Tag Archives: chrysanthemum

In A Vase On Monday – Red and Read

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share a vase of materials gathered from our gardens.

It has been a bit unusual to have a January with three weekends of snow. This time the snow disappeared quickly and the yoga class I teach went forward as scheduled yesterday. Today sun is shining with 37°F. temperatures that are forecast toward 50°F. Days are lengthening.

Several pots of indoor cyclamen are beginning to bloom this week. I shifted one’s contents into a vase for a quick Monday contribution. Posed with holiday amaryllis and a stack of favorite gardening titles, I aim to keep winter weariness at bay.

In A Vase On Monday – Red and Read

Materials
Flowers and Foliage
Amaryllis (Hippeastrum)
Cyclamen
Container
Ceramic Urn Stamped “Vintage 4”

In A Vase On Monday – Red and Read

Thanks to our host Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for providing this opportunity to share our vases. Visit her to discover what garden surprises she and others are offering this week.

In A Vase On Monday – Assemblage And Light

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In A Vase On Monday – Assemblage And Light

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share a vase of materials gathered from our gardens.

Last weekend’s sleet and freezing rain cleared quickly, but next we had deep cold and (a beautiful) snow this past weekend. In the throes of winter I find myself grateful for the plant therapy multiple gifts of Amaryllis have provided.

In A Vase On Monday – Assemblage And Light

They look beautiful blooming on the plant, they last well in a vase. These particular Amaryllis, wildly prolific, were a gift from our sweet niece and husband, Julie and Gordon.

In A Vase On Monday – Assemblage And Light

Usually I prepare my Monday vase a day early, but yesterday found me uncertain as to how to use the Amaryllis. This morning an idea came, though it soon evolved, as usual, toward a different concept. I followed along.

In A Vase On Monday – Assemblage And Light

As I was fussing over some detail, sunlight burst into the foyer through a large upper story window. Light, announcing itself a ready participant, became the final element in the design. I grabbed the camera.

In A Vase On Monday – Assemblage And Light

Materials
Flowers
Amaryllis (Hippeastrum)
Chrysanthemum (remnants of purchased bouquet)
Foliage
Gardenia
Lichen-covered branch
Container
Glassware

In A Vase On Monday – Assemblage And Light

Thanks to our host Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for providing this opportunity to share our vases. Visit her to discover what garden surprises she and others are offering this week.

In A Vase On Monday – Flowery Impulse

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In A Vase On Monday – Flowery Impulse

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share a vase of materials gathered from our gardens. I confess this week only the box and gardenia foliage comes from my garden.

I have a new Amaryllis ‘Tres Chic’ stem exploding with blooms to share this week. Since this photograph was taken more buds have opened–now five of seven buds are fully open on this gorgeous Hippeastrum.

Second stem of Amaryllis ‘Tres Chic’ had 7 buds

A hurried shopping expedition ahead of the weekend’s winter storm altered my plans to feature only the amaryllis. At the grocery store I gave in to an impulse purchase of fresh cut flowers.

First I was smitten with the red Sweet William and green and white hydrangeas and I pictured they would look nice combined with the amaryllis. I chose a companion bundle of pink dianthus for filler to keep the arrangement from being just Christmas colors; nevertheless, green, red and white were the colors of the amaryllis so I stayed with them instead of giving in to some lovely and tempting orange roses. Green chrysanthemums looked very fresh and the offering of Gerbera daisies in rich red was irresistible.

A mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain fell upon the garden all day Sunday. In the afternoon I entertained myself by preparing the flowers for today—bright splashes of color to counter the gray winter skies.

In A Vase On Monday – Flowery Impulse

Materials
Flowers
Chrysanthemum
Dianthus
Gerbera daisies (Gerbera jamesonii)
Hydrangea
Foliage
Boxwood
Gardenia
Container
Black metal suiban. 4 x 9.5 x 6.5 inches. Japan.
Floral foam

The container is the cast iron one introduced last week. It is a perfect shape and size.

In A Vase On Monday – Flowery Impulse

Thanks to our host Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for providing this opportunity to share our vases. Visit her to discover what garden surprises she and others are offering this week.

Patience

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Season upon season gardeners are given opportunities to practice patience and, like plants themselves, to seek light even from amongst shadows.

