Tag Archives: angelonia angustifolia

In A Vase On Monday – October Plum

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In A Vase On Monday – October Plum

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

The inspiration for today’s vase is a large piece of the kitchen aloe I keep handy at all times. I intended to let the aloe be the focal point, but I kept filling in with other cuttings from the autumn garden until the design veered drastically from my initial idea.

Aloe

An overgrown section of aloe was positioned upright into a florist’s pin resembling spokes of a wagon wheel. As more materials were added the aloe became more horizontal without me realizing it.

In A Vase On Monday – October Plum

Plum-tinged by the weather, Aquilegia foliage is featured front and center, its soft hue echoed and reenforced by surrounding spires of purple angelonia.

In A Vase On Monday – October Plum

Richly colored salvia and bright zinnias add zesty accents.

Salvia guaranitica ‘Black and Blue’

Zinnia Cut and Come Again (Zinnia elegant pumila)

Materials
Aloe
Angelonia ’Purple’ (summer snapdragon)
Aquilegia canadensis (Eastern red columbine)
Artemisia ‘Powis Castle’ (Wormwood)
Dahlia ‘Fireworks’
Salvia guaranitica ‘Black and Blue’
Zinnia Cut and Come Again (Zinnia elegant pumila)
Vase
Ceramic bowl, black matte exterior, red glazed interior

In A Vase On Monday – October Plum

In A Vase On Monday – October Plum

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.

In A Vase On Monday – Blue And White In Autumn

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In A Vase On Monday – Blue And White In Autumn

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

In A Vase On Monday – Blue And White In Autumn

With the autumn season officially upon us, my garden is overgrown and in need of some tough love. Even the zinnias are fading. Today’s vase is fitted with a few rebloomers and lingerers, beginning with several lusciously fragrant gardenias. Of the the few zinnias that remain most are coming in with very tiny blooms. I spotted several diminutive white ones to include. There are also a couple of pristine Shasta daisies making a surprising appearance for this time of year.

In A Vase On Monday – Blue And White In Autumn

The title of this vase would more accurately be “purple, blue and white in autumn,” with Angelonia from the meditation circle providing purple hues and Blue Sky salvia offering up a true blue.

In A Vase On Monday – Blue And White In Autumn

In A Vase On Monday – Blue And White In Autumn

Materials
Flowers
Angelonia ‘Purple’
Gardenia jasminoides
Leucanthemum x superbum (Shasta Daisy)
Salvia uliginosa ‘Blue Sky’ (Bog sage)
Zinnia ‘Cut and Come Again’ (Zinnia elegant pumila), Botanical Interests.

Vase
Small matte-glazed blue ceramic vase

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.

In A Vase On Monday – Duality

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In A Vase On Monday – Duality

Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share an arrangement every Monday using materials collected from our gardens. After very little rain recently an impending hurricane lurks in the Atlantic.

The inspiration for my vase this week is the foliage of my favorite indoor plant, Begonia ‘Erythrophylla’ or Beefsteak Begonia, with its rich forest green leaves that somehow are richly red on the underside.  I have been watching this begonia overflow its pot this summer and so decided to remove a section to use today. Then I will allow it to root in water and pass it along.

Begonia ‘Erythrophylla’ (Beefsteak Begonia)

Begonia ‘Erythrophylla’ (Beefsteak Begonia)

I wanted also to feature a garden phlox, perhaps it is ‘Robert Poore,’ that has been quietly blooming for many weeks in the southwestern part of the garden. Once clippers were in hand I discovered there was not as much flowering as it had seemed.

Phlox paniculata (Garden Phlox)

Phlox then has been overshadowed by strong spires and deep color of my next choice, Angelonia, which is dominating the meditation circle with its vigor.

Once all the materials were chosen their colors seemed incompatible. (With apologies to Elizabeth Warren) I persisted. The shock of a bright orange zinnia was used to offset the weight of the red and green foliage in the lower half, to keep drawing the eye back up toward the purple-blue flowers in the upper half of the design.

