In a Vase on Monday – Pineapples, Unplonked

wp-17826775997663527986431497459592

For reasons that elude me, the miniature pineapples are having a stellar year. I usually get one fruit once in a while and this year I have three and one has pups (the one on the left). I am not exactly sure what to do with a multi pupped miniature pineapple? I guess I will figure it out, suggestions are encouraged.

A friend gave me this pineapple years ago. I think it’s a “Lava Burst” Miniature Pineapple.

Why unplonked? I dropped one on the trip inside from the garden. The pineapple popped off and was eyed suspiciously by Handsome Rob, the Greyhound, who would eat it in a heartbeat. Consequences of that I do not want to contemplate. The leather gloves came out – the baby pineapples are as sharp as they are cute, and the pineapples were secured into a dog proof arrangement. A fruit loving dog? Weird, but true. This dog eats oranges and adores pineapple. More Greyhound weirdness, but we love him.

Here’s Rob wondering what happened to that delicious pineapple.

wp-17826792670502153948923365899354

What else is in there?

wp-17826789001168180189258508126256

Note the pups on the left. I added some foliage from the “Lava Burst” Pineapple. The big tropical leaf is from Split Leaf Philodendron (Philodendron selloum). Creamy spikes flowers are Juba Bush (Iresine diffusa)

As always, visit Cathy to see more vases. Here’s the link RamblinginthGarden

In a Vase on Monday – Solstice Special

This is a hot color special in honor of the summer solstice. I must have some Three Bears issues about day length. I don’t like them too long like they are now – but I especially dislike them too short, like they are at the winter solstice. The question is what is just right? I need to find Goldilocks..

It had not crossed my mind until today that the Lobsterclaw Heliconia are usually in sync with the solstice, the flowers always start appearing after mid June. I think they like the day length.

It is blistering hot here as predicted by the purveyors of the El Nino weather phenomenon. High temperatures in the low 90s (33 C) feels like 101 (38C). We have been getting extensive evening thunderstorms so the plants are thriving. I have been moving orchids around in the trees, they are loving the heat and humidity and rooting into the bark quickly. It’s interesting to watch. I installed 2 types of orchids in a mango tree this week – it doesn’t get more tropical than that!

The red, yellow and green flower is a Lobsterclaw Heliconia (Heliconia rostrata). Red hots flower is from the Aechmea miniata bromeliad. Multicolored foliage is Piecrust Croton (Codieum variegatum) Trimmed palm frond is a Cabbage Palm (Palmetto sabal)

That is all from my garden this Monday. Reclining in air conditioned comfort seems like the best plan..though I did manage to plant another batch of zinnia seeds!

Visit Cathy at RamblingintheGarden and follow the links to see more vase creations.

In a Vase on Monday – A Plonk & The Photo Shoot

wp-17814633305274180125973963232177

I’ve been plonking my zinnias into glass jars as they appear and enjoying them by the kitchen sink. I cut the stems at the lowest point on the plant to encourage more flowers. The V shape of the flowers is a happy coincidence of different stem lengths.

I decided to elevate my Plonk by adding Asparagus ferns and Juba Bush flowers.

wp-1781464556046994555235868107214

I like the colors of these Zinnias .. orangey fuchsia red! I think.

Cathy asked me to fill you in on the photo shoot in my garden a couple of weeks ago. It was actually a lot of fun. A lovely young couple appeared at my door. She was the photographer and he was the stylist.

Of course, it was pouring down rain!

wp-17814649261657786918323602287749

It had not rained in weeks, we were 24″ low for rain in a year and the skies opened when the photographer arrived.

The magazine is Homecooked a food and travel magazine. They found me by reading my blog and asked for dessert recipes using fruit from my garden. They wanted to take pictures of the garden and the kitchen and dessert. We started talking about a sour orange pie and ended up with vegan mango filled cupcakes with mango buttercream frosting. I warned the editor I would bake rustic desserts!

wp-1781465534113161652642754033860

Staging the cupcakes in the kitchen:

wp-17814658677588019300410332121854

The rain let up a bit and we went outside and my husband and I were photographed eating cupcakes in the garden. She took a lot of photos of the soggy garden that I will be really interested to see!

The magazine will be out in September. I left some ‘fall’ leaves and rakes around for autumnal ambiance. LOL. In South Florida.

I will share whatever appears and hopefully love it. Until then, visit Cathy at http://ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com to see more vases.

In a Vase on Monday – Tea in the Garden?

wp-17808771989317470765431637342116

So far, June has been oddly cool. I could cheerfully have tea in the garden. Me being me, I decided to arrange some flowers reflecting the form of the teapot. Design school is a lifelong curse. Where else would these ideas come from?

