Tag Archives: gladiolus

In A Vase On Monday – Sunrise and Dark Night

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

The colors of today’s feature flowers, gladiolus and cally lily, inspired today’s title.

In A Vase On Monday – Sunrise and Dark Night

In an online catalog I saw my deep purple Odessa Cally lily described, “dark as a moonless night.” This is my first year growing Odessa and am enjoying its exotic shape, rich hue and long vase life. I cut a few new stems this week but am happily reusing some from last week also.

In A Vase On Monday – Sunrise and Dark Night

The gladiolus is a no-ID whose petals are a mix of peachy pinks and golden glow. I had gathered glads in many colors for today’s vase but pared the presentation down eventually.

In A Vase On Monday – Sunrise and Dark Night

The anthurium are also recycled from last week.

Anthurium

Chloris of The Blooming Garden recently asked if ever I had grown irises from seeds, but I have not. Her inquiry though reminded me a good number of bearded iris have developed large seedpods this year, so I decided to incorporate them into this Ikebana.

In A Vase On Monday – Sunrise and Dark Night

Materials
Flowers
Anthurium
Gladiolus
Zantedeschia rehmannii violacea ‘Odessa’ (Odessa Calla Lily)
Foliage
Tall Bearded Iris Seedpod
Container
Porcelain Ikebana vase, Georgetown Pottery, Maine. Rectangle Blue Zen (6.75L x 3.75W x 2H inches)

In A Vase On Monday – Sunrise and Dark Night

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 – Orange Deconstruction

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In A Vase On Monday – Orange Deconstruction

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

I chose a surprise late-blooming gladiolus as the focal point for today’s flowers. I find the reddish-orange waxy petals deliciously compelling.

In A Vase On Monday – Orange Deconstruction

With the gladiolus always in the forefront, or a time the design drifted from my original plan for a spare Ikebana look. Here is the initial work—the first stage. I liked this but it left exposed a lot of floral oasis.

In A Vase On Monday – Orange Impression

To conceal the mechanics I began adding other flowers. Eventually the design looked totally different and off-balance in composition and weight of materials. I also thought the gaura stems began to look cluttered, detracting from the flowers.

In A Vase On Monday – Orange Impression

Surrounded by dahlias, clematis, buddleia, salvia and lantana, the gladiolus maintained its presence but looked out of place. The shape of the gladiolus was awkward and heavy in relation to everything else, yet it was beautiful in and of itself.

In A Vase On Monday – Orange Impression

Cutting the sword into smaller and smaller pieces I finally worked my way back to a design that speaks to the essence of the starring flower. Switching vases made a big difference. In my hand portions of the gladiolus seemed perfect but were still heavy. Almost satisfied with this stage the jutting piece to the right created too much tension.

In A Vase On Monday – Orange Impression

At the expense of the design’s height, when I trimmed the wayward section and repositioned the stems, the overall result was more harmonious.

In A Vase On Monday – Orange Deconstruction

Against the black glaze the gladiolus essence is on full display.

In A Vase On Monday – Orange Deconstruction

Materials
Flowers
Gladiolus
Foliage
Gaura lindheimeri ‘Passionate Blush’ (Butterfly Gaura)
Vase
Porcelain Ikebana vase, Georgetown Pottery, Maine. Triangle Black Wave (6.5 W x 6.5 L x 2H)

In A Vase On Monday – Orange Deconstruction

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

In A Vase On Monday – June Coda

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In A Vase On Monday – June Coda

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share cut flowers from our gardens.

Days of generous rains are gone, but we did get a thunderstorm Sunday evening. Heat and humidity are settled in for summer. Fireflies are out. The month of June has flown quickly past but not before ushering in a host of summer blooms.

In A Vase On Monday – June Coda

With gladioli nearly finished, dahlias and phlox pick up the pace.

Phlox, Dahlia, Gladiolus

Dahlia ‘Cafe Au Lait’

Dahlia ‘David Howard’

Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Ruby Slippers’ and Dahlia ‘Gallery Art Deco’

Materials
Flowers
Achillea filipendulina (Fern-leaf Yarrow)
Dahlia ‘Cafe Au Lait’
Dahlia ‘Labyrinth’
Dahlia ‘David Howard’
Dahlia ‘Gallery Art Deco’
Gladiolus, unknown white
Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Ruby Slippers’ (Lil’ Ruby dwarf Oakleaf Hydrangea)
Lathyrus latifolius (Everlasting sweet pea)
Phalaenopsis (Moth Orchid)
Phlox paniculata ‘Robert Poore’ (Garden phlox)
Foliage
Vase
Black-glazed ceramic square

Two grocery-store moth orchids, each purchased several years ago, began reblooming in late February. One finished last week and I decided to go ahead and cut the other’s flower stalk for today’s vase. Its color details are picked up by other materials in the vase.

