Tag Archives: flower arranging

In A Vase On Monday – Respite

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

I’ve been away from the garden dealing with family health care issues so when I had a chance to wander through one day recently I collected flowers for a vase, of course.

The gatherings of dahlias and zinnias spilled over into several vases—a few minutes of floral meditation and respite. Taking time. Sometimes it’s the hardest thing to do.

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

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

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 – Yellow Iris

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In A Vase On Monday – Yellow Iris

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

A reblooming yellow iris appeared suddenly that I was eager to share. While awaiting Hurricane Florence earlier in the week, I prepared a vase for today by foraging foliage from several previous weeks’ vases and pulling in a freshly cut dahlia and a handful of zinnias.

In A Vase On Monday – Yellow Iris

There was not time to fuss with this one. We are safe from the storm and feeling very grateful. Hope you dear readers in the affected areas fared well also.

Materials
Flowers
Dahlia ‘Fireworks’
Iris
Zinnia ‘Cut and Come Again’ (Zinnia elegant pumila), Botanical Interests.
Foliage
Artemisia ‘Powis Castle’ (Wormwood)
Canna
Gardenia
Vase
Porcelain Ikebana vase, Georgetown Pottery, Maine. Triangle Ikebana Blue Wave (6.5 W x 6.5 L x 2H inches)

In A Vase On Monday – Yellow Iris

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)

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

In A Vase On Monday – Tangerine Glow

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In A Vase On Monday – Tangerine Glow

Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share an arrangement every Monday using materials collected from our gardens. This week the main focus is broad leafed foliage and stem of canna whose orange flower is teasingly slow to unfurl.

This canna’s name is a mystery, but I admire its strongly patterned, richly colored leaves.

In A Vase On Monday – Tangerine Glow

Orange Canna

A few gardenias are blooming this week, a welcome surprise, especially since the brutally cold winter had caused serious damage to the bushes.

Dahlia, Zinnia and Gardenia jasminoides ‘August Beauty’

Zinnias continue to be a bright spot in the garden, although some of the plants are dying back now and the flowers are smaller.

In A Vase On Monday – Tangerine Glow

Verbena bonariensis adds dashes of color all around the borders.

Verbena bonariensis

Materials
Flowers
Canna
Dahlia ‘Fireworks’
Gardenia jasminoides ‘August Beauty’
Verbena bonariensis (Tall Verbena)
Zinnia ‘Cut and Come Again’ (Zinnia elegant pumila), Botanical Interests.
Foliage
Canna. Gardenia
Vase
Porcelain Ikebana vase, Georgetown Pottery, Maine. Triangle Ikebana Blue Wave (6.5 W x 6.5 L x 2H inches)

In A Vase On Monday – Tangerine Glow

In A Vase On Monday – Quartet

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In A Vase On Monday – Late Summer Quartet

Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share an arrangement every Monday using materials collected from our gardens. We have been a few days now without rain and more significantly, three days of cooler temperatures and lower humidity, blue skies and warm sun have brought luscious comfort to these last days of August.

Zinnias took over my design plans again this week. I had planned to feature some tiny stems of unsung workers in the garden—marigolds, lantana, celosia—but when walking around the garden I could not resist including gold, yellow and orange zinnias as well. These paired well with silvery Artemisia and richly colored Blackbird Euphorbia.

In A Vase On Monday – Late Summer Quartet

By using four straight-sided vodka glasses set inside another glass dish, I was able to mix and match heights. This enabled me to still use some of the tiny-stemmed flowers as well. I like the multi-colored blooms of common lantana. Butterflies are drawn to it also. In the bottom right corner perhaps you can make out the deep red of Marigold ’Spry Boy.’

In A Vase On Monday – Late Summer Quartet

The white-tipped undersides of this orange zinnia is strikingly different from others in this collection. Below it rests an apricot Dahlia ‘Fireworks.’

In A Vase On Monday – Late Summer Quartet

Although I like the vases collected into one arrangement, I was curious how they might look scattered more free-range.

I found this more interesting and versatile.

