Well, I am not literary enough to chat about the origins Of Cabbages and Kings; though I remember the line. The cabbages in my vase this Monday are in the back of the vase, a dramatically pruned frond from a Cabbage Palm seedling (Palmetto sabal). The seedlings of this palm appear sort of randomly in my garden and grow so slowly they are no cause for alarm, and I occasionally cut one for a vase. I like the graphic backdrop the palm frond provides.
The parrot in the vase is the Parrotflower (Heliconia psittacorum). The tallest flower in yellow and red. The Parrotflower is a small Heliconia, relatively easy to grow here, but it needs a lot of water. I have just transplanted some bits into my (ha) vegetable garden to see if I can grow some for cut flowers as something else usually seems to eat my vegetables. And it is not my husband or the greyhounds. The culprits, that I am aware of, are rabbits, bobcats, armadillos and more recently iguanas. What’s a girl to do? Plant flowers these things won’t eat, of course.
Here is another view:
And a closer view:
I think the Palm frond and Parrotflowers have been covered. The other flowers are in white, flowers from an Adonidia Palm (Veitchii merrilli); the red ferny flowers are Firecracker Plant (Russelia equisetiformis) – a perennial in South Florida I used as a summer container plant further north. The red flowers at the edge of the vase are from Nodding Hibiscus (Malvaviscus penduliflorus) – so called as it seems not to have the energy to fully open.
Feeling a bit that way myself.
Hope everyone is safe and well and please stay in a bit longer…to see more Monday vases please visit our hostess, Cathy, at http://www.ramblinginthegarden.com
The Shrub Queen 
I like the use of your palm leaf. You have bobcats?
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Thank you. Oh yes, many cats have been lost around here and I have seen a bob kitten recently.
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A good color scheme for December holidays. 🙂 Such a pretty Heliconia… a favorite as you know. The dainty Russelia look like fairy dancers. 🙂
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Thanks, I thought it was a bit Christmassy as well. I hope the nematodes in the veg garden don’t like Heliconia. There is a native Clematis here C. crispa people call Fairy Hats!!
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The trimmed palm leaves reflect the parrot flowers perfectly, Amy – such a clever touch. Sorry to hear your energy levels are depleted and hope IAVOM helps your spirits to rise and bring your energy levels with them
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Thank you, Cathy. There is something draining about all of this.. IAVOM always lifts my spirits, it is a carnival!!
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They way we all respond to lockdown varies so much, depending not just on individual circumstances but on our resilience. Do make sure you share your feelings on how it is getting to you, so you don’t bottle it up
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It’s the civil unrest on top of the Covid…the people where I live are making fun of those of us wearing masks and staying away from people. It’s crazy. Just picked my first mango though and have Passionfruit and Papayas on the way.
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Good grief, Amy, what a bizarre response to sensible precautions – I have not come across it before. Is it happening elsewhere in the US, do you know? Who are these people (although judging by things I have heard in the news I can probably hazard a guess)? I hope your ripening fruit proves to be at least a small solace amidst the craziness
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I agree, bizarre. Lead by our president refusing to wear a mask. He toured a plant making masks recently and they had to throw it all away cuz he had been there. Bizarre doesn’t cover that. Public mask shaming is happening everywhere. And the infection numbers are spiking here. We had a guy working on our house who told me the whole thing was a hoax!
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It beggars belief…
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Bobcats, armadillos AND iguanas! I guess I’m lucky to just have the bunnies and one (or maybe 2) nasty gophers. I think the coyotes may have already gotten of the bunnies (as well as the peacock that recently wandered out of bounds) but apparently they don’t bother the gophers. I love the use of the palm frond as a backdrop for all your lovely red flowers.
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LOL, we have coyotes, too. They are as big as my greyhounds (70-80 lbs) and bizarrely peacocks pass through every now and again. Thanks.
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Cool palm frond. Not many people use palm parts in floral design, perhaps because most of those who enjoy floral design lack palms. My colleague down south was so proud of his Canary Island date palm floral truss with Christmas lights on it back in the 1990s. It was like totally lame, but he thought it was cool. It just stood there in a corner . . . and glowed. Creepy. Anyway, the palm frond is a nice background.
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Thanks, Tony are you Italian?
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of Italian descent. My ancestors left Italy many generations ago.
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Oh my goodness, you have Armadillos too! I really like the pruned palm frond as a backdrop, and the parrot flowers are amazing…. something we rarely see here, except perhaps in a floral arrangement at the florist’s. 😉
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Yes – armadillos and the dogs chase them which is hilarious. Thanks, I think a lot of Heliconias are grown for florists in Hawaii. They are actually easy to grow.
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I love the stories that come with all the vases each Monday ( or Tuesday….) Armadillos! Bobcats! And here I was annoyed with chipmunks!!! 😄😄😄 I love that pendulous hibiscus.
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Thanks, Chris. There is always something going on outside in Florida. I have terrible luck with bulbs and haven’t figured out why – no chipmunks though.
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Wow, that is so dramatic, I love it. You have exotic pests as well as exotic flowers. I’m not even sure what a bobcat is.
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Thank you, Liz. A Bobcat is a 20 or 30 lb wild cat that hunts smaller animals, my neighbor has lost house cats to our local bobcat. The largest undeveloped tract of land in Florida is fairly close to my house hence the wildlife. I saw an 8 foot long Coachwhip snake in my garden yesterday and thought of you..not poisonous, but the biggest snake I have ever seen and has been around a while.
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Love the drama of the red against the black. Nice use of foliage.
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Thank you, I prefer my drama in the vase!
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Yes please.
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