Staging the Ikebana vase on top of an iron candleholder gave the begonia leaves space to drop and flow with grace, rather than be compressed at the base.

In A Vase On Monday – Duality

Materials
Flowers
Angelonia angustifolia ‘Blue’ (Summer Snapdragon)
Angelonia angustifolia ‘Purple’ (Summer Snapdragon)
Zinnia Cut and Come Again (Zinnia elegant pumila)
Phlox paniculata (Garden Phlox)
Foliage
Artemisia ‘Powis Castle’ (Wormwood)
Begonia ‘Erythrophylla’ (Beefsteak Begonia)
Vase
Porcelain Ikebana vase, Georgetown Pottery, Maine. Triangle Black Wave (6.5 W x 6.5 L x 2H)

Zinnia and Angelonia

In A Vase On Monday – Duality

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.

In A Vase On Monday – Gold Dust And Angelonia

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In A Vase On Monday – Gold Dust And Angelonia

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

From the Zinnia Cut and Come Again collection I picked dozens of colorful blooms yesterday, but only one zinnia found its way toward the back of today’s design, a rare white one.

Zinnia Cut and Come Again (Zinnia elegant pumila)

Having planned to focus on foliage this week I collected a large piece of Gold Dust Aucuba and an arching stem of Sarcococca.

For color there are Angelonia and everlasting sweet pea.

Angelonia angustifolia ‘PAC – Angelos Bicolor’

Lathyrus latifolius (Perennial Sweet Pea)

Materials
Flowers
Angelonia angustifolia ‘PAC – Angelos Bicolor’
Angelonia angustifolia ‘Purple’ (Summer Snapdragon)
Angelonia angustifolia ‘White’ (Summer Snapdragon)
Lathyrus latifolius (Perennial Sweet Pea)
Zinnia Cut and Come Again (Zinnia elegant pumila)
Foliage
Aucuba japonica ‘Variegata’ (Gold Dust Aucuba)
Sarcococca ruscifolia (Fragrant Sweet Box)
Container
Porcelain Ikebana vase, Georgetown Pottery, Maine. Triangle Black Wave (6.5 W x 6.5 L x 2H)

In A Vase On Monday – Gold Dust And Angelonia

Hope your late summer garden is bringing you joy.

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.

In A Vase On Monday – Two Vases, One Bouquet

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In A Vase On Monday – Two Vases, One Bouquet

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

For today’s vase I chose a Raku pot purchased at our local Apple Chill street fair one autumn long ago, when five dollars was a significant investment.

Reliable and trouble-free, Angelonia ‘Purple’ caught my eye as I looked around the garden yesterday for flowers to feature. Also I included Dahlia ‘Fireworks’ because it is finally beginning to flower a bit more, though it remains rather lackluster. The three ‘Fireworks’ plants are the only dahlias in my garden this summer (my friend Libby’s mom’s red dahlia did not make it through our harsh winter).

In A Vase On Monday – Two Vases, One Bouquet

Zinnia Cut and Come Again continue to color the garden with fresh and long-lasting flowers, drawing hummingbirds, butterflies and other various insects. There is sign of powdery mildew on some of the leaves but the flowers power on. I used most of the zinnias I cut yesterday in a secondary arrangement, but several of the deep orange ones found their way into Monday’s vase, nestling among the purples of Angelonia and one stem of instensely blue-violet salvia.

In A Vase On Monday – Two Vases, One Bouquet

Two clusters of bright yellow Tansy flowers add a final touch.

In A Vase On Monday – Two Vases, One Bouquet

Many of my designs are viewed only from the front, but this one is meant to be seen from all directions.

In A Vase On Monday – Two Vases, One Bouquet

The asymmetry of this view looks more formal, yet gives a touch of personality.

