath spiraea)

Container and Mechanics
Small black plastic Solo bowl – vase insert
3-inch florist’s frog (floral pin holder)
2-inch round holder with integrated florist’s frog
Black, green stones
Black glazed square
Quilted runner (made by my sister)

Spiraea prunifolia (bridal wreath spiraea)

Thanks to Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for hosting and encouraging us 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.

In A Vase On Monday – Thanksgiving Sugar Rush

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In A Vase On Monday – Thanksgiving Sugar Rush

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share an arrangement using materials collected from our gardens.

This week we will celebrate Thanksgiving Day in the United States. Today’s sugar rush is from the discovery of Erysimum ‘Sugar Rush Purple’ preparing to bloom. I included a couple of stems along with another surprise, a sprig of Meadow Sage ‘May Night.’

Meadow Sage, Erysimum

Meadow Sage, Erysimum

Thinking there would be nothing else flowering except the previously featured chrysanthemums and camellias, I planned to concentrate on foliage today. The Spiraea shrub has been gloriously orange this week; lavender is producing fresh young leaves; Gold Dust Aucuba leaves maintain year-round interest. From the back screened porch I also harvested a few leaves from a potted Begonia, a cutting from a succulent (that ended up hidden at the base) and fronds of fern.

In A Vase On Monday – Thanksgiving Sugar Rush

The focal flower of the design, a soft yellow chrysanthemum, picks up the aucuba’s yellow accents.

Chrysanthemum With Begonia, Aucuba, Lavender Foliage

Several dried coral roses saved from a purchased bouquet complete the color harmony.

Dried Roses With Spiraea Leaves

Materials

Flowers
Chrysanthemum
Erysimum ‘Sugar Rush Purple’
Meadow Sage ‘May Night’
Rose (dried)

Foliage
Aucuba japonica ‘Variegata’ (Gold Dust Aucuba)
Begonia
Fern
Lavandula x intermedia ‘Dutch’ (Dutch Lavender)
Spiraea prunifolia (bridal wreath spiraea)
Succuclent (unknown)

Container
Porcelain Ikebana vase, Georgetown Pottery, Maine. Rectangle Blue Zen (6.75L x 3.75W x 2H inches)

In A Vase On Monday – Thanksgiving Sugar Rush

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.

In A Vase On Monday – Evasive Challenge

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In A Vase On Monday – Evasive Challenge

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share an arrangement using materials collected from our gardens. Today marks Cathy’s fourth anniversary of posting and hosting In A Vase On Monday and to celebrate she has challenged participants to create an anniversary contribution in something other than a vase.

I pondered over this task a lot the past few days and finally chose a memento from my daughter’s childhood that I just happened upon yesterday. This blue glazed hand was traced in clay from her own little hand for a very early elementary school project. Hooked onto the bathroom wall, it held her toothbrush for a time when she was a child.

In A Vase On Monday – Evasive Challenge

My idea for using the hand to hold flowers turned into more of a conceptual piece as time ran out to actually hang it on the wall. Instead I posed blossoms around it and took pictures from above.

Camellia sasanqua ‘Yuletide’

Camellia sasanqua ‘Yuletide’

Camellia sasanqua ‘Yuletide’

Although we had two consecutive nights of temperatures in the upper 20sF. on Sunday I was able to gather quite a few camellias, which I arranged and rearranged.

In A Vase On Monday – Evasive Challenge

MaterialsFlowers
Begonia
Camellia sasanqua ‘Hana-Jiman’
Camellia sasanqua ‘Yuletide’
Container
“Handmade” ceramic art

In A Vase On Monday – Evasive Challenge

In A Vase On Monday – Evasive Challenge

Congratulations and many thanks to Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for hosting IAVOM with such enthusiasm. Visit her to discover what she and others found this week in their gardens on this vaseless Monday.

In A Vase On Monday – November Gifts

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In A Vase On Monday – November Gifts

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share an arrangement using materials collected from our gardens.

