Tag Archives: Hippeastrum (Amaryllis)

In A Vase On Monday – Amphora With Flower

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In A Vase On Monday – Amphora With Flower

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

The last of the holiday Amaryllis opened overnight, delaying a planned debut of this year’s hellebores. Amaryllis ‘Très Chic’ had already exceeded expectations with it first two stalks before sending up one more.

In A Vase On Monday – Amphora With Flower

The vase is a hefty amphora created by our daughter during her high school days.

In A Vase On Monday – Amphora With Flower

In A Vase On Monday – Amphora With Flower

In A Vase On Monday – Amphora With Flower

Materials
Flowers
Amaryllis ‘Très Chic’ (Hippeastrum)
Foliage
English Lavender
Container
Amphora

A dozen robins joined a backyard garden party of cardinals, wrens, mourning doves, towhees a couple of days ago, forming a cheerful reminder spring is on the way. Several days before I counted a half-dozen Red-winged Blackbirds gathering briefly in the redbud tree before continuing on their way.

I had help this year readying the garden—rabbit fencing and the first weeding, cutting back and mulching chores are checked off the list.  Daffodils have been pushing through since December. Their buds are finally starting to show. A few spring flowers are on order.  How about you?

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

In A Vase On Monday – Red and Read

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In A Vase On Monday – Red and Read

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

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

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

In A Vase On Monday – Red and Read

In A Vase On Monday – Red and Read

In A Vase On Monday – Red and Read

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

In A Vase On Monday – Red and Read

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

In A Vase On Monday – Assemblage And Light

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In A Vase On Monday – Assemblage And Light

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

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

In A Vase On Monday – Assemblage And Light

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

In A Vase On Monday – Assemblage And Light

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

In A Vase On Monday – Assemblage And Light

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

In A Vase On Monday – Assemblage And Light

In A Vase On Monday – Assemblage And Light

In A Vase On Monday – Assemblage And Light

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

In A Vase On Monday – Assemblage And Light

In A Vase On Monday – Assemblage And Light

In A Vase On Monday – Assemblage And Light

In A Vase On Monday – Assemblage And Light

In A Vase On Monday – Assemblage And Light

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

In A Vase On Monday – Flowery Impulse

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In A Vase On Monday – Flowery Impulse

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

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

Second stem of Amaryllis ‘Tres Chic’ had 7 buds

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

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

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

In A Vase On Monday – Flowery Impulse

In A Vase On Monday – Flowery Impulse

In A Vase On Monday – Flowery Impulse

In A Vase On Monday – Flowery Impulse

In A Vase On Monday – Flowery Impulse

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

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

In A Vase On Monday – Flowery Impulse

In A Vase On Monday – Flowery Impulse

In A Vase On Monday – Flowery Impulse

In A Vase On Monday – Flowery Impulse

In A Vase On Monday – Flowery Impulse

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

 

In A Vase On Monday – Holiday Mood

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In A Vase On Monday – Holiday Mood

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 – Holiday Mood

The Calla lilies and vase used the previous two Mondays are back for a third appearance. I don’t think I have ever had an arranged flowers last so long. The lilies, still looking fresh, remain mostly in their original spots, with the last three flowers from the potted calla lily plant added to fill in the design.

The lily foliage, which had faded to a golden yellow last week, finally browned and was removed. Greenery used today is from the garden, columbine and fragrant sprigs of rosemary and lavender.

Columbine and Callas

Calla Lilies with Rosemary

A lovely Amaryllis bulb gift from a yoga friend just before Thanksgiving produced 4 large red flowers on a single and has a second stem as well.

Amaryllis

I was photographing the amaryllis this week, unfortunately knocking off one of the blooms in the process. Saved a few days in a small vase, today the flower serves as a bright red focal point.

Amaryllis Surrounded By Columbine

With the addition of the red amaryllis, the design called for more red. My solution was to add a spare cutting of Poinsettia and a stem of faux berries. They helped with balance and with composition.

Callas, Poinsettia And Faux Berries

In A Vase On Monday – Holiday Mood

In A Vase On Monday – Holiday Mood

In A Vase On Monday – Holiday Mood

Materials
Flowers
Hippeastrum (Amaryllis)
Calla Lily (Zantedeschia)
Poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima)
Foliage
Aquilegia canadensis (Eastern red columbine)
Lavender
Rosemary
Container
Textured, incised ceramic pedestal vase, rice or bone color. 5×6-inches.