In A Vase On Monday – Two Vases, One Bouquet

Some of the stems in today’s bouquet, especially part of the Angelonia and the dahlias, were not as long as I would have liked.  Concerned they may end of out of water at some point during the week, I decided after the photo shoot to trim all the stems evenly and place them into a different container.  Looking freer in this casual soup mug, the flowers will provide a cheery presence this week.

In A Vase On Monday – Two Vases, One Bouquet

Materials
Flowers
Angelonia ‘Purple’
Dahlia ‘Fireworks’
Salvia guaranitica ‘Black and Blue’
Tanacetum vulgare (Tansy)
Zinnia Cut and Come Again (Zinnia elegant pumila)
Containers
Lime green soup mug
Raku ware, unknown artist, circa 1978.

It is fun to share vases with others across the world. Thanks to Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for hosting each week. Visit her to discover what she and others found to place In A Vase On Monday.

In A Vase On Monday – Orange And White

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In A Vase On Monday – Orange And White

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

Zinnia Cut and Come Again are reliable for a profusion of summer blooms. Jason mentioned his were mainly white and orange and coincidentally those are the two colors I had selected for today’s vase. I seem to have a balanced mixture of colors this year, but the white is rare among the reds, pinks and yellows.

Zinnia Cut and Come Again (Zinnia elegant pumila

There are more oranges this year in the mix.

Zinnia Cut and Come Again (Zinnia elegant pumila

Heuchera villosa ‘Big Top Bronze’ is beginning to bloom in a dark corner behind other plants so I decided to bring a stem indoors.

Heuchera villosa ‘Big Top Bronze’ (Coral Bells)

For natural accents I reused a piece of bark from a previous arrangement, along with a seed pod from Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly Plant) from a few weeks ago. The pod has transformed and burst open.

Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly Plant)

A bunch of zinnias make a great summer bouquet, but even in small number they have great presence.

In A Vase On Monday – Orange And White

Materials
Flowers
Heuchera villosa ‘Big Top Bronze’ (Coral Bells)
Zinnia Cut and Come Again (Zinnia elegant pumila)
Other
Bark: Lagerstroemia (Crape Myrtle)
Pod: Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly Plant)
Container
Porcelain Ikebana vase. Rectangle Blue Zen (6.75L x 3.75W x 2H inches)

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.

In A Vase On Monday – July Complementary

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In A Vase On Monday – July Complementary

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

Before thinking consciously of today’s vase in terms of complementary yellow and purple, I had in mind tall stems of fading sunny Rudbeckia, the green cone-heads featured prominently, and backed by a large purply patterned Canna leaf. I also wanted to use pieces of bark saved from a Lagerstroemia (Crape Myrtle), especially this lichen-covered section.

Lichen and Lagerstroemia (Crape Myrtle) Bark

Using two floral pins or frogs I began by inserting the bark.  Next the rudbeckia and canna went in as planned.

Before long I had rescued a stem of Tansy from last week’s vase for more yellow and more texture.

In A Vase On Monday – July Complementary

More purples slipped in—Angelonia and Euphorbia ‘Blackbird.’ Much of the bark which was expected to provide a strong impact receded in favor of the angelonia.

Euphorbia ‘Blackbird’ (Spurge)

Dahlia ‘Fireworks’ has disappointed this year, giving only one or two blooms at a time, but the flowers called out when I was cutting materials and found their way into the design.

Dahlia ‘Fireworks’

Materials
Flowers
Angelonia ‘Purple
Dahlia ‘Fireworks’
Euphorbia ‘Blackbird’ (Spurge)
Rudbeckia laciniata (Green-Headed Coneflower)
Tanacetum vulgare (Tansy)
Foliage
Canna
Lagerstroemia (Crape Myrtle) Bark with Lichen
Container
Oasis Lomey 11″ Designer Dish, black, round
Two Three-inch floral pins (frog)
Black Stones

In A Vase On Monday – July Complementary

In A Vase On Monday – July Complementary

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.

In A Vase On Monday – Purple, Orange, Pod and Bark

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In A Vase On Monday – Purple, Orange, Pod and Bark

I look forward each week to joining Cathy at Rambling In The Garden, along with other garden bloggers from around the globe, in sharing an arrangement every Monday using materials collected from our gardens.

