I had lunch in my garden today, a perfect 75 degrees F/23C, sunny blue sky day in South Florida..contemplating how the plants and flowers had me paying rapt attention to all the details (and weeds) This made me realize I should sit in the garden more often. And it conjured up a wrapped vase.
The vase is a marinated artichoke jar shaped in a radiused square. I used the leaves vertically instead of horizontally around the jar this time and left some taller leaves with tips in the back. The leaves are from a Blanchetiana Bromeliad (Aechmea blanchetiana)
The arrangement under construction:
The Zinnias I grew for winter are fading fast. I collected seed from the Envy Zinnias and started a new batch to replant in my front garden. I will sow a few more Cactus Zinnia just to have more to cut in the bag garden. With temperatures in the mid 80s F last week, I realize the bag gardens days may be numbered as the bags will dry out faster than I can water them when temperatures are too hot.
A closer view:
White spikes at the top are Sweet Almond Bush (Aloysia virgata); deep blue spikes are ‘Mystic Blue’ Salvia; off white flowers at top are Lotusleaf Begonia (Begonia nelumbo); the Zinnias are Cactus Mix and ‘Envy’ grown from seed. The fragrance is a bit unusual – a combination of Sweet Almond and tangy Salvia.
Another view:
Zinnias at the bottom are ‘Envy.’
To see more vases follow the link http://www.ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com and visit our hostess, Cathy in the UK who invites bloggers to share their vases from around the world.
I’ll be in the garden paying rapt attention to getting rid of the weeds.
Happy Gardening..
The Shrub Queen 
Beautiful summer-like floral charm. Your vase’s beauty brings an imaginary warm breeze to a still-nippy winter’s day in Wisconsin. Lovely.
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Thank you, sharing Florida sunshine makes me happy…
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Zinnias always gladden the heart! Beautiful, I like the wrap. Your weather sounds ideal!
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They do. Ideal for the time being! Oh, the salmon salvia is setting seed, I will gather some for you and be very interested in what color you get??
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Wonderful, thank you! I’m curious to what the bees have created. 🙂
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yes, looking forward to a report!
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Your zinnias just keep going. Can they take the summer heat?
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These are just about done. I am starting a new set. I have seen them mid summer here, though am not sure when they were started..
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Love the title!! And I love the zinginess of the vase with your glorious zinnias – what a great discovery it was that you could grow them successfully! 😁 And you are so lucky with the choice of leaves you can use for wrapping – perhaps I need to do a recce here to see if there is anything at all that might work, but I suspect not
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Thank you..Aspidistra would be a great wrap if you have some..
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Hmm, no aspidistra, but perhaps I could use fatsia…?
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Layers of Fatsia foliage would be cool.
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It’s nice your zinnias have been so rewarding this season. I also love the zingy color offered by the ‘Mystic Blue’ Salvia.
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I feel like I am starting a year round Zinnia farm..
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What a comfortable temperature and just the ticket for sitting outside. Well done of having zinnias during such a long season. I think you have certainly got all the growing just right. Nice touch with the vase sleeve.
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Thanks, Noelle
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Your decorated jars always intrigue me, Amelia. I’m glad to see you’ve gotten a lot of mileage out of the zinnias this year. I’m hoping to sow zinnia seeds next month.
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Thanks, Kris. Repurposing at its best…good luck with the zinnias.
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Hey, I remember ‘Mystic Blue’ salvia. Do you also have ‘Blue Spires’? I can not remember, but I remember the confusion with the two. I got ‘Blue Spires’, and someone else got ‘Mystic Blue’ which I thought was the same thing.
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Just Mystic Spires, I think the flowers are bigger.
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See what I mean?! Now I can not remember the name of what I grew!
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Great title and I love the idea of wrapping vases/jars. Your colourful arrangement made me smile. Such a pretty mix of colours and shapes. I wonder how warm it has to be for you to sit outside…. we managed to sit for a brief cuppa on a picnic mat last week when we had two milder days… about 10°C!
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