Tag Archives: ikebana

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.

In A Vase On Monday – Green Urn With Irises

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In A Vase On Monday – Irises In Green Urn

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

As irises begin their spring performance, it seems only natural to feature a group of Dutch iris that popped up next to the driveway this week, just as they have for the past twenty years. Attempts to extend Dutch iris into the main garden borders have been oddly unsuccessful, but this bunch is resilient. They all opened at the same time so I cut the entire group (more than two dozen) to use in an arrangement.

In A Vase On Monday – Irises In Green Urn

The green container is one my sister chose for me at an estate sale a few years ago. The large, tall and heavy urn easily holds today’s long, sturdy iris stems. With its unique shape the vase itself could be the focal point, but the Dutch irises, all white but for a single blue one, compete with a strong presence.

In A Vase On Monday – Irises In Green Urn

Markings of bright egg-yolk yellow as well as pale hints of lavender give quirky personality to the white flowers.

In A Vase On Monday – Irises In Green Urn

Materials
Flowers
Iris × hollandica (Dutch iris)
Foliage
‘Pride of Gibraltar’ Hummingbird Cerinthe
Container
Large Green Ceramic Urn

In A Vase On Monday – Irises In Green Urn

In A Vase On Monday – Irises In Green Urn (Waterlogue watercolor effect)

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 – Blue And White

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In A Vase On Monday – Blue And White

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 – Blue And White

My father took my sisters and me to my first college basketball game at Duke when I was in about the fourth grade (on a school night. We were two hours away). Later when my older sister became a freshman at UNC, we inevitably switched loyalties and have been following the Tar Heels ever since. Today’s flowers are a tribute to Carolina basketball, marking the epic 81-77 win Saturday in the first NCAA Final Four meeting of Carolina and Duke.

In A Vase On Monday – Blue And White

There’s just something about playing Duke. In 1974 I was in Carmichael in the student section with fantastic seats, mid-court about the 4th row, for the great 17 points in 8 seconds comeback when Walter Davis made his famous shot that sent the game into overtime. If you know what I’m talking about, you know what I’m talking about. If not, back to regular garden programming next week.

In A Vase On Monday – Blue And White

Materials
Flowers
White Cyclamen
White Iberis Sempervirens (Candytuft)
White Leucojum aestivum (Summer snowflake)
Blue and White Muscari (Grape hyacinth)
Blue pansies
Foliage
Container
Porcelain Ikebana vase, Georgetown Pottery, Maine. Rectangle Blue Zen (6.75L x 3.75W x 2H inches)

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

Flowery Views

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Deconstructed Vase II

I spent a few minutes this morning deconstructing yesterday’s In A Vase On Monday contribution, the one composed of purchased bouquets.

In A Vase On Monday – Flowery Impulse

I wanted to pursue an idea to create an Ikebana design using the Gerbera daisies in the black rectangular container, but I shifted gears right away. It proved more practical to lift out the Gerberas and style them into a different vase rather than to remove all the other materials from the black vase. The vision in my head never materialized but I ended up with two distinct arrangements, that diverge from the original in interesting ways.

Deconstructed Vase I

Eventually I removed that tall Sweet William in back at left, which I had liked, but the second version feels more balanced and less tense.

Deconstructed Vase I

The remaining flowers required some shifting around but nothing major. There’s no daring but I ended up liking this incarnation with its soothing, limited palette.

Deconstructed Vase II

It would be fun to rework the vases everyday all week but that probably won’t happen. This was a good exercise though.

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

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

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 – Très Chic

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In A Vase On Monday – Très Chic

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 – Très Chic

An Amaryllis Christmas gift from our dear friends in California bloomed magnificently this week and it’s a beautiful star in today’s vase. (Buds on a second stalk are beginning to open as well.) Amaryllis ‘Très Chic’ is described as a pattern of stars within stars starting with dark red and ending with green and crimson.

Amaryllis ‘Très Chic’

I relied heavily on a variety of foliage to form the framework of the design, creating a textural background for amaryllis. I hoped Winter Daphne which is showing color at the tips would make more impact here than it did. It mostly ended up in back. The foliage was not enough on its own.

