Spring in South Florida, the ever subtle season. The Fire Bolt? The Firebush or Firebushes (Hamelia patens and H. patens var patens) have started to flower in the garden again. The bolt? The white flowers in the arrangement are from my salad garden bolting from the heat, specifically the Arugula. The rest of the arrangement I don’t necessarily associate with spring. Most of it may or may not flower year round. The vase/teapot is English, a Blue Willow marketing device from a long ago tea merchant. I was enchanted by the teapot in an antiques store some years ago.
There are two kinds of Firebush and berries in the teapot. At the edge, the red flowers and leaves are from the native Firebush (H. patens var patens) It has not rained here very much this year (+/- 2.5 inches) so it is pretty dry and the leaves actually look burned? The berries and flowers are from its Bahamian cousin that cheerfully resides in my back garden attracting the rare hummingbird and numerous butterflies that call this area home. White flowers are from Arugula, the vegetable. Yellow daisies, Beach Sunflower (Helianthus debilis); red spikes, Tropical Red Salvia (Salvia coccinea); striped foliage and flowers, New Zealand Flax (Dianella spp) and the ever present Asian Sword Fern.
The Disney part, while we live a fairly short distance from DisneyWorld in Orlando, I haven’t been up there in at least 30 years. Circumstances led us to EPCOT and the garden festival this week. Here is my favorite topiary, Lady and the Tramp:
Followed by my favorite dogs, Charles and Alan, making the post Disney commute from boarding. Note the tired, yet happy faces.
I always like the real ones better. Although the Lady topiary has ears made from Love Grass. For those of you not reared in the Deep South – Love Grass is used as erosion control grassing to stabilize slopes on highways. Because it holds on like love.
I love the sentiment of Love Grass, though I would be surprised if anyone at Disney was aware of this bit of horticultural trivia.
Happy Monday. Happy Spring. Happy Gardening.
The Shrub Queen 
in this situation, I like the vase as much as the flowers. Sorry. What kind of ‘marketing device’ is it? My old china is a red version known simply as ‘red willow’, which horticulturally, is the common name of our local swamp willow.
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The teapot is marked by a merchant in England who sold tea! Marketing. Blue Willow is a Chinese legend that the China pattern is based on. I love the pattern as well. It involves the birds sitting on the willow. Check it out.
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I am very familiar with the pattern. It is a classic. My first was an early 1970s adaptation of it, which was not so well done. My second set was two decades older, and it is red, which is rare. It was also available in sepia. I got it in college, and it lasted through all my college roommates, and is still around!
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I inherited my grandmother’s collection and keep adding to it!
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Disney really is amazing, you have to hand it to them. Everything is always in perfect form, like those topiaries. Love the Love Grass! 😉
Super arrangement and teapot, too. Great idea to use the arugula blooms. Everything has creative possibility.
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Thank you, Eliza. It is really a bit too perfect and a lot of the topiaries are partially fake – but still really cute! Creative possibility!? love the term and try to practice it.
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Happy spring to you too. I could ‘hear’ a lightness in your post, love the enormous teapot, what fun! sunflowers always make me smile and I so love that these are native for you.
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Yes, thank you. We have had some truly lovely weather this month. But, the heat is bearing down and I am in extreme gardening mode.
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Never heard of love grass …wonderful! I’ve never been to Disney and living in GA, that is terrible. I have to go…if only to see Lady!
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It is terrible, although I am sure you have seen Love Grass by the side of the road. It is usually tan. There is a series of topiaries, Snow White, the Seven dwarves on and on…it was fun.
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I also love Love grass. Cute dogs Queen.
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Greyhounds are irresistible to me. I have had one or two for at least 20 years. Love grass, too.
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That is a very colourful arrangement for Spring and nicely positioned in your antique teapot. Enjoy your walkies with your lovely dogs.
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Thank you, the hounds love their walkies and keep me going.
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First, I adore Lady and the Tramp so the Disney topiary was wonderful as was the bit about the Love Grass….and of course your cute pups! I love the vase….it is splendid with the teapot, and all the colors….I especially loved the addition of the salad green flowers….I love to let mine bolt to eat the flowers and give the pollinators a treat.
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Thank you, I wasn’t expecting the bolt to be such a pretty flower.
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A gorgeous splash of sunshine from you today – no doubt especially welcomed by those in the US still having snow. In the UK we are expecting a sunny week 🙂 And Lady’s ears are wonderful – I smiled such a big smile when I saw that picture! Thanks for sharing
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Thank you, hooray for sun.
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Your floral arrangements are always really good, love all the colours in your tea pot arrangement.
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Thank you, the teapot is a favorite.
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Fascinating information about Love Grass. I visited EPCOT about 30 years ago too – my one and only trip to Florida – and would love to go back with my own children.
Your teapot is a cornucopia of texture and colour this week and I love the idea of using the Arugula flowers (I think that’s what we call rocket in the UK?)
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Thank you. You would enjoy Disney, I think, the Landscape is amazing. Arugula is indeed Rocket and I was surprised by the flower.
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Ha! I live reasonably near Disneyland and it’s been more than 20 years since I’ve been there. I’ve never even seen the newer California Adventure Park next door. EPCOT’s floral festival might draw me in if I were in Florida, though. At least your dogs weren’t traumatized by their boarding experience. Love the tea pot and its colorful contents. My cilantro is preparing to bolt too and I never even noticed that it’d self-seeded before it shot up a foot plus.
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Yes, it is all a bit fake, but fun – a friend here has a Butterfly house that beats Disney – a bit of a shock. We were in Orlando for a concert and stopped by EPCOT with a friend who works there. Cilantro lasts about 5 minutes here, then bolts though I love the scent of the flowers. I think the lady who boarded the dogs was more traumatized than the dogs.
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Your spring color is very intense. Lovely arrangement —perfect for the teapot.
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Thank you
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I would love to have Disney’s budget. When I was there many years ago, they were replacing every plant that looked a bit spent (as in a few blooms missing).
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Only if staff comes with the budget!
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A lovely vase of sunshine and abundance! But my smile just got bigger and bigger as I read through your post!
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Thank you.
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What great topiary! They really are cute, but the real thing is definitely better and your two are beauties. 🙂 Love your teapot full of colour too.
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Thanks, I think I will post more of the topiary! They had Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.
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