Tag Archives: garden photography

In A Vase On Monday – A Posy For Nine

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In A Vase On Monday – A Posy For Nine

In A Vase On Monday turns nine today! Every Monday for the past nine years Cathy at Rambling In The Garden has shared a vase highlighting blooms and foliage from her garden and she has encouraged other garden bloggers to join her. I’ve joined with her 452 weeks.

In A Vase On Monday – A Posy For Nine

Yesterday Cathy hosted contributors from around the world to meet each other on Zoom. I was excited to meet with this dedicated group of gardeners. By now we are like old friends really and it was very special to be able to connect gardens and names with faces and voices.

Last week Cathy posed an anniversary challenge to create a hand-held posy. We shared our posies with each other yesterday during our get-together.

In A Vase On Monday – A Posy For Nine

My posy was created during a hurried wandering through the garden. Consisting of zinnias, cerinthe for foliage, angelonia for filler, two white semi-cactus dahlias and fragrant ginger lily added in back at the last moment, the bouquet is a colorful achievement for so late in the year.

In A Vase On Monday – A Posy For Nine

In A Vase On Monday – A Posy For Nine

In A Vase On Monday – A Posy For Nine

Materials
Flowers
Angelonia ’Serena Blue’
Button Chrysanthemum
Dahlia ‘Tsuki Yori No Shisha’ (Semi-cactus)
Leucanthemum x superbum (Shasta Daisy)
Hydrangea macrophylla
Verbena bonariensis (Tall Verbena)
Zinnia ‘Cactus Flowered Mix’
Zinnia ‘Cut & Come Again’
Foliage
‘Pride of Gibraltar’ Hummingbird Cerinthe
Gaura lindheimeri ‘Passionate Blush’ (Butterfly Gaura)
Hedychium coronarium (Ginger lily)
Hippeastrum (Amaryllis)
Container
Glazed ceramic vase

In A Vase On Monday – A Posy For Nine

Happy Anniversary to Cathy at Rambling In The Garden and thanks to all Monday vase aficionados, arrangers and readers.

In A Vase On Monday – Savory And Tang

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In A Vase On Monday – Savory And Tang

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

In A Vase On Monday – Savory And Tang

In A Vase On Monday – Savory And Tang

Temperatures Saturday and Sunday were around 80 F°, a lovely weekend. White, semi-cactus type Dahlia ‘Tsuki Yori No Shisha’ produced several nice blooms this week and I found one pinkish D. ‘Great Silence.’ There are still a few buds on the plants. Skippers and bees are finding their way to the few zinnias scattered through the beds. I was excited to notice a couple of hydrangeas that still have some nice color. Most flower heads turned brown long ago.

In A Vase On Monday – Savory And Tang

In A Vase On Monday – Savory And Tang

In A Vase On Monday – Savory And Tang

Materials
Flowers
Button Chrysanthemum
Dahlia ‘Great Silence’
Dahlia ‘Tsuki Yori No Shisha’ (Semi-cactus)
Echinacea ‘Sombrero Flamenco Orange’
Hydrangea macrophylla
Zinnia ‘Cactus Flowered Mix’
Zinnia ‘Cut & Come Again’
Zinnia ‘Senora’
Foliage
Artemisia ‘Powis Castle’ (Wormwood)
Gaura lindheimeri ‘Passionate Blush’ (Butterfly Gaura)
Lavandula angustifolia ‘Ellagance’ (Ellagance Lavender)
Salvia uliginosa ‘Blue Sky’ (Bog sage)
Thuja occidentalis ‘Emerald’ (Arborvitae)
Container
Textured, incised ceramic pedestal vase, rice or bone color. 5×6-inches.

In A Vase On Monday – Savory And Tang

In A Vase On Monday – Savory And Tang

As always 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.

Charms Of Early November

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Except for a few quick vases I haven’t posted much the past several months. Suddenly it is November. Autumn has been dry and mild. Camellias are on center stage with Camellia sasanqua ‘Hana-Jiman’ providing the finest display of its 20 years or so.

Camellia sasanqua ‘Hana-Jiman’

Camellia sasanqua ‘Hana-Jiman’

Camellia sasanqua ‘Hana-Jiman’

Camellia sasanqua ‘Hana-Jiman’

The camellia faces the street and sits between the corner of our house and the neighbor’s driveway. Further down the row is red C. ‘Yuletide’ just starting to flower, and a row of gardenias. Usually by now cold would have damaged the open flowers, although the buds would continue to open. This year with no frost yet most of the flowers that have opened are still looking pristine.

Camellia sasanqua ‘Hana-Jiman’

Camellia sasanqua ‘Hana-Jiman’

Camellia sasanqua ‘Hana-Jiman’

Camellia sasanqua ‘Hana-Jiman’

Camellia sasanqua ‘Hana-Jiman’

Camellia sasanqua ‘Yuletide’

Two very different passalong chrysanthemums are blooming well also this year.

Chrysanthemum ‘Sheffield Pink’

Chrysanthemum ‘Sheffield Pink’

Chrysanthemum ‘Sheffield Pink’

Button Chrysanthemum (passalong)

I’m always delighted to see flowers but irises in fall feel rather out of place. This yellow one has flowered for over a week. A purple one opened even earlier and there are a few more stalks with buds.

