Another one of those things I never knew about living in South Florida-the thrift store shopping is excellent. I suppose many estates are settled here and the population is somewhat transient as people buy and sell vacation condos don’t use them very much and then don’t want to move the furniture. A result of all this makes for some unusual and great thrift store finds. Especially if you are in the market for pseudo tropical furniture.
I was actually looking for a table lamp when I happened upon these pottery vases. I love things that are handmade and these are a bit thick and obviously hand thrown for the fun or love or it. I bought them immediately, I spent eight dollars. Well worth it. I also found a table lamp.
While winter is approaching, actual winter in South Florida is more like a really long spring. Freezes are rare and this is gardening season. Vegetable and annual seeds are started in late summer for planting now.
One of my new vases has my first ever Cactus Zinnias, started from seed in September, these do not look nearly as good as the ones I saw in other vases this summer, I am hoping they get bigger. Also new to the garden is the Copper Fennel, which I bought by accident thinking it was Dill for my herb pots. The Tropical Red Salvia (Salvia coccinea) and Bridal Bouquet Frangipani (Plumeria pudica) are old standbys.
Between the Zinnias, Salvias, Fennel and Frangipani the fragrance of this vase is a bit weird. Kind of medicinal.
My other new vase has a more tropical feeling, I decided to try to avoid ferns for foliage today just for a change. This vase has Parrot Flower ( Heliconia psittacorum) and the foliage and flowers of Sweet Begonia (Begonia odorata ‘Alba’)
The Shrub Queen 
With your ‘medicinal’ vase, perhaps mine needs a new prescription instead! Your thrift stores sound great – are they just second shops or are they run by charities? Either way, the canny consumer wins I suppose, and both your vase finds are lovely. It’s interesting too to hear about your journey with zinnias – trying something different is always a learning curve. Thanks for sharing your pretty vases today
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Hmm, not sure I want to take the medicine created by either combination! I think ya’ll call thrift stores charity shops, the most prevalent one is called GoodWill and supports people who don’t find work easily with training and jobs at their stores. Other ones are run by churches, the Humane Society (animal rescue) and on and on. The are non profit and items are donated to be resold. An Armadillo dug up some of the Zinnias this morning, the journey continues.
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Thanks for clarifying what your thrift stores are – certainly in the UK there are now many charity shops in the smaller town centres. Armadilloes! Gosh, our journeys are so different 😉
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Nothing like thrifty shopping. I’ve found many a good vase doing that. I love that curvaceous shape with the sprays of bloom fanning out.
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I agree and thank you. My father used to call it our cheap Scotch heritage.
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These are both attractive. I really like the structure and color of the second one.
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Thank you, the result of my fern free Monday.
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Great finds – I love to treasure hunt in thrift stores. As snowflakes fall here, it is nice to see you’re enjoying blooming abundance in your garden. I get to vicariously enjoy it, too!
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Wow, winter doesn’t seem real to me anymore! Enjoy the snow!
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I love those bowls, what a find. And stunning arrangements, I love them both. I would love some of your tropical flowers right now, specially that amazing heliconia.
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Thank you, it was a good find. I just pulled out about 10 of the Heliconia, they spread like mad.
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Hmmmm, I rarely find such goodies at thrift stores. These are lovely and show off your flowers perfectly.
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Thank you, this is a great place to shop thrift there are 8 or 10 shops nearby.
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I always enjoy your Heliconia but the first vase is my favorite this week. I admit to the same difficulty distinguishing dill and fennel too.
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Thank you, Kris. The Heliconia is one of my favorites and blooms nearly year round, so I keep cutting it. I am enjoyed cutting the Copper Fennel and have eaten a bit of it as an herb.
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Those vases are lovely shapes and colours. Very grounding for the arrangements. I really love the fennel mix, but I can see how those scents together might remind you of a cough medicine.
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Wonderful comment, that is it! Cough syrup, although I wouldn’t want a taste.
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Love your new vases – the second one looks really exotic. What a beautiful flower. I expect the fennel is the smell – like aniseed?
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Thank you, yes the fennel smells like anise and I use it as a fresh herb.
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These are lovely vases – great flower combinations. I’ve been admiring zinnias in peoples’ ‘in a vase on monday’ posts and am going to grow them next summer – Well done on getting the vases at the thrift store – I’ve got lots of jugs and vases from charity shops. My ‘In a vase on monday’ has a vase I painted (a bit rustic).
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Thank you, I am going to look at your vase, love hand painted and rustic!
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Such charming and creative arrangements, Amy. Brava!
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Mille grazie! hoping I remember my Italian.
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