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

In A Vase On Monday – Blue Jar Tower

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In A Vase On Monday – Blue Jar Tower

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

The white double hippeastrum (amaryllis) and the purple orchid may look familiar. The orchid appeared in Christmastide December 21, 2020; the hippeastrum in Blue Vase January 11, 2021; and jointly they formed the basis of Odds And Ends January 18, 2021. Redundant as they may be I am grateful to have these fabulous flowers in bloom for such a long period during an otherwise drab time of the year.  

In A Vase On Monday – Blue Jar Tower

In A Vase On Monday – Blue Jar Tower

I was amused last week by how many of you commented you own, but mostly don’t (or even never) use a mortar, and you were surprised to see one used as a floral container.  Each week as I search around for something to hold Monday flowers, pretty much any vessel is fair game to use as a vase. I didn’t plan today to try to use something unexpected as a container, but coincidentally my mother’s cookie jar, which normally sits on the same counter where the hippeastrum has been growing, is the inspiration for today’s design. These past weeks I kept wondering if I could transfer the plant into the cookie jar without breaking the stalks to give it a stronger foundation and yes, it was simple.  The bulb was originally planted in a 6 by 6.5 inch ornamental pail. Luckily the pail had a removable plastic insert so I was able to lift the insert and move the contents without disrupting roots, stems or flowers. The cookie jar is two inches taller than the original container and much heavier.

In A Vase On Monday – Blue Jar Tower

Neither the cookie jar’s turquoise color nor its shape worked quite as well as I had envisioned. But all in all the 2.5-foot towering arrangement carries an awesome sense of floral drama for this time of year, even if the height made it difficult to photograph. This image was taken looking down at it from the staircase in the foyer and so has foreshortening.

In A Vase On Monday – Blue Jar Tower

Placed upon the buffet the vase fills the dining room.

In A Vase On Monday – Blue Jar Tower

Materials
Flowers
Hippeastrum (amaryllis)
Orchid
Foliage
Lavender
Orchid
Container
Turquoise Cookie Jar, 8-inches high, 6 inches at mouth

In A Vase On Monday – Blue Jar Tower

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 surprises she and others found to place in a vase this week.

In A Vase On Monday – Odds And Ends

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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 – Odds And Ends

In a fruitless search for hellebores in flower I happened upon the sasanquas nearing the end of their season. So with hellebores tediously slow to emerge this year, I selected a few stems of Yuletide, mostly for the dark green foliage, but eventually a flower made its way into Monday’s vase.

Already I had gathered sprigs of lavender and pieces of Daphne in bud to form a collar around the base of an orchid.

Daphne odora and Camellia sasanqua ‘Yuletide’

Purple Orchid and White Amaryllis

Three remaining flowers from last week’s cut Hippeastrum stalk opened Friday, but by Sunday they were already fading. I propped them up beneath the orchid to include in today’s presentation.

In A Vase On Monday – Odds And Ends

In A Vase On Monday – Odds And Ends

Hippeastrum (amaryllis)

Materials
Flowers
Camellia sasanqua ‘Yuletide’
Hippeastrum (amaryllis)
Orchid
Foliage
Daphne odora (Winter daphne)
‘Pride of Gibraltar’ Hummingbird Cerinthe
Camellia sasanqua ‘Yuletide’
Lavender
Container
Gray Marble Mortar

The container is from a mortar and pestle set made of marble that measures 4 inches high with a 4-inch diameter, a bit small for the height of the flowers.

I wish I had nestled the amaryllis down closer into the foliage but I was called away for a few minutes and in coming back to the vase later I did not take time to rework it. I think it would have balanced the design better by grounding or anchoring the weight of the largest flowers, allowing the smallest ones, the orchids, to float.  All in all though these odds and ends found around the house and garden are a soothing balm at middle January .

In A Vase On Monday – Odds And Ends

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 surprises she and others found to place in a vase this week and feel free to join in with your own vase.

In A Vase On Monday – Blue Vase

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In A Vase On Monday – Blue Vase

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

I previewed this hippeastrum (amaryllis) a few days ago before any flowers had fully opened. We received the pre-planted bulb a couple weeks before Christmas, a thoughtful surprise from our niece and her family. I love the color and detect a slight fragrance (almost pepperminty), which I’ve never experienced with these flowers before.

In A Vase On Monday – Blue Vase

It has been fun watching the plant in action. To use as a cut flower it is recommended to cut the stem when the bud is at marshmallow stage, before the flower has opened, but generally it should be okay to harvest at a later stage. Three of my six buds are now in full bloom with the center-facing one actually starting to fade slightly.  I made the cut about an inch above the bulb and placed the stem in water for conditioning for several hours before using. Now the bulb can concentrate on nurturing the two remaining stalks.

