The weather has been oddly cold this January for South Florida. It occurred to me I should take some cuttings of some of the more tender vegetation, just to be safe. The Angel or Dragon Wing Begonias are usually perennials here as are Coleus and Transcandentia zebrina (Wandering Jew or, apparently, Wandering Dude is you are more politically correct than I am)
As the saying goes, I decided to kill two birds with one stone and create an arrangement that will hopefully produce rooted cuttings to add back to the garden. The two birds and stone are gifts from my father, the vase from my brother. Both are gone, so I enjoy using these props and remembering my family. My father was a geology professor, the stone is Fool’s Gold from his collection of crystals, the ducks – a gift to remind me to keep my ducks in a row. I think taking cuttings for a flower arrangement in hopes of getting more plants might be considered getting my ducks in a row as I know where I would put all these plants if they strike roots!
The plants in this vase include: in red flowers, Dragon Wing Begonias, in white flowers, Sweet Begonias (Begonia odorata ‘Alba’), Solar Sunrise Coleus, and purple and silver striped Whatever Jew or Dude (Transcandentia zebrina). No idea on botanical names for coleus or Dragon Wing Begonias, cultivar, blah, whatever.
Now, for everyone’s ongoing amusement. The masses of MILT beside my house. Okay, Mother In Law’s Tongue, about 400 square feet. Weird, crazy, yes. Got a bulldozer?
The Shrub Queen 
Hope your cuttings work out! Meanwhile you have a pretty arrangement – love your little ducks. MILT is a houseplant here.
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Fingers crossed for more Begonias.
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Pretty collection of flowers and clever title. Dragon Wing Begonia is beautiful. My sister grows it but I never have tried it. I should ask her for a piece. Have never seen MILT in the ground so had no idea it was capable of venturing so far afield.
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Thank you, Dragonwing is a favorite of mine and very easy to grow. I am not sure how to propagate it, it is an experiment. The MILT is deliriously happy.
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Oh no you too then have been affected by this cold snap….it is winter as usual for us with cold and snow, but now we are warming which is not good as it rains on a fast thawing snow pack…lots of flooding. Anyway, I adored your vase with one of my fav plants the Sweet Begonias….their flowers make such a wonderful tropical vase to warm me. Hoping your garden springs back and your cuttings do the trick!
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Thank you, the cold just burned tips on some really tropical plants so far…too much water is a bad thing, hoping for snow for you.
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Love the story and arrangement! Thanks for the morning giggle. It’s funny to see MILT in such abundance as here we grow it as a houseplant.
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Thanks. I laugh about it, too. I wonder if somebody threw out a houseplant 40 years ago and it went mad?
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I hope the cuttings take, I’ve had some scented pelegoniums in water for weeks now and there’s no sign at all of them rooting. I would love to grow Dragon Wing Begonia, your’s is beautiful, it might be called Geranium Rex, but I’m not sure.
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I hope so, too. The Sweet Begonia will sometimes root in soil, I have not tried the Dragonwing. The labels usually say Begonia hybrid? I always thought Angelwings had spotted foliage.
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B.rex has spotted leaves
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Oh I had to giggle at your sea of MILT (sorry!) š Your arrangement looks more European than tropical this week and definitely more familar! Interesting to read about a more ‘politically correct’ name for tradescantia – I supose it had to come. Good to see more of your father’s collection – that’s a nice piece of Fool’s Gold (pyrites)
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I giggled the first time I saw it, too. Taken over by houseplants! A path was cleared with a Bobcat (tractor) so we could walk around the house. I like the crystals, too.
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Goodness, I have never seen MILT growing like that before and flowering too. I love your ducks in a row arrangement. Pretty and useful too. How lovely to enjoy some of your father’s collection. Do you share his enthusiasm for rocks? I can’t resist them. I never go anywhere without bringing a bit of rock home with me.
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Thank you, I collect rocks – yes. I have some mad Coral I am using in the garden. My father thought Florida was boring from a geology standpoint. The MILT is like a Far Side cartoon to me.
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Your Sansevieria is incredible. Now wonder you use a lawn mower on it! I suspect the greyhounds don’t run through that area though, do they? I’ve done the same thing at times, using vases to root plants like coleus (now classified as Plectranthus scutellarioides if you care – who can keep up with the reclassifications!) and Alternanthera. My coleus is struggling even with our winter weather and, this year, we haven’t had the deep cold snaps you have.
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I think the MILT would defeat the greyhounds. Plectranthus? I did not know, thank you. The Coleus was a little burned so I took some cuttings.
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Oh my goodness me – those MILTs are amazing! Love the Begonias, and the props and thought behind cutting them too. Great post! š
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Thank you.
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An arrangement plus the benefits of cuttings – brilliant! 400 sf of MILT? – omg! You do need a bulldozer. š
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LOL, that picture is probably a tenth of it! We aren’ t running out of MILT anytime soon. Hoping for roots!
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Too bad you can’t eat them! š
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I think they are poisonous, but you can make rope out of them . Want to come down for some weaving? There is some Sisal Agave down the street. We could make rugs, too.
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A grand idea – I love it! š
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You’re in charge of poison proof gloves, I also have Blue Agave we can smoke some for tequila just need more protective wear.
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Even if we fail, we can at least write a post about it. š
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Ba ha ha hahaha
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I love how you arrange the flowers, and also the items that each have a memory attached, my creative friend.
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Thank you Cynthia.
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What a lovely arrangement! I love the little ducks! Thank you and greetings.
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Thank you.
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