Button Chrysanthemum (pass-along)

Dianthus Ideal Select Mix

Iris germanica ‘Orinoco Flow’ (Tall bearded iris)

In A Vase On Monday – Cup Of Color

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Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share a vase highlighting what is growing in our gardens.

The rich colors this week seem autumnal. Several chrysanthemums began blooming this weekend beside the garage where their plastic pots had been unceremoniously abandoned last fall and given not another thought over winter. Last week I noticed they were green and healthy and in bud. For today’s vase I picked the deep wine mums to feature.

Verbena bonariensis has been lovely this spring, but some of it quickly began dropping flowers in the vase.

I included several stems of asclepias, also just coming into bloom. The rich orange nearly overshadows the chrysanthemum as the main focus.

Materials
Flowers
Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly weed)
Chrysanthemum
Verbena bonariensis (Tall Verbena)
Foliage
Vase
Ceramic mug

Thanks to Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for hosting and giving us an opportunity to share flower-filled vases across the world. Visit her to discover what she and others found to place in a vase this week. Good health and peace to you.

In A Vase On Monday – Camellialabra

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In A Vase On Monday – Camellialabra

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden encourages us to share a vase highlighting what is growing in our gardens.

In A Vase On Monday – Camellialabra

Grateful to find a few camellias Sunday afternoon I searched through vases for inspiration and found it in the form of a tall glass candlestick. Using a special floral foam adapter that inserts into the candleholder I began arranging a few bits of foliage: shiny, deep green camellia leaves and fresh light green hellebore leaves. Scavenging from last week’s Monday vase I rescued and reused stems of gaura.

Next I positioned the recently gathered flowers. Most were red Yuletide camellias. There were a couple of pink and cream Hana-Jiman. Twice as many camellias would have been nice but when all were used I was satisfied. The morning, after all, had been below freezing.

Then I glanced over at the Thanksgiving arrangement sitting nearby, made from purchased bouquets.

After nearly two weeks those flowers were still amazingly fresh. From among them I chose a white with pink-accented Alstroemeria to fill out today’s design.

In A Vase On Monday – Camellialabra

Materials
Flowers
Alstroemeria
Camellia sasanqua ‘Hana-Jiman’
Camellia sasanqua ‘Yuletide’
Chrysanthemum
Gaura lindheimeri ‘Passionate Blush’ (Butterfly Gaura)
Foliage
Helleborus
Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Ruby Slippers’ (Lil’ Ruby dwarf Oakleaf Hydrangea)
Lavender
Container
Glass candlestick with floral foam base adapter (4.5 inches diameter)

In A Vase On Monday – Camellialabra

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 – December’s ‘Passionate Blush’

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In A Vase On Monday – December’s ‘Passionate Blush’

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden encourages us to share a vase highlighting what is growing in our gardens.

December has arrived with the garden in a soggy state. Camellias are beleagured from successive bouts of cold and rain. Snapdragons and violas that were planted to add color to bleak November (and December) refuse to bloom. For Thanksgiving I had purchased a couple of mixed bouquets and created a table arrangement which I considered calling into duty for today’s vase, but I decided to explore the garden first.

So for inspiration this week I returned to ‘Ruby Slippers,’ the oakleaf hydrangea featured several weeks ago. Its deep red leaves are cheerful and welcome this time of year. Everything else seemed woefully unusable until several plants of Gaura lindheimeri ‘Passionate Blush’ offered up possibilities—flexible and energetic stems of burgundy with a few flowers and a few leaves. I do not remember noticing gaura at this time of year before, but this day the stems danced in my hand, begging to star this Monday.

Using an Ikebana vase I inserted the hydrangea foliage low in front, then added several multi-branched stems of gaura. The gaura flowed gracefully. It was limber enough I could wrap and twist pieces into shapes of circles and ovals. I liked the rhythmical effect and felt it was done, but could not resist adding a lime green chrysanthemum plucked from the Thanksgiving bouquet.