In A Vase On Monday – June Coda

Phalaenopsis (Moth Orchid)

Today’s flowers were inserted into a large florist’s pin set in a plastic black tray, and tucked into a deep, square black saucer. I had trouble with the composition and rearranged for more than an hour. After many iterations I ran out of time. I had planned a spare Ikebana-style design, but was too wedded to using as many of the collected flowers as possible. Lesson learned.

In A Vase On Monday – June Coda

In A Vase On Monday – Red Hot Summertime

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In A Vase On Monday – Red Hot Summertime

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden encourages us to share a vase highlighting what is growing in our gardens. I am reluctant to show all the weeds in mine, so that leaves dahlias and zinnias for today, along with a few Espresso gladioli like the one in last week’s vase.

I actually managed an hour of weeding one morning and continue to dream the garden will be reclaimed eventually. There were dark storm clouds every night and twice we actually received rain, though we need much more. It has been hot, hot , hot—and humid. Dahlias are thirsty. Zinnias are thrilled.

There are some beautiful red zinnias this year and I gathered as many of them and other red flowers as were available, at first conceiving a woven basket of summer flowers for this week’s In A Vase On Monday. The result ended up being more formal when I shifted direction and selected a favorite Chrisco’s Pottery vase instead. The pot stands 8 inches tall and is decorated with a black matte and glossy sgraffito design.

In A Vase On Monday – Red Hot Summertime

Flower hues include the deep red, magenta, reddish-orange, apricot and coral.

In A Vase On Monday – Red Hot Summertime

There is also a sassy orange cactus zinnia that I really enjoy.

In A Vase On Monday – Red Hot Summertime

The focus flower is Dahlia ‘Tsuku Yori No Shisha’ and features fringed white petals.

In A Vase On Monday – Red Hot Summertime

Materials
Flowers
Dahlia ‘Cafe Au Lait’
Dahlia ‘David Howard’
Dahlia ‘Gallery Art Deco’
Dahlia ‘Tsuku Yori No Shisha’
Gladioli ‘Espresso’
Zinnias
Foliage
Artemisia ‘Powis Castle’ (Wormwood)
Tanacetum vulgare (Tansy)
Container
Red/black raku vase, Charles Chrisco, Chrisco’s Pottery

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 – Espresso

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Gladioli ‘Espresso’

Beginning in early July I took time away from garden blogging and each Monday since I felt a gentle tug knowing Cathy from Rambling In The Garden and many others of you were sharing vases highlighting your garden flowers and foliage.

Time passed, just over a month, with many visits from friends and family and a much wanted trip to the beach. Family health issues continue to be a priority but there is improvement and breathing room. I have taken hundreds of pictures of the garden, dahlias and zinnias and butterflies, writing posts in my head without a chance to publish them. Last week I started scanning blogs again and today I couldn’t resist sharing this exquisite gladiolus. I have watched it open over the past few days—it may be the prettiest one I have ever grown.

Gladioli ‘Espresso’

It is always difficult to capture the essence of red flowers but perhaps you can sense the rich hue and chocolatey accents.

Gladioli ‘Espresso’

Materials
Flowers
Gladioli ‘Espresso’
Foliage
Philodendron
Container
Ceramic ikebana vase, 3 integrated ceramic tubes, built-in stem holders

A rejuvenating walk along the North Carolina shore washed away a lot of worries.

Morning Walk Along Atlantic Beach

My friend’s house where I stayed with college friends recently is located on a saltwater creek at Harker’s Island. The osprey babies are gone but the parents continue to enjoy the nest.

Harker’s Island

With gratitude 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 – Summer Shift

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

Summer is in full swing. It has been hot. Grass is browning. Cicadas sing. All week rain clouds threaten but evaporate before release, while all around us heavy storms cause flooding and wind damage. Sunday, the skies finally spill.

After admiring dahlias from many gardens the past few years I decided to take them more seriously. I’ve picked up a few tubers here and there before but without much success. A pass-along from garden club friend Libby did really well for a few years but failed to survive the 2018 winter, so I took action this spring and ordered a few. Many tubers did not grow, but I have high hopes for those that survived.

Fringed, snowy white Dahlia Semi Cactus ‘Tsuku Yori No Shisha’ was the starting point of this arrangement. Nowhere near the reputed 6-7″ span, it still promises to be a nice addition to the garden.

Dahlia Border Decorative ‘Gallery Art Deco’ advertises a “sunset blend of coral pink, apricot and red.” These are barely open, but are small compared to the 4-5″ I hope they will aspire to.

I expected “cream and pale pink” Dahlia Dinnerplate ‘Cafe Au Lait’ from the plant that produced the flower on the right front. Hope ‘Cafe Au Lait’ will materialize elsewhere because this one is not my vision. The large pink bloom became the focal point of today’s design, edging out the cactus dahlia.

[The last dahilia in my order, Dahlia ‘David Howard,’ has lovely foliage but no blooms have opened yet. I just mention it here to help me with some record keeping. It is described as having “dark foliage and glowing, golden-apricot blossoms.”]

