The Tropical Gardenias (Tabernaemontana diviricata) have been flowering madly. I have been waiting for an opportunity to cut them for a vase. The shrub is over ten feet tall, so blooms have to be on the low side. Several flowers were within reach on Sunday morning and I cut all of them.
Last week, Susie’s heirloom teapot vase made me remember mine inspiring its use as a vase. This teapot was a wedding gift my parents received in 1950. It was used to brew iced tea as long as I can remember – the interior of the pot is stained tea colored. The white tea towel was unearthed in an old friend’s grandmother’s house. The grandmother was in her 90’s in the 1980’s and the towel belonged to her mother – who knows how old it is. I was gifted the towel as it matched my monogram. They certainly don’t make things like this anymore. The G.
The Tropical Gardenias are joined by two types of Salvia, ‘White Flame’ and Tropical Red; foliage is Asian Sword Ferns and a few sprigs of Golden Dewdrop (Duranta repens).
Happy Monday!! I’ll be sniffing my foyer enjoying the fragrance of Gardenias..
Thanks to Cathy at http://ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com for hosting. Follow the link to see more vases.
The Shrub Queen 
Gorgeous! Really like this one.
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Thank you, Rosie.
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Ha, Susie inspired me to use my teapot this week as well, GMTA! Very beautiful – I love the gray-green calyxes of the salvia playing off the gorgeous gardenias. Wish I could smell it!
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Thanks, Eliza. I can never put color with the gardenias, no idea why.
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That pure white needs no complement.
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Absolutely gorgeous. Love the teapot, looove the tea towel, and of course the flowers and plant material. I wish we could grow gardenias here. I have never smelled them or seen them up close.
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Thank you. I see pots of these sometimes in winter. Maybe some will find their way to you.
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I love everything about this: teapot, flowers, tea towel and story. Gardenia fragrance–sweet!
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Thanks, Susie. It reminds me of your teapot.
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I am trying to imagine a gardenia bush that high.
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These are not quite the same as G. jasminoides. Much bigger leaves, a more open plant and deciduous, which seems strange to me. This one is sort of tree formed and jammed into a hedge of other things and difficult to see.
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This is a great shape and colour of teapot to use as a vase – what a success! And what a wonderful monogrammed towel that is, perfectly setting off the gardenias
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Thank you, Cathy. It is nice to get it off the shelf once in a while.
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Simply lovely, Amelia! Every time I see your tropical gardenias, I wonder if I could grow them here. Coastal SoCal isn’t really a tropical climate but it’s feeling more and more like one with every passing summer.
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Thanks, Kris. They might work there, very drought tolerant.
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That is such a pretty and stunning arrangement and with all the memories and associations to the post, a special one. That is Huckaback Linen and most probably hand embroidered by a young woman for her bottom drawer. It is probably Irish Linen.
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Thanks, Noelle. I looked up Huckaback and I think you are right. The family was from Baltimore (a port city) and that makes sense. I would love to know who embroidered that! The answer is lost to time.
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Wow, that is nice in all white and gray. They really do look like real gardenias.
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Mmmm, they smell gorgeous…. 😃
Lovely with the ferns and salvia. But I do admit I spent some time admiring the tea towel/tablecloth too! They certainly don’t make things like that anymore. I think I may have to seek out a teapot for a vase soon too after all this inspiration! 😆
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Thanks Cathy. I’m looking forward to your 🫖
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Oh that’s such a fresh and tranquil arrangement Amelia with the bonus of scent too. The tea towel is exquisite. I imagine that it must have been used as tablecloth rather than as towel to dry crockery with. I hope so anyway 😀
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Thank you, Anna. I’m not sure what tea towels are for. It’s not big enough for a tablecloth. I have some bridge linens from my mother that mystify me. Tiny napkins and tablecloths?
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Beautiful, the first one I see like this.
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