In A Vase On Monday – Late Summer Quartet

The interplay of forms is more obvious when the flowers are given space. The dahlias especially seem happier in this looser format.

In A Vase On Monday – Late Summer Quartet

Materials
Flowers
Celosia plumosa ‘Castle Mix’ (Feather Celosia)
Dahlia ‘Fireworks’
Lantana camara (Common lantana)
Marigold ’Spry Boy’
Tanacetum vulgare (Tansy)
Zinnia ‘Cut and Come Again’ (Zinnia elegant pumila), Botanical Interests.
Foliage
Artemisia ‘Powis Castle’ (Wormwood)
Euphorbia ‘Blackbird’ (Spurge)
Vase
Vodka glasses and Glass dish

In A Vase On Monday – Late Summer Quartet

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.

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)

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 – Old-Fashioned Blooms

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In A Vase On Monday – Old-Fashioned Blooms

Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share an arrangement every Monday using materials collected from our gardens. Thunder and lightning was exciting briefly late Saturday night, but the activity brought very little rain.

Zinnias began flowering ten days ago, cheering up the garden with colorful old-fashioned loveliness.

In A Vase On Monday – Old-Fashioned Blooms

By early June when daffodil foliage had finally died back so I could reclaim some space, I was losing interest in gardening because it was so extremely hot. But I found an old packet of Zinnia ‘Cut and Come Again’ (Zinnia elegant pumila), packaged for 2017 by Botanical Interests, and sprinkled out the seeds. Simple, colorful, heat-loving and reliable—what could be easier?

In A Vase On Monday – Old-Fashioned Blooms

In-between the time of planting seeds and harvesting the flowers, I celebrated a birthday with lots of family. The container today is one of a pair of mugs I received during a big family get-together that unexpectedly turned into a bit of a birthday fest for me. The cups were crafted by my niece’s mother-in-law, featuring beautiful form and blue glaze. The blue batik table runner was made by my sister using special Japanese fabric.

Mugs and Table Runner

Light in the dining room was fading so for staging pictures I draped the table runner over a chair in the foyer. I decided to include another gift. This spring I began teaching yoga and meditation regularly so this Tibetan meditation chime from another sister was particularly thoughtful.

In A Vase On Monday – Old-Fashioned Blooms

Well back to this Monday’s design, a single stem of fern-like foliage of Tanacetum vulgare (Tansy) inserted into the mug created support structure that worked well to hold the zinnias in place. As well, there is a cluster of Tansy flowers just beginning to open.

In A Vase On Monday – Old-Fashioned Blooms

The flowers look sparser from the back but I love the color of this largest zinnia.

In A Vase On Monday – Old-Fashioned Blooms

Materials
Flowers
Zinnia ‘Cut and Come Again’ (Zinnia elegant pumila), Botanical Interests. Heirloom. (packed for 2017)
Foliage
Tanacetum vulgare (Tansy)
Vase
Stoneware mug. Mary Murray, Mountain Forest Pottery, Brevard, NC.

In A Vase On Monday – Old-Fashioned Blooms

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 – Pink Florals

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In A Vase On Monday – Pink Florals

Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share an arrangement every Monday using materials collected from our gardens. After weeks of hot, dry weather there finally were rain sprinkles on the Fourth of July just as everyone was getting excited about fireworks. The rain quickly moved on that evening, hurrying north toward town. Since then there have been several other showers, none bringing much precipitation.

Indifferent to the preceding, long dry spell, Cleome hassleriana has opened in the meditation circle and throughout portions of the borders. I gathered a dozen or more stems to feature in today’s vase.

Cleome hassleriana (Spider Flower) With Liatris

Some of the flowers come out white.

Cleome hassleriana (Spider Flower)

Companions include fresh cuttings of Lathyrus latifolius (Perennial Sweet Pea) along with several clusters of Hydrangea macrophylla left over from last week.

Sweet Pea, Hydrangea and Artemisia

Lathyrus latifolius (Perennial Sweet Pea)

Soft silvery gray foliage of Artemisia ‘Powis Castle’ (Wormwood) mixes into the soft gray-green band of glaze of the stoneware pitcher.