My husband and I attended an annual reunion of first cousins over the weekend and it is always a treat to get together with these special family members. Among those present were my three sisters, one of whom surprised me with a large green, urn-shaped vase she had discovered at a thrift shop. Thanks Judy! What a treat it is to have this November gift as inspiration today.

In A Vase On Monday – November Gifts

In A Vase On Monday – November Gifts

There were many more flowers than I had expected, nature’s own November gifts. Although the weather continues to be quite dry, the nights are cool and days are comfortably warm—no freeze yet this fall.

In A Vase On Monday – November Gifts

Perovskia atriplicifolia (Russian Sage) and Salvia guaranitica ‘Black and Blue’ enjoy these conditions and are blooming freely.

Salvia guaranitica ‘Black and Blue’

First appearing by mid-October, Camellia sasanqua ‘Hana-Jiman’ was featured several weeks ago is now in full bloom. Unexpectedly I noticed this week the red Camellia sasanqua ‘Yuletide’ is already coming into flower.

In A Vase On Monday – November Gifts

The passalong Button Chrysanthemum from my garden mentor Virgie has been a fall staple now for several decades. It always wants to rotate toward the back in any arrangement, but eventually I convinced it to cooperate, more or less.

Begonias planted in containers at the front porch did well all summer and continue to thrive. A few Cleome hassleriana (Spider Flower) have emerged.

In A Vase On Monday – November Gifts

Achillea foliage drapes along the rim of the vase. A plug of freshly emerged Lamb’s Ear adds color and textural contrast, as does a stem of Eucalyptus. I do not grow Eucalyptus but had some on hand (from last week’s book club arrangements).

In A Vase On Monday – November Gifts

 

Materials

Flowers
Begonia
Button Chrysanthemum
Camellia sasanqua ‘Hana-Jiman’
Camellia sasanqua ‘Yuletide’
Cleome hassleriana (Spider Flower)
Perovskia atriplicifolia (Russian Sage)
Salvia guaranitica ‘Black and Blue’

Foliage
Achillea filipendulina (Fern-leaf Yarrow)
Eucalyptus
Stachys byzantina (Lamb’s Ear)

Container
Large green vase

In A Vase On Monday – November Gifts

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.

In A Vase On Monday – Moscow Night

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In A Vase On Monday – Moscow Night

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share an arrangement using materials collected from our gardens.

My camera failed late yesterday just as I tried to photograph a posy of echinacea, chrysanthemum, lavender, salvia and zinnias gathered from my autumn garden.  At this point in the season there are not many blooms of each kind, except for the pass-along pale yellow chrysanthemum that is just coming into its own. I had collected a fair showing so it is disappointing to have encountered this technical difficulty, but here is a photo of the chrysanthemum at early morning on Saturday.

Passalong Button Chrysanthemum

In place of the home-grown flowers I will share instead some store bought floral indulgences that I used Tuesday when hosting my book club. The book was A Gentleman In Moscow by Amor Towles. Do read it if you have not yet–I found it one to savor. The story of a count in post-revolutionary Russian, the setting was a grand hotel in Moscow called The Metropol.  In a wonderful bit of happenstance, one of our book club members stayed in that same hotel the week before and brought me a keepsake.

It was fun to prepare multiple arrangements as I imagined such a fine hotel would offer generous floral displays.

White stock, Eucalyptus, Spider Chrysanthemum and ‘Green Trick’ Dianthus stood in the foyer.

In A Vase On Monday – Moscow Night

In A Vase On Monday – Moscow Night

For the food table there were roses accented with Hypericum berries (photographed in the foyer).

In A Vase On Monday – Moscow Night

In A Vase On Monday – Moscow Night

In A Vase On Monday – Moscow Night

Book Club Night – A Gentleman In Moscow

A large vase of Alstoemeria, Eucalyptus, Spider Chrysanthemums and ‘Green Trick’ Dianthus sat atop the piano in the living room. A trio of smaller vases on the window ledge were filled with Eucalyptus.