Iris (passalong rebloomer)

Hedychium coronarium (Ginger lily)

Hedychium coronarium (Ginger lily)

Hedychium coronarium (Ginger lily)

Perhaps I will get around to writing a review of butterflies in the garden this summer.  There were not many compared to last year but a highlight for the past month were daily sightings of Cloudless Sulphurs.

Cloudless Sulphur (Phoebis sennae)

Cloudless Sulphur (Phoebis sennae)

Sunday we’ll be returning to Eastern Time here in North Carolina. Have a happy weekend!

In A Vase On Monday – Autumn Dahlias

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In A Vase On Monday – Autumn Dahlias

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

Several late-season dahlia surprises guided the direction of today’s vase. Last week I had written off ever seeing Dahlia ‘Fairway Spur,’ but it turned out to be a true “late bloomer.” Over the weekend a single flower, one large peachy specimen emerged on an elegantly long stem which I stubbornly refused to cut, making the vase a little top-heavy I realize in retrospect.

Dahlia ‘Fairway Spur’ (Dinnerplate)

Dahlia ‘Fairway Spur’ (Dinnerplate)

Another dinnerplate, Dahlia ‘Cafe Au Lait’, had bloomed earlier but I thought it had died back completely in the drought of summer. Then yesterday I discovered one stem in its best iconic coffee-colored form.

Dahlia ‘Cafe Au Lait’

Semi-cactus type Dahlia ‘Tsuki Yori No Shisha’ seems to take all summer to get going. Its autumn blooms are usually larger, better formed (and with fewer pests) and this year is continuing that trend.

Dahlia ‘Tsuki Yori No Shisha’ (Semi-cactus)

Dahlia ‘Tsuki Yori No Shisha’ (Semi-cactus)

There was a good variety of foliage to explore this week including gaura with a slight tinge of red and itea leaves with their unmistakeable redness.

In A Vase On Monday – Autumn Dahlias

In A Vase On Monday – Autumn Dahlias

Materials
Flowers
Button Chrysanthemum
Dahlia ‘Cafe Au Lait’ (Dinnerplate)
Dahlia ‘David Howard’ (Decorative)
Dahlia ‘Fairway Spur’ (Dinnerplate)
Dahlia ‘Noordwijks Glorie’ (Decorative)
Dahlia ‘Petra’s Wedding’ (Ball dahlia)
Dahlia ‘Tsuki Yori No Shisha’ (Semi-cactus)
Zinnia ‘Cactus Flowered Mix’
Zinnia ‘Cut & Come Again’
Zinnia ‘Senora’
Foliage
Artemisia ‘Powis Castle’ (Wormwood)
‘Pride of Gibraltar’ Hummingbird Cerinthe
Gardenia jasminoides
Gaura lindheimeri ‘Passionate Blush’ (Butterfly Gaura)
Itea virginica ‘Sprich’ LITTLE HENRY (Virginia sweetspire)
Spirea
Container
Black metal suiban. 4 x 9.5 x 6.5 inches. Japan.

Thank you for your continued good wishes for my husband’s health. It’s not a straight path but he is doing better. The garden has carried on since mid-August on its own, literally no rain since Hurricane Ian brought a small amount here at the end of September.

A college friend brought a wonderful gift on Friday—dark and light purple, white and apricot pansies which I actually got planted the same day and watered. The earth in the meditation circle was so dry I couldn’t plant them along the paths as I’d planned. Instead I placed them around the dahlias which will soon be dying back.

In A Vase On Monday – Autumn Dahlias

As always 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 – A Mixed Floral

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In A Vase On Monday – A Mixed Floral

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

Last week portions of the garden squeaked by without cold damage as temperatures danced around freezing for a few days. Late into October some dahlias are finally starting to produce reasonably-sized flowers and there are a good number of buds. How nice it would be to see them thrive a few more weeks.

After a poor season some zinnias too have rallied recently. Today’s vase began as all zinnias. Somehow it ended up a mixed floral.

In A Vase On Monday – A Mixed Floral

In A Vase On Monday – A Mixed Floral

The colors might be viewed as autumnal, but commenting a couple weeks ago Chris at Country Gardening described several of these dahlias as almost tropical. Since then I see these hues as mango, papaya and other exotic fruits rather than as fall tones.

In A Vase On Monday – A Mixed Floral

In A Vase On Monday – A Mixed Floral

In A Vase On Monday – A Mixed Floral

Materials
Flowers
Dahlia sp. (unknown)
Dahlia ‘Great Silence’ (Decorative dahlia)
Dahlia ‘HS Date’ (Single)
Dahlia ‘Noordwijks Glorie’ (Decorative dahlia)
Dahlia ‘Petra’s Wedding’ (Ball dahlia)
Echinacea ‘Sombrero Flamenco Orange’
Tagetes ‘Durango Red’ (Durango Red French Marigold)
Zinnia ‘Cut & Come Again’
Zinnia ‘Senora’
Foliage
Artemisia ‘Powis Castle’ (Wormwood)
Gardenia jasminoides
Container
Red/black raku vase, Charles Chrisco, Chrisco’s Pottery—Seagrove Potters
[version 2: Ceramic Urn Stamped “Vintage 4”]

The flowers are arranged into a small plastic dish which gave me a chance to try out several vases but I didn’t find a perfect container today, but this was less heavy and fit the shape of the design well.