In A Vase On Monday – December’s ‘Passionate Blush’

Chrysanthemum, , Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Ruby Slippers’ and Gaura lindheimeri ‘Passionate Blush’

In a second Ikebana vase I clustered a bunch of gaura stems to the right side in back, placed the remaining red hydrangea leaves low to left and center, pleased with the breezy looseness. This time I wondered how some red alstroemeria from the Thanksgiving vase might look against the red stems and leaves. Fine, yes that will do.

In A Vase On Monday – December’s ‘Passionate Blush’

Alstroemeria, Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Ruby Slippers’ and Gaura lindheimeri ‘Passionate Blush’

Materials
Flowers
Alstroemeria
Chrysanthemum
Gaura lindheimeri ‘Passionate Blush’ (Butterfly Gaura)
Foliage
Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Ruby Slippers’ (Lil’ Ruby dwarf Oakleaf Hydrangea)
Container
Porcelain Ikebana vases, Georgetown Pottery, Maine. Rectangle Blue Wave. Triangle Blue Wave (6.5 W x 6.5 L x 2H)

Alstroemeria, Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Ruby Slippers’ and Gaura lindheimeri ‘Passionate Blush’

In A Vase On Monday – Late November Selections

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Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden encourages us to share a vase highlighting what is growing in our gardens.

The garden’s seasonal transition away from floral abundance left me unenthusiastically inspecting stems and sticks yesterday. Finding a bright leaf here and there lit my spirit, small clusters of berries brought a smile.

Spiraea prunifolia (bridal wreath spiraea)

Cornus florida (Flowering Dogwood)

Callicarpa americana (American beautyberry)

When from among my large planting of passalong chrysanthemums left raggedy from cold and rain, I was able to glean several fresh blooms, I felt encouragement enough to assemble a vase and then another.

In A Vase On Monday – Late November Selections

Verbena bonariensis (Tall Verbena)

Spiraea prunifolia (bridal wreath spiraea)

Materials
Flowers
Button Chrysanthemum
Verbena bonariensis (Tall Verbena)
Foliage
Aquilegia canadensis (Eastern red columbine)
Callicarpa americana (American beautyberry)
Cornus florida (Flowering Dogwood)
Itea virginica ‘Sprich’ LITTLE HENRY (Virginia sweetspire)
Spiraea prunifolia (bridal wreath spiraea)
Container
Porcelain Ikebana vases, Georgetown Pottery, Maine. Triangle Black Wave, Triangle Blue Wave (6.5 W x 6.5 L x 2H)

In A Vase On Monday – Late November Selections

In A Vase On Monday – Aloe And Iris

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In A Vase On Monday – Aloe And Iris

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

Aloe from last week’s vase made an easily accessible starting point for today. The focal point is a reblooming yellow iris from a foundation bed in front of the house. The timing of this iris is interesting—one in the back garden had already bloomed a full month earlier.

Reblooming Iris – a passalong

This one opened Friday, the day after Hurricane Michael passed through town. We were extremely fortunate, not even losing power, though many neighborhoods nearby were without for days due to fallen trees crashing on power lines. On a day following a hurricane the sky is always clear blue, incredulously intense, pristinely innocent.

Leaves from Gold Dust Aucuba and cuttings from some ubiquitous-in-autumn, yellow potted chrysanthemums serve as filler.

Reblooming Iris and Aucuba japonica ‘Variegata’ (Gold Dust Aucuba)

Materials
Flowers
Chrysanthemum
Iris
Foliage
Aloe
Aucuba japonica ‘Variegata’ (Gold Dust Aucuba)
Vase
Ceramic bowl, black matte exterior, red glazed interior
Weighted florist’s pin, black

In A Vase On Monday – Aloe And Iris

This black and white study of the chrysanthemum buds illustrates how yellow serves as white in balancing light and darks in a floral design.

In A Vase On Monday – Aloe And Iris

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

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 – Eucalyptus and Yellow

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In A Vase On Monday – Eucalyptus and Yellow

I planned ahead this week in order to join Cathy with In A Vase On Monday. Though this is an opportunity to share an arrangement using materials collected from the garden, for today I assembled a design on Friday using remnants of packaged bouquets I was given.

There were two bouquets actually and I arranged deep red Gerbera daisies from one along with branches of gardenia foliage from the garden for a full and richly colored vase. Additional yellow and orange gerberas from the second bouquet added light and movement, but you have to take my word for it. Before I could photograph them the next day the daises had wilted and drooped leaving behind a couple of bright yellow spray mums to carry on alone.