In A Vase On Monday – Moscow Night

In A Vase On Monday – Moscow Night

Green Spider Chrysanthemum, Alstroemeria, Green Tick Dianthus

Materials

Flowers
Alstroemeria
Chrysanthemum (Button Chrysanthemums and Spider Chrysanthemums)
Dianthus barbatus ‘Green Trick’
Hypericum Berries
Matthiola incana (Stock)
Roses
Foliage
Eucalyptus
Container
Various crystal vases

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.

In A Vase On Monday – Autumn Pinks

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In A Vase On Monday – Autumn Pinks

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share an arrangement using materials collected from our gardens.

While yellows, oranges and browns tend to dominate the autumn palette, I prefer instead the deep reds, so it is always a mystery to me to find so much pink when I stroll the garden borders.

In A Vase On Monday – Autumn Pinks

I could not ignore the pinks this week, as the sasanquas are entering their glorious time. The first bloom appeared about October 10 this year on the Camellia sasanqua ‘Hana-Jiman.’ The waxy, crinkly petals are milky inside deftly transitioning to pink edges. The flowers are lightly sweet. The foliage is deep green and glossy.

Camellia sasanqua ‘Hana-Jiman’

After several attempts I have managed this year to establish a nice stand of Chrysanthemum ‘Sheffield Pink,’ passed along from neighbor Nancy. These flowers have a lovely form and the plants maintain a nice height without becoming leggy.

Chrysanthemum ‘Sheffield Pink’ (Hardy Chrysanthemum)

Ants are attracted to both the camellia and the chrysanthemum, but I managed to snare a few pristine blooms for today’s vase.

Materials

Flowers
Camellia sasanqua ‘Hana-Jiman’
Chrysanthemum ‘Sheffield Pink’ (Hardy Chrysanthemum)

Foliage
Camellia sasanqua ‘Hana-Jiman’

Container
Small crystal vase

Camellia sasanqua ‘Hana-Jiman’

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.

In A Vase On Monday – Peach Dahlia Delight

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In A Vase On Monday – Peach Dahlia Delight

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share an arrangement using materials collected from our gardens.

Technically I did not grow these peachy-hued  beauties, but they grew within a few hundred feet of my garden. My sweet neighbor Eileen shared with me some of her first dahlia blooms (that she has ever grown). Both of us were delighted by her success and I was touched by her generosity.

In A Vase On Monday – Peach Dahlia Delight

A few sprigs of chrysanthemums from my front porch were a perfect color to accompany the dahlias and added some nice textural contrast. Stalks of rich green fern provided movement and line to the design.

Chrysanthemums

In A Vase On Monday – Peach Dahlia Delight

Materials

Flowers
Chrysanthemum
Dahlia

Foliage
Fern leaves

Container
Porcelain Ikebana vase, Georgetown Pottery, Maine. Triangle Black Wave (6.5 W x 6.5 L x 2H)

In A Vase On Monday – Peach Dahlia Delight

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.

In A Vase On Monday – Red Wine

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In A Vase On Monday – Red Wine

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share an arrangement using materials collected from our gardens.

In A Vase On Monday – Red Wine

Again this week the prolifically blooming wine-red pass-along dahlias carry the day, supported by some of the last of the summer zinnias.

Zinnia ‘Giants Mix’

Zinnia elegans ’Cactus Flower Blend’

The glass container is a red-tinted champagne flute from a set purchased at a Vietri warehouse sale years ago.

In A Vase On Monday – Red Wine

Materials

Flowers
Dahlia
Zinnia elegans ’Cactus Flower Blend’
Zinnia ‘Giants Mix’

Container
Champagne flute

I really like the impact of the orange zinnia playing against the red dahlia.

In A Vase On Monday – Red Wine

In A Vase On Monday – Red Wine

In A Vase On Monday – Red Wine

In A Vase On Monday – Red Wine

In A Vase On Monday – Red Wine

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.

In A Vase On Monday – Lost Meaning

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In A Vase On Monday – Lost Meaning

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share an arrangement using materials collected from our gardens.

At dayspring as sun entered the garden, gentle bees were slumbering on yellow petals. I gathered flowers carefully in the crisp morning air.

Helianthus angustifolius (Swamp Sunflower)

Perovskia atriplicifolia (Russian Sage). Canna leaves wrap the vase.

