I was absent from IAVOM last week as I was attending some festivities out of town. I went to a reunion of my college Landscape Architecture class at the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia. April in North Georgia is lovely and we had a luncheon in the courtyard of the Founder’s Memorial Garden on campus. Here is the fruit parterre garden, the shapes formed by the boxwood are lemon, lime, strawberry and cherry; if memory serves – and sometimes memory refuses. This garden is part of the curriculum to learn how to draw Landscape Plans, I can only wonder how many times it has been drawn.
The luncheon in the courtyard:
The house, originally built in 1857 has served many purposes; most recently the headquarters of the Garden Club of Georgia. The garden commemorates the Founders of the Garden Club movement, established in Athens in 1891 and was opened in 1939 by the first dean of the Landscape Architecture school, Hubert B. Owens. More About the Garden
Back to my Festiv-i-tea vase.
The vase is a teapot of English Blue Willow, one of my all time favorites. For whatever reason, there are a lot of hot colors flowering right now. Soft spring colors are not really a thing in South Florida, in my garden anyway. Living in a deep peach painted house discourages the use of pinks and lavendars.
The teapot is stuffed full of flowers. The big orange flower is Mexican Bush Honeysuckle (Justicia spicigera), I have been enjoying pruning this one back to size for vases. Nearby are white Petunias of mystical origin; white daisies are the invasive native Bidens alba; the small sunflowers are another native, Beach Sunflowers (Helianthus debilis); red star shaped flowers are Petunia exserta; a few Parrotflowers in the front (Heliconia psittacorum; grey foliage is from Helichyseum petiolaris, Licorice Plant and there is some Tropical Red Salvia (Salvia coccinea) in the back that is not in this picture.
Hope everyone had lovely Easter festivities!
Happy Monday.
The Shrub Queen 
So the petunias are real perennials for you? Here, although HHP, it would never be worth trying to keep them going and they are sold as bedding/basket plants. It is interesting to read that you avoid pinks and lavenders because of your peachy house and I think we have come to expect mostly ‘hot’ vases from you – today’s is as striking as ever, so thanks for sharing it
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I am not sure what the Petunias are, usually they are annuals here and the summers burn them out. They have been in the garden since September, so we shall soon see if they can stand the heat.
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Oh yes, I forget how different your ‘seasons’ are!
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I once read that strong colors fit sunnier climes like yours and mine better than soft pastels and I think that’s true. Your Festivitea arrangement is a joyous riot of color. Your trip to Georgia sounds lovely and I hope you enjoyed a lovely Easter too.
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Thanks, Kris. A quiet riot in Blue Willow!
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That is a great name for today’s vase. The Mexican Honeysuckle is really large.
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Thanks, I think I got the Mexican Honeysuckle in exactly the right place.
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Definitely a sweet riot of color this week – I love it! I particularly like Petunia exserta (maybe I can grow it as an annual here?) and the Mexican bush honeysuckle is so robust – looks like a great plant for the tropical garden.
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Thank you, the Petunia exserta is grown as an annual in the UK and hanging baskets. I haven’t seen any here, so I am not sure what they will do. I started the seed last September, so they have been in the garden a while.
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That’s a great arrangement. I like the shape and the Mexican Bush Honeysuckle makes a big statement. Your reunion sounds fun.
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The Blue Willow got my attention more than the flowers. My first dishes in my first home in college were a variation known as Red Willow. It was for those who wanted to be trendy at the time, but did not like blue. It was also available in Sepia Willow.
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You are right, hot colors do seem to be what most Florida gardeners seem to plant. Your vase is a perfect example of all the color to be found here.
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LOL, my vase today is pastel..
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Oh, I would have loved to attend! It sounds great. And I like your pretty arrangement and the word “Festivitea”.
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