In A Vase On Monday – Très Chic

It would have been nice to have more flowers to use this week to accent and complement the bright amaryllis. Outdoors, hellebores have formed buds now but have not opened and nothing else even promises blooms for now, so yes, those are the same calla lilies from a vase on November 29, 2021. I had not planned to use them a fifth time but this arrangement needed support beyond just the greenery. A stem of pink anthurium and a few fading nandina berries contribute the only other color I could scavenge (without reverting to the holidays and using poinsettias). Several magnolia seedpods left over from the dried arrangement that celebrated Cathy’s IAVOM anniversary awhile back add texture.

In A Vase On Monday – Très Chic

Magnolia Seedpod With Nandiina Berries

Materials
Flowers
Amaryllis ‘Très Chic’
Anthurium
Calla Lily (Zantedeschia)
Foliage
Boxwood
Daphne sp. (Winter daphne)
Lavender
Gardenia
Magnolia cones
Nandina berries
Container
Black metal suiban. 4 x 9.5 x 6.5 inches. Japan.
Floral foam

The container comes from a recent estate sale and belonged to a garden club friend and horticulture judge. Nearly 5 pounds in weight, it seems to be cast iron. It has a decorative Asian motif around the sides and ornate pedestal feet.

In A Vase On Monday – Très Chic

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.

An Anniversary Note

pbmGarden became live on Friday, January 7, 2011, eleven years ago. Since that time I’ve been buoyed by your presence here. I am grateful for the old and new friendships that intersect this space. Thank you.

In A Vase On Monday – Winter Red

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In A Vase On Monday – Winter Red

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share a vase of materials gathered from our gardens. I have had my eye on several Amaryllis buds but they’re not quite open. Several other ideas did not pan out, so today although the year is new the vase materials are not.

In A Vase On Monday – Winter Red

These calla lilies had been blooming in a pot for a couple weeks before I cut them (and the lavender) to use in a vase on November 29, 2021. This marks their fourth appearance being featured in a Monday vase. I have been amazed at their vase life. Other callas have not had this kind of staying power.

In A Vase On Monday – Winter Red

Keeping them company are beautiful magnolia foliage from large branches my neighbor brought over in mid-December for the holidays. I chose a few of the smallest glossy green leaves to accent the flowers and I used a different vase—the blue seemed to work well with the flowers.

In A Vase On Monday – Winter Red

Materials
Flowers
Calla Lily (Zantedeschia)
Foliage
Lavender
Magnolia
Container
Porcelain Ikebana vase, Georgetown Pottery, Maine. Rectangle Blue Zen (6.75L x 3.75W x 2H inches)

I’ve been exploring recently-added features to some photo software. I like the effect of the cleaner look after removing the background.

Happy New Year to everyone! Wishing you a year of good health, good gardens and good deeds (giving and receiving) in the upcoming year. 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 – Claret With Age

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In A Vase On Monday – Claret With Age

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

We have had warm days recently and a slight amount of rain. Later this week temperatures will return to the 70s, but this morning it is 26°F. I expect I could locate a camellia to share but instead I have chosen to share an example of aging.

Last Monday’s vase featured a new container and inside, cuttings from a potted calla lily to which I was drawn due to its deep claret flowers. I have enjoyed this pairing immensely and my husband even has commented on it several times during the past week.

Original Design Last Week: In A Vase On Monday – Claret With Texture

Today, these flowers remain quite fresh, but the foliage of the calla lily has aged considerably.

In A Vase On Monday – Claret With Age

I considered replacing the greenery with something evergreen, but with each day’s changes, increasingly I have come to admire the transforming leaves, as over the course of time they have assumed a honeyed-pineapple glow.

In A Vase On Monday – Claret With Age

The aging process brought a new appreciation, a new perspective to the arrangement.

Materials
Flowers, Foliage
Calla Lily (Zantedeschia)
Container
Textured, incised ceramic pedestal vase, rice or bone color. 5×6-inches.

In A Vase On Monday – Claret With Age

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 – Claret With Texture

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In A Vase On Monday – Claret With Texture

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 – Claret With Texture

I purchased a beautiful potted calla lily a couple of weeks ago enticed by its deep claret flowers, knowing some portion of it might end up in a Monday vase. These alluring waxy flowers quickly came together into a comfortable assemblage I find pleasing.

Calla Lily (Zantedeschia)

It is perhaps the vase, not the flowers, that is the primary focal point of today’s design. Newly purchased through an online estate sale of vases, this refined container belonged to a garden club friend, Jinny. A respected floral designer, horticulture judge and long-standing member of our local garden club, Jinny was the first person I met in the club when I joined—she welcomed me then and always with a friendly smile. In 2013 when I participated in the garden club’s floral design classes, she was one of the excellent teachers. I appreciated Jinny’s encouragement and am ever grateful for her inspiration.