The teapot is vintage 1950. The year my parents married and one of their wedding gifts. My mother always used it to brew the basis for sweet iced tea, a beverage that is a Southern staple. The tea stained patina on this teapot makes me smile. I remember this teapot as a constant companion to family dinners. I am terrible about not making iced tea, even though I enjoy it.

The closer and more complicated view. While Southern sweet tea is pretty simple water, sugar, tea, and mint and lemon on the side, if you like..there is a lot of stuff in this vase.

wp-17808783109848674860192333153040

The big, pink flower is a ZinMaster zinnia. White flowers are Sweet Begonias (Begonia odorata ‘Alba’). Blue flowers are Plumbago, likely Plumbago auriculata ‘Blue Imperial’, or just darker than usual. Purple flowers are the wonderfully scented Heliotrope. There are a few Mystic Blue Salvia and Juba Bush (Iresine diffusa) above the zinnia and a trimmed palm frond provides a green backdrop. It has a delicious, sweet fragrance from the Heliotrope, Begonias and Juba Bush

Thank you to Cathy at RamblingintheGarden for hosting this weekly meme and bringing gardeners together to see what is blooming where. Follow the link to see more vases.

Six on Saturday – South Florida Weirdness

Despite the fact that I have been gardening in South Florida for over a decade – I still find many things in the garden that I think are weird! I was (sort of) overseeing some tree pruning..Sea Grapes get out of hand on an annual basis..and looked up to see this after noticing some buzzing.

wp-17806933435298680865532418507201

Possibly a better image..

wp-17806934479008393191667821602987

It’s not a termite infested mattress, it’s a dragonfly swarm. These are quite impressive in real life and the mosquitoes are decimated. And very difficult to photograph.

wp-17806936840288133117324923136391

Soon after seeing the swarm, I looked down and spied pups – on the miniature pineapple!

wp-17806938481931581228474426986136

A garden stroll revealed what I thought was a deceased mango – coming back from the ground. The bronze foliage is normal. I fear this might be a Turpentine Mango. Not known for their flavor, but their incredibly hardy rootstock that is used to graft more palatable varieties of fruit on top. I have never tasted one, but the name gives me pause. The more timid, but delicious condo mango, Pickering, that was grafted on top clearly is deceased. The Turpentine Mango is known for its long, narrow foliage..

wp-17806958136972871976256238340516

The Abyssinian Red Banana has at least tripled in size since I planted it. It is still not very red, but looks more tropical by the day.

For those who follow IAVOM, here is my swallowtail caterpillar rescue update. They are getting bigger and I would say the population has reduced by half (.#$@ lizards) Here is Monday’s photo for reference.

I started some Roselles (Hibiscus sabdariffa) from seed and planted eight in a bed. The varmints left them alone, until they didn’t. Roselles are grown for their edible calyx, the bottom of the flower. These taste like cranberry and I was planning on making Roselle granola in the fall. Here is the rabbit proofing!

wp-17807019192314540334059847273691

The rabbits used the purple cups in the background to climb up and eat the plants. I had put them around the stems. Fingers crossed for Roselle granola!

That’s my dose of Florida weirdness! Visit Jim at GardenRuminations to see more SOS

Happy Gardening!!

In a Vase on Monday – Summer Transplants

Suddenly it’s 90 degrees! 32 Celsius sounds so much cooler. However you take your temperature, it’s hot. The garden is responding in kind and producing hot colors.

I performed a swallowtail butterfly caterpillar rescue while cutting flowers for the vase. The dill has been going to seed and I witnessed a beautiful lady swallowtail butterfly laying eggs on the dill. So did several lizards lurking nearby. The tiny caterpillars had hatched and were just starting to devour the dill when I cut the flowers. The cats were relocated to a parsley far away from the lurking lizards. I’m enjoying the dill flowers and I hope the caterpillars are enjoying the parsley. I did not realize how much parsley I had planted and it all came up! Happy to share with the swallowtails and I hope I see a few more.

wp-17802605659587407957421797648615

Success! The caterpillars have easily doubled in size from when I moved them. I am wondering how much parsley they can eat.

A closer view of the vase:

wp-17802609344116611780223514312764

There are two kinds of orange tubular flowers. The lower flowers are Firebush (Hamelia patens). The upper are Mexican Honeysuckle (Justicia spicigera). Long red flowers are Nodding Hibiscus (Malvaviscus arboreum, depending on who you ask) Red spikes are Salvia coccinea. Dill flowers, of course and the creamy spikes are from Juba Bush (Iresine diffusa)

Thanks to Cathy for hosting this weekly meme. Visit her blog at MoreVases to see more vases!

In a Vase on Monday – Zinnias, Actually

After several false starts in 2026, I am pleased to post my first zinnias of the year! I usually have zinnias much earlier than this, nearly year round. I think they were worth the wait. The longest stemmed flowers I have ever grown. As usual, no clue why!

