I have spent more time in my garden sitting in the place I designed for specifically for sitting than ever before. And my husband joined me. We have enjoyed drinks, snacks, a bit of reading and the ocean breeze. This is an amazing result of a dreadful scourge that shall remain nameless. Willie Nelson’s son wrote a song about it. It is called Turn Off the News (Build a Garden) Here is a link: The Song
Willie Nelson is an American Icon; a longtime country singer with a haunting voice who writes lyrics that will make you cry. A longtime favorite of mine. I hope you enjoy the song.
This vase is for him.
Back to the vase. The vase is heavy crystal gifted to me by my late brother, coincedentally, a huge fan of Willie Nelson. I used the vase for its heft. The tropical flowers are heavy and have thick stems that will knock over a lighter vase.
Some close ups:
The flower of ‘Little Harv’ Bromeliad. Little Harv is an Aechmea Bromeliad and not so little, he packs a sharp bite if you run into him while wrestling a fibrous stemmed flower from him. I have some scratches on my leg where Harv bit me, though I think he will be OK with me enjoying the flower indoors.
Two stems from the Shell Ginger (Alpinia zerumbet). A very pleasant, yet huge Ginger – nearly five tall and wider than that; these need to be pruned into compliance and cutting the flowers helps.
The accents offsetting the coarser texture flowers. The white flowers are from Lotusleaf Begonia (Begonia nelumbifolia) a bit of wild Asparagus Fern from the garden and leaves from the Shell Ginger.
I will continue working in my garden, writing and enjoying sitting in my happy place. My prunings will continue to delight me this week. I hope everyone is well – I will be in my garden listening to Willie Nelson.
To see more spring flowers (or fall in the Southern Hemisphere) visit our hostess, Cathy at her blog http://www.ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com.
The Shrub Queen 
lovely flowers!!
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Your vase is very pretty today. I am hoping for some Shell Ginger this year. I never heard that song, but I was never a big country fan. When I moved to Texas, I was admonished for not knowing Willie and Waylon.
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Love the song and those fab flowers
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Thanks, Dorris.
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Thanks for the link and its sentiment, Amy. I had to smile at your vase today as I looked at it and immediately said ‘shell ginger’ so am clearly learning more about your tropical plants! We are fortunate to have gardens to provide us with such joyous material as well as a place of refuge in these surreal times. Thanks for sharing
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Glad you have learned some tropicals. The Shell Ginger is pretty and fun to arrange. I agree, we are very fortunate, I would be pulling out my hair by now if I didn’t have my garden.
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The first photo is like an exquisite botanical drawing. So beautiful, I’d like to draw it myself! If only I was better at drawing. I enjoyed the song, too.
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Thanks, Jane. I have a friend who does exquisite botanical watercolors! Me, not so much. A lovely thought.
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*SIGH* (Shell ginger). I always admire your bromeliad flowers too – we may be able to grow bromeliads in the ground in SoCal but we sure can’t claim anything like the flowers your plants produce! Thanks for the introduction to the song by Willie and his sons too.
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Very nice, the ginger and begonia look like bling. 🙂 You’ve done Willie proud!
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Thank you Eliza and Hello from nearly sweltering FLA.
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Beautiful arrangement.
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Such an attractive display. Enjoy your seating area.
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Thank you, we are.
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What are the broad leaves in the background?
I just moved a heliconia from an abandoned house today, after debating if it was worth salvaging in this climate, where it might need to be sheltered. After seeing them in someone else’s garden, I went for it.
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What are the broad leaves in the background?
I just moved a heliconia from an abandoned house today, after debating if it was worth salvaging in this climate, where it might need to be sheltered. After seeing them in someone else’s garden, I went for it.
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Shell Ginger foliage, go for the Heliconia, I love them.
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Oh, it is ginger foliage. I get it now. The leaves are a bit longer that the common ginger I am familiar with, but I should have guessed anyway. The heliconia got canned right outside. It was in pretty rough shape, but seemed to have a nice healthy root system. I can not send it back now.
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I have had good luck with Lobster claw Heliconia, the psittacorum doesn’t last.
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Lobster claw heliconia prefers more humidity than they can get here. My colleague down south could probably grow it in his overgrown garden if he happened to find one to grow. I would not try it here. There are a few damp riparian spots, but they are not warm at all. The heliconia here look like slender bird of Paradise.
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So many varieties, I have one called Splash that has been around at least 6 years and no flowers yet..
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I had to look that one up real quick. It is so bright orange, but the flowers are also bulkier than what I remember in Los Angeles. That will be rad when it blooms.
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You use the most interesting flowers in your arrangements! And that back story is very interesting. Off to listen to the song now. Stay well, dear Amy. Stay safe.
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You, too, dear
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