In celebration of the tenth anniversary of IAVOM, a challenge was issued by Cathy – to use a wacky container as a vase. Of course, I looked in my closet and came up with a pair of cowboy boots. I tried a pointe ballet slipper first, but was unable to overcome the shape of the shoe. It is a bit of a balancing act to persuade flowers (I use the term loosely here) to stay in a cowboy boot. The structural arrangements involve a rock, packing tissue and a plastic cup of water – and a bit of a lean towards the wall as these are probably 30 year old boots and I have a tendency towards overpronating and the boots are slanted from wear. The grey “flowers” are kind of crunchy and shatter on impact, so careful placement and balancing is essential. One hit the floor by Fiona the greyhound, who was quite startled and is consciously avoiding the boot now.
Given the container, I decided on a western themed plant palette, succulents and hot colors.
The grey “flowers” are the succulent Graptosedum and I added a few sprigs of another type of sedum, I am not sure which one. Burgundy foliage is a ‘Fireball’ Neoregelia Bromeliad pup; orange and red flowers are the dried flowers of Aechmea rubens Bromeliad. There are a few sprigs of Muscadine grapevine in the back of the arrangement.
Another view:
My thanks go to Cathy for all these years of hosting In a Vase on Monday. I enjoy starting my week with vases of flowers from all over the world and sharing ideas with other gardeners. It is fascinating to me what others grow in their gardens and why.
Follow this link to visit Cathy and see the wacky 10 Year Anniversary vases..http://ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com
The Shrub Queen 
Happy Anniversary! You completely nailed it with your boot. The proportions and colors are just stunning. Love the way the materials arc across the boot.
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Thanks, Susie. I am still thinking about the crescent!
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This is brilliant! Love the discussion about boot wear and shattering succulents! 🙂 The whole thing looks fun and I think the colours are perfect.
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Thank you – the whole thing just fell over and shattered!
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I agree….first place for this unique ‘vase’ and the perfect flowers arranged beautifully! So creative.
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Thank you.
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