I arranged the flowers in a mood of contentment and joy.

In A Vase On Monday – Lost Meaning

In A Vase On Monday – Lost Meaning

Then I learned the news of another senseless killing in the United States. Las Vegas.

Sorrow, grief, mourning.

Meaning is lost.

Helianthus angustifolius (Swamp Sunflower)

 

Materials

Flowers
Helianthus angustifolius (Swamp Sunflower)
Muhlenbergia capillaris (Pink Muhly Grass)
Perovskia atriplicifolia (Russian Sage)

Foliage
Canna
Hedychium coronarium (Ginger lily)

Container
Flared, crystal vase

In A Vase On Monday – Lost Meaning

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.

In A Vase On Monday – Blue Mug Petites

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In A Vase On Monday – Blue Mug Petites

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share an arrangement using materials collected from our gardens.

Dainty in demeanor the flowers in this collection are true workhorses. Requiring little care they bloom and bloom.

Begonias and cyclamen were the starting point for today’s vase.

Two oversized pots of wax begonias near the front steps have performed reliably this summer, despite infrequent watering. One pot is filled with pink, the other is white. Begonias are so commonly used in landscaping they may seem ordinary perhaps, but planted en masse in large blue containers they have been striking.

In A Vase On Monday – Blue Mug Petites

These cyclamen are from plants that live indoors. Enjoying indirect light from a sunny west-facing window they have been flowering continuously all summer.

In A Vase On Monday – Blue Mug Petites

Several weeks ago large pots of inexpensive chrysanthemums began showing up for sale at my local grocery store, too good a bargain to pass up. The terracotta-rust blooms fade to a darker red as they age.

In A Vase On Monday – Blue Mug Petites

The rusty coloring of this young heart-shaped begonia leaf complements the chrysanthemums.

In A Vase On Monday – Blue Mug Petites

Zinnias have appeared so frequently this summer in my Monday vases I tried to avoid them today; however, playing off the hue of the chrysanthemum, a small terra cotta zinnia and another in red seemed destined to be companion flowers.

In A Vase On Monday – Blue Mug Petites

In A Vase On Monday – Blue Mug Petites

Echinacea purpurea (Purple Coneflower) are not normally categorized as diminutive but this small specimen stood out this morning. The coneflowers have kept insects and American gold finches busy all summer.

In A Vase On Monday – Blue Mug Petites

Materials

Flowers
Begonia (Wax Begonia)
Chrysanthemum
Cyclamen persicum (Persian cyclamen)
Dahlia sp.
Echinacea purpurea (Purple Coneflower)
Zinnia ‘Cut and Come Again Mix’

Vase
Stoneware mug by potter Nancy Redman, Redman Pottery.

In A Vase On Monday – Blue Mug Petites

In A Vase On Monday – Blue Mug Petites

Thank you 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.

In A Vase On Monday – Blue Mug Petites

In A Vase On Monday – Blue Mug Petites

In A Vase On Monday – Curves And Whorls

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In A Vase On Monday – Curves And Whorls

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share an arrangement using materials collected from our gardens.

Against a backdrop of curving fronds from a potted fern, a ruby-red, passalong Dahlia (from Libby) stars in this mid-September offering.

In A Vase On Monday – Curves And Whorls

The dahlia’s deep rich color is intense, its strong geometric form is perfection.

Whorls of Dahlia

Zinnias in bold hues of orange, yellow and even pink create a secondary layer of interest in the arrangement.

In A Vase On Monday – Curves And Whorls

The container is a stoneware pitcher glazed with bands of cream, green, blue by well-known local potter Jim Pringle.

In A Vase On Monday – Curves And Whorls

Materials

Flowers
Dahlia. Passalong, possibly ‘Wisconsin Red’
Zinnia ‘Cut and Come Again Mix’
Zinnia elegans ’Cactus Flower Blend’

Foliage
Dracaena deremensis warneckii ‘Lemon Lime’
Fern leaves

Vase
Stoneware pitcher. Pringle Pottery, North Carolina, circa 1977

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.