In A Vase On Monday – Eucalyptus and Yellow

It was disappointing to lose the gerberas but feeling over-saturated anyway from all the red of holiday decorations and from my own heavy reliance recently on red Camellia sasanqua ‘Yuletide’ in Monday vases, the forced shift in color is welcome.

There were more Yuletide blossoms available, but I find today’s yellow palette crisp and refreshing for a winter’s day.

In A Vase On Monday – Eucalyptus and Yellow

Selections of Eucalyptus leaves and bear grass trimmings taken from the florist packages emphasize shape and line. A lemon reinforces the color.

In A Vase On Monday – Eucalyptus and Yellow

Materials

Flowers
Chrysanthemum (Spray Mums, Button-yellow)
Eucalyptus
Xerophyllum tenax (Bear-grass)
Porcelain Ikebana vase. Rectangle Blue Zen (6.75L x 3.75W x 2H inches)

In A Vase On Monday – Eucalyptus and Yellow

In A Vase On Monday—Red Song

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In A Vase On Monday – Red Song

I begin the week by joining Cathy with In A Vase On Monday, an opportunity to share an arrangement using materials collected from the garden.

Camellias were tucked into corners and crevices and centerpieces for accents on Thursday as we celebrated Thanksgiving at our house with my two younger sisters. I cut more camellias yesterday to star in this week’s arrangement.

Pink Camellia sasanqua ‘Hana-Jiman’ continues to bloom, releasing pleasant drifts of fragrance. The scent of Camellia sasanqua ‘Yuletide’ is less distinct but the shrub’s prolific red bloom is exceptional this November.

In A Vase On Monday – Red Song

Materials

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

In A Vase On Monday – Red Song

Unfortunately after photographing the camellias I broke one of these little liqueur glasses used as vases, which makes me very sad. The glasses are part of a set of six (now five), a long-ago wedding gift from a special friend.

In A Vase On Monday – Red Song

For Thanksgiving I made a rare cut flower purchase of two dozen roses—one bunch was coral orange and the other a sunset yellow. I am not a huge fan of florist roses but these colors drew me in and seemed so appropriate for the holiday.

Roses-Thanksgiving 2016

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 are placing In A Vase On Monday.

In A Vase On Monday—Buttons Up

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As the week begins I join Cathy with In A Vase On Monday, an opportunity to share an arrangement using materials collected from the garden.

In A Vase On Monday – Buttons Up

As Thanksgiving approaches button chrysanthemums are a bright spot in the garden.

In A Vase On Monday – Buttons Up

These were passed along over 30 years ago by my garden mentor Virgie, my mother’s first cousin. The little passalongs are appropriate today as I have been sorting through some old family photographs shared by my own first cousin. We are collaborating on our maternal family history. She’s been researching and creating family group records. I am organizing the pictures, writing narratives and posting it all on a family website. So I have spent many hours the past few weeks reminiscing. I discovered pictures of Virgie and of my mother as babies and am piecing together stories of them and other relatives, and meeting some I knew not at all. As i peer into some of the faded images I smile to see hydrangeas, elephant ears, ferns, roses, and vines growing around the porches.

I found one orange gardenia hip yesterday to include in this week’s vase. The chrysanthemums are displayed in a blue mug I purchased at the Eno River Festival one year. The Aucuba leaves are left over from a previous IAVOM, one from September. When I finally decided to take apart the greenery from that arrangement, I found several of the stems had rooted.

In A Vase On Monday – Buttons Up

Materials
Aucuba japonica ‘Variegata’ (Gold Dust Aucuba)
Button Chrysanthemum
Gardenia hip
Blue-glazed stoneware mug

I had collected snapdragon, camellias, echinacea and clematis to use also but the chrysanthemums wanted all the attention. Having cut the clematis though I decided to share a peek anyway.

In A Vase On Monday – Buttons Up

Thanks to Cathy for hosting and giving us a chance to express our flower arranging passion. Visit her at Rambling In The Garden to discover what she and others are placing In A Vase On Monday.

A Festival of Fabulous Mums

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