Zinnias have been slow to arrive this year. I planted seeds from a handful of different packets, but now am unsure of varieties. Most have not bloomed yet but the first to open reseeded from last year and I included several stems to fill out today’s arrangement. I also added a few lavender spikes of Liriope muscari.

Materials
Flowers
Dahlia Border Decorative ‘Gallery Art Deco’
Dahlia Dinnerplate ‘Cafe Au Lait’
Dahlia Semi Cactus ‘Tsuku Yori No Shisha’
Gladiolus (white)
Liriope muscari
Zinnia
Foliage
Container
Porcelain Ikebana vase, Georgetown Pottery, Maine. Rectangle Blue Zen (6.75L x 3.75W x 2H inches)

In A Vase On Monday – Subtlety

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In A Vase On Monday – Subtlety

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

Another set of gladioli bloomed this week, white ones this time, with strong-stems. Looking back at last year’s vases I see I used the same white flower at the end of last June.

In A Vase On Monday – Subtlety

I collected the gladioli over 3 days, storing them in a colorful pitcher until I had time to arrange them. That time for arranging never came but I snapped some photos anyway. So here you see how I have been enjoying them all week, with the shape of the design determined by long sword-like leaves and spikes of flowers.

In A Vase On Monday – Subtlety

The title Subtlety comes from the gentle revelations of the blooms when viewed close up.

In A Vase On Monday – Subtlety

The buds have an ivory cast. Soft creamy yellow petals brushed with lavender pink markings direct attention to the anther’s deep purple pollen.

In A Vase On Monday – Subtlety

Materials
Flowers
Gladiolus
Foliage
Gladiolus
Container
Stoneware pitcher glazed with bands of cream, green, blue. (pitcher and 4 cups, Pringle Pottery, North Carolina, circa 1977).

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 – 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

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

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 – Patchwork

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In A Vase On Monday – Patchwork

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 – Patchwork

I had a weekend trip to the coast for a college friends reunion. We had clouds and daily rain showers, but also sun, rainbows, and ospreys nesting just in front of the house. Lots of fun reconnecting with these smart, witty women and remembering what it was like to be eighteen—good stories, some uncontrollable giggles. On our last morning together we managed to practice yoga and meditate outdoors under a blue sky.

Back home in Chapel Hill the garden is in need of a good soaking. A half-dozen gladiolas opened while I was away so I tried to create a mixed arrangement using them along with some sweet peas and zinnias. Zinnias are producing more and more blooms. They tolerate heat and lack of water, though even they seem tired of this dry spell. Gladiola are awkward in such a social setting, so I ended up letting them rest on the sideline. A patchwork quilt of zinnias moved into the spotlight.

Materials

Flowers
Gladiolus
Lathyrus latifolius (Perennial Sweet Pea)
Zinnia ‘Cut and Come Again Mix’
Zinnia elegans ’Cactus Flower Blend’

Vase
Stoneware pitcher glazed with bands of cream, green, blue. (Pringle Pottery, North Carolina, circa 1977)

In A Vase On Monday – Patchwork

Thanks to Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for hosting and giving us a chance to express our flower arranging passion. Visit her to discover what she and others found this week in their gardens to place In A Vase On Monday.

In A Vase On Monday – Summer Serenity

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In A Vase On Monday – Summer Serenity [color filter: Instant]

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

The first two of an all white gladiolus collection planted in early summer have begun to open. In a season when bright hot colors usually dominate, these clean, fresh flowers evoke a sense of purity and calm.

In A Vase On Monday – Summer Serenity

Each white flower is accented with purple pollen grains and violet brushstrokes at the throat.

In A Vase On Monday – Summer Serenity

These purple attributes are reinforced in the design by the amethyst swirls of a Caithness glass bud vase and spires of lavender-blue Russian sage.

In A Vase On Monday – Summer Serenity

The camera enunciated a pale yellow characteristic that barely registers when viewed in person, but which complements nonetheless.

Materials

Flowers
Gladiolus
Perovskia atriplicifolia (Russian sage)

Vase
Caithness glass bud vase

In A Vase On Monday – Summer Serenity

Thanks to Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for hosting and giving us a chance to release our flower arranging passion. Visit her to discover what she and others found this week in their gardens to place In A Vase On Monday.

In A Vase On Monday – Zinnia Zest

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In A Vase On Monday – Zinnia Zest

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

I love the sunny disposition zinnias bring to the garden. These began flowering this past week just as many other blooms succumbed to recent hot and dry weather. They will continue well into October.

Zinnia ‘Cut and Come Again Mix’

Zinnia elegans ’Cactus Flower Blend’

Bright and cheerful, long-lasting as cut flowers, zinnias add color and zest to summer vases.

In A Vase On Monday – Zinnia Zest

These stems are pinned into a florist’s frog to hold them in place. Several fronds of fern add flair and help balance the design.

In A Vase On Monday – Zinnia Zest

Materials

Flowers
Zinnia ‘Cut and Come Again Mix’
Zinnia elegans ’Cactus Flower Blend’
Fern leaves

Vase
Straight-sided round black vase
Ceramic bowl, black matte exterior, red glazed interior

In A Vase On Monday – Zinnia Zest

In A Vase On Monday – Summer Bouquet

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In A Vase On Monday – Summer Bouquet

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

Summertime flowers spill into each other throughout the borders.