Hydrangea and Artemisia

Materials
Flowers
Cleome hassleriana (Spider Flower)
Hydrangea macrophylla
Lathyrus latifolius (Perennial Sweet Pea)
Liatris spicata (Gayfeather)
Foliage
Artemisia ‘Powis Castle’ (Wormwood)
Vase
Stoneware pitcher glazed with bands of cream, green, blue. (pitcher and 4 cups, Pringle Pottery, North Carolina, circa 1977).

In A Vase On Monday – Pink Florals

In A Vase On Monday – Vintage

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In A Vase On Monday – Vintage

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share an arrangement using materials collected from our gardens. Today’s vase is filled with a selection of old-fashioned flowers, all rescued from the heat on Saturday.

The starting point was a fading border of shasta daisies. The shastas were nice for a few weeks but now most are wilting in the hot sun. I have lost interest in keeping them deadheaded and watered, so picking the freshest blooms to enjoy indoors seemed a good idea.

To accompany the daisies I cut some stems of Rudbeckia laciniata (Green-Headed Coneflower), whose yellow petals are just beginning to unfold this week.

Rudbeckia laciniata (Green-Headed Coneflower)

I wish I had taken a picture at that stage. The Green-Headed Coneflower paired with the daisies made a winsome combination and I had planned to stop there. The arrangement ended up distinctly different though when I tested to see what would happen if I added some of the other flowers I had gathered, starting with Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Ruby Slippers.’

The panicles of this oakleaf hydrangea sported quite a bit of red color this summer, but without enough rain they recently began to turn brown.

Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Ruby Slippers’

Other flowers added were small clusters of Hydrangea macrophylla, Liatris spicata (purchased as ‘Alba’ yet not white after all), and some under-performing calla lilies.

Shasta Daisy and Coneflower With Addition of Liatris, Calla Lily, and Hydrangea

In A Vase On Monday – Vintage

The container for today’s arrangement is a cream-colored, crazed ceramic urn on which “Vintage 4” has been stamped. Why “4” is unclear but I like the vase’s shape.

In A Vase On Monday – Vintage

Materials
Flowers
Calla Lily
Hydrangea macrophylla
Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Ruby Slippers’ (Lil’ Ruby dwarf Oakleaf Hydrangea)
Leucanthemum x superbum (Shasta Daisy)
Liatris spicata (Gayfeather)
Rudbeckia laciniata (Green-Headed Coneflower)
Verbena bonariensis (Tall Verbena)
Foliage
None
Vase
Ceramic Urn Stamped “Vintage 4”

In A Vase On Monday – Vintage

In A Vase On Monday – Succession Of Three With Gladiolus

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

Along with a small sampling of recent summer blooms, two stems of white gladioli engaged my attention for several hours as I assembled and refashioned. When at last I declared myself done I had created three vases to share with you.

Vase One

Most of my time was spent on this first vase. My mind was set on having the draping Angelonia angustifolia ‘Angelface Blue’ and spidery Cleome as a base for the gladioli. The small peony on the left is from last week’s vase.

In A Vase On Monday – Vase One With Gladiolus

Gladioli have been surprisingly robust this year in the garden, returning from bulbs planted in previous years. Of the duo used in today’s vase, one is very pure and white; the creamier other has purple anthers and a trace of color at the throat of each blossom.

In A Vase On Monday – Vase One With Gladiolus

When I bought angelonia in early spring to line the paths of the meditation circle, I chose purple and white. One bicolor made its way into the flat.

Angelonia angustifolia ‘PAC – Angelos Bicolor’

Vase Two

The idea for the second vase was simply to give home to flowers that did not make it into the first—another gladiolus and several stems of garden phlox that began flowering this week. It was assembled in just a couple of minutes with a curving line of echinacea used to enliven the design.

In A Vase On Monday – Vase Two With Gladiolus

The echinacea is not one of the special hybrids but several of its flowers emerged with deep pink petals.

In A Vase On Monday – Vase Two With Gladiolus

This gladiolus is another with purple accents.

Gladiolus

The magenta of the phlox is a jarring color but its presence is strong.

