Tag Archives: Antirrhinum majus (Snapdragon)

In A Vase On Monday – Festiva Centerpiece

Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share an arrangement every Monday using materials collected from our gardens. I visited my sisters Saturday and was delighted to bring home three stems of their hydrangeas, just coming into flower. Sadly the cut flowers wilted on the trip and I could not revive them, so I had to look for something else.

In their stead this week is a simple bowl of peonies.

In A Vase On Monday – Festiva Centerpiece

After featuring bundles of peonies last Monday my plan was to seek something else to highlight today. Many summer flowers are coming into bloom here at pbmGarden as the garden begins to transition away from spring, but a week of much needed rain has left many of the blooms looking a bit ragged.

Fortunately the lower shelf of my refrigerator was still stocked with salvaged peony buds from last week’s thunderstorms. After several hours at room temperature half-dozen Paeonia ‘Festiva Maxima’ flowers were opened partially and eager to serve as stand-ins for the hydrangeas.

In A Vase On Monday – Festiva Centerpiece

I floated the peonies in several inches of water in a special bowl with matte black finish on the outside. Its shiny red glazed interior coordinates with the delicate red brushstrokes on the flower petals, but as the peonies continued to open that aspect of the design was lost.

In A Vase On Monday – Festiva Centerpiece

White flowers of Penstemon digitalis ‘Husker Red’ and deep red snapdragons tucked among the peonies are used as accents.

In A Vase On Monday – Festiva Centerpiece

Antirrhinum majus (Snapdragon) and Penstemon digitalis ‘Husker Red’

Materials
Flowers
Antirrhinum majus (Snapdragon)
Paeonia ‘Festiva Maxima’
Penstemon digitalis ‘Husker Red’ (Beardtongue)
Foliage
Penstemon digitalis ‘Husker Red’ (Beardtongue)
Vase
Red/Black ceramic bowl

After several more hours the peonies were fuller and lush. Lightly fragrant, they look glamorous atop the piano.

In A Vase On Monday – Festiva Centerpiece

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

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)

Angelonia angustifolia (Summer Snapdragon)

Various Thymes in Meditation Circle

In A Vase On Monday – May Flowers

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In A Vase On Monday – May Flowers

Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share an arrangement every Monday using materials collected from our gardens. The garden is happy this month—more peonies are flowering and my heirloom rose opened this week.

Each peony is so large as to fill a vase just on its own. When gathering them I cut their stems short so as to leave as many buds as possible on the shrubs. This made it difficult to arrange them.

I thought I would use one each of Paeonia ‘Festiva Maxima,’ ‘Pink Parfait’ and ‘Madame Emile Debatene’ but there was not enough room in the Ikebana vase I had chosen. Even replacing one with Iris germanica ‘Immortality’ gave the vase a crowded look.

Iris germanica ‘Immortality,’ Paeonia ‘Festiva Maxima’ and Paeonia ‘Pink Parfait’ (Peony)

I decided to rework the vase using roses if I had time later, so eventually I started over.

The old-fashioned rose is the fullest in several years. My mother’s first cousin shared this rose with me many years ago and I brought it to this garden 17 years ago. My mother and her mother also grew this rose, as did my daughter for a couple of years before she moved to California. She is visiting us this week with her husband so has been able to enjoy the garden as it reaches its peak.

Old-fasioned Rose and Spiderwort

Just as I began cutting the roses we had a downpour, so I only had a couple to use. The roses ended up on the left side near the base.

In A Vase On Monday – May Flowers

‘Madame Emile Debatene’ made a come-back at the upper middle of the design, just a slightly open bud, and this time with a long stem to provide some height. Here is what it looks like when opened more fully.

Paeonia ‘Madame Emile Debatene’

‘Festiva Maxima’ is anchored on the right. I did not have time to gather more flowers, but I could have used two or three more roses to offset the size of the white peony.

Paeonia ‘Festiva Maxima’

Several stems of sunrise-hued snapdragons enhance the color palette and add texture.

In A Vase On Monday – May Flowers

Antirrhinum majus (Snapdragon) and Old-fashioned Rose

I was not completely satisfied. I still wanted to use the third peony, Paeonia ‘Pink Parfait,’ so I found a way and I think it helped balance out the design.