In A Vase On Monday – A Mixed Floral

As always 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 – Moment Of Calm

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In A Vase On Monday – Moment Of Calm

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

Time is precious. Dahlias continue to delight.

In A Vase On Monday – Moment Of Calm

In A Vase On Monday – Moment Of Calm

In A Vase On Monday – Moment Of Calm

In A Vase On Monday – Moment Of Calm

In A Vase On Monday – Moment Of Calm

In A Vase On Monday – Moment Of Calm

Materials
Flowers
Dahlia ‘Great Silence’ (Decorative dahlia)
Dahlia ‘Petra’s Wedding’ (Ball dahlia)
Dahlia ‘Tsuki Yori No Shisha’ (Semi-cactus dahlia)
Zinnia ‘Cut & Come Again’
Foliage
Gladiolus
Container
Dark blue matte ceramic jar (by NC potter Julie A. Hunkins, c. 2000)

My husband is back home and bouncing back after another brief hospital stay. The garden carries on. Bracing weather is forecast this week but will hover just above freezing.

As always 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 – Vintage Floral

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In A Vase On Monday – Vintage Floral

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

Dahlias and zinnias sustain color in my October garden.

In A Vase On Monday – Vintage Floral

I planted a few new dahlias this year in search of varying shapes and  colors. Knowing their season is ending it was all I could do to resist stuffing today’s vase with more flowers, but with discipline I nearly managed a golden and apricot palette.

In A Vase On Monday – Vintage Floral

Behind the dahlias colorful dogwoods leaves are visible in the upper left with bits of dark red Sedum ‘Thunderhead’ to the right.

Dahlia ‘Art Deco’, ‘Noordwijks Glorie’ and Dahlia ‘HS Date’

Dahlia ‘Noordwijks Glorie’

Dahlia ‘Noordwijks Glorie’

Dahlia ‘HS Date’

Echinacea ‘Sombrero Flamenco Orange’ got off to a slow start, nibbled by rabbits, and has had only a few blooms. If it makes it to next year I’m expecting a grander show.

Echinacea ‘Sombrero Flamenco Orange’

Materials
Flowers
Dahlia ‘Art Deco’
Dahlia ‘HS Date’
Dahlia ‘Noordwijks Glorie’
Dahlia ‘Tsuki Yori No Shisha’
Gardenia jasminoides
Sedum ‘Thunderhead’
Zinnia ‘Cactus Flowered Mix’
Foliage
Button Chrysanthemum
Cornus florida (flowering dogwood)
Gardenia jasminoides
Container
Ceramic Urn Stamped “Vintage 4”

In A Vase On Monday – Vintage Floral

In A Vase On Monday – Vintage Floral

The blooms are arranged into eco-friendly floral foam that has been inserted in a flat plastic Lomey dish. They sit atop a glazed pedestal vase enigmatically stamped “Vintage 4.” The traditional design style and the nostalgic flowers reflect a vintage quality.

In A Vase On Monday – Vintage Floral

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 delights she and others are offering this week.

In A Vase On Monday – Dahlia Blend

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In A Vase On Monday – Dahlia Blend

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

We had some wind gusts from Hurricane Ian, but mostly steady rain fell which the garden absorbed readily. Today’s vase is a blending of all the dahlias I cut ahead of the storm.

In A Vase On Monday – Dahlia Blend

In A Vase On Monday – Dahlia Blend

In A Vase On Monday – Dahlia Blend

In A Vase On Monday – Dahlia Blend

Materials
Flowers
Dahlia sp. (No ID)
Dahlia ‘Art Deco’
Dahlia ‘Great Silence’
Dahlia ‘HS Date’
Dahlia ‘Noordwijks Glorie’
Dahlia ‘Tsuki Yori No Shisha’
Zinnia ‘Cut & Come Again’
Foliage
Gardenia jasminoides
Container
Black metal suiban. 4 x 9.5 x 6.5 inches. Japan.

In the first iteration the vase held all flowers because I just hadn’t collected any greenery. Stems of gardenia foliage completed the design by adding more dimensionality and contrast.

In A Vase On Monday – Dahlia Blend

In A Vase On Monday – Dahlia Blend

As always 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 delights she and others are offering this week.

In A Vase On Monday – Great Silence

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In A Vase On Monday – Great Silence

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

I managed a quick assemblage for today from among the very few flowers not beaten down by the dry weather. The featured dahlia is my favorite this year, D. ‘Great Silence.’

In A Vase On Monday – Great Silence

In A Vase On Monday – Great Silence

In A Vase On Monday – Great Silence

The color of this zinnia makes me smile. It’s from a second sowing that proved to be a good idea. My neighbor Eileen gave me some ferns from her garden last week, so I’ve included some for textural accent along with glossy gardenia foliage and feathery, silvery artemisia.

In A Vase On Monday – Great Silence

In A Vase On Monday – Great Silence

Materials
Flowers
Dahlia ‘Great Silence’ (Decorative dahlia)
Zinnia ‘Cut & Come Again’
Foliage
Artemisia ‘Powis Castle’ (Wormwood)
Fern (noID)
Gardenia jasminoides
Container
Textured, incised ceramic pedestal vase, rice or bone color. 5×6-inches.

As my husband continues to recuperate at home, we’re grateful for caregivers coming in to work with him to get stronger. I appreciate your many kind wishes and look forward to catching up with your garden posts again eventually.