After enjoying an exciting and special time with family during the weekend, I quickly pieced together a simple Ikebana design for today. A few Asclepias plants are still blooming despite very dry conditions in the garden, but pods are forming as well. One seedpod and one flowering stem were the starting point for today’s vase.

I paired the Asclepias with a section of bark from a crape myrtle from the front garden (another storm mishap for those of you who are familiar with the history of my poor trees–this one being a particularly galling incident considering how dry it is still).

Just before photographing the vase I tucked in two sprigs of angelonia to kick up the color impact. Angelonia is a great annual for summer color.

Angelonia (Summer Snapdragon)

Materials
Flowers and Seedpod
Angelonia (Summer snapdragon)
Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly Plant)
Bark
Lagerstroemia (Crape Myrtle)
Vase
Porcelain Ikebana vase, Georgetown Pottery, Maine. Triangle Ikebana Blue Wave (6.5 W x 6.5 L x 2H inches)

Walking down the hall toward this vase after I had already finished this post, I noticed the the design is much more engaging from the side, than from head on the way it was designed. More rhythm, more interest. If it were not so late I would be tempted to experiment from this angle, but there is always next week.

In A Vase On Monday – Purple, Orange, Pod and Bark

I will finish with an homage to our little crape myrtle out front. Until I photographed the bark I had not really noticed the little heart. I think it loves me too.

Crape Myrtle Bark

Thanks to Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for hosting each week, allowing us to share our passion. Visit her to discover what she and others found to place In A Vase On Monday.

In A Vase On Monday – May Dazzle

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In A Vase On Monday – May Dazzle

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 – May Dazzle

Recently I have been enjoying a serene view in the garden whereby I am looking through tall white spires of Husker Red penstemon toward a border dominated various greens. White panicles of oakleaf hydrangea punctuate one end of the scene, while subdued silvery gray-green foliage of a passalong Dusty Miller fronts large clumps of dark green perennials not yet in bloom. This low-key combination of white, gray-green, and dark green was the inspiration for today’s vase.

Upon inspection the penstemon flowers were browning a bit, past their prime after a rainy week, but the hydrangeas were still quite fresh. Fern-like leaves of tansy, another passalong,  were included for color and texture.

Tansy Foliage Among Oakleaf Hydrangea

It seems an arrangement always needs more flowers than one would think. Unwilling to cut more hydrangeas I ended up using more peonies (from the refrigerator). And although using white peonies again this week would have preserved my original intention to create a subtle, calm design, I had featured them the past two vases.

I chose instead to add a bit of dazzle with Paeonia ‘Madame Emile Debatene.’ I could not resist adding a few “blue” angelonia to the mix also.

Paeonia ‘Madame Emile Debatene’

Angelonia angustifolia ‘Angelface Blue’

Heuchera leaves with reddish undersides pick up the hues of the peony and angelonia, while silvery, delicate Dusty Miller quiets the mood.

Heuchera and Dusty Miller Foliage With Peony, Hydrangea and Angelonia

The character of this vase evolved into a more spirited, brighter presentation than I had envisioned. I have learned not to stress over keeping a rigid idea and in the end, I am happy with this result. As a bonus, the peonies are quite fragrant.

In A Vase On Monday – May Dazzle

Materials
Flowers
4 Angelonia angustifolia ‘Angelface Blue’ (Summer Snapdragon)
2 Angelonia angustifolia ‘Angelface White’ (Summer Snapdragon)
7 Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Ruby Slippers’ (Lil’ Ruby dwarf Oakleaf Hydrangea)
5 Paeonia ‘Madame Emile Debatene’
Foliage
Dusty Miller (passed along as Dusty Miller. Possibly Artemisia)
Heuchera villosa ‘Big Top Bronze’ (Coral Bells)
Leucanthemum x superbum (Shasta Daisy)
Tanacetum vulgare (Tansy)
Mechanics
Floral foam
6-inch plastic Lomey dish
Large Green Ceramic Urn

Keeping the urn-shaped vase in mind, I created this design by inserting the fresh materials into floral foam that had been secured to a 6-inch plastic dish. Once the arrangement was completed I placed the dish to sit atop the urn.

