Last year during the holidays I made an arrangement in this biscuit tin. A friend of my husband had brought cookies from the UK, my husband ate the cookies and I used the tin as a vase.
This year I decided to go as tropical as possible and keep a green, red and white theme. The result is reasonably festive and has a large variety of plant material included.
The tin is deep, so I nestled three bottles from drinking water inside with the tops cut off, then filled them with water and made three matching arrangements in the bottles. I feel certain I would regret filling the tin with water (or the furniture would)
The arrangement includes: in red and yellow Parrotflower (Heliconia psittacorum), the red flowers hanging over the edge are Turks Cap Hibiscus (Malvaviscus penduliflorus), foliage hanging over the sides is Sweet Begonia (Begonia ‘Alba’). The dark green foliage in the back of the arrangement is Snake Plant or Mother In Law’s Tongue (Sanseveria something, runs wild here), the white striped foliage is from ‘Martin’ Bromeliad. Whoever Martin is, he has come up with an amazing bromeliad, red striped in shade and white striped in sun thriving in both places. The ferns are the everpresent invasive Asian Sword Fern and finally, the conifer like bits are from Firecracker Plant (Russelia)
Here is last year’s bus, a much different look:
Things are looking festive around my house, even if we don’t have a Christmas tree yet. Here are all the arrangements:
They are not all living in the foyer, this was a holiday portrait. The watering can is on the screen porch and the basket in the living room.
The Shrub Queen 
I love that red! The turks cap are so big. Is the plant huge?
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Thanks, the turks cap look great because I fertilized my side of the fence, those are from my neighbor and grew through. They are the prettiest ones I have ever seen. The plant is maybe 5 feet tall and has been around a long time.
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I have some of the smaller native type.
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These things just pop up, I am not sure if they are native.
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Just gorgeous.
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Thank you, I want some lichens from your house.
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Thank you
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What a great trio of bouquets and containers. Isn’t it fun to be able to look back and see what you did last year? Such a different effect from this year’s creation!
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Thank you, I love holiday baskets.
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It looks wonderful Amy – the red blooms make it even more successful than last year’s creation. It’s a good reminder to the rest of us to consider what containers we have got that we could insert vases or bottles into – hmm, I might set that as a challenge one week… 😉
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Thank you, i like this one better than last years. However, I did get a comment that it looked as if the bus was in flames, true? I think a cookie tin challenge? Sorry, my American slipped out, um biscuit tin?
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Not specifically cookie/biscuit tin – but a container that isn’t a vase…I’ll mention it in the post if I do set it is a challenge
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What a fabulous idea! I just adore the bus full of flowers! And there it is, sitting so nonchalantly beside the more ‘normal’ vases as though nothing was up. I am getting so much Christmas inspiration from everyone’s vases this week. Next time I see a bus tin full of cookies, I’m buying it!
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You really need some shortbread right now and of course, you are in Edinburgh….
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I remember that bus from last year – seeing it made me smile all over again. Cute as it is, I’m sure you’re right about the risk of filling it with water so the water bottle inserts are a great solution. Your tabletop vignette is charming and very festive!
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Thank you, a rusty bus is never a good idea!
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Wonderful! Such a great festive arrangement, and that bus is great! 🙂
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Thank you, I love the bus as well.
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Very festive, SQ! I like the pendulous Turk’s cap hibiscus with the heliconia, and your poinsettia basket with ivy. Nice!
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Thank you, it is hard to think of Hibiscus as Christmasy but there it is!
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Hooray! That bus arrangement is stunning!
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Thank you, a friend is using it as her Christmas card
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Yup, I can see why.
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What a beautiful tropical Christmas arrangement! I think it’s more successful than last year’s, which was also lovely.
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Thank you, I like this years better as well,
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