Phlox paniculata ‘Robert Poore’ (Garden phlox)

Echinacea purpurea (Purple Coneflower)

Vase Three

The third vase is a redesign of the first, with the bicolor angelonia and cleome shifted right, the darker purple ‘Angelface Blue’ brought together on the left and a soft, barely pink (almost white) hydrangea filling the space beneath the gladioli. I find this iteration the more successful of the two.

In A Vase On Monday – Vase Three With Gladiolus

Grouping similar colors makes their impact cleaner and more direct.

In A Vase On Monday – Vase Three With Gladiolus

Here are the two starring gladioli for comparison.

Gladiolus

One with the purple anthers…

Gladiolus with purple accents

…and the pure white one.

Gladiolus — pristinely white

In A Vase On Monday – Vase Three With Gladiolus

Materials

One
Angelonia angustifolia ‘Angelface Blue’ (Summer Snapdragon)
Angelonia angustifolia ‘PAC – Angelos Bicolor’
Cleome hassleriana (Spider Flower)
Echinacea purpurea (Purple Coneflower)
Gladiolus
Paeonia ‘Festiva Maxima’
Foliage: Gladiolus leaves
Container: Ceramic ikebana vase with 3 integrated ceramic tubes, built-in stem holders. 6 x 6 inches.

In A Vase On Monday – Vase One With Gladiolus

Two
Echinacea purpurea (Purple Coneflower)
Gladiolus
Phlox paniculata ‘Robert Poore’ (Garden phlox)
Foliage: Gladiolus leaves
Container: Porcelain Ikebana vase, Georgetown Pottery, Maine. Triangle Ikebana Blue Wave (6.5 W x 6.5 L x 2H inches)

In A Vase On Monday – Vase Two With Gladiolus

Three
Same as One, plus Hydrangea macrophylla

In A Vase On Monday – Vase Three With Gladiolus

In A Vase On Monday – Echinacea And Grass

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In A Vase On Monday – Echinacea and Grass

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

In spring I needed some instant color at the front steps and so bought a pre-planted container with a purple grass, petunias, verbena and something else (I cannot find tags for any of the items). The grass quickly took over the entire pot and is all that remains. So many gardeners enjoy grasses I feel there really is something missing in my own gardening DNA that I do not find them very exciting. So I decided to trim and use the grass for today’s vase before the container contents are composted. The grass is paired with two echinaceas, Echinacea purpurea ‘White Swan’ and Echinacea ‘Big Sky Sundown.’ White Swan is having a banner year. Big Sky Sundown blooms less eagerly and needs to be relocated where it will receive more sunlight.

Echinacea purpurea ‘White Swan’ with grass and Echinacea ‘Big Sky Sundown’

Echinacea ‘Big Sky Sundown’

For a change in texture I included a stem of Celosia plumosa ‘Castle Mix,’ thinking its color would echo Big Sky Sundown. The celosia is more orange and the stem was too short, yet I kept it just for its fuzziness.

Celosia plumosa ‘Castle Mix’ and Echinacea purpurea ‘White Swan’

As pictured the arrangement feels too sparse and is too tall for the size of the vase. I did not have time for a redo. It would have been nice to cut additional White Swan Echinacea to fill in, but some hours later after having photographed the flowers, I did actually trim and reduce the height of the tallest elements and that improved the proportions somewhat.

The vase was a gift from my sister-in-law last year.

Ceramic ikebana vase with 3 integrated ceramic tubes

Materials

Flowers
Celosia plumosa ‘Castle Mix’ (Feather Celosia)
Echinacea ‘Big Sky Sundown’ (Hybrid Coneflower)
Echinacea purpurea ‘White Swan’ (Coneflower)
Verbena bonariensis (Tall Verbena)
Foliage
Unknown Grass
Container
Ceramic ikebana vase with 3 integrated ceramic tubes, built-in stem holders. 6 x 6 inches.

Just a note: Some of you may recall earlier in spring, around mid-May, I ended up rescuing a number of peonies after a storm and stored them in the refrigerator. Finally I needed to free up that space so the last of the peonies were released this weekend. Three had several brown spots on the petals, which were easily removed; generally the condition was good and the fragrance still strong.

