Rock Lobster is a song by the B-52’s, circa 1980. I was in college at the time in their hometown, Athens, Georgia. To say the song was popular around town is an understatement. It will always remind me of college. In case you are not familiar with the song here is a link Rock Lobster video.
I guess I have some splainin’ (explaining) to do. The red and yellow flower in the vase is – a Lobsterclaw Heliconia (Heliconia rostrata) – the rock is a crystal from my father’s collection, I think it is Halite, rock salt. My father was a geology professor and liked to say pass the NaCl (chemical name of salt) at the dinner table. Rock Lobster!
The orange flowers in the vase are from the Mexican Honeysuckle (Justicia spicigera). The vase is a Rose` bottle I liked and saved from recycling. The Rose` wine, an international award winning $8 bottle from Aldi, not so memorable. Then again, I am a fan of Chardonnay. The bottle/vase seemed kind of boring, so I added a Pandanus leaf around and tied it with a jute string. True confessions – Scotch tape was involved.
Heliconias fascinate me. So tropical. This one started to flower about two weeks ago, here it is on June 17. They slowly expand and then don’t last very long in a vase.
News from the butterfly front. Here is my latest addition, another Swallowtail from the Parsley. I found him or her on my crushed shell driveway, trying to get wings unfurled. Scooped the butterfly up and placed it on a nearby Firebush (a nectar source) – see the white bits in the picture, crushed shell. The butterfly was gone when I came back, hopefully on to new adventures in the garden.
The Swallowtail caterpillars completely consumed a large Parsley in a pot on my front porch. Usually, Parsley is a cool season annual here and gone by the first of June. This one has put on a new set of foliage and the Swallowtails have laid their eggs again. They are in the recently regenerated Fennel in the vegetable garden as well.
The Shrub Queen 
What a stylish vase and the way you have customised the bottle suits it perfectly – most attractive!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you.
LikeLike
That a real stunner…I remember them growing in my mother’s garden in Mauritius. The vase with its ‘cummerbund’ is very smart. As for that butterfly…your bug of the week, trumps mine.
LikeLike
Wow, that is stunning. And the vase is very smart. Just beautiful. All the best. Karen
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Karen
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh that is a clever name and vase….love the flower and vase you put it in….and wish more swallowtails would visit as I have loads of parsley and dill waiting for them.
LikeLike
Thanks, the Swallowtails will be there later!
LikeLike
LOVE! that heliconia~ it is stunning! Very artful rendering of the bottle, a stylish makeover – you could put it on a Repurposing website. 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Eliza. the Rose bottle repurposing was not too difficult. Not sure it is website worthy!
LikeLike
Of course it is – anything creative goes in one’s own blog!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I like that we’re getting a butterfly pic with each IAVOM post! I love the Heliconia – if only they didn’t want so much water… As to the scotch tape, if it’s good enough for beauty pageant participants, I don’t see why it wouldn’t be acceptable to use in decorating a vase.
LikeLiked by 1 person
So far, I have caterpillars for next week! Heliconias in a pot for you.
LikeLike
I’ll be going on a plant hunt for that heliconia to put in my yard! Beautiful.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Put it in a pot!
LikeLike
A very cool arrangement.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks
LikeLike
It wasn’t a rock! It was a rock . . . LOBSTER! Everybody had matching towels. That makes NO sense, but is is fun to baffle young people with.
Mexican honeysuckle got may attentions, but it is not related. Well, it is pretty anyway.
Do you cut the heliconia to the ground right after bloom, or do you wait for it to replace itself with new foliage? My colleague down south loves the foliage and flowers, but does not like the emptiness when it gets cut down.
LikeLike
So fun to baffle the Millenials! Still learning about the Heliconias, haven’t cut any down to the ground. Cut the flowers and divided them, the bulbs are slow to grow in the sand.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Very stylish and elegant. An exotic helicona trumps anything. Oh and what a stunning butterfly. I’m still puzzling over Kris’s remark. What on earth do they use scotch tape for in a beauty pageant?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Heliconias are amazing. Beauty pageant contestants are reported to use scotch tape to keep their swimsuits covering the proper parts. I guess the tape is not visible on TV.
LikeLike
You clever girl, you. Are flutterbys a metaphor for life? That beauty and good can follow what we perceive as bad? They are first caterpillars, destroying one’s herbs or leaves, but in time, they become such beautiful creatures as the one you showed us here. Hmmm…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, it’s true and the parsley grew back. Which surprised me.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Your arrangement has a very tropical but contemporary look to it.
LikeLike
I think of these as spa arrangements
LikeLiked by 1 person