The first batch of seeds I planted – frozen. The second – eaten by unknown varmints. The third time was the charm. I have planted so many zinnia seeds, I am not sure what these are. ZinMaster, I think. I really wanted Cactus Zinnias, but I think I have gone through all those seeds

The closer view:

wp-17796575204586398401968803798664

The vase is a jar that held specialty tea. The small green flowers at the base are seed heads from Pentas, an annual flower, I am not sure what kind. Creamy white flowers are from Juba Bush (Iresine diffusa). Ferns are from the invasive Asian Sword Fern.

Simple pleasures from the garden.

Thank you to Cathy at RamblingintheGarden for hosting. Follow the link to visit her garden and see more vases.

Six on Saturday – May Garden Happiness

I am joining SOS this week with my latest crop of unusual. Even in South Florida, April showers bring May flowers. Generally, they are not the same flowers everyone else grows, but I am happy. My cutting flowers are not quite ready for viewing, but their friends are. Visit our host, Jim at GardenRuminations to see more May happiness.

wp-17794860266179018922981393072792

I do love these miniature pineapples. I have a few around the garden. The fruits are reportedly good for juicing. However, I cannot resist cutting them for flower arrangements or drying them for the holidays. And painting them gold!

wp-17794864385571836833296121588034

Intense rain showers inspired the Rain Lilies!

wp-17794865664893303729595287081935

Flaming Torch Bromeliads (Bilbergia pyramidalis) are appearing early this year.

wp-17795006541222243980220629554460

The Purple Heliotrope is still hanging in there with the chartreuse Golden Dewdrop (Duranta erecta)

wp-17795009954496295550590406163430

Mystic Blue Salvia is shining.

wp-17795011500667154777075152750185

Turkeytangle Frogfruit (Phyla nodiflora) “lawn” is flourishing and providing food for butterflies. Note holes in leaves. Happy caterpillars.

That is my six for this Saturday. Happy Gardening!!

In a Vase on Monday – A Paloma Posey

wp-17790531287483548679803696926929

More than 30 years ago….my parents went to Mexico. I know this because when they returned, I received this bird, a Paloma, with strict instructions from my mother. It was a dove “a symbol of love and fidelity in Mexican culture”. I had recently married when I received this gift and after the Mexico trip my parents went through a Paloma phase. I had not realized it was also a cocktail!! It is difficult to picture my father drinking tequila with grapefruit soda..but maybe it happened?! There was some parental giggling about tequila. Hmm.

My parents have been gone for over 15 years. This little bird always brings a smile to my face. It resides in my kitchen with the cookbooks, so I see it often. The flowers reflect the colors in the Paloma.

wp-17790542986091801486897637426814

The orange flowers on top are ‘Dwarf Maui Red’ Ixora, a shrub. The orange tubes are Firebush (Hamelia patens var patens) Blue and white spikes are Salvia, White Flame and Mystic Blue. The blue flowers are Plumbago auriculata. The little white vase had a tiny orchid in it that is still floating around the front garden.

wp-1779054697776508642861566049983

The Paloma. Still standing sentinel over my cook books, decades later. I can only hope my parents are enjoying a grapefruit cocktail in the great beyond.

Thanks to Cathy for hosting In a Vase on Monday. Follow this link RamblingintheGarden to see more vases.

In a Vase on Monday – Sunday Mother’s Day Madness

wp-17784511835928270279117197660582

It’s Mother’s Day in the US this Sunday. As I collect flowers, my thoughts are always with my mother, the Greatest Generation Southern Belle, Miss Betty, who would have adored In a Vase on Monday. I am certain if she was still with us (she would be 98 years old) I would be printing out blog posts and mailing them to her. Computers were not happening in her world, ever.

My father’s mother, Blanche (yes) was the Blue Willow collector. I suspect there is a gene as I love the pattern and china. The teapot was found on a shopping mission with my mother.

The Sunday Madness? A Food and Travel magazine contacted me a couple of months ago – soon after the historic freeze, and they wanted to photograph food in my garden. I agreed. And am madly putting things right. This week I am baking! I will share more as things progress.

wp-17784521714771601955972794808616

A closer view. The white flowers spilling down the side are Sweet Begonia (Begonia odorata). Orange flowers are Mexican Honeysuckle (Justicia spicigera). Blue flowers are Plumbago (P. auriculata). White spikes are White Flame Salvia. Scent is added by chartreuse culinary dill flowers.

Foliage is ‘Mammey’ Crotons and Asian Sword Ferns.

Please send me positive vibes for the photo shoot. To see more vases, visit Cathy at RamblingintheGarden!!