As always 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 – Ikebana With Spider Lily

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In A Vase On Monday – Ikebana With Spider Lily

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

In A Vase On Monday – Ikebana With Spider Lily

We’re still in the throes of health issues but finally back home. A quick skip around the garden today yielded some nice flowers but I had only a few minutes to arrange them. I knew I wanted a tower of spider lilies and the other flowers fell in line.

Lycoris (Spider Lily)

In A Vase On Monday – Ikebana With Spider Lily

Materials
Flowers
Angelonia ’Serena Blue’
Angelonia ’Serena Purple’
Dahlia Decorative ‘Great Silence’
Lycoris (Spider Lily)
Zinnia
Foliage
Container
Black metal suiban. 4 x 9.5 x 6.5 inches. Japan.

Dahlia ‘Great Silence’ (Decorative dahlia)

Dahlia ‘Great Silence’ (Decorative dahlia)

As always 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 – Dahlia ‘Noordwijks Glorie’

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In A Vase On Monday – Dahlia ‘Noordwijks Glorie’

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

Dahlia ‘Noordwijks Glorie’ is classified as a decorative. Its flowers are expected to range 6-8 inches. Mine are smaller, about 4 inches across, but as promised this dahlia is a prolific bloomer.  New to the garden this summer its color is variously described as butterscotch, peach, even copper-orange. These petals have some soft peachy tones.

In A Vase On Monday – Dahlia ‘Noordwijks Glorie’

But as I study it the color shifts.

In A Vase On Monday – Dahlia ‘Noordwijks Glorie’

Once placed in today’s vase, the flowers appeared more bronze or maybe a bit like butterscotch—either way, a bit too reminiscent of fall for these hot August days.

In A Vase On Monday – Dahlia ‘Noordwijks Glorie’

I went back and forth as to whether these zinnias with their pure bright hues work as suitable companion flowers for the subtly-colored dahlias. In the end I stayed with them.

In A Vase On Monday – Dahlia ‘Noordwijks Glorie’

In A Vase On Monday – Dahlia ‘Noordwijks Glorie’

In A Vase On Monday – Dahlia ‘Noordwijks Glorie’

Though I had picked many more flowers in different sizes and colors for today I never got back to experimenting with this arrangement.  I suspect switching the vase color to blue might make it feel more summery and in turn would make me feel less distressed at seeing summer’s end inching closer. The heat, I know, will be with us a long while, but every day I sense the change in light.

In A Vase On Monday – Dahlia ‘Noordwijks Glorie’

Materials
Flowers
Dahlia Decorative ‘Noordwijks Glorie’
Zinnia ‘Cactus Flowered Mix’
Zinnia ‘Cut & Come Again’
Angelonia ‘Serena Purple’
Cosmos ‘Bright Lights’
Foliage
Italian Oregano
Container
Glazed ceramic pottery vase, circa 1980.

As always 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 – Nature’s Pulse

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In A Vase on Monday – Nature’s Pulse

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

After a sere month, the rhythms of nature were heard and felt during the last week of July as storms at last brought rain into the garden. Sometimes pounding, thunderous. Often, hurried and incomplete. Yet, rain did come.  Sensing nature’s quickening pulse, the garden’s response was a swift burst of color—pace, pattern and purpose all restored for a time as we enter August.

In A Vase on Monday – Nature’s Pulse

I first planted dahlias a few years ago and had enough success I came to believe they were easy to grow, only to discover it was beginner’s luck phenomenon. Each season now they become more of a mystery. Some have returned, some are new, some old and new failed to appear.

Usually advertised as buff or cream color in my garden the well-known dinnerplate Dahlia ‘Cafe Au Lait’ more often throws out pinkish with purple striped petals. (A version of this streaky form is sold as ‘Café au Lait Royal’.) My D. ‘Cafe Au Lait’ does occasionally produce the classic coloration, but not so far this summer.

Dinnerplate Dahlia ‘Cafe Au Lait’ with white D. ‘Tsuki Yori No Shisha’ and reddish-orange ‘David Howard’

With nice color and form Dahlia ‘Noordwijks Glorie’ is a fresh addition to the garden this year.

Dahlia ‘Noordwijks Glorie’

Also newly purchased this year, Gladiolus ‘Flowering Performer’ popped into bloom this week. Brushstrokes of white along the center of each petal are punctuated here by tiny flowers on sprigs of Italian oregano.

In A Vase on Monday – Nature’s Pulse

As an aside, I’ve never had pests attack gladiolas but I blame the rabbits for this shocking treatment of a beloved summer mainstay. These would have been deep red.

Zinnias are blooming with more vigor after a slow start. More seeds sprinkled early in the week germinated within two days.

White ball-type Dahlia ‘Petra’s Wedding’ peeks out between a pair of Zinnias

In A Vase on Monday – Nature’s Pulse

Materials
Flowers
Dahlia ‘Gallery Art Deco’
Dahlia ‘Cafe Au Lait’
Dahlia ‘David Howard’
Dahlia Decorative ‘Noordwijks Glorie’
Dahlia Decorative ‘Great Silence’
Dahlia Semi-Cactus ‘Tsuki Yori No Shisha’
Dahlia Ball ‘Petra’s Wedding’
Gladiolus ‘Flowering Performer’
Zinnia ‘Cactus Flowered Mix’
Zinnia ‘Cut & Come Again’
Foliage
Italian Oregano
Salvia guaranitica ‘Black and Blue’
Salvia uliginosa ‘Blue Sky’ (Bog sage)
Container
Black metal suiban. 4 x 9.5 x 6.5 inches. Japan.