In A Vase On Monday – Summer Bouquet

Passalong dahlias and everlasting sweet peas are particularly lush this year.

Lathyrus latifolius (Everlasting sweet pea)

Dahlia – passalong from Libby

Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Ruby Slippers’ has been a star in the garden for several months. Echinacea too are having a good year, encouraged by frequent rain.

Tucked in the back–Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Ruby Slippers’ and Echinacea

Most of the Lamb’s ear (another passalong) has long ago faded, but several fresh flowers are forming.

Stachys byzantina (Lamb’s Ear)

A few gladioli are flowering here and there. This one is from last season. I planted quite a few new corms but they have not begun to bloom.

Sweet Pea, Dahlia and Gladiolus

Materials

Flowers
Dahlia
Echinacea purpurea (Purple Coneflower)
Gladiolus
Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Ruby Slippers’ (Lil’ Ruby dwarf Oakleaf Hydrangea)
Lathyrus latifolius (Perennial or Everlasting sweet pea)
Stachys byzantina (Lamb’s Ear)

Vase
Dark blue ceramic vase

In A Vase On Monday – Summer Bouquet

In A Vase On Monday – A Little Lime

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In A Vase On Monday – A Little Lime

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

After hot days in February and cold snaps in March, the old-fashioned mophead hydrangeas again this year lost their buds. Disappointed, I determined it really was time to invest in a couple of hydrangeas that bloom on new growth.

So in early April I added a dwarf ‘Limelight’ hydrangea called Hydrangea paniculata ‘Little Lime’ and another dwarf, Hydrangea paniculata ‘Bobo’. Both received plenty of rain this year and appear to be adapting to their new home.

Little Lime is the stronger of the two so far and I was able to trim several stems for today’s vase. Bobo is not blooming as profusely so I cut only one stem. It is barely discernible in the lower left portion below. It has whiter, more delicate petals.

In A Vase On Monday – A Little Lime

For accompaniment there are gladiolas. My glads have faded quickly in the summer heat but I was able to salvage the top portions from several stalks that had mostly dried up. The tips were still very fresh.

In A Vase On Monday – A Little Lime

Salvia guaranitica ‘Black and Blue’ adds a striking bit of color to one of the vases, especially directly against the greenish hydrangea.

In A Vase On Monday – A Little Lime

Materials

Flowers

Gladiolus
Hydrangea paniculata ‘Bobo’
Hydrangea paniculata ‘Little Lime’
Salvia guaranitica ‘Black and Blue’

Vases
Two porcelain Ikebana, rectangle and triangle

In A Vase On Monday – A Little Lime

In A Vase On Monday – Garden Variety

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In A Vase On Monday – Garden Variety

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

First I am happy to report I graduated from an intensive 3-week long, 200-hour yoga teacher training on Saturday. It was an amazing, exhilarating experience. I have appreciated your good wishes and encouragement the past few weeks and am looking forward to catching up on your blog posts soon.

There has been little time to reconnect with my garden but stepping out to gather items for this week’s vase, I noticed suddenly lantana, buddleia and phlox are in flower along with monarda, echinacea and shasta daisies. From among these I picked Phlox paniculata to share today.

In seeking companions for the phlox, I abandoned my usual restraint, including a mix of whatever flowers said hello as I walked through the borders.

The result is an untamed garden variety of shapes, sizes and colors. The flowers were left unarranged in a water glass just as they were placed when I collected them.

Materials

Dahlia, a passalong, possibly ‘Wisconsin Red’
Gladiolus
Hydrangea paniculata ‘Jane’ LITTLE LIME
Lathyrus latifolius (Perennial Sweet Pea)
Phlox paniculata ‘Robert Poore’
Salvia guaranitica ‘Black and Blue’
Zantedeschia ‘Orange Blend’ (Calla lily)

(Click on an image below to view a slideshow.)

Lathyrus latifolius (Perennial Sweet Pea)

In A Vase On Monday – Rosy Tri-tone

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In A Vase On Monday – Rosy Tri-tone

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

Gladiolas are an old-fashioned flower I adore, reminding me of many mornings spent with my maternal grandmother. She kept a kept a colorful vase of mixed gladioli on her indoor porch just off the kitchen, where we shelled butterbeans and peas and scraped, never peeled, the skins from tiny, new potatoes.

In A Vase On Monday – Rosy Tri-tone

Materials

Flowers
Gaura lindheimeri ‘Passionate Blush’ (Butterfly Gaura)
Gladiolus
Stem of spent orchid

Vases
Straight-sided round glass vase
Slender glass square bottle

Hope you enjoy the week ahead. This is the last week of my 200-hour yoga teacher training program. Soon Garden Bloggers’ Fling will begin. Looking forward to meeting some of you there.