In A Vase On Monday – May Dazzle

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.

Wordless Wednesday—In The Meditation Circle

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Meditation Circle

Meditation Circle

 

Antirrhinum majus (Snapdragon)

Penstemon and Snapdragon

Penstemon digitalis ‘Husker Red’ (Beardtongue)

Penstemon digitalis ‘Husker Red’ (Beardtongue) opening in Meditation Circle

Penstemon digitalis ‘Husker Red’ (Beardtongue)

Penstemon digitalis ‘Husker Red’ (Beardtongue)

Angelonia angustifolia (Summer Snapdragon)

Various Thymes in Meditation Circle

In A Vase On Monday—And Tuesday

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Physostegia virginiana (Obedient Plant), Angelonia

Physostegia virginiana (Obedient Plant), Angelonia

My daughter and son-in-law are visiting from the west coast and we hosted a big gathering yesterday to give relatives and friends a chance to see them. It was a wonderful, wonderful day. I filled the house  with flowers and since it was Monday, I had planned to join Cathy’s weekly challenge In A Vase On Monday, but could not find time until this morning to photograph the arrangements.

There were literally a dozen vases of mostly zinnias, angelonia and obedient plant scattered around. I counted them this morning when trying to figure out if I wanted to carry them all upstairs into the studio where the light might be more conducive to picture taking. The answer was no, so I just picked up a couple to share.

Since I featured Physostegia virginiana last week I should have chosen something different but these two just happened to be sitting next to each other on the counter.

Physostegia virginiana (Obedient Plant), Angelonia

Physostegia virginiana (Obedient Plant), Angelonia

I like the structure of Physostegia virginiana in this arrangement with the repetition of curves, angles and lines among the flower heads.

Physostegia virginiana

Physostegia virginiana

 

Leftover short stems of Angelonia and a couple of Gomphrena globosa (Globe amaranth) collected into a round, glass dish made a simple, but attractive design. I think it is most interesting viewed from above.

Angelonia and Gomphrena globosa (Globe amaranth)

Angelonia and Gomphrena globosa (Globe amaranth)

Materials
Angelonia
Gomphrena globosa (Globe amaranth)
Physostegia virginiana (Obedient Plant)

Angelonia and Gomphrena globosa (Globe amaranth)

Angelonia and Gomphrena globosa (Globe amaranth)

Thanks to Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for hosting. Discover what she and others are placing In A Vase On Monday, where the goal is simply to fill a vase using materials gathered in one’s own garden.

In A Vase On Monday—Vivid Summer Color

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Design From Above

Design From Above

Monday brings the chance to practice flower arranging by joining in Cathy’s weekly challenge In A Vase On Monday, where the goal is simply to fill a vase using materials gathered in one’s own garden.

In A Vase On Monday

In A Vase On Monday

Zinnias are usually reliable but this year very few of the seeds germinated. The plants that grew are very strong though and the colors, vibrant. Several of my favorite deep orange ones opened yesterday so they form the basis of this week’s arrangement. I added a couple of pink zinnias and a salmon one as well, all that were blooming today.

Zinnia and Angelonia

Zinnia and Angelonia

 

There is plenty of Angelonia blooming, making it an easy choice for filler flowers.

Zinnia and Angelonia

Zinnia and Angelonia

Zinnia and Angelonia

Zinnia and Angelonia

I chose the dark pink Angelonia and I really like the way it pairs with the orange zinnia, but in retrospect white would have provided better contrast in the overall arrangement.

The similarity of color tone in today’s flowers made it hard to achieve a good range of light and dark in the design. It is easier for me to see this when I squint at photographs than while arranging the flowers–something to keep in mind next time.