In A Vase On Monday – Late Summer Color Burst

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In A Vase On Monday – Late Summer Color Burst

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share an arrangement using materials collected from our gardens.

The zinnias are again the highlight of the garden this week, so I went out to gather a colorful bunch.  The foliage is looking spotted after August’s heat and dry spells, but there is no powdery mildew as would normally be seen by now.

But a surprise awaited—Iris germanica ‘Immortality’ was blooming, slightly past its prime, blooming nonetheless. I thought it would be nice to include it in today’s vase.

A second surprise was seeing the Clematis ‘Niobe’ is finally back in bloom. This red clematis is supposed to bloom throughout the summer, but mine sulks, its foliage scorches to a deep brown. September’s cooler nights and shorter days has awakened Niobe and I was able to collect several flowers and buds and was able to weave the fresh foliage up and through the display.

In A Vase On Monday – Late Summer Color Burst

The native beautyberry is growing too tall, spreading too wide and its offspring are sprouting up in inappropriate locations. It is full of magenta-purple berries and I grabbed a couple of stems for today’s vase.

In A Vase On Monday – Late Summer Color Burst

Rather begrudgingly I selected a flower from another native, Physostegia virginiana (Obedient Plant) that has overtaken the north border.  This passalong is something I have enjoyed for decades, but in the last couple years it has become nuisance-grade.Natives are not always well-behaved. I found a spot for it on the right-hand side of the design.

In A Vase On Monday – Late Summer Color Burst

The final selection for this week’s vase is another passalong Purple Heart, from a friend and former colleague Kathryn. The dark purple foliage provided just the right color accent and its form added a quirky, off-kilter spark the design needed.

In A Vase On Monday – Late Summer Color Burst

I regret not taking a photograph to share of the container (a birthday gift from my sister earlier in summer), but it is visible in the images above and below. The underpainted glazed ceramic dish features a floral decoration on the interior.

Flowers adorn the glazed platter’s interior.

Materials

Flowers
Callicarpa americana (American beautyberry)
Clematis ‘Niobe’
Iris germanica ‘Immortality’
Physostegia virginiana (Obedient Plant)
Tradescantia pallida ‘Purpurea’ (Purple Heart)
Zinnia ‘Cut and Come Again Mix’
Zinnia elegans ’Cactus Flower Blend’

Container
Glazed platter with floral decoration

Mechanics
Small black plastic Solo bowl – vase insert
Assorsted 2 and 3-inch florist’s frogs (floral pin holders)
Black stones

The white iris was supposed to be the focal point of today’s vase. I designed this arrangement from the left side, imagining it would not fill the dish completely. So from this angle the iris is most visible.

In A Vase On Monday – Late Summer Color Burst

I had not planned to use many zinnias, only one large orange cactus zinnia, but the design evolved as I added more and more, moving further toward the other end of the platter. Flowers were inserted into two florist’s frogs so I had some flexibility to negotiate their positions within the dish and as the arrangement grew I was able to just add a third frog.

In A Vase On Monday – Late Summer Color Burst

I love the way the garden rallied this week with a colorful burst of energy.

In A Vase On Monday – Late Summer Color Burst

In A Vase On Monday – Late Summer Color Burst

As always a big 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.

In A Vase On Monday – Persimmon Afloat

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Zinnia elegans ’Cactus Flower Blend’

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share an arrangement using materials collected from our gardens.

A shaggy persimmon-hued zinnia appears to float in a dark shallow pool.

Zinnia elegans ’Cactus Flower Blend’

Perspective shifts and the flower floats above the container’s edge, following sinuous lines and graceful curves.

Zinnia elegans ’Cactus Flower Blend’

Materials

Flowers
Zinnia elegans ’Cactus Flower Blend’

Mechanics
Shallow, charcoal gray, footed dish
Florist’s frog

What color would you use to describe this flower? First I chose saffron which I think of as reddish orange, but wikipedia describes it as golden yellow. Tangerine came to mind, but that is not red enough. Maybe red-orange is what I needed, but I found myself settling on persimmon.