In A Vase On Monday—Gardenia And Company

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In A Vase On Monday

Monday again! Time to join Cathy with In A Vase On Monday to share an arrangement using materials gathered from the garden.

I chose a black triangular vase this week to highlight three surprise gardenias I found yesterday blooming along the north side of the house. The gardenia’s sweet fragrance is difficult to adequately describe, but is as luscious as its pure white petals.

Gardenia jasminoides

Relentless heat and lack of rain has characterized our weather the past month and as a result a mid-summer planting of gladiolas has failed. The plants looked strong and promising during July and I was looking forward to using them arrangements. But August sered the leaves and stunted the blooms. I salvaged just a portion of one to use with the gardenias today.

Gladiolus

There are more zinnias included this week. One of the few flowers able to withstand the recent temperatures, even their foliage is looking distressed.

Cactus Zinnia

When gathering flowers for today’s vase I also found a single stem of perennial sweet pea that looked fresh enough to include. Though the bloom is non-scented, the twining tendrils of this passalong add extra texture to the design.

In A Vase On Monday

Materials
Gardenia jasminoides
Gladiolus
Lathyrus latifolius (Perennial Sweet Pea)
Zinnia ‘Cut and Come Again Mix’ (Burpee, popular cutting variety, 24” H)
Zinnia ‘Burpeeana Giants Mix’ (Burpee, colorful huge 6’ Blooms, 24” H)
Zinnia elegans ’Cactus Flower Blend’ (Botanical Interests, 4-6” wide, 2-3’H. Heirloom Twist and shout. Double and semi-double)
Porcelain Ikebana vases, Georgetown Pottery, Maine. Triangle Black Wave (6.5 W x 6.5 L x 2H)

It is always such a pleasure to put together a weekly vase. Thanks to Cathy for hosting and giving us a chance to express our flower arranging passion. Visit her at Rambling In The Garden to discover what she and others are placing In A Vase On Monday.

In A Vase On Monday—Choices

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In A Vase On Monday

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

Last weekend my good friend Susan and I took a short trip to Creedmoor, NC, to browse the handmade American crafts at Cedar Creek Gallery. If you have a few minutes to learn about this unique place, I encourage you to watch this 4:33-minute video and you will certainly want to visit too.

Having in mind from the outset to shop for a new flower vase, I returned home with three prizes, all Ikebana vases with integrated pin frogs. I had spotted them immediately upon entering the gallery, just inside the front entryway. After admiring many other beautiful pieces, I returned to those that first caught my eye and prepared to make a selection.

I chose a black triangular vase and a blue rectangular one. With me vacillating among other choices of designs, my friend stepped in at my moment of indecision and treated me to the third vase as an early Christmas present, a triangular shape decorated in the blue wave pattern. Thank you Susan!

Porcelain. Rectangle Ikebana Vase Blue Zen (6.75L x 3.75W x 2H), Triangle Ikebana Blue Wave (6.5 W x 6.5 L x 2H), Triangle Ikebana Black Wave (6.5 W x 6.5 L x 2H)

I had planned to make only one arrangement today but this type of vase does not hold a lot of material. And there were plenty of flowers left over to use in experimenting. I never felt any of the three were quite finished, rather I just finally stopped working on them for now.

The first vase holds two red gladiolas (the first of 30 planted in mid-June just coming into bloom), a large orange cactus zinnia, a sprig of orange peppers and a red dahlia. This design went through many iterations, even some made digitally, to explore the composition and proportions. If anyone is curious I included some of the design stages at the end of this post.

Rectangle Blue Zen In Red and Orange

Gladiolus

The next vase began with an interesting seed pod rescued from a recently bloomed canna. I think the pod has great potential but I allowed that tallest zinnia to distract from it. It is less worrisome in person though.

The bright yellow zinnias are from a Burpee Zinnia ‘Burpeeana Giants Mix’ packet. This year I also planted ‘Cut and Come Again Mix’ zinnias from Burpee and Zinnia elegans ’Cactus Flower Blend’ from Botanical Interests.

Yellow celosia adds movement and energy.

Triangle Black Wave In Cream And Yellow

The third vase is sprightly and pink. It is the only one where I used foliage, cut from Daphne odora ‘Aureomarginata.’ The flowers are zinnias, obedient plant and verbena bonariensis.

Triangle Blue Wave In Pink And Cream

Materials
Canna Seed Pod
Capsicum annuum ‘NuMex Easter’ (dwarf Ornamental pepper)
Dahlia, spp.
Daphne odora ‘Aureomarginata’ (Winter daphne)
Fresh Look Mix Celosia (citrus colors)
Gladiolus
Physostegia virginiana (Obedient Plant)
Verbena bonariensis (Tall Verbena)
Zinnia ‘Cut and Come Again Mix’ (Burpee, popular cutting variety, 24” H)
Zinnia ‘Burpeeana Giants Mix’ (Burpee, colorful huge 6’ Blooms, 24” H)
Zinnia elegans ’Cactus Flower Blend’ (Botanical Interests, 4-6” wide, 2-3’H. Heirloom Twist and shout. Double and semi-double)
Porcelain Ikebana vases, Georgetown Pottery, Maine. Rectangle Blue Zen (6.75L x 3.75W x 2H inches), Triangle Blue Wave (6.5 W x 6.5 L x 2H), Triangle Black Wave (6.5 W x 6.5 L x 2H)

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

Notes On Design Progressions

In the sets of images below, the ones on the left are photographs of the actual arrangement while those on the right are imagined.

