Tag Archives: garden photography

In A Vase On Monday – Red And Glad

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In A Vase On Monday – Red And Glad

Each Monday Cathy from Rambling In The Garden invites us to share a vase assembled from materials collected in our gardens.

In A Vase On Monday – Red And Glad

Only a few gladioli have returned this year, but there should be more soon. Proper record-keeping has gone by the wayside this year so I am not sure when, but I planted several bags of new corms from Longfield Gardens: Gladiolus Large Flowering ‘Espresso’ and ‘Purple Flora.’  And of course there is one more bag to plant should I get around to it this summer.

In A Vase On Monday – Red And Glad

In today’s vase are two red gladioli planted June 2016. They came into flower Thursday. I had planned to do something adventurous with them, creating an abstract design using a small brass sculpture my husband created around the time I met him. (We celebrate our 42nd wedding anniversary Tuesday.)

I will save the sculpture for another time as the flowers were so perfect they needed no support to embellish their virtue.

In A Vase On Monday – Red And Glad

In A Vase On Monday – Red And Glad

In A Vase On Monday – Red And Glad

Materials
Flowers
Gladiolus
Foliage
Gladiolus
Container and Mechanics
Florist frog
Shallow, round, black dish
Black polished stones

In A Vase On Monday – Red And Glad

Many 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 – Scarlet

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In A Vase On Monday – Scarlet

Each Monday Cathy from Rambling In The Garden invites us to share a vase assembled from materials collected in our gardens.

Scarlet Beebalm with its spicy, minty scent has been blooming several weeks. I have been planning all week to showcase it in today’s vase, along with red daylilies.

In A Vase On Monday – Scarlet

In A Vase On Monday – Scarlet

Unfortunately Sunday was a resting day for the daylilies and the only blooms open were pretty tired. Think of the pair in the vase as placeholders.

In A Vase On Monday – Scarlet

Here are a few that were blooming Saturday—they really have been beautiful this year and more will open soon.

Hemerocallis (Daylily)

For filler I chose Salvia greggii, which is blooming better than usual now that some trees are cut and it gets more sun. All these red flowers were most uncooperative when I tried to photograph the arrangement late yesterday afternoon—lots of dark shadow and blobs.

I had Shasta daisies ready to step up and add light but I decided against them. A black and white image underscores the overall dark tones of the arrangement. Next time I would try to balance the lights and darks better. Also I feel the Monarda (beebalm) is a lost against the shaggy foliage of the salvia, the textures are similarly sagging and loose. In person this is much easier to read.

In A Vase On Monday – Scarlet

Materials
Flowers
Hemerocallis (Daylily)
Monarda didyma (Scarlet Beebalm)
Salvia greggii ‘Furman’s Red’ (Autumn Sage)
Foliage
Container
Porcelain Ikebana vase, Georgetown Pottery, Maine. Rectangle Blue Zen (6.75L x 3.75W x 2H inches)

In A Vase On Monday – Scarlet

In A Vase On Monday – Scarlet

Many 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 – Double Cream

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In A Vase On Monday – Double Cream

Every Monday Cathy from Rambling In The Garden invites us to share a vase assembled from materials collected in our gardens.

Last week I included a creamy double-form hybrid hellebore that was just beginning to bloom. I revisited the no-name plant this week and found some fuller flowers. Without even planning an arrangement I photographed them in front of a large ceramic vase for today’s Monday offering. Although eventually I did float the blossoms in a small glass bowl and take pictures, these images better capture the green highlights against the ivory petals with their dancing, ruffled edges.

Helleborus x hybridus

Materials

Flowers
Helleborus x hybridus (Lenten rose). From PKF.
Container
Shallow glass dish and glass flower ring

Helleborus x hybridus

Last week the weather was sunny magnificence, with one day reaching 78 degrees Fahrenheit.

Here are a few more blooms from the garden.  Daphne sat upon gentle breezes, making each pass by the font door a fragrant delight.