As always 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 – Summer Cuttings

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In A Vase On Monday – Summer Cuttings

In A Vase On Monday – Summer Cuttings

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share an arrangement of materials gathered from our gardens. Dahlias and zinnias, usually my go-to summer flowers, are lagging behind my expectations. For today I trimmed a little bit of this and some of that to put together what turned out to be a happy, colorful summer vase.

In A Vase On Monday – Summer Cuttings

Recently my sister surprised me with two lovely and well-chosen floral books. I am looking forward to exploring From Seed To Bloom by Milli Proust and have already delved into Floret Farm’s A Year In Flowers by Erin Benzakein. I have enjoyed Erin’s luscious designs for years and have taken several of her free mini-courses. In creating today’s vase I was inspired by her book to experiment with looser foliage and a variety of textures.

Dahlia ‘Gallery Pablo’ and Zinnia

Dahlia Ball ‘Petra’s Wedding’

Monarda didyma (Scarlet Beebalm)

In A Vase On Monday – Summer Cuttings

Dahlia ‘Gallery Art Deco’

In A Vase On Monday – Summer Cuttings

Materials
Flowers
Angelonia ’Serena Purple’ and ’Serena Blue’
Dahlia ‘Gallery Art Deco’
Dahlia ‘Gallery Pablo’
Dahlia Decorative ‘Noordwijks Glorie’
Dahlia Ball ‘Petra’s Wedding’
Iris domestica (Blackberry Lily)
Liriope muscari
Monarda didyma (Scarlet Beebalm)
Salvia nemorosa ‘Blue Hill’
Tagetes ‘Durango Red’ (Durango Red French Marigold)
Zinnia -Cactus Flowered Mix
Foliage
Angelonia ’Serena Blue’
Cleome hassleriana (Spider Flower) Seed heads
Salvia nemorosa ‘Blue Hill’
Tanacetum vulgare (Tansy)
Container
Textured, incised ceramic pedestal vase, rice or bone color. 5×6-inches. Red wooden platter.

In A Vase On Monday – Summer Cuttings

Have a great week in the garden. Thanks to our host Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for encouraging us to create and share our vases. Visit her to discover what is blooming in her UK garden and across the globe this week.

In A Vase On Monday – Resilience

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In A Vase On Monday – Resilience

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share a vase of materials gathered from our gardens. Summer in North Carolina is always hot and humid but this past week felt like summer was being served deep fried. Dahlias buds are drying up or developing malformed flowers, but zinnias are just getting started and enjoy the heat.

Oppressive humidity, temperatures above 100 and heat index warnings several days amplified the severe drought conditions. For weeks while some areas nearby were getting severe storms with plenty of precipitation, we had none. Then Friday night, at last, a strong steady rain poured out from the clouds.  Although I have hand watered frequently the results of my efforts cannot compare to the refreshment this rainfall brought. Early Saturday morning I relished in the garden’s rehydrated state. Nice rain fell again on Saturday evening and all through the day on Sunday, a soft watering.  Ahh!

Today’s flowers were prepared Friday prior to the nourishing rainfall, thus the title Resilience to emphasize respect for those garden stalwarts that carry on under dire hot, dry conditions. I’m curious what you count on to carry the garden through tough times.

In A Vase On Monday – Resilience

In A Vase On Monday – Resilience: Clusters of tiny yellow Tansy flowers and fernlike foliage with cactus zinnia

In A Vase On Monday – Resilience

In A Vase On Monday – Resilience

Materials
Flowers
Buddleja davidii ‘Adokeep’ (Adonis blue Butterfly Bush)
Dahlia ‘Totally Tangerine’
Gladiolus ‘Purple Flora ‘
Leucanthemum x superbum (Shasta Daisy)
Rudbeckia laciniata (Green-Headed Coneflower)
Tanacetum vulgare (Tansy)
Zinnia -Cactus Flowered Mix
Foliage
Tanacetum vulgare (Tansy)
Container
Dark blue matte ceramic jar

Thanks to our host Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for encouraging us to create and share our vases. Visit her to discover what is blooming in her UK garden and across the globe this week.

In A Vase On Monday – Summer Swords

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In A Vase On Monday – Summer Swords

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share a vase of materials gathered from our gardens. Many gladiolas, known to some as sword lilies, opened throughout the week, allowing me to keep vases of them scattered throughout the house.

The ones I grow are mostly rich jewel tones. The stems are quite tall and heavy, a little awkward to balance. I chose a heavy, substantial Ikebana vase in which to display a few of them today.

In A Vase On Monday – Summer Swords

Crinum lilies are just beginning to form bulbils  on the flower heads now that the flowers are finished. I realized after cutting them they will be more interesting when allowed to develop further, but I included a couple at this stage anyway for textural contrast.

In A Vase On Monday – Summer Swords

Materials
Flowers
Gladiolus ‘Espresso’
Gladiolus no-names white and bright red
Gladiolus ‘Purple Flora ‘
Foliage
Crinum × powellii (Crinum lily) head
Container
Black metal suiban. 4 x 9.5 x 6.5 inches. Japan.