In A Vase On Monday – Blue Vase

Stately and serene, the lidded ceramic jar is one of my favorite vases for holding white flowers. It was a gift from my daughter so I send her a little smile whenever I use it.

In A Vase On Monday – Blue Vase

Materials
Flowers
Hippeastrum (amaryllis)
Foliage
Arum Italicum
Container
Dark blue matte ceramic jar (by NC potter Julie A. Hunkins, c. 2000)

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 surprises she and others found to place in a vase this week.

In A Vase On Monday – Amaryllis (Hippeastrum hybrid)

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In A Vase On Monday – Amaryllis (Hippeastrum hybrid)

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

Two of my sisters visited during Thanksgiving weekend to help celebrate my husband’s birthday and I was thrilled to receive a gift of my own—this amazing amaryllis Cindy grew. A dwarf hybrid, whose name is forgotten, came planted in a charming white tin bucket and already displaying 4 open blooms on one stalk. A fifth flower has since opened. Unfortunately I forgot to take a photograph before cutting the flowering stem to allow it to condition in water overnight.

I read the hippeastrum should last two weeks as a cut flower or ten days left attached to the bulb.

There is a second stalk growing from the bulb as well. Though buds are not visible yet on the second one, perhaps this amaryllis will make its way into a future Monday vase.

The tops of these flowers exhibit white petals smudged with pink, while the lower petals are pure white. Centers are a rich lime green.

In A Vase On Monday – Amaryllis (Hippeastrum hybrid)

Variegated, heart-shaped leaves gently frame today’s flowers.

In A Vase On Monday – Amaryllis (Hippeastrum hybrid)

My neighbor Carrie passed along this philodendron cutting a few weeks ago and it quickly took root in water. (Hers is quietly traversing and conquering great swaths of territory in her house.)

I enjoy the way the philodendron roots serve here to add both weight and movement to the bottom half of the bud vase.

In A Vase On Monday – Amaryllis (Hippeastrum hybrid)

Before settling on this clear vase I tried several options, including a pink hand-blown perfume bottle. The amaryllis stalk was much too thick, but I kept the bottle as a companion. The lines in the bottle pick up the floating curves of the philodendron roots.

In A Vase On Monday – Amaryllis (Hippeastrum hybrid)

Materials

Flowers
Amaryllis (Hippeastrum hybrid)
Foliage
Philodendron
Container
Glass bud vase

In A Vase On Monday – Amaryllis (Hippeastrum hybrid)

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 – Form and Flower

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In A Vase On Monday – Form and Flower

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share an arrangement using materials collected from our gardens. Like much of the United States my state of North Carolina  has been in deep freeze, literally setting records for number of consecutive hours under freezing.

Soon these snowy sidewalks and unfriendly temperatures will be just a memory. By Friday we should see 66 degree Fahrenheit. While waiting for that promised warmup I turned once again to the holiday Hippeastrum (amaryllis) featured in last week’s Monday vase.

At that time the amaryllis sported 4 blooms, sadly it was down to one yesterday. After cutting it from the bulb, I stuffed the inside of the stem with cotton to help it absorb water and placed it into a small Ikebana holder. I fashioned foliage for the normally bare-stemmed flower using bright green and white striped leaves from a Warneckii ‘Lemon Lime.’

For inspiration I chose a special sculptural form to serve both as container and focal point for today’s design.

In A Vase On Monday – Form and Flower

Our multi-talented daughter is the artist. Now an architect in L.A. she also is a fine woodworker.

The outer casement of her box is mahogany—surface carvings add texture and depth.  A drawer insert made of zebrawood slides opens from either side, revealing three deeply carved pockets (though not pictured, the middle one has a lid).  Because of the dual openings our daughter named this piece, “ambi.”

The Ikebana holder nestles comfortably into the leftmost pocket.

In A Vase On Monday – Form and Flower

The three large red seedpods seemed necessary to complete the design. 

In A Vase On Monday – Form and Flower

Materials

Flowers
Hippeastrum (amaryllis)
Seedpods of unknown variety
Foliage
Dracaena deremensis warneckii ‘Lemon Lime’
Container
Carved Box, mahogany and zebrawood

Thanks to Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for hosting each week. Visit her to discover what she and others found to place In A Vase On Monday.

In A Vase On Monday – Another Year Blossoms

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Hippeastrum (amaryllis) December 30, 2017

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

Today’s vase is from my indoor winter garden, a holiday peppermint from my sister Cindy. She has a good record of coaxing Hippeastrum (amaryllis) bulbs into bloom.