The first set show the earliest version of the red design. It was only after viewing photos that I noticed the design looked too heavy on the left side. I ending up reworking it several times.

In post-production I edited the photographs to imagine making different cuts than what I really did.

Digital Redesign – Before

Digital Redesign – After

Here is an intermediate version on the left (the real thing). I had shifted the orange peppers to the right and added some Daphne greenery to improve the balance of the composition. Again the images on the right show some imaginary changes to the design through digital editing. I was reluctant to trim down the gladiolas but in fact they were too tall for the vase. Trimming the top of the left-leaning gladiolus improves the design. If I had done that and then lopped a little from the top of the center glad as well, I would probably have been happy with the design.

Digital Redesign 2 – Before

Digital Redesign 2 – After, State 1

Digital Redesign 2 – After, State 2

In my final version of the real-life arrangement greenery was removed. The orange ornamental peppers moved to the back where they got somewhat lost. The gladiolas were shortened. After trimming and repositioning, the gladiolas relate better to the size and shape of rectangular vase. The glad on the right crowds the dahlia, but I can live with it.

Rectangle Blue Zen In Red and Orange

In A Vase On Monday—Sweet Pea Reduction

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In A Vase On Monday – Sweet Pea Reduction

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

Though the house is filled with a cheerful and lively abundance of Shasta daisies, echinacea and gladioli, for today’s vase I chose to concentrate on making a design that would be spare and constrained.

A long shallow dish with a metal interior was the inspiration and starting point, countered by a fan of gladiolus foliage standing upright at one end. A small but heavy Kenzan vessel was used to hold the leaves in place. One leaf was bent into a loose, circular shape, while another was manipulated with angular cuts. Small black stones were scattered out from the base of the Kenzan.

Next a lemon yellow celosia was added near the base, followed with a flower from a Ruby Slippers oakleaf hydrangea and the top of a white gladiolus holding three blooms.

Hydrangea, Gladiolus, Celosia

A long stem of Lathyrus latifolius (Perennial Sweet Pea) with new and aging flowers was inserted close to the gladiolus stems, its position secured into the Kenzan at the base and reinforced higher using a couple of the wispy sweet pea tendrils to latch on to the gladiolus stems.

Finally a woody stem of chrysanthemum foliage was bent and added to swing out across the dish to the left. One improvement I would make is to increase the length and arc of the line formed by the chrysanthemum, perhaps replacing the chrysanthemum with flowing bear grass.

In A Vase On Monday – Sweet Pea Reduction

Materials
Gladiolus
Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Ruby Slippers’ (Lil’ Ruby dwarf Oakleaf Hydrangea)
Fresh Look Mix Celosia (citrus colors)
Lathyrus latifolius (Perennial Sweet Pea)
Foliage: Gladiolus, Chrysanthemum
Mechanics:
shallow, oblong footed dish, metal interior and black matte exterior
black, round self-contained Kenzan (flower arranging frog)
small, black stones

The photographs tend to flatten the dimensionality of the flowers, especially that of the sweet peas.

Chrysanthemum leaves and Lathyrus latifolius (Perennial Sweet Pea)

They are reduced to shape and color creating pattern in a most interesting way.

Lathyrus latifolius (Perennial Sweet Pea)

In A Vase On Monday—Vertical Challenge

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In A Vase On Monday-Vertical Challenge

Monday brings the chance to display cut flowers from the garden by participating in Cathy’s weekly invitation In A Vase On Monday.

Today’s arrangement of gladiolas and hydrangeas went together quickly, but I thought I might never get any pictures I could use to share them.

In A Vase On Monday-Vertical Challenge

Gladiolas, adorable old-fashioned favorites, this year are blooming straighter and taller than ever, setting off today’s vertical challenge.

Though I have the perfect vase to accommodate the gladiolas’ height, photographing such a tall arrangement has been a test. I much prefer landscape format for my images, but the vertical nature of these flowers forced me into four different picture-taking sessions of mostly portrait format. Finding a satisfactory background with adequate light and capturing the rich intensity of color among the gladiolas were tricky.

Almost 200 photos later, realizing I needed to chill, I finally chose a handful to represent my Monday vase. The very first image gives a good idea of the overall size, proportion and shape of the design. The colors are truer in this version below.

In A Vase On Monday-Vertical Challenge

Materials

Gladiolus
Hydrangea macrophylla
Glass vase (This glass vase is one I love using, especially as it commemorates last year’s visit from Christina almost 1 year ago.)