In A Vase On Monday – May Flowers

Materials
Flowers
Antirrhinum majus (Snapdragon)
Iris germanica ‘Immortality’
Old-fashioned Rose
Paeonia ‘Festiva Maxima’
Paeonia ‘Madame Emile Debatene’
Paeonia ‘Pink Parfait’ (Peony)
Foliage
Peony
Vases
Porcelain Ikebana vase, Georgetown Pottery, Maine. Triangle Black Wave (6.5 W x 6.5 L x 2H)
Rounded white glass bowl

In A Vase On Monday – April Charms

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In A Vase On Monday – April Charms

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 – April Charms

Exceptionally cold weather this winter seems to have invigorated the peonies—first to open is Coral Charm. Its magnificent show this spring is the inspiration for today’s design. Planted in the western border May 2015, it has achieved six blooms this year.

Paeonia lactiflora ‘Coral Charm’ (Coral Charm Peony)

I selected the oldest of the blooms to cut. Usually I do not mind cutting anything from the garden for use indoors, but I did think twice about this one.

Paeonia lactiflora ‘Coral Charm’ (Coral Charm Peony)

It was a busy week here with obligations that kept me away from my own garden, but I did manage a few hours of weeding and each day I explored to see what might be blooming. It was the kind of week when new flowers suddenly appeared, each with their unique charms. One such wonder, Baptisia ‘Purple Smoke,’ is just a lovely plant. Its pea-like blossoms seemed ideal to include in today’s vase.

Baptisia ‘Purple Smoke’ and Iris tectorum (Japanese Roof Iris)

Many kinds of iris are in bloom this week also. I chose Iris tectorum (Japanese Roof Iris) for the way it complements the baptisia, though its delicate demeanor enhances all the other flowers in fact. The gentle foliage belongs to the baptisia.

In A Vase On Monday – April Charms

Snapdragons are slowly opening in the meditation circle where they have survived several years. I clipped one of their first blooms to add a bit of sass.

The deep red adds impact to the arrangement overall; the interior of the peony carries a red punch of its own.

In A Vase On Monday – April Charms

A stealthy come-along from a plant exchange a couple of years ago, Oenothera speciosa (Pink evening primrose) is deceptively pretty. After its showed up last spring I was warned last year this is a thug that deserves no mercy. It is in like-minded company–there is a waiting line of plants that need to be eradicated from this particular border where the Oenothera has made its home. What a dream it would be if these hard-hitters could compete with each other so aggressively all could be kept in check. Meanwhile the oenothera has to earn its keep by participating in Monday’s vase.

Oenothera speciosa (Pink evening primrose)

Materials
Flowers
Antirrhinum majus (Snapdragon)
Baptisia ‘Purple Smoke’
Iris tectorum (Japanese Roof Iris)
Oenothera speciosa (Pink evening primrose)
Paeonia lactiflora ‘Coral Charm’ (Coral Charm Peony)
Foliage
Baptisia ‘Purple Smoke’
Vase
Hand painted Fenton Glass Vase – USA

Paeonia lactiflora ‘Coral Charm’

In A Vase On Monday – April Charms

In A Vase On Monday – Felicity

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In A Vase On Monday – Felicity

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

Snapdragons planted in the meditation circle last fall overwintered well and began their colorful spring performance this past week.

Snapdragons in Meditation Circle

The flowers are shockingly beautiful this year—blooms of exuberant red, brandishing throats brushed with sunset.

Snapdragons in Meditation Circle

In A Vase On Monday – Felicity

Unopened buds are deep rose.

Snapdragons in Meditation Circle

Two dozen voluptuous stems dropped into a container required little work to arrange.

In A Vase On Monday – Felicity

The true effort came in trying to photograph the red essence of these flowers. Nearly impossible. I ported these flowers upstairs and down, on to front and back porches and I took pictures with them resting on almost every horizontal surface available.

The container is from my collection of five red and black raku pots by North Carolina potter, Charles Chrisco. Chrisco’s literature states that the name of the Japanese art form raku translates to “felicity” or great happiness.

In A Vase On Monday – Felicity

Materials

Flowers
Antirrhinum majus (Snapdragon)
Vase
Red/black raku vase, Charles Chrisco, Chrisco’s Pottery

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 Tower

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In A Vase On Monday – Red Tower

Each Monday brings the chance to join Cathy’s In A Vase On Monday to share an arrangement using materials gathered from the garden.

It has been a busy Monday but wanted to prepare a quick vase. Actually I made one last night but could not get decent photographs in the rainy evening light and in the end I was not satisfied with the design.

