I put my vase together on Mother’s Day, so I included my mother in the photo. Everyone called my mother Miss Betty, she has been gone for almost 9 years now and I still miss her and wish she could see my new tropical gardens in Florida – and the vases. Both things she would absolutely love. A Greatest Generation Southern Belle, daughter of a peach farmer and the source of my love for gardens. Here she is with her grandfather at the peach packing house in the 1940s.
Miss Betty and Mr. Tommy
The other lady in the title is not a lady at all, Miss Alice is a Bougainvillea. The off white flower in the vase and one of my latest acquistions. I had been dreaming of a Bougainvillea to grow as a pillar next to the entry of our house. Finally the house was painted and I could add a vine – then I discovered most of the colors I wanted had thorns, not just little prickles – 1/2 and inch and up pointed spears and I would be the one pruning the vine. Then I found Miss Alice, a nearly thornless variety. Nearly being the operative word, gloves are still necessary but I am not fearing being turned into a shish ka bob. Here is Miss Alice on her way up.
The rest of the vase includes Pink Rain Lilies (Zephyranthes justcameupintheyard ?); Alabama Sunset Coleus and Asparagus Fern. In Miss Betty’s crystal Rose Bowl, of course.
Happy Mother’s Day.
The Shrub Queen 
So beautiful and pretty in pink! I didn’t know that Bougainvillea had thorns. The reason I don’t grow prickly plants is dealing with thorns when pruning, etc. They make me crazy!
I loved seeing your mom and grandfather and getting their history. I LOVE GA peaches! Do you still have family there?
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Thank you, I searched long for Miss Alice! Human shish ka bob is not my thing. I still have family in GA but no farmers.
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Oh my! It is Monday (there) already! Time goes so fast!
That white bougainvillea is rad. I used to cut the common Barbara Karst bougainvillea, but cut flower experts would say that is silly.
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It is rad and did not last very long!
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What a great way to remember your mother.
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Thank you
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Lovely vase and post. I didn’t know about the thorns either.
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The lack of thorns is worth the color change! I wanted apricot (giant thorns) settled for off white.
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A beautiful remembrance vase for your mom, Miss Betty!
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Thanks, Donna
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Beautiful photograph of your mother and your grandfather. Your gorgeous vase is a lovely tribute to her.
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Thank you.
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Your mom was a beauty. Cool to see the photos. Had no idea Bougainvillea had thorns. It’s looking great. And rain lilies I think usually are fall here–lovely.
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Thank you,Bougainvillea is worse than Pyracantha. Had white Rain Lilies in Atlanta.
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A nearly thornless Bougainvillea! I’ll have to look for that. After taking out an extremely thorny pink Bougainvillea that seemed to grow a foot a day, stretching into the driveway of our former house and threatening to scratch his beloved electric car (which he’d converted from a gas guzzler), my husband declared Bougainvillea “evil” and forbade planting them. Your pink and white arrangement is very pretty and I too am sure Miss Betty would have loved it.
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There are actually two thornless, the other is purple. Your husband sounds a lot like mine! I wanted the apricot Boug, but it has the biggest thorns.
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Your arrangement today is as lovely as your mom! I love seeing those old photos. Thank you for sharing 🙂
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Thanks,she would love your blog
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Your mother looks so beautiful and vibrant in these photos – your lovely bouquet is a great Mother’s Dsy tribute, particularly that stunning white bougainvillea.
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Thank you
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What a lovely post – thank you for sharing the wonderful family photos, and that white bouganvillea. I didn’t know about the thorns OR the existence of a white variety!
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Thank you.
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Very pretty arrangement. I love the information about your mother. Alice is no lady…Well bless her heart.
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Thank you. LOL,bless nearly thornless Alice’s heart.
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That is so very pretty! I think the white Bougainvillea is beautiful – I didn’t know there’s a white one, and I also didn’t know they have thorns! We only see very small ones in pots for summer displays and I don’t think many people manage to get them through the winter.
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A lovely post, especially with the context. Does the white bougainvillea have particularly large flowers? They look huge. Well done for getting to grips with it thorns!!
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Thank you, the flowers are bigger and it just recently started blooming – so I am looking forward to more.
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I love the white bougainvillea, such a beauty. And what a lovely tribute to your mother.
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Thank you,Liz. Happy Mother’s Day.
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I miss that from my childhood – calling ladies “Miss Betty”, “Miss Lou”, etc. It was both respectful yet friendly.
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Cynthia I am currently working on a garden in Atlanta. The children are introduced to me as Miss Amy. It still exists.
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Excellent!
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