Daphne odora (Winter daphne)

Daphne odora (Winter daphne)

More hellebores…

Helleborus x hybridus

Helleborus x hybridus

Helleborus x hybridus

Daffodils could wait no longer to begin spreading cheer.

Narcissus (Daffodil)

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 – Pink And White Trio

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In A Vase On Monday – Pink And White Trio

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

More camellias today, a trio of Camellia sasanqua ‘Hana-Jiman’ which have been featured several times recently.  I had found another Clematis ‘Jackmanii’ bloom to include today as well, but the camellias seemed to prefer to go it alone today.

In A Vase On Monday – Pink And White Trio

Materials
Flowers
Camellia sasanqua ‘Hana-Jiman’
Foliage
Clematis ‘Jackmanii’
Container
Rounded white glass bowl

In A Vase On Monday – Pink And White Trio

In A Vase On Monday – Pink And White Trio

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 – Anniversary Five

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In A Vase On Monday – Anniversary Five

On January 14, 2014 I began creating weekly vases and participating in a popular ritual called “in A Vase On Monday.” Hosted by Cathy at Rambling In The Garden, “In A Vase On Monday” has intrigued and enticed people across the globe to share some flowers, foliage, berries and branches plucked mostly from their gardens.

But before I was in the know about it, Cathy had already been building a community of floral enthusiasts for months. This week Cathy is celebrating the Five-Year Anniversary of her first Monday vase posting. I cannot thank her enough for providing this unique coming-together of garden bloggers. Mondays are made better seen through her eyes, with Cathy-style plants, props and commentary. So thank you Cathy and Happy IAVOM Anniversary!

In A Vase On Monday – Anniversary Five

To mark her fifth anniversary Cathy challenged contributors to create a (Not) In a Vase on Monday this week. Every idea I came up with for presenting my flowers seemed to still need a container. So I am sneaking in a vase while declaring it is I who cannot be contained. I cannot contain my enthusiasm for this last collection from the garden, picked before our first dip below freezing. Though I gathered some sasanquas just in case, there were plenty of other colorful choices to use instead today.

A few pristine Shasta daisies seem to defy the season. I plucked them first.

Dahlia and Shasta Daisy

Next are pale yellow button chrysanthemums just coming into bloom, passalongs from my mother’s first cousin, Virgie. She shared many, many of her plants with me and I have had them now for a good part of my life.

Chrysanthemum and Shasta Daisy

Button Chrysanthemum With Shasta, Purple Coneflower and Begonia

My uncontainable enthusiasm though mainly is reserved for the Jackmanii clematis, whose large purple blooms always bring a smile to my face—especially so in November. I envisioned them cascading beyond the vase and they more or less achieved my vision. Arum leaves dance in proximity on the right side of the design.

Clematis ‘Jackmanii’ and Arum Italicum Add Drama

Purple Blooms of Clematis ‘Jackmanii’

Materials
Flowers
Begonia
Button Chrysanthemum (Hardy Chrysanthemum passalong from Virgie)
Dahlia ‘Fireworks’
Clematis ‘Jackmanii’
Echinacea purpurea (Purple Coneflower)
Lavandula x intermedia ‘Dutch’ (Dutch Lavender)
Leucanthemum superbum ‘Becky’ (Shasta Daisy)
Salvia guaranitica ‘Black and Blue’
Verbena bonariensis (Tall Verbena)
Foliage
Arum italicum
Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Ruby Slippers’ (Lil’ Ruby dwarf Oakleaf Hydrangea)
Container
Ceramic Urn Stamped “Vintage 4”

Salvia guaranitica ‘Black and Blue’

In A Vase On Monday – Anniversary Five

Again, happy anniversary and 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 the other wonderful contributors have found to place In A Vase On Monday.

For even more flowers see all my Monday vases: 2018   2017   2016   2015   2014

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

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 – 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.