In A Vase On Monday-Vertical Challenge

This should be a long-lasting arrangement. I like the way it turned out and now that I am no longer photographing it, I know I will enjoy it this week.

In A Vase On Monday-Vertical Challenge

As always, thanks to Cathy for hosting this weekly flower obsession. Visit her at Rambling In The Garden to discover what she and other gardeners are placing In A Vase On Monday.

Butterflies and Glad Tidings

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Throughout the day yesterday I glimpsed this male swallowtail nectaring at this large stand of Verbena bonariensis (Tall Verbena). The day before the garden had been filled with colorful American Goldfinch (Carduelis trusts) also enjoying this plant. The verbena has scattered itself all around the borders, so this year I have been able to share some with friends.

male Eastern tiger swallowtail (Papilio glaucus)

male Eastern tiger swallowtail (Papilio glaucous) enjoying Verbena bonariensis (Tall Verbena)

male Eastern tiger swallowtail (Papilio glaucus)

About a month ago I noticed a Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) fluttering around, just for a day, but I could never get a picture. Then again on Saturday another passed through. Still no picture of the butterfly, so I will share its host plant, Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly Plant).

Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly Plant)

This spectacular gladiolus below is from a package of blue shades mix planted last spring. The bulbs performed poorly last year, so seeing this royal spire each day thrills me. Although the tip of the stem is out of view, at this stage the gladiolus is half blooms and half buds.

After Aquilegia canadensis (Eastern red columbine) finished blooming here in the western border, I cut it back leaving this section looking particularly bare. Now that the weather has finally warmed up, everything should fill in quickly: Buddleia davidii ‘Adokeep’ (Butterfly Bush), Helianthus angustifolius (Swamp Sunflower) and Phlox paniculata (Garden Phlox). I am still deciding how to replace the gardenia hedge that once lined this fence along the back.

Gladiolus

This is the same flower after a rain a few days earlier, with the northwest corner in the background: ‘Carolina Sapphire’ (Arizona Cypress), Phlox paniculata (Garden Phlox), Callicarpa americana (American beauty berry), Cornus florida (Flowering Dogwood). In front of the planter Allium atropurpureum are preparing to bloom.

Gladiolus

In A Vase On Monday—In Search Of The Blues

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In A Vase On Monday

Monday brings the chance to practice flower arranging by joining in Cathy’s weekly challenge In A Vase On Monday, where the goal is simply to fill a vase using materials gathered in one’s own garden.

In A Vase On Monday

I last wrote about using Angelonia in the meditation circle and it was still on my mind when I began planning a vase for this week. The rich colors seemed to be a good starting point for an arrangement.

Angelonia ‘Alonia Big Indigo’

As an afterthought I also brought in some gladiolas from a bulb collection planted this spring, misleadingly named Gladiolus ‘Blue Shades Mix.’ Do pink and magenta really qualify as blue shades? No, but these flowers are lovely.

Pink Gladiolus

Magenta Gladiolus

This is the first purple from this “blue collection.” I like it a lot. Somehow Gladiolus became the focal flower for today, with the Angelonia taking on a supporting role.

Purple Gladiolus from Blue Shades Collection

In spring I planted a small Aucuba japonica ‘Variegata’ (Gold Dust Aucuba) for the express purpose of exploiting its foliage for flower design. That shrub is doing well enough to contribute a few dark, shiny leaves today.

Foliage of Aucuba japonica ‘Variegata’ (Gold Dust Aucuba) and Gladiolus Flower

A pair of glass vases that belonged to my maternal grandmother were the appropriate size. I inserted a rolled Aucuba leaf into each vase to hide the flower stems.

Glass vases are lined with Aucuba japonica ‘Variegata’ (Gold Dust Aucuba)

Materials
Aucuba japonica ‘Variegata’ (Gold Dust Aucuba)
Angelonia ‘Serena White,’ ‘Alonia Big Indigo,’ ‘Serenita Raspberry’ and ‘Rose’
Gladiolus ‘Blue Shades Mix’
Matching scalloped glass vases

In A Vase On Monday

Still searching for blue, here is a look from up above.

In A Vase On Monday

Thanks to Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for hosting. Discover what she and others are placing In A Vase On Monday.

In A Vase On Monday—Summer Spectrum

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In A Vase On Monday

Monday morning is time to join Cathy for In A Vase On Monday, a weekly invitation to fill and share a vase using materials gathered from one’s garden.

After watering the garden Sunday morning I gathered flowers for a vase. Choosing as many Salvia guaranitica ‘Black and Blue’ as I could find, I clustered them together in the center of my grandmother’s glass floral frog as the starting point for an arrangement. The container is a hand-thrown ceramic glazed picece, about 9 inches in diameter and 1.5 inches tall.

Cluster stems of Salvia guaranitica ‘Black and Blue’ in center of glass frog

I added a few stems of Perovskia atriplicifolia (Russian Sage) to help define the outer edges of design.

Add Perovskia atriplicifolia (Russian Sage) to help define outer edge of design

For filler flowers I used a stem of Alstroemeria and different colors of Angelonia.