In A Vase On Monday – Claret With Texture

I am looking forward to experimenting with this vase so you may see it often.

In A Vase On Monday – Claret With Texture

Materials
Flowers, Foliage
Calla Lily (Zantedeschia)
Container
Textured, incised ceramic pedestal vase, rice or bone color. 5×6-inches.

In A Vase On Monday – Claret With Texture

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 Flowers

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In A Vase On Monday – Red Flowers

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 – Red Flowers

Overnight temperatures in the 20s F. spoil any opened camellia flowers, but buds remain plentiful on Camellia sasanqua ‘Yuletide’. Flowers open afresh daily, so I was able to collect several stems of red camellias for today’s vase.

Camellia sasanqua ‘Yuletide’

Materials
Flowers, Foliage
Camellia sasanqua ‘Yuletide’
Container
Porcelain Ikebana vase, Georgetown Pottery, Maine. Triangle Black Wave (6.5 W x 6.5 L x 2H)

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 – Racemes And Tendrils

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In A Vase On Monday – Racemes And Tendrils

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

This morning racemes and tendrils of Lathyrus (everlasting sweet pea) are held upright by the integrated floral pin of this favorite Ikebana container. The deep purplish pink petals carry no fragrance but this passalong plant returns faithfully every year rambling and scrambling and rambling.

In A Vase On Monday – Racemes And Tendrils

Materials
Flowers
Lathyrus latifolius (Everlasting sweet pea)
Foliage
Container
Porcelain Ikebana vase, Georgetown Pottery, Maine. Rectangle Blue Zen (6.75L x 3.75W x 2H inches)

In A Vase On Monday – Racemes And Tendrils

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 – Dramatic Cool

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In A Vase On Monday – Dramatic Cool

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

As the irises take their last bow at center stage in the garden, peonies have taken on the leading role. I cut bundles of them, mostly P. ‘Festiva Maxima’, after a quick but forceful rain Friday, rescuing some whose stems had broken and others which simply couldn’t hold their heads up under the weight of raindrops.

From the half a dozen peony vases scattered about on the mantel, windowsills, counters and in the foyer, I chose the vase in the hallway to share this day.

In A Vase On Monday – Dramatic Cool

Though cut several days ago it was early this morning before I could photograph the peonies, so they now have opened their hearts fully.

In A Vase On Monday – Dramatic Cool

As it is wet and gray now after pre-dawn showers, the light was not strong. I didn’t like the cast of the images so I applied a preset filter that seemed to better emphasize the flowers: Dramatic Cool.

In A Vase On Monday – Dramatic Cool

Materials
Flowers
Paeonia ‘Festiva Maxima’
Foliage
None
Container
Porcelain Ikebana vase, Georgetown Pottery, Maine. Triangle Blue Wave (6.5 W x 6.5 L x 2H)

In A Vase On Monday – Dramatic Cool

Thank you 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 – Glimpse Of Spring

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In A Vase On Monday – Glimpse Of Spring

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

In A Vase On Monday – Glimpse Of Spring

Cold and rain are due back Monday but Sunday brought respite—sunshine and temperatures reaching 77 degrees. Mostly weeds are blooming here, but also I spotted the first yellow of daffodil, not quite open but the sighting is reassuring.

Around the garden hellebores at last are filling out and I included a creamy double in today’s vase. It proved to be floppy-headed but I could not be deterred.

Helleborus x hybridus

The rich color of Anemone coronaria ‘Mr. Fokker’ is thrilling to see. I find it very difficult to grow and after many years of introducing new corms again only a couple of plants have shown up.

I grew ‘Pride of Gibraltar’ Hummingbird Cerinthe from seed last year. It got off to a late start and suffered through last summer’s heat. But a few plants have overwintered. I am not sure if the mottled appearance of the leaves is normal but all the plants turned out this way. I have seen cerinthe in other’s Monday vases that is more dark purplish and green and had expected this to look similar.

‘Pride of Gibraltar’ Hummingbird Cerinthe and Anemone coronaria ‘Mr. Fokker’

Daphne odora appeared ready to bloom a few weeks ago. I found one stem with flowers that have opened but most are still holding back. The lemony fragrance is delectable.