Refrigerated Peonies Released

In A Vase On Monday – June Song

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In A Vase On Monday – June Song

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

June days are swirling past, each day in the garden brings new blooms or promise thereof. Gladiola swords stand tall, ready to step into the limelight in the coming weeks; meanwhile Calla lily, monarda, dahlia, echinacea and shasta daisy all are flowering.

Taking advantage of the variety I gathered such a mix of materials it made creating a vase daunting. To simplify seemed the best solution.

So for today a blue Ikebana vase holds Salvia guaranitica ‘Black and Blue’ fronted by pink hydrangea, softened by drapes of passalong Lathyrus latifolius (Perennial Sweet Pea).

In A Vase On Monday – June Song

Salvia guaranitica ‘Black and Blue’ is a reliable bloomer when there has been adequate rain. It has spread nicely in the southeast border.

Salvia guaranitica ‘Black and Blue’

The sweetpea is a sentimental addition—a passalong from my mother’s cousin and garden mentor. It has been in this garden for 17 years and grew at my former home for many before that. It also has appreciated the wet spring.

Lathyrus latifolius (Perennial Sweet Pea)

Materials
Flowers
Hydrangea macrophylla
Lathyrus latifolius (Perennial Sweet Pea)
Salvia guaranitica ‘Black and Blue’
Foliage
None
Vase
Porcelain Ikebana vase, Georgetown Pottery, Maine. Triangle Ikebana Blue Wave (6.5 W x 6.5 L x 2H inches)

I have filled lots of little vases and glasses with the leftover blooms from this week’s foraging, making the house colorful and cheerful.

Some leftovers: Echinacea ‘Big Sky Sundown’ and Monarda didyma (Scarlet Beebalm)

In A Vase On Monday – Vase With Lily

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In A Vase On Monday – Vase With Lily

Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share an arrangement every Monday using materials collected from our gardens. I’ve been eyeing these lilies for a couple weeks and finally they are ready to share.

Described as carmine red, these lilies were planted in a patio container several years ago. This year they have responded to the wet conditions with enthusiastic abundance.

Lilium ‘Black Out’ (Asiatic lily)

I envisioned today’s design with just two stems of lilies but they seemed to need something more. I added one hydrangea to fill out the shape of the arrangement. The cold killed most hydrangea buds, but a few stoic ones surprised me this week with 5-6 rather small, yet welcome blooms.

In A Vase On Monday – Vase With Lily

Next I added a second stem of hydrangea to the back and right of the lilies and a single, perfect young echinacea to the design.

Hydrangea macrophylla

The echinacea played happily with the pink hydrangea, but not with the lilies.

Hydrangea macrophylla

After trimming the echinacea to different heights and placements, eventually I removed it, deciding it did not contribute to the overall design.

In A Vase On Monday – Vase With Lily

Perhaps it would have worked placed lower toward the lip of the vase and slightly to the left.

The second cluster of hydrangea seemed to be enough on its own to balance out the design.

In A Vase On Monday – Vase With Lily

Materials
Flowers
Hydrangea macrophylla
Lilium ‘Black Out’ (Asiatic lily)
Foliage
None
Container
Porcelain Ikebana vase, Georgetown Pottery, Maine. Triangle Black Wave (6.5 W x 6.5 L x 2H)

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

In A Vase On Monday – Festiva Centerpiece

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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

In A Vase On Monday – Peony Passion

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In A Vase On Monday – Peony Passion

Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share an arrangement every Monday using materials collected from our gardens. Thursday evening a fierce thunderstorm accompanied by hail knocked over many of the peonies, which were just at their peak.

Paeonia ‘Festiva Maxima’ and ‘Madame Emile Debatene’ were down but not defeated. Friday morning with IAVOM in mind I rescued these broken-stemmed beauties.

In A Vase On Monday – Peony Passion

The flowers were put them in water for conditioning. Having simply been placed in vases the peonies looked gorgeous–no arranger required.

In A Vase On Monday – Peony Passion

This vase arranged itself.