Add Angelonia to fill in design toward outer edge

Next I deconstructed a gladiolus to use the individual blooms around the base of the arrangement.

Descontruct Gladiolus. Use to add color and hide mechanics.

A single Dahlia ‘Firepot’ and an Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly weed) were used as focal flowers.

Dahlia ‘Firepot’, Gladiolus

Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly weed), Gladiolus

In A Vase On Monday

I can quibble with the design proportions—the materials need to be extended out wider and the shape is uneven. As I rotate the vase I realize the arrangement looks very different from front to back and from overhead it is askew.

In A Vase On Monday. View From Above

And yet, I love this vase of flowers. The flowers are fresh, the textures are interesting together.

The rich vibrant hues in this assortment speak to me of summer itself. At first the colors contrast and shock, then they blend and meld.

In A Vase On Monday

Dahlia ‘Firepot’, Gladiolus

Materials

Alstroemeria x ‘Tesmach’ (Inticancha® Machu Peruvian Lily)
Angelonia ‘Alonia Big Indigo’
Angelonia ‘Raspberry’
Angelonia ’Serena White’
Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly weed)
Dahlia ‘Firepot’
Gladiolus sp.
Gomphrena globosa (Globe amaranth)
Perovskia atriplicifolia (Russian Sage)
Salvia guaranitica ‘Black and Blue’

Salvia guaranitica ‘Black and Blue’ and Gladiolus

Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly weed)

Angelonia ’Serena White’

Angelonia ‘Raspberry’

Gomphrena, Angelonia ‘Raspberry’, Gladiolus

Thank you to Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for welcoming everyone to join her in this opportunity to share a vase each week. Please visit her to see what she and others are placing In A Vase On Monday.

Repeating A Garden Ritual

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Vintage Flower Clippers

My husband recalls from elementary school being assigned to write a paper on the subject of grandmother’s hands. Too bad his original manuscript is lost to posterity, but it fascinates me he occasionally remembers that particular, somewhat sentimental, title.

Grandmother’s hands popped into my head yesterday when I was out in the garden performing a ritual of sorts.

Gladiolus After A Rain

Many a summer morning as a child I followed behind my maternal grandmother as she picked up her clippers from a shelf and headed to her cutting garden.

There among her neat rows of gladioli in assorted colors, I would helpfully point out the ones I thought she should select (probably any with a sliver of red), but like the kitchen, the cutting garden really was her purview and hers alone.

She would gather into her apron the flowers with blooms that were sufficiently open and would bring them back indoors to lovingly arrange.

I realized last year I have ended up with my maternal grandmother’s flower clippers and it occurred to me to take a photograph of them sometime.

Finally yesterday morning I went a step further. Following a heavy rain the night before, a few gladioli stood in need of rescue.

Gladioli

I retrieved my grandmother’s clippers from a shelf in the garage. There were three flower stalks and with each solemn cut I made a conscious connection, a pleasant one, back to my childhood.

Gladioli and Vintage Flower Clippers

And there it was—stuck in my head—my husband’s essay topic, grandmother’s hands. How many times had my grandmother’s hands held these little clippers, I wondered. How many times had she slipped the latch to free the blades?

Vintage Flower Clippers Belonged to Maternal Grandmother

The clippers made clean cuts after all these years and brought back nice memories. They are back on the shelf now, the clippers and the memories. Their heft I still feel in my own hand.

Gladioli and Vintage Flower Clippers

So grandmother’s hands? The writing prompt I best remember from early high school is A Red Leaf Takes A Tumble. Fortunately my effort on that is also one lost to posterity but I know I enjoyed exploring it. Do you have a favorite assigned writing topic?

pbmGarden

Sense of place, purpose, rejuvenation and joy

Tag Archives: gladiolus

In A Vase On Monday – Sunrise and Dark Night

In A Vase On Monday – Orange Deconstruction

In A Vase On Monday – June Coda

In A Vase On Monday – Red Hot Summertime

In A Vase On Monday – Espresso

In A Vase On Monday – Summer Shift

In A Vase On Monday – Subtlety

In A Vase On Monday – Red And Glad

In A Vase On Monday – Succession Of Three With Gladiolus

Vase One

Vase Two

Vase Three

Materials

In A Vase On Monday – Patchwork

In A Vase On Monday – Summer Serenity

In A Vase On Monday – Zinnia Zest

In A Vase On Monday – Summer Bouquet

In A Vase On Monday – A Little Lime

In A Vase On Monday – Garden Variety

In A Vase On Monday – Rosy Tri-tone

In A Vase On Monday—Gardenia And Company

In A Vase On Monday—Choices

Notes On Design Progressions

In A Vase On Monday—Sweet Pea Reduction

In A Vase On Monday—Vertical Challenge

Materials

Butterflies and Glad Tidings

In A Vase On Monday—In Search Of The Blues

In A Vase On Monday—Summer Spectrum

Repeating A Garden Ritual