Floral choices are limited this week so I have to default to another week of red camellias.

Camellia sasanqua ‘Yuletide’ is contentedly blooming in the early days of December. Some recent evenings have been down into the 30s F. but not below freezing, so the flowers have remained fresh.

Camellia sasanqua ‘Yuletide’

I cut larger branches today and quickly assembled a tall pyramid. The container is a new ceramic ikebana piece from my sister-in-law, who has been visiting for a few days. The vase has 3 integrated ceramic tubes, built-in stem holders which are quite a convenience. Water is added to the base and it flows into each stem for easy watering.

In A Vase On Monday – Red Tower

Here is a peek at my earlier attempt. I conditioned the materials in a glass and never had time to move them into an actual vase. The surprise in this one is hard to see but toward the back is a single Rudbeckia laciniata (Green-Headed Coneflower), complemented with a couple of stems of Salvia guaranitica ‘Black and Blue’. Husker Red Penstemon picks up the red Antirrhinum majus (Snapdragon). Iris leaves are the final touch, folded over and tucked to create movement.

Antirrhinum majus (Snapdragon), Penstemon ‘Husker Red’,Rudbeckia laciniata (Green-Headed Coneflower), Iris leaves, Black and Blue salvia

Thanks to Cathy for hosting this weekly chance to express our flower arranging passion. Visit her at Rambling In The Garden to discover what she and others from around the globe are placing In A Vase On Monday.

Recent Blooms As Summer Wanes

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Reblooming Iris August 27, 2016

It feels a bit strange, but welcome all the same, to see a bearded iris reblooming. This one is a pass-along and I do not know its name. This image is from August 27. The flowers lasted but a short time under the strong summer sun.

Reblooming Iris August 27, 2016

There’s been essentially no rain for 6 weeks so the garden looks sad. A few blooms here and there lift my spirits, but can do only so much. I do have a few photographs of flowers taken over the last couple of weeks to record and document the waning days of Summer 2016. Today seems to be bloom day so the timing works well. Some of the pictures from September 2 have water droplets that disprove my memory, but the rain was brief, not the quenching, restorative kind.

Zinnia – September 2, 2016

Tradescantia (Spiderwort) – September 2, 2016

Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ (Herbstfreude) – September 2, 2016

Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ (Herbstfreude) (Stonecrop) September 15, 2016

Salvia greggii ‘Furman’s Red’ (Autumn Sage) – September 2, 2016

Rudbeckia laciniata (Green-Headed Coneflower) – September 2, 2016

Rudbeckia fulgida (Orange Coneflower) – September 2, 2016

Rudbeckia fulgida ‘Goldsturm’ (Black-eyed Susan) – September 2, 2016

Physostegia virginiana (Obedient Plant) – September 2, 2016

Marigold

Perovskia atriplicifolia (Russian Sage)

Periwinkle (Vinca) – September 2, 2016

Gardenia jasminoides – September 2, 2016

Garden Phlox Phlox paniculata ‘Nicky’ – September 2, 2016

Euphorbia ‘Shorty’ (Shorty Spurge) – September 2, 2016

Cleome hassleriana (Spider Flower) – September 2, 2016

Buddleja davidii ‘Adokeep’ (Adonis blue Butterfly Bush) – September 2, 2016

Artemisia ‘Powis Castle’ (Wormwood) – September 2, 2016

With apologies to anyone who is sensitive to spiders, this intrepid garden sentry has been a constant presence for several weeks. Just after I discovered it (and almost backed into it), the Yellow Garden spider relocated to its current location from the other side of the tree. It is also sometimes know as Writing Spider.

Argiope aurantia (Yellow Garden Spider) -August 27, 2016

Argiope aurantia (Yellow Garden Spider) – September 2, 2016

With the pressing heat the garden has not been tended for weeks. I made a quick stop this afternoon in search of Antirrhinum majus (Snapdragon) to replace Angelonia, the stalwart of the meditation circle from June until frost.

I should have shopped at a better garden center but it is unlikely I will have time to get to one. At this store the available snapdragons were generically labelled and although I had hoped for white ones, the choices were either “unknown” (because no flowers had opened) or yellow or this multicolored one that I chose. It sports mixed flowers of red, pink, coral and yellow and should add some pep to the labyrinth.

Antirrhinum majus (Snapdragon) – September 15, 2016