‘In the Pink’ seems to be a fairly old phrase, used by Shakespeare in ‘Romeo and Juliet’. As far as the color goes, I usually prefer deeper shades not being much of a ‘girly girl’.
These days I am feeling much more ‘In the Pink’ as I have finally recovered from too much surgery and my garden is feeling pinker as well.
This crystal vase, a wedding gift from a dear friend is pulled out of safekeeping to hold the biggest, funkiest tropical plants from my garden. All these flowers have a bit of weight to them and need a heavy container to prevent arrangement failure. The arrangement is nearly 3 feet (one meter) tall.
The centerpiece yellow and pink woven plant is a Bromeliad of unknown origin, purchased to write an article about container planters (by request) for my usually ill fated ventures with our local media. I have vowed to cease this practice. The white, yellow and pink flowers are Shell Ginger (Alpinia zerumbet). Foliage rounds out the vase with Asian Sword Ferns, long red leaves from Blanchetiana Bromeliads and a Banana leaf in the back.
Here are some progress pictures of my garden as it slowly works it way ‘Into the Pink’.
Just for fun, here is a before picture of the garden I am working on. I characterized the before landscape as ‘beach with weeds’.
The pathway under construction
Path (concrete stepping stones and crushed shell) installed. On left burgundy, silver and green Bromeliad border and irrigation going in. The right side is a mixed tropical border of red and burgundy with touches of pink and silver. Part of the idea for this garden is to place large leaved plants around the windows to create a view (from inside) into the tropical Rainforest. I moved some big Heliconias last week into the viewshed and they promptly turned yellow. Still fine tuning the irrigation.
Hopefully in the pink soon.
The Shrub Queen 
Wow! Your garden and vase are such a contrast with what we have here! It is lovely to see somewhere hot as we sit shivering!
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Your yard really is sandy. Do you add compost and topsoil or do you just plant for the sandy soil?
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If you had not said “beach” I would have thought that white was a dusting a snow! The redesign looks great. And thanks for mentioning the height of your display. It is often hard for me to determine the size of an arrangement especially if I not familiar with the plants. I am with you on liking brighter pinks rather than the more delicate tones. Though I admit I do have some sweet little prink primroses that are a pass-along plant from a friend. So they get to stay in the garden.
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Snow!! I think there is a dusting every 45 years. The sand drifts in my garden. Primroses are hard to resist.
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As an island girl from the Caribbean, this makes my heart sing. I love how tropical the arrangement is. I miss those plants in my grandma’s garden.
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Oh, I love to hear your heart is singing and wish I could ask your grandma some questions. I am from much further north. Thank you.
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I always love seeing your tropical displays and this huge one is very impressive! Glad to hear that you’ve recovered from surgeries. Your new garden looks great already and will be spectacular when it’s finished. (like a garden is ever truly finished…)
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Thank you, and it will never be finished…
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Hope your surgery proves to have been successful and you are soon fully recovered. I enjoyed seeing the progress of this part of the garden today and I guess you must be really pleased with the result, which is certainly very different from what you strated with. Once your new planting has grown the effect shouls be brilliant – how long will it take to get to a decent size? And what a tall vase you have today – sometimes there is no clue to the size of vases and I don’t think I would have guessd this one was as tall if you hadn’t said. So tropically lovely, as always 🙂
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Thanks. I will be overrun by the newly planted Bromeliads in about two years. Most of the plants were pups from plants in the garden. I am not sure what I will do with the next generation.
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Two years? Gosh, that is quick 🙂
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I am glad that you and your garden are in the pink. I didn’t realise that you have been
having surgery. I hope you go from strength to strength now.
Wow, that is a very impressive arrangement, I love these tropical flowers. Your garden is coming on beautifully. It looks as if you are planting in pure sand. Do you actually have any soil?
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Thanks. I have about a half acre of sugar sand. Fine textured devoid of organic matter and capable of supporting demonic weeds. No soil whatsoever.
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I love the pink and white vase with the strong accents of the large burgundy and green leaves. Your “beach with weeds” garden is already fundamentally transformed and I look forward to seeing its further transformation as the plants grow. I didn’t realize that you’d been faced with medical issues but I’m glad to hear that you’re feeling better and stronger now.
As to your local media outlet, what the heck is wrong with those folks?!
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Thanks. I am embracing large foliage. Hernias really slow garden building down! I am not sure about those media folks unless there is a rudeness class in Journalism school.
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Glad to hear you and your garden are both in the pink now! Love the tall arrangement and the garden project sounds like it will produce even more tall foliage and blooms for vases. Looks good!
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Thanks. Hoping for flowers and butterflies
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Love the tropical exotics you find each week. The vase is nice too. Sorry I missed you wer having surgery. Glad you’re on the mend.
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Thank you, you didn’t miss the surgeries, it has taken me a long time to get back to pink. Years.
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I don’t know how you do it, girl, but there’s another impactful and unusual arrangement. And the garden is looking great. Congrats on both.
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Thank you, I go to plant sales!
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How brilliant to create a pink vase full at over a meter tall. It does look lovely, as does your garden
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Thank you
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Another stunning vase, I so look forward to seeing what amazing flowers you will use each week. I like how you’re planting the new area and the path is great.
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Thank you, the tropical flowers continue to surprise me.
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These colors seem to be a theme of the meme. Someone did white. Someone did blue. Now we have pink. Those are pretty bold pink flowers though. They really are not the girly girl sort.
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That is true, they are sort of blocky flowers.
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Blocky? I suppose so. I was thinking they were bold, and jungly looking.
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You are so clever. Love the bromeliad and banana leaves.
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Thanks that Bromeliad is lasting a long time.
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