Happy New Year! My plans for a traditional vase container were foiled when a friend (a known connoisseur of Champagne) appeared with this lovely pink bottle. The contents were rapidly dispatched and the bottle on its way to recycling when I said “Stop, that would make a great vase for the first Monday of the new year”
And here it is filled with a favorite color combination of mine, pink and chartreuse. My neighbor brought the cut chartreuse seed heads as a Christmas gift, these are from the dubiously named Hairy Balls Milkweed (Asclepias physocarpa). Finding this common name a bit crass, I looked the plant up online to find the other common name ‘Family Jewels’ Milkweed. Oh, well. She tells me her Milkweed is ten feet tall, I think I need to go and see this!
Other members of the ensemble include at the base, ‘Alabama Sunset’ Coleus, a sprig of Copper Fennel on the right and flowers and seedheads of Muhly Grass (Muhlbergia capillaris). The green foliage is from the Milkweed. This is one of those oddly interesting arrangements I like. I think I will keep the pink bottle for future use.
The Shrub Queen 
Love the vase! I have never heard of that milkweed or seen round pods like that.
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Thank you, I think it is an African Milkweed. I had two small Gulf Fritillary caterpillars on mine and about a million aphids.
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Nomenclature aside, a great arrangement. I like your use of ‘Alabama Sunset’ Coleus to transition from the pink foil.
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Thank you, I like the Alabama Sunset, for some reason, my favorite Wizard Mix Coleus is hard to come by in South Florida.
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Great arrangement in a great vase. I also love pink and chartreuse. I’ve seen the “Family Jewels” growing in our botanic garden and it is quite dramatic. This might be one plant where it’s worth learning the Latin name!
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Thank you, I found Swan or Balloon Milkweed can also be used as a common name, sounds much more romantic.
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Well saved, that bottle is too good to recycle. What an interesting, unusual and architectural arrangement.
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Thank you, I do like the bottle!
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Hi Amalia, what a beautiful name, I found your blog at Rambling in the Garden, where I also provided a link to my vase today.
Your arrangement is fascinating and unusual and I like it very much. The pink champagne bottle is very cool, never seen one like that, but that is not too much of a surprise since I don’t buy champagne very often.
Best wishes for 2017!
Warm regards,
Christina
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Thank you, Christina, the champagne is Pink Platino! no idea where it came from. Happy New Year.
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Wow – that bottle is amazing, but so are the milkweed seedheads. I have never seen anything like them before, and they lent themselves to such a great title too 🙂 This makes such a good new year arrangement, along with the party tooters as well – thanks for sharing and best wishes for 2017
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Thank you and thanks for hosting. A Happy New Year to you!
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I’ve seen a mature version of that milkweed covered in seedpods at The Huntington Garden. It’s impressive to say the least but I haven’t found a place for the plant in my garden (yet). They make a great centerpiece for your vase! Best wishes for a healthy and happy new year!
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I had a couple in the garden, the aphids love them and a few Gulf Fritillary caterpillars were on them, but I think the volume of possibility from the seeds is too much. Happy New Year to you.
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I love simple displays and this is just stunning. Milkweed can easily be grown for those pods alone, and the delicate grasses sets them off to perfection.
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Thank you, Annette. I am going to ask that plant to leave the garden – it attracts too many aphids.
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pity, but then aphids attract birds 😉
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Those seedheads are amazing – they look wonderful in your pink bottle! I would definitely keep it for future vases as it really shows off the shades of green well… and the Muhly grass and Coleus are perfect companions. 🙂
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Thanks! the bottle is not going to recycle.
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Love the arrangement. It’s unique. And I love the title of your post, too.
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Thank you, Cynthia. Oddly enough a Monarch Caterpillar ended up in my Living Room! I put him or her outside and hope to see a lovely butterfly soon.
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That must be a sign of good luck, right there. Maybe the butterfly will return to say Thanks!
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No idea, I hope so and have seen one Monarch since – maybe I should call him Jerry Lee?
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