In A Vase On Monday – Peony Passion

But I have never had so many peonies to play with so of course I wanted to try to fashion them into my own style.

I formed a huge bouquet and banded the stems just under the flowers. This helped keep the heads together, but was mainly an attempt to keep the stems looking orderly through the glass container. Early morning light added some drama.

In A Vase On Monday – Peony Passion

I loved this look but worried the blossoms looked a bit constrained, so I tried unbinding the stems for a freer, looser effect. I was happy with this stage also.

In A Vase On Monday – Peony Passion

There were quite a lot of shorter stemmed trimmings, so I turned my attention to filling a low glass square vase. Simple contentment.

In A Vase On Monday – Peony Passion

Also there were unopened buds that went into cold storage to save for a later time. What is in your refrigerator?

Chilling and Storing Peonies For Later Use

So my Monday vase was ready, but by the next day some of the taller white ‘Festiva Maxima’ in the vase had begun to fade while the dark pink ‘Madame Emile Debatene’ had begun to open. I tweaked things a bit more and rephotographed. Again the lighting is weird but the arrangement is nice at this stage.

In A Vase On Monday – Peony Passion

Back in the garden, by Sunday morning there were more rescues to work with—additional stems of ‘Festiva Maxima’ had fallen over. I remembered a big green urn my sister Judy picked up for me at an estate sale last November. It has a large central opening that holds great quantities of stems (and water), with projections below the rim for additional flowers. I decided to try it with the newly cut peonies.

In A Vase On Monday – November Gifts

The green container suited the flowers perfectly. As it is so large, in order to have enough flowers to fill it, I grabbed the other tall vase and reused those peonies.

it is a classical design in the end. The fragrance is delectable.

In A Vase On Monday – Peony Passion

I had intended to find some complementary foliage to insert or drape, or to select some snapdragons or other garden flowers as accompaniments. It would be interesting to experiment more but even a single peony can stand on its own.

In A Vase On Monday – Peony Passion

Playing with such an abundance of peonies has been a treat. Never before have the plants offered up such generous quantities of blooms.

In A Vase On Monday – Peony Passion

Materials
Flowers
Paeonia ‘Festiva Maxima’
Paeonia ‘Madame Emile Debatene’
Foliage
None
Vases
Large Green Ceramic Urn
Short Glass Square
Tall Glass Cylinder

My garden has needed more than the usual attention this spring and while I have been in the mood to weed and mulch, I am taking advantage. Apologies that I have been slow to get to comments and to visit your blogs this week. Hope to catch up soon.

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 – Anemones In Blue Vase

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In A Vase On Monday – Anemones In Blue Vase

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

Seeing anemones in my spring garden is a treat. These is a high attrition rate, few of those planted in the past few years ever made it to bloom. One particular batch overcame the odds though and even managed to return for several years, but now only three plants remain. Happily the ones left are prolific in their blooms. Cutting seems to encourage more flowers, so I am happy to oblige.

The arrangement began with a favorite matte-finished, blue-gray jar. I primed the container with clumps of green leaves gathered from an abundant bed of Leucanthemum. This shasta daisy foliage provided a framework to hold the flowering stems of anemone without using mechanics.

In A Vase On Monday – Anemones In Blue Vase

Accents of Erysimum, Salvia ‘May Night’ and Iberis were tucked in and around for color, texture and contrast.

In A Vase On Monday – Anemones In Blue Vase

Erysimum ‘Sugar Rush Purple’ (Wallflower)

Some weeks the vases take a lot of thought and time, but this one floated together in a few short minutes, unwanting of adjustment or second-guessing.

In A Vase On Monday – Anemones In Blue Vase

Materials
Flowers
Anemone coronaria ‘Mr. Fokker’
Erysimum ‘Sugar Rush Purple’ (Wallflower)
Iberis sempervirens (Candytuft)
Salvia nemorosa ‘May Night’ (Hardy Sage)
Foliage
Leucanthemum x superbum (Shasta Daisy)
Vase
Handmade ceramic lidded jar

In A Vase On Monday – Anemones In Blue Vase