In A Vase On Monday

In A Vase On Monday

Dahlias are blooming sporadically. I was able to find a couple of dark burgundy ones as well as a sprig of Purple heart foliage. Their contribution to the design is best observed when viewing the vase from overhead.

Zinnia, Angelonia, Dahlia, Purple heart and Sweet pea

Zinnia, Angelonia, Dahlia, Purple heart and Sweet pea

I also included a couple of stems of Gomphrena or globe amaranth from a patio planter.  The Gomphrena seems to love the heat. A passalong Perennial Sweet Pea, which has bloomed well all summer, and a salmon-hued Pelargonium, which has not, round out the choice of flowers.

Sweet pea, Gomphrena, Zinnia, Pelargonium, Angelonia

Sweet pea, Gomphrena, Zinnia, Pelargonium, Angelonia

 

Materials
Angelonia ‘Rose’
Angelonia ‘Serenita Raspberry’
Dahlia sp.
Gomphrena globosa (Globe amaranth)
Lathyrus latifolius (Perennial Sweet Pea)
Pelargonium × hortorum ‘Rocky Mountain Salmon’ (Zonal geranium)
Tradescantia pallida ‘Purpurea’ (Purple Heart)
Zinnia

 

From above: Zinnia, Angelonia, Dahlia and Purple heart

From above: Zinnia, Angelonia, Dahlia and Purple heart

Thanks to Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for hosting. Discover what she and others are placing In A Vase On Monday.

In A Vase On Monday—In Search Of The Blues

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In A Vase On Monday

In A Vase On Monday

Monday brings the chance to practice flower arranging by joining in Cathy’s weekly challenge In A Vase On Monday, where the goal is simply to fill a vase using materials gathered in one’s own garden.

In A Vase On Monday

In A Vase On Monday

I last wrote about using Angelonia in the meditation circle and it was still on my mind when I began planning a vase for this week. The rich colors seemed to be a good starting point for an arrangement.

Angelonia 'Alonia Big Indigo'

Angelonia ‘Alonia Big Indigo’

As an afterthought I also brought in some gladiolas from a bulb collection planted this spring, misleadingly named Gladiolus ‘Blue Shades Mix.’ Do pink and magenta really qualify as blue shades? No, but these flowers are lovely.

Pink Gladiolus

Pink Gladiolus

Magenta Gladiolus

Magenta Gladiolus

This is the first purple from this “blue collection.” I like it a lot. Somehow Gladiolus became the focal flower for today, with the Angelonia taking on a supporting role.

Purple Gladiolus from Blue Shades Collection

Purple Gladiolus from Blue Shades Collection

In spring I planted a small Aucuba japonica ‘Variegata’ (Gold Dust Aucuba) for the express purpose of exploiting its foliage for flower design. That shrub is doing well enough to contribute  a few dark, shiny leaves today.

Foliage of Aucuba japonica 'Variegata' (Gold Dust Aucuba) and Gladiolus Flower

Foliage of Aucuba japonica ‘Variegata’ (Gold Dust Aucuba) and Gladiolus Flower

A pair of glass vases that belonged to my maternal grandmother were the appropriate size. I inserted a rolled Aucuba leaf into each vase to hide the flower stems.

Glass vases are lined with Aucuba japonica 'Variegata' (Gold Dust Aucuba)

Glass vases are lined with Aucuba japonica ‘Variegata’ (Gold Dust Aucuba)

 

Materials
Aucuba japonica ‘Variegata’ (Gold Dust Aucuba)
Angelonia ‘Serena White,’ ‘Alonia Big Indigo,’ ‘Serenita Raspberry’ and ‘Rose’
Gladiolus ‘Blue Shades Mix’
Matching scalloped glass vases

In A Vase On Monday

In A Vase On Monday

In A Vase On Monday

In A Vase On Monday

Still searching for blue, here is a look from up above.

In A Vase On Monday

In A Vase On Monday

Thanks to Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for hosting. Discover what she and others are placing In A Vase On Monday.