In A Vase On Monday – Summer Swords

Thanks to our host Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for encouraging us to create and share our vases. Visit her to discover what is blooming in her UK garden and across the globe this week.

In A Vase On Monday – Gladiolas In Red Vase

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In A Vase On Monday – Gladiolas In Red Vase

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

During summer days a closed-in back porch at my maternal grandmother’s was the hub of activity. The porch separated the kitchen from the main portion of the house. Just inside the back door in other seasons, we would pass by pots of out-of-bloom geraniums and begonias. But in summer those would have been set outside and in their stead would sit a carefully tended vase of gladiolas in mixed colors.

When I was five or six often I stayed overnight with my  grandmother. After breakfast, still early, she would get her flower clippers and we would go outside to see if any more of her glads had opened. The mystery of what colors they would be held such excitement for me.

Gladioli From My Garden With Grandma’s Vintage Flower Clippers – 2015

Grandma always wore an apron and would tuck up a corner just so, to hold whatever she was gathering. On these mornings she would come back indoors with an apron full of glads and proceed to groom the flowers already in the vase, removing the spent blooms from the bottom of the stems, making fresh cuts, adding clean water and finally arranging the newest stems into the vase. The rainbow array never failed to delight my young self and must have made her happy as well.

I still adore gladiolas but have drifted toward white ones and deep, intensely rich colors like G. ‘Espresso’. Its silky petals begin as nearly black and open into a sultry crimson.

Baptisia Foliage, unopened Gladiolus ‘Espresso’

Gladiolus ‘Espresso’

Gladiolus

The bright red glad came without a name but has distinctive inner markers and rich color.

In A Vase On Monday – Gladiolas In Red Vase

Keeping company with the gladiolas, Beebalm has begun flowering after several years of nearly disappearing. The spot of blue at upper left is bachelor button.

Monarda didyma (Scarlet Beebalm)

The mophead hydrangea in today’s vase is a pass-along that came from a reader when I first began this blog. She was a volunteer at the JC Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh, NC and the hydrangea was one her father grew.  My grandmother also had a hydrangea by her back porch step (my cousin still grows it). Hers and everyone’s flowered blue due to the acid soil conditions in our small town.  I would much prefer blue to pink but haven’t in all these year taken time to add aluminum sulfate.

Hydrangea macrophylla

Materials
Flowers
Centaurea cyanus ‘Blue Diadem’ (Bachelor’s Buttons)
Gladiolus ‘Espresso’
Gladiolus no-names white and bright red
Hydrangea macrophylla
Lilium ‘Black Out’ (Asiatic lily)
Monarda didyma (Scarlet Beebalm)
Foliage
Baptisia ‘Purple Smoke’
Container
Red/black raku vase, Charles Chrisco, Chrisco’s Pottery—Seagrove Potters

I hope this lily bud will create a focal point when it opens front and center in a few days.

In A Vase On Monday – Gladiolas In Red Vase

In A Vase On Monday – Gladiolas In Red Vase

Thanks to our host Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for encouraging us to create and share our vases. Visit her to discover what is blooming in her UK garden and across the globe this week.

In A Vase On Monday – A Basket Of Pink

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In A Vase On Monday – A Basket Of Pink

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

The hydrangeas are more beautiful than in past years, despite some late cold snaps in early spring. I planned a simple vase, but this one went off on its own. Finding a container was a major challenge. After testing out a number of vases I settled on a basket I made some years ago. A few fresh lilies along with recycled ones from last week’s vase.

In A Vase On Monday – A Basket Of Pink

In A Vase On Monday – A Basket Of Pink

In A Vase On Monday – A Basket Of Pink

Materials
Flowers
Centaurea cyanus ‘Blue Diadem’ (Bachelor’s Buttons)
Cleome hassleriana (Spider Flower)
Gaura lindheimeri ‘Passionate Blush’ (Butterfly Gaura)
Hydrangea macrophylla
Lilium ‘Black Out’ (Asiatic lily)
Verbena bonariensis (Tall Verbena)
Foliage
Container
Handmade potato basket.

In A Vase On Monday – A Basket Of Pink

Thanks to our host Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for encouraging us to create and share our vases. Visit her to discover what garden surprises she and others are enjoying this week.

In A Vase On Monday – Vases With Red Lily

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In A Vase On Monday – Gardenia With Red Lily

In A Vase On Monday – Red Lilies

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share a vase of materials gathered from our gardens.  I prepared two vases this week.

Vase 1 – Gardenia With Red Lily

This week’s first vase holds two standouts from the garden. Gardenias are having a stellar year. The shrubs are covered with flowers. This arrangement was made Thursday as I rescued the flowers from the week’s series of extremely hot days.

In A Vase On Monday – Gardenia With Red Lily

Lilium ‘Black Out’  was first planted in 2016 and never fails to thrill. 

In A Vase On Monday – Gardenia With Red Lily

The flowers were pristine and fresh but I found the lilies less impactful and the gardenias more difficult to arrange than expected. Eventually the vase sort of took shape and I lost interest in fiddling any further. Supporting florals are Oakleaf Hydrangea and a (rather too small) Snapdragon.

In A Vase On Monday – Gardenia With Red Lily

The gardenia fragrance, divine at first, became overpowering and I had to move the arrangement outdoors.