Daphne odora (Winter daphne)

Materials
Flowers
Anemone coronaria ‘Mr. Fokker’
Daphne odora (Winter daphne)
Helleborus x hybridus (Lenten rose)
Foliage
‘Pride of Gibraltar’ Hummingbird Cerinthe
Container
Porcelain Ikebana vase, Georgetown Pottery, Maine. Triangle Black Wave (6.5 W x 6.5 L x 2H)

In A Vase On Monday – Glimpse Of Spring

Many 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 garden surprises she and others are offering this week.

In A Vase On Monday – Blue Zen

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

In A Vase On Monday – Blue Zen

While so many people suffered from snow, ice and lost power, we felt fortunate to have had merely another cold, rainy week and then the winter sun even reigned over the weekend. Late afternoon yesterday I gathered hellebores and placed them into one of my favorite containers, a porcelain Ikebana vase titled Rectangle Blue Zen.

In A Vase On Monday – Blue Zen

The hellebores are very late this year and most have not begun blooming. These come from a patch along the north side of our house.

In A Vase On Monday – Blue Zen

Materials
Flowers
Helleborus x hybridus (Lenten rose)
Foliage
None
Container
Porcelain Ikebana vase, Georgetown Pottery, Maine. Rectangle Blue Zen (6.75L x 3.75W x 2H inches)

In A Vase On Monday – Blue Zen

Many 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 – February Mini

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In A Vase On Monday – February Mini

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

More rain has kept the garden drenched, but the sun has sparkled here and there. Days seem longer and I feel general optimism that spring is nearby. The hellebores and winter daphne remain timid about blooming, but even one open winter daphne flower is a fragrant treat.

Daphne odora (Winter daphne)

The purple, heavy glass dish measure 3-inches in diameter and may actually be a candle holder, although I bought it several years ago for tiny flowers.

A couple of indoor cyclamen offered up one bloom each for this week’s diminutive vase. I also braved cutting one of 4 orchid stems from a gifted Christmas plant to make the purple vase pop.

In A Vase On Monday – February Mini

Materials
Flowers
Cyclamen
Orchid
Foliage
Daphne odora (Winter daphne)
Container
Purple glass vase, 3-inch diameter

In A Vase On Monday – Tardy

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In A Vase On Monday – Tardy

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

In A Vase On Monday – Tardy

As it is Tuesday there is no denying my unpunctuality so I have duly noted it in my title. The hellebores and winter daphne deserve their share of the title as well—both seem a bit late this year by at least two weeks compared to last year.

A couple of hellebores braved 2021 last week and a few more buds are visible at ground level, but I had thought there would be plenty in flower by this week’s vase time. Instead of flowers we have suffered rain (sorry Kris!). Sunday it was pouring rivers all day long, perhaps the hellebores were glad they had stayed tucked away. I know more hellebores will be open soon so I gathered what I could.

Helleborus x hybridus

Similarly Daphne odora (Winter daphne), which first flowered last year on January 6, is delayed by comparison; however, my two shrubs promise many flowers and rich fragrance in due time.

Daphne odora (Winter daphne)

Materials
Flowers
Helleborus x hybridus
Foliage
Daphne odora (Winter daphne)
Lavender
Container
Porcelain Ikebana vase, Georgetown Pottery, Maine. Triangle Black Wave (6.5 W x 6.5 L x 2H)

Wishing you a great week. 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 – Ikebana Study

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In A Vase On Monday – Ikebana Study

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

Foliage was my starting point for this design. Ginger lily is blooming beautifully this year. It is sending up many new stalks, some of whose tips I harvested for today’s vase.

The dahlias are thriving in the cooler weather and seemed unfazed after quite heavy rain Friday. For this Ikebana-style arrangement I chose creamy white Dahlia ‘Tsuku Yori No Shisha’ paired with a purply pink one whose name I do not know. The latter was included as a bonus with this year’s spring order and I failed to record it.

Dahlia ‘Tsuku Yori No Shisha’

Dahlia sp.

Both flowers and foliage went in easily and I was satisfied with the placements until I began photographing. The flowers themselves were grand but the overall effect was underwhelming.

In A Vase On Monday – Ikebana Study

I kept coming back to them during the next hour and finally began experimenting with adding to the vase. Eventually I was happy again with the design. The color of the deep pink zinnia adds surprise. The zinnia stem arches gently away toward the back left. An added piece of ginger lily foliage continues the curving line down through the right corner, where a few sprigs of gardenia leaves help anchor everything.