Finding Color Along The Labyrinth

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Meditation Circle

Looking Toward Meditation Circle Entrance

In these last days of July the meditation circle has finally come into its own. Originally, when this was a new feature in the garden, I attempted to use only evergreens or semi-evergreens here, but, since I could never find a perfect combination, I have been much happier just supplementing with low-maintenance annuals.

Entrance To The Labyrinth

Entrance To The Labyrinth Is Between Two Rows Of Dark Purple Angelonia ‘Alonia Big Indigo’

A beautiful but tough annual that never needs deadheading, Angelonia angustifolia (summer snapdragon), is providing plenty of color and interest. I know I have mentioned Angelonia before, but it is finally well-established and caught my eye a couple of days ago after a brief morning shower.  It does not mind the heat and scarcity of rain. Its size is a good fit for the narrow space between the paths of the labyrinth, keeping the paths open for easy passage without needing much trimming.

Angelonia ‘Serenita Raspberry’ and 'Purple'

Angelonia ‘Serenita Raspberry’ and ‘Purple’ (Purple turned out to be pink.)

I had planned to use a limited color scheme of white and blue this year, but blue Angelonia were hard to find this year at the time I needed them. Unable to locate enough white plants to use for the entire circle either, I ended up having to settle for a mix of mostly pinks and a few purples (Angelonia ‘Serena White’, ‘Alonia Big Indigo’, ‘Serenita Raspberry’, ‘Purple’ , and ‘Rose’). The ‘Purple’ turned out to be pink also. Though not my first color choices, I have enjoyed them immensely.

Angelonia 'Alonia Big Indigo'

Angelonia ‘Alonia Big Indigo’

Angelonia 'Serena White'

Angelonia ‘Serena White’

Angelonia ‘Serenita Raspberry’, 'Purple' and 'Alonia Big Indigo'

Angelonia ‘Serenita Raspberry’, ‘Purple’ and ‘Alonia Big Indigo’

I need to fill in where the original thyme was planted to define part of the wall. It has spread out from the center, but left patchy gaps in the middle. With that one exception the various thymes are doing well and have been blooming for a few weeks, attracting many pollinators. The goal of the labyrinth (or center of the circle) is planted in Thymus serpyllum ‘Pink Chintz’ (Pink chintz thyme).

Angelonia 'Serena White' and Thymus serpyllum 'Pink Chintz' (Pink chintz thyme)

Angelonia ‘Serena White’ and Thymus serpyllum ‘Pink Chintz’ (Pink chintz thyme)

Thymus serpyllum 'Pink Chintz' (Pink chintz thyme)

Thymus serpyllum ‘Pink Chintz’ (Pink chintz thyme)

Here is the second Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia) I have seen this summer enjoying the thyme.

Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia)

There still are a few Penstemon digitalis ‘Husker Red’ (Beardtongue) left from the original planting a few years ago. They have self-seeded and I have left a few, moved some to other parts of the garden and given many away.

Thymus serpyllum 'Pink Chintz' (Pink chintz thyme) and Penstemon digitalis 'Husker Red' (Beardtongue)

Thymus serpyllum ‘Pink Chintz’ (Pink chintz thyme) and Penstemon digitalis ‘Husker Red’ (Beardtongue)

Another penstemon original to the labyrinth is Penstemon mexicali ‘Pike’s Peak Purple’ (Beardtongue). Of the dozen or so only one survives. I think it likes this summer’s dry weather.

Penstemon mexicali 'Pike's Peak Purple' (Beardtongue)

Penstemon mexicali ‘Pike’s Peak Purple’ (Beardtongue)

Penstemon mexicali 'Pike's Peak Purple' (Beardtongue)

Penstemon mexicali ‘Pike’s Peak Purple’ (Beardtongue)

All in all I love the how the circle has enhanced the garden and I enjoy the peacefulness of the walking meditation.

Meditation Circle

Meditation Circle