I set out to collect the last of the wildflowers generated by our late season rains to create a vase marking the end of the not so rainy season. It seems strange having Beach Sunflowers in December when there were none this summer. Weather patterns make for strange seasonal bedfellows. I inherited the vase from my mother; it was made by Native Americans in the desert Southwestern US. I like the earth tones with the wildflowers.
The palette:
The spike flowers in white and salmon are Tropical Red Salvia (Salvia coccinea); yellow daisies are Beach Sunflowers (Helianthus debilis); the fluffy pink grasses in the back are Muhly Grass (Muhlbergia capillaris)
Another view:
The reddish flowers are from a shrub called China Hat around here. Holmskioldia sanguinea is the botanical name. The form of the shrub reminds me of Forsythia, arching and semi deciduous. Hummingbirds and butterflies love the flowers. This is native to the lowlands of the Himalayas and reportedly hardy to Zone 8. I have never seen one until landing in South Florida. This one is doing wonderfully well growing in sugar sand with very little supplemental water.
Thank you to Cathy at http://www.ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com for hosting this weekly meme. Follow the link to see more vases.
Happy Gardening!!
The Shrub Queen 
Your vase really caught my eye. The China Hat is attractive, and I wonder if it will grow here. We had freezes the last two years, even though it is supposed to be warming up. I still have to fill out my email on your site. My IT girl tried some fixes and that is why I sent you a test yesterday. Thanks for understanding.
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Thank you, I expect if the China Hat likes my sugar sand it would not like your gumbo, Good luck with the IT. Such a pain.
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I love the effect of the Muhly grass, which adds extra impact to the whole thing, and the vase itself is lovely – very tactile too, I expect. China Hat is an intriguing flower which not surprisingly I have never come across before!
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Thank you, Cathy. The dry summer severely limited the Muhly and I have missed it. The China Hat is not well known, I think and I am not sure why. It is very easy to grow and comes in a variety of colors.
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Wouldn’t grow here, I guess…
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We’re having a not-so-rainy season too. I hope it won’t line up with our worst on record where we got 4 inches within the 12-month period that constitutes our “water year” but I fear it might. I’m glad you got some of those cheerful beach sunflowers out of your rain at least. As always, I love the muhly grass that enlivens the arrangement as well.
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Thanks, Kris. I hope it rains!
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I never tire of seeing your Salvia Amelia, especially this salmon colour. And the China Hat is interesting. I’ve never seen one before but perhaps it will turn up as a summer container plant for indoor overwintering one day.
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I hope the Salvias keep it up.
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Helianthus debilis is native there? I remember that name, as if I already asked about it.
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It is a dune plant on the back side…
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