I had hoped to feature this amaryllis as my Christmas day vase last week, but I had to prepare the post several days early. At that time three buds were visible but only one was beginning to unfold, thwarting my plan. The next day, Christmas Eve, the first flower opened to reveal a green-tinged center, creamy stripes and dark pink accents.

Hippeastrum (amaryllis) December 24, 2017

During the week my husband and I enjoyed watching the expanding show as a second bud opened. (Wouldn’t you know, I failed to get a photo when the third bud opened on Friday.)

Hippeastrum (amaryllis) December 26, 2017

Then, Saturday morning, I was completely taken by surprise to find a fourth flower had inserted itself. How did I miss that last bud? 

Beautiful symmetry.

Hippeastrum (amaryllis) December 30, 2017

Eventually the amaryllis will be planted outdoors. With luck it may bloom and again find its way into a Monday vase.

Hippeastrum (amaryllis) December 30, 2017

Materials

Flowers
Hippeastrum (amaryllis)
Vase
Metal container

Hippeastrum (amaryllis) December 30, 2017

If you are one to enjoy looking back at last year, here is the entire collection of 2017 Monday vases.

With gratefulness for your encouragement and friendship I wish you happiness, health and peace in the new year.

Thanks to Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for hosting and giving us another year of flower arranging pleasure. Visit her to discover what she and others found to place In A Vase On Monday.

In A Vase On Monday—Sisters’ Flowers

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In A Vase On Monday - Sisters' Flowers

In A Vase On Monday – Sisters’ Flowers

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

On Saturday I visited my two sisters in Fayetteville and returned primed for a Monday vase. My sisters grow spectacular Hippeastrum (Amaryllis) in a garden bed near their front walkway. When this past year they had to remove several shrubs from the area, their amaryllis responded to the more open, sunnier situation with a profusion of blooms.

Hippeastrum (Amaryllis) in Sisters' Garden

Hippeastrum (Amaryllis) in Sisters’ Garden (pink rose in background)

My sisters generously offered the clippers and encouraged me to help myself.

“Oh, yes, thank you. I would love some!”

Hippeastrum (Amaryllis) in Sisters' Garden

Hippeastrum (Amaryllis) in Sisters’ Garden

I chose four tall stalks and smiled all the way home.

These flowers are simply amazing, but creating a floral design and taking photographs that do justice to these beauties has proved challenging. Had I cut them short the Hippeastrum might have been easier to arrange. Maybe later in the week I will experiment, but for now I wanted to keep the stems long so I could use a special, deep vase of clear glass.

Hippeastrum, Paeonia ‘Festiva Maxima’, Euphorbia 'Shorty'

I did cut all the stems the same length and used florist’s tape to bind them near the top.

Hippeastrum, Paeonia ‘Festiva Maxima’, Euphorbia 'Shorty'

Hippeastrum, Paeonia ‘Festiva Maxima’, Euphorbia ‘Shorty’

Included with the Hippeasturm is one stem of Paeonia ‘Festiva Maxima’ and two stems of Euphorbia ‘Shorty’ in separate pastel glass vases complete the arrangement.

Hippeastrum, Paeonia ‘Festiva Maxima’, Euphorbia 'Shorty'

Hippeastrum, Paeonia ‘Festiva Maxima’, Euphorbia ‘Shorty’

Materials
Euphorbia ‘Shorty’ (Shorty Spurge)
Hippeastrum (Amaryllis)
Paeonia ‘Festiva Maxima’

Because the peonies put up with such excessive rain last week and some still managed to open unharmed, I felt one deserved to be included in the vase today. I am not convinced it contributes to the design.

Hippeastrum, Paeonia ‘Festiva Maxima’, Euphorbia 'Shorty'

Hippeastrum, Paeonia ‘Festiva Maxima’, Euphorbia ‘Shorty’

Without the peony the result felt incomplete. Perhaps some ribbon or burlap tied near the top of the middle vase?

Hippeastrum Flanked By Euphorbia 'Shorty'. (Perhaps a cleaner design without the Paeonia ‘Festiva Maxima’.)

Hippeastrum Flanked By Euphorbia ‘Shorty’. (Perhaps a cleaner design without the Paeonia ‘Festiva Maxima’.)

The Hippeastrum and the peony hold their own without the euphorbia.

Hippeastrum, Paeonia ‘Festiva Maxima’

Hippeastrum, Paeonia ‘Festiva Maxima’

Eventually I had to stop fussing.  Thanks to my sweet sisters, Judy and Cindy, for today’s flowers.

Thanks to Cathy for hosting this weekly flower arranging addiction. 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.