In A Vase On Monday – Ikebana Study

With the movement created by the changes I think the design is more graceful.

In A Vase On Monday – Ikebana Study

Materials
Flowers
Dahlia sp.
Dahlia ‘Tsuku Yori No Shisha’
Zinnia
Foliage
Gardenia sp.
Hedychium coronarium (Ginger lily)
Vase
Porcelain Ikebana vase, Georgetown Pottery, Maine. Rectangle Blue Zen (6.75L x 3.75W x 2H inches)

Zinnia

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 – Dahlia Bowl

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In A Vase On Monday – Dahlia Bowl

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

Dahlias have seemed cheered by a few rains and some slightly cooler days the past couple weeks.

Dahlia ‘Tsuku Yori No Shisha’

I cut all available flowers to encourage them to keep up the good work. These are arranged into a low flat bowl with a hint of columbine foliage.

In A Vase On Monday – Dahlia Bowl

Although I have cut the plants back several times the stems are still quite short.

In A Vase On Monday – Dahlia Bowl

In A Vase On Monday – Dahlia Bowl (no ID for this dahlia)

Materials
Flowers
Dahlia sp. (no ID on the magenta)
Dahlia ‘Cafe Au Lait’
Dahlia ‘David Howard’
Dahlia ‘Gallery Art Deco’
Dahlia ‘Tsuku Yori No Shisha’
Foliage
Aquilegia canadensis (Eastern red columbine)
Vase
Black Matte Dish With Red Interior

Stay safe from impending hurricanes and propaganda this week. 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 – 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

In A Vase On Monday – Color Burst

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In A Vase On Monday – Color Burst

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share a vase highlighting what is growing in our gardens.

A snow storm passed through Thursday, flattening most of the daffodils. I picked a few for a vase today but actually I had a different flower in mind to feature. I planted 100 Anemone De Caen ‘Mr Fokker’ last year and disappointingly only 5 or 6 survived. The first bloom emerged from the snow unscathed. It opened Sunday and I designated it star of today’s vase, pairing it with hellebores.

Anemone De Caen ‘Mr Fokker’

In A Vase On Monday – Color Burst

Modest in size the anemone was nearly overwhelmed by its taller and bulkier companions but I liked the rich color palette the hellebores added.

In A Vase On Monday – Color Burst

The shorter hellebore in front is Helleborus x ericsmithii ‘Pirouette’ and the taller one at back right is Helleborus x hybridus ‘Frostkiss™ Penny’s Pink’.

Helleborus x ericsmithii ‘Pirouette’ PPAF

Helleborus x hybridus ‘Frostkiss™ Penny’s Pink’

The white/green with pink touches is an unnamed hybrid.

Helleborus x hybridus With Helleborus x hybridus ‘Frostkiss™ Penny’s Pink’

Materials
Flowers and Foliage
Anemone De Caen ‘Mr Fokker’
Helleborus x hybridus (Lenten rose)
Helleborus x hybridus ‘Frostkiss™ Penny’s Pink’
Helleborus x ericsmithii ‘Pirouette’ PPAF
Container
Porcelain Ikebana vase, Georgetown Pottery, Maine. Triangle Black Wave (6.5 W x 6.5 L x 2H)

In A Vase On Monday – Color Burst

In A Vase On Monday – December’s ‘Passionate Blush’

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In A Vase On Monday – December’s ‘Passionate Blush’

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden encourages us to share a vase highlighting what is growing in our gardens.

December has arrived with the garden in a soggy state. Camellias are beleagured from successive bouts of cold and rain. Snapdragons and violas that were planted to add color to bleak November (and December) refuse to bloom. For Thanksgiving I had purchased a couple of mixed bouquets and created a table arrangement which I considered calling into duty for today’s vase, but I decided to explore the garden first.

So for inspiration this week I returned to ‘Ruby Slippers,’ the oakleaf hydrangea featured several weeks ago. Its deep red leaves are cheerful and welcome this time of year. Everything else seemed woefully unusable until several plants of Gaura lindheimeri ‘Passionate Blush’ offered up possibilities—flexible and energetic stems of burgundy with a few flowers and a few leaves. I do not remember noticing gaura at this time of year before, but this day the stems danced in my hand, begging to star this Monday.