In A Vase On Monday – Gardenia With Red Lily

In A Vase On Monday – Gardenia With Red Lily

In A Vase On Monday – Gardenia With Red Lily

In A Vase On Monday – Gardenia With Red Lily

Materials
Flowers
Antirrhinum majus ‘Speedy Sonnet Bronze’ (Snapdragon)
Gardenia jasminoides ‘August Beauty’ (Gardenia)
Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Ruby Slippers’ (Lil’ Ruby dwarf Oakleaf Hydrangea)
Lilium ‘Black Out’ (Asiatic lily)
Foliage
Gardenia jasminoides ‘August Beauty’ (Gardenia)
Container
Textured, incised ceramic pedestal vase, rice or bone color. 5×6-inches.

I’m not usually sensitive but definitely reacted to the flowers. I saved the lilies from the vase and tossed the gardenias.

Vase 2 – Red Lilies

In A Vase On Monday – Red Lilies

By Saturday the majority of L. ‘Black Out’ had opened fully so I gathered them and made a second arrangement using the same vase as the first. There were 15 red lilies but many more would have been nice.

In A Vase On Monday – Red Lilies

It was challenging to find enough material in flower to complete the design. I recycled the fading Royal Sunset lily from last week to help fill in and cut the available stems of Dahlia ‘Totally Tangerine’ and a few sprigs of Angelonia.

In A Vase On Monday – Red Lilies

In A Vase On Monday – Red Lilies

There are not many Bachelor’s Buttons in the garden but I am thrilled to see any. They probably won’t last much longer in this weather so I cut most of them to provide an airy contrast in color and texture.

In A Vase On Monday – Red Lilies

In A Vase On Monday – Red Lilies

Materials
Flowers
Angelonia
Centaurea cyanus ‘Blue Diadem’ (Bachelor’s Buttons)
Dahlia Anemone ‘Totally Tangerine’
Lilium ‘Black Out’ (Asiatic lily)
Lily ‘Royal Sunset’
Foliage
Container
Textured, incised ceramic pedestal vase, rice or bone color. 5×6-inches.

Thanks to our host Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for encouraging us to create and share our vases. Visit her to discover what garden surprises she and others are enjoying this week.

In A Vase On Monday – Royal Sunset

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In A Vase On Monday – Royal Sunset

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

In A Vase On Monday – Royal Sunset

As the garden transitions toward summer lilies are oh so close.  L. ‘Royal Sunset’ is the first to venture forward into flower.

Lily ‘Royal Sunset’

Supporting florals come from an anemone dahlia, a passalong hydrangea and an overwintered snapdragon. Tips of a redbud tree that has volunteered in the south border provide foliage while softly echoing the hues of the lily and other flowers.

In A Vase On Monday – Royal Sunset

Dahlia Anemone ‘Totally Tangerine’

Hydrangea macrophylla

Lily ‘Royal Sunset’

In A Vase On Monday – Royal Sunset

Materials
Flowers
Antirrhinum majus ‘Speedy Sonnet Bronze’ (Snapdragon)
Dahlia Anemone ‘Totally Tangerine’
Hydrangea macrophylla
Lily Asiatic ‘Royal Sunset’
Foliage
Cercis canadensis L. (Eastern Redbud)
Container
Black metal suiban. 4 x 9.5 x 6.5 inches. Japan.

Lily ‘Royal Sunset’

Thanks to our host Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for encouraging us to create and share our vases. Visit her to discover what garden surprises she and others are enjoying this week.

Notes On May

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Iris (from Kathleen)

May’s abundance of irises, peonies and roses exceeded my expectations.

Paeonia ‘Festiva Maxima’

Virgie’s Rose (possibly R. ‘Seven Sisters’)

Beyond these beauties this month has had other highlights. Hummingbirds arrived a couple of weeks ago. Too quick for this photographer, yesterday’s zipped by and headed straight for this red salvia.

Salvia greggii ‘Furman’s Red’ (Autumn Sage)

Lamb’s Ear is overly plentiful and needs to be cut back, but bees love the flowers. There is more bee activity now that penstemon is in full bloom.

Reports suggest butterfly sightings are up this year in North Carolina, but few have stopped by here so far. I hope monarchs will be as excited by this asclepias as I am.

Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly Plant)

Verbena bonariensis is a popular flower for butterflies and American Goldfinches like the seeds.

Little Glassywing (Pompeius verna)

Silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus)

This month I’ve seen some interesting insects and lots of Carolina anoles and this week I was startled when trimming back some of the irises by a treefrog.

Green Treefrog (Hyla cinerea)

Stealing moments from another errand this week I bought tomato plants at Southern States, a nearby garden center I’ve frequented for decades. There was only time for a quick browse, but I managed to pick up English thyme, Italian oregano, angelonia and marigolds. I have seeds for marigolds but haven’t got them planted.

Tagetes ‘Durango Red’ (Durango Red French Marigold)

Angelonia for the Meditation Circle (after some weeding)

The tomatoes went in the garden yesterday but thunderstorms and heavy rains today have kept me from finishing the planting. No doubt the garden needs the rain.

Garden View Between Storms (looking west from the screened porch)

From a distance the garden seems subdued. Despite the open plan which appears to reveal everything at once, it manages to keep secrets to discover when wandering around the borders.

