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.