Using an Ikebana vase I inserted the hydrangea foliage low in front, then added several multi-branched stems of gaura. The gaura flowed gracefully. It was limber enough I could wrap and twist pieces into shapes of circles and ovals. I liked the rhythmical effect and felt it was done, but could not resist adding a lime green chrysanthemum plucked from the Thanksgiving bouquet.

In A Vase On Monday – December’s ‘Passionate Blush’

Chrysanthemum, , Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Ruby Slippers’ and Gaura lindheimeri ‘Passionate Blush’

In a second Ikebana vase I clustered a bunch of gaura stems to the right side in back, placed the remaining red hydrangea leaves low to left and center, pleased with the breezy looseness. This time I wondered how some red alstroemeria from the Thanksgiving vase might look against the red stems and leaves. Fine, yes that will do.

In A Vase On Monday – December’s ‘Passionate Blush’

Alstroemeria, Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Ruby Slippers’ and Gaura lindheimeri ‘Passionate Blush’

Materials
Flowers
Alstroemeria
Chrysanthemum
Gaura lindheimeri ‘Passionate Blush’ (Butterfly Gaura)
Foliage
Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Ruby Slippers’ (Lil’ Ruby dwarf Oakleaf Hydrangea)
Container
Porcelain Ikebana vases, Georgetown Pottery, Maine. Rectangle Blue Wave. Triangle Blue Wave (6.5 W x 6.5 L x 2H)

Alstroemeria, Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Ruby Slippers’ and Gaura lindheimeri ‘Passionate Blush’

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 – Late November Selections

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Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden encourages us to share a vase highlighting what is growing in our gardens.

The garden’s seasonal transition away from floral abundance left me unenthusiastically inspecting stems and sticks yesterday. Finding a bright leaf here and there lit my spirit, small clusters of berries brought a smile.

Spiraea prunifolia (bridal wreath spiraea)

Cornus florida (Flowering Dogwood)

Callicarpa americana (American beautyberry)

When from among my large planting of passalong chrysanthemums left raggedy from cold and rain, I was able to glean several fresh blooms, I felt encouragement enough to assemble a vase and then another.

In A Vase On Monday – Late November Selections

Verbena bonariensis (Tall Verbena)

Spiraea prunifolia (bridal wreath spiraea)

Materials
Flowers
Button Chrysanthemum
Verbena bonariensis (Tall Verbena)
Foliage
Aquilegia canadensis (Eastern red columbine)
Callicarpa americana (American beautyberry)
Cornus florida (Flowering Dogwood)
Itea virginica ‘Sprich’ LITTLE HENRY (Virginia sweetspire)
Spiraea prunifolia (bridal wreath spiraea)
Container
Porcelain Ikebana vases, Georgetown Pottery, Maine. Triangle Black Wave, Triangle Blue Wave (6.5 W x 6.5 L x 2H)

In A Vase On Monday – Late November Selections

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

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-Accent On Green

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In A Vase On Monday – Accent On Green

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 – Accent On Green

The garden has moved on from irises and peonies, bringing a temporary lull in color. Dahlia tubers are coming up; zinnia seeds need to be planted. Meanwhile, the garden is greener, quieter, subtler.

Greens form the foundation of today’s vase. With Verbena bonariensis being the exception, flowers in this floral design are just coming into bloom.

Verbena bonariensis (Tall Verbena)

The design is a base of green with accents of color from the violet-hued verbena and from red leaves and stems of Husker’s Red.

Penstemon digitalis ‘Husker Red’ (Beardtongue)

The soft gray-green of lamb’s ear is specked with a few pink blooms.

Stachys byzantina (Lamb’s Ear)

Rich blue flowers will soon appear on Black and Blue salvia. Its tender young lime-green leaves form a stark contrast.

Salvia guaranitica ‘Black and Blue’

The salvia’s leaves echo the light green inflorescence of Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Ruby Slippers.’ Ruby Slippers will evolve its color into pink and burgundy.

Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Ruby Slippers’

Materials
Flowers
Penstemon digitalis ‘Husker Red’ (Beardtongue)
Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Ruby Slippers’ (Lil’ Ruby dwarf Oakleaf Hydrangea)
Salvia guaranitica ‘Black and Blue’
Stachys byzantina (Lamb’s Ear)
Verbena bonariensis (Tall Verbena)
Foliage
Container
Porcelain Ikebana vase, Georgetown Pottery, Maine. Triangle Black Wave (6.5 W x 6.5 L x 2H)

Happy gardening!