Centaurea cyanus ‘Blue Diadem’ (Bachelor’s Buttons)

ClematisJ ‘Jackmanii’

Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Ruby Slippers’ (Lil’ Ruby dwarf Oakleaf Hydrangea)

Lily Asiatic ‘Royal Sunset’

There is more to see now and there is more to come,

Black and Blue Salvia, Chrysanthemums, Daylilies, Tansy

…but for now the first dahlia of the year has awakened.

Dahlia ‘Totally Tangerine’

Dahlia ‘Totally Tangerine’

In A Vase On Monday – Flowering Purple

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In A Vase On Monday – Flowering Purple

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

It was a banner year for irises and peonies, but now with the garden in a transitional stage, filling a vase today was challenging. Eventually I settled on pansies which will soon be pulled up and the very last of the irises.

In A Vase On Monday – Flowering Purple

In A Vase On Monday – Flowering Purple

Iris ‘Fabian’ was the last iris to bloom. I’ve had this iris since the late 1970s. The flowers are dusky purple and rather small.

In A Vase On Monday – Flowering Purple

In A Vase On Monday – Flowering Purple

In A Vase On Monday – Flowering Purple

In A Vase On Monday – Flowering Purple

Materials
Flowers
Iris ‘Fabian’
Pansy ‘Delta™ Premium Pure Light Blue’ (Viola × wittrockiana)
Pansy ‘Panola® Purple’ (Viola × wittrockiana)
Verbena bonariensis
Foliage
Lavandula x intermedia ‘Dutch’ (Dutch Lavender)
Container
Textured, incised ceramic pedestal vase, rice or bone color. 5×6-inches, with floral pin holder.

In A Vase On Monday – Flowering Purple

In A Vase On Monday – Flowering Purple

Thanks to our host Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for encouraging us to create and share our vases. Visit her to discover what garden surprises she and others are enjoying this week.

In A Vase On Monday – Pink Flowers In A Black Vase

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In A Vase On Monday – Pink Flowers In A Black Vase

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

In A Vase On Monday – Pink Flowers In A Black Vase

Paeonia lactiflora ‘Sarah Bernhardt’ was the last of my peonies to open just as unsettled weather came into the forecast. Friday’s predicted rains fizzled, but on Saturday morning we had a storm that finally brought some precipitation. To prepare for this week’s vase I gathered peonies early and set them aside for conditioning in cool water. Although a few flowers gently shed their petals before I could use them, there were plenty more, this having been an abundant year for peonies.

In A Vase On Monday – Pink Flowers In A Black Vase

I had a specific shape in mind composed of mostly greenery dominating on one side and pink peonies on the other, but the design drifted from the concept as I began working. It seemed a shame not to use all the peonies so I continued finding places to tuck them.

In A Vase On Monday – Pink Flowers In A Black Vase

Joining Sarah are other pinks, P. ‘Madame Emile Debatene’  and P. ‘Pink Parfait’, and a few pieces of perennial sweet pea I recently noticed was suddenly blooming. The arrangement is large as one might predict knowing the peonies span 5-9 inches across.

Cerinthe, nearly finished blooming, created a bit of mystery. My daughter was visiting this weekend and she kept hearing noises in the house. I walked down the hall to investigate and found cerinthe seeds had been released all over the floor.

In A Vase On Monday – Pink Flowers In A Black Vase

Materials
Flowers
Lathyrus latifolius (Perennial Sweet Pea)
Paeonia ‘Pink Parfait’
Paeonia ‘Madame Emile Debatene’
Paeonia lactiflora ‘Sarah Bernhardt’
Foliage
‘Pride of Gibraltar’ Hummingbird Cerinthe
Container
Black metal suiban. 4 x 9.5 x 6.5 inches. Japan.

Thanks to our host Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for encouraging us to create and share our vases. Visit her to discover what garden surprises she and others are enjoying this week.

In A Vase On Monday – Paeonia

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In A Vase On Monday – Paeonia

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

The garden has been intoxicating recently, full of color and fragrance as peonies took their place among roses and irises.

Paeonia ‘Festiva Maxima’

Paeonia ‘Madame Emile Debatene’

Paeonia ‘Pink Parfait’ (Peony)

Simple vases of peonies in the house this week have meant pure delight.

Thought it looks appropriate for Valentine’s this red pitcher with heart decoration was just right to emphasize Paeonia ‘Festiva Maxima’ in all its flouncy fluffiness.

Paeonia ‘Festiva Maxima’

A second pitcher features P. ‘Festiva Maxima’ along with two pinks, P. ‘Madame Emile Debatene’  and P. ‘Pink Parfait’.

In A Vase On Monday – Paeonia

Paeonia ‘Pink Parfait’ (Peony)

Paeonia ‘Madame Emile Debatene’

Paeonia ‘Festiva Maxima’

Materials
Flowers
Paeonia ‘Pink Parfait’
Paeonia ‘Festiva Maxima’
Paeonia ‘Madame Emile Debatene’
Foliage
none
Container
Stoneware pitcher glazed with bands of cream, green, blue. (pitcher and 4 cups, Pringle Pottery, North Carolina, circa 1977)
Red pitcher with white hearts

We had some rain this weekend and Sunday the temperature was back down to 54F during the day after reaching into the upper 80s earlier in the week. The rain was much needed but it did leave the peonies tousled and soggy. There still are more buds and one other type of peony yet to open.

Thanks to our host Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for encouraging us to create and share our vases. Visit her to discover what garden surprises she and others are enjoying this week.