Zinnia elegans ’Cactus Flower Blend’

Sensory impressions are fascinating. My daughter recently posted a picture on a social media site of a beetle. Admiring its “iridescent green” she gave it a parenthetical comment,
“(incidentally a color very close to the letter P)” and tagged the entry #synesthesia, to which someone commented,
“We’ve had this discussion before- it’s clearly a number 9#synesthesia.”
That exchange made me smile and wonder about the world in color.

Thanks to Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for hosting and giving us a chance to express our colorful flower arranging passion. Visit her to discover what she and others found this week in their gardens to place In A Vase On Monday.

In A Vase On Monday – Late August Glow

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In A Vase On Monday – Late August Glow

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share an arrangement using materials collected from our gardens.

Zinnias have been reliable as easy bouquet builders this summer and they continue to bloom gloriously. But for something different today I feature two other garden mainstays, echinacea and rudbeckia.

A small out-of-bloom Phalaenopsis orchid tucked into a shiny glazed black container was the starting point of this design.

A freshly emerged purple coneflower was inserted next. Many coneflowers are dotted around the garden, most of which are sporting dried seedheads at this point in the season to the delight of the local American Goldfinches.

Three stems of Rudbeckia laciniata or green-Headed coneflower were tucked among the dark green orchid foliage.

In A Vase On Monday – Late August Glow

In A Vase On Monday – Late August Glow

A couple of patterned Lemon Lime warneckii leaves were used to add some height and color variation.

In A Vase On Monday – Late August Glow

Materials

Flowers
Echinacea purpurea (Purple Coneflower)
Rudbeckia laciniata (Green-Headed Coneflower)

Foliage
Dracaena deremensis warneckii ‘Lemon Lime’
Phalaenopsis Blume (Moth orchid)

Vase
Glazed ceramic pot

In A Vase On Monday – Late August Glow

As always a big 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.

Solar Eclipse

To follow up on last week’s solar eclipse I thought I would share a few pictures. Yes, I do wish we had bought glasses so we could have viewed the eclipse directly, but we had fun.

Here is an image through a pinhole in a paper cup.

Solar Eclipse August 21, 2017 – paper cup pinhole

My husband’s hand.

Solar Eclipse August 21, 2017

And, a kitchen colander.

Solar Eclipse August 21, 2017

In A Vase On Monday – Sunlight And Color

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In A Vase On Monday – Sunlight And Color

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share an arrangement using materials collected from our gardens.

It is a special Monday: Eclipse Day, Monday, August 21, 2017.  Not since 1918 has a total solar eclipse swept the whole width of the United States. Those lucky enough to live in or able to travel to an approximately 70-mile wide path from Oregon to South Carolina will experience a total solar eclipse lasting up to 2 minutes and 40 seconds.

Chapel Hill is not within the path of totality, but the entire United States will experience a partial solar eclipse for up to a few hours today as the moon passes in front of the sun. Here the spectacle takes place between 1:16 pm – 4:06 pm, with maximum coverage at 2:44 pm. We did not get any special viewing glasses so we will not be looking directly at the sun, yet the effect is sure to be felt.

I was swept up by sunlight on Saturday. In the morning I had gathered zinnias and dahlias and left them on a counter in a canister for conditioning.

In A Vase On Monday – Sunlight And Color

Before I had time to arrange the blooms, late afternoon sun began spilling across the room from westerly windows, illuminating the flowers and accentuating the colors.

In A Vase On Monday – Sunlight And Color

Creating an arrangement seemed secondary to enjoying the light as it played on the petals.

In A Vase On Monday – Sunlight And Color

In A Vase On Monday – Sunlight And Color

Materials

Flowers
Dahlia sp.
Zinnia ‘Cut and Come Again Mix’
Zinnia elegans ’Cactus Flower Blend’

Vase
Red coffee canister

 

In A Vase On Monday – Sunlight And Color

In A Vase On Monday – Sunlight And Color

In A Vase On Monday – Sunlight And Color

As always a big 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.

In A Vase On Monday – Mini-Mood

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In A Vase On Monday – Mini-Mood

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share an arrangement using materials collected from our gardens.

