I decided to use my curly dried Bromeliad leaves one more time, just for fun. What in the world goes with burgundyish dried curled leaves?
The flower forage begins:
Many red flowers are in bloom and the orangey Aloe fell over in the wind, so the plant palette started there. The color scheme is a melange of one flower leading to another. The Soap Aloe (in orange) has purple tips, so I picked some blue purples then added the whites and stumbled on the spiky dark green Bromeliad flowers while wandering through the garden. Boston Ferns in back were turned to show the less green side and spores and accent the bronzey Bromeliad curls. This is turning into the Funky February Forage.
A closer view:
The larger red flowers hanging around the vase are Nodding Hibiscus (Malvaviscus arboreus); the smaller red flowers are Firecracker Plant (Russelia equisetiformis); orangey flower, the fallen Soap Aloe (Aloe saponaria); the blue flowers are from a Ageratum of some sort the botanists changed the name on – calling it Wild Ageratum and hoping I don’t regret leaving it in the garden. Purple foliage and flowers from Purple Queen or Setcreasea pallida, I think. White daisies are the dreadful Bidens alba or Spanish Needle, too cute to rip out all of them. Off white spikes are Juba Bush (Iresine diffusa) a charming native, more so than most of the human natives. Ferns are another charming native, Boston Fern (Nephrolepsis exaltata) hope I spelled that right. The darker green ‘lobster claws’ are flower stalks from a native Bromeliad.
Another view:
Well, funky February foraging seems to be working.
Happy Gardening to all. Thanks to Cathy at http://www.ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com for hosting and allowing me to share rambles in my Florida garden. Visit Cathy’s blog to see more vases.
The Shrub Queen 
That is a funky arrangement. I had a wild Ageratum land in one of my beds and it does grow and reproduce really well. It blooms during the fall migration and the hummingbirds appreciate it.
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It is funky. I have to amuse myself..the Ageratum would be a disaster in Atlanta – I love the color, think it is probably too dry here for a takeover. Hopefully.
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A cheery vase bringing to mind a Victoria Hat with the ringlets coming down: don’t ask me, I seem to have a vivid imagination at the moment. Is the lockdown making everything more exciting including imagined images?
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A cheery vase bringing to mind a Victoria Hat with the ringlets coming down: don’t ask me, I seem to have a vivid imagination at the moment. Is the lockdown making everything more exciting including imagined images? The leaves are the ostrich plumes, and yes I can see feathers and flowers too.
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Thanks, Noelle. I love your imagination and the images you are opening in my mind!! I am happy to have a good imagination to occupy my thoughts. We are not locked down here unless self locked..we are staying home!
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I love Noelle’s comparison with a VIctorian hat!! And I really must dip into your blog to find some pictures of your actual garden as it continually amazes me what just happens to be growing here – sadly there is never time to read every post this community of bloggers posts… Anyway, today’s vase really is a glorious confection – thanks for sharing it
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Thank you, I love the hat comment, too…I am also amazed at the weird stuff that pops up in my garden. I live close to a big preserve area and I think the birds pass through and leave gifts.
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I tried my hand at curling Phormium leaves in imitation of your bromeliad leaves a few weeks ago but they unfurled all too quickly, clearly needing more than a few hours in their curlers. I love the soap aloe flowers – that’s an aloe species I don’t have. Most that I do have aren’t that generous with their flowers, or perhaps they simply don’t appreciate their low-liquid diet.
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I think the leaves need to stay on curlers til they dry up. The Soap Aloe flowers four times a year. It is a South African native, would probably do well in your garden.
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My first impression is of some kind of native effigy. 🙂 (Remember the wild, flailing arms of the the robot in the 60s show ‘Lost in Space?’ It was always wailing, “It does not compute!” Ha!)
I think I’ve been in lockdown too long! 😉
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LOL, loving the comments. Think I need to come up with another weird vase!! We need more laughs..
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This is gorgeous Amy, I love those curls.
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Thanks, Liz. I continue to amuse myself. Going to move some Bromeliads around today..
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The curls are adorable and those red Hibiscus and the Firecrackers are such a rich warm colour for my winter eyes! Love it!
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Thanks, Cathy – glad it warmed you up, we are having a cold snap here – 5 degrees C is the low..we are all frozen.
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Ooh, that is cold for you. Stay warm Amy!
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Everyone is frozen. I am in sweat shirts moving sharp plants around..
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Pretty cool! Of all the vases, yours feature more unfamiliar flowers. They remind me of when we were in school in the late 1980s, and noticing modern floral design more.
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