In A Vase On Monday – Mini-Mood

Although Monday is long past, I finally have a minute to share a mini-container of zinnias for this week.

In A Vase On Monday – Mini-Mood

Materials

Flowers
Zinnia ‘Cut and Come Again Mix’
Zinnia elegans ’Cactus Flower Blend’

Vase
Black matte container, integrated pin holder (approx. 2-in diameter)

And what excuse for being so tardy? My sisters invited me to spend a few days with them at the beach. As you can see from the video, it was magical. Thanks sisters!

Morning On The Beach

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.

In A Vase On Monday – Patchwork

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In A Vase On Monday – Patchwork

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share an arrangement using materials collected from our gardens.

In A Vase On Monday – Patchwork

I had a weekend trip to the coast for a college friends reunion. We had clouds and daily rain showers, but also sun, rainbows, and ospreys nesting just in front of the house.  Lots of fun reconnecting with these smart, witty women and remembering what it was like to be eighteen—good stories, some uncontrollable giggles. On our last morning together we managed to practice yoga and meditate outdoors under a blue sky.

Back home in Chapel Hill the garden is in need of a good soaking. A half-dozen gladiolas opened while I was away so I tried to create a mixed arrangement using them along with some sweet peas and zinnias. Zinnias are producing more and more blooms. They tolerate heat and lack of water, though even they seem tired of this dry spell. Gladiola are awkward in such a social setting, so I ended up letting them rest on the sideline. A patchwork quilt of zinnias moved into the spotlight.

Materials

Flowers
Gladiolus
Lathyrus latifolius (Perennial Sweet Pea)
Zinnia ‘Cut and Come Again Mix’
Zinnia elegans ’Cactus Flower Blend’

Vase
Stoneware pitcher glazed with bands of cream, green, blue.  (Pringle Pottery, North Carolina, circa 1977)

In A Vase On Monday – Patchwork

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.

In A Vase On Monday – Summer Serenity

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In A Vase On Monday – Summer Serenity [color filter: Instant]

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share an arrangement using materials collected from our gardens.

The first two of an all white gladiolus collection planted in early summer have begun to open. In a season when bright hot colors usually dominate, these clean, fresh flowers evoke a sense of purity and calm.

In A Vase On Monday – Summer Serenity

Each white flower is accented with purple pollen grains and violet brushstrokes at the throat.

In A Vase On Monday – Summer Serenity

These purple attributes are reinforced in the design by the amethyst swirls of a Caithness glass bud vase and spires of lavender-blue Russian sage.

In A Vase On Monday – Summer Serenity

The camera enunciated a pale yellow characteristic that barely registers when viewed in person, but which complements nonetheless.

Materials

Flowers
Gladiolus
Perovskia atriplicifolia (Russian sage)

Vase
Caithness glass bud vase

In A Vase On Monday – Summer Serenity

Thanks to Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for hosting and giving us a chance to release 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.

In A Vase On Monday – Green and Blue

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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.

In A Vase On Monday – Zinnia Zest

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In A Vase On Monday – Zinnia Zest

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share an arrangement using materials collected from our gardens.

I love the sunny disposition zinnias bring to the garden. These began flowering this past week just as many other blooms succumbed to recent hot and dry weather. They will continue well into October.

Zinnia ‘Cut and Come Again Mix’

Zinnia elegans ’Cactus Flower Blend’

Bright and cheerful, long-lasting as cut flowers, zinnias add color and zest to summer vases.

In A Vase On Monday – Zinnia Zest

These stems are pinned into a florist’s frog to hold them in place. Several fronds of fern add flair and help balance the design.

In A Vase On Monday – Zinnia Zest

Materials

Flowers
Zinnia ‘Cut and Come Again Mix’
Zinnia elegans ’Cactus Flower Blend’
Fern leaves

Vase
Straight-sided round black vase
Ceramic bowl, black matte exterior, red glazed interior

In A Vase On Monday – Zinnia Zest

In A Vase On Monday – Zinnia Zest

In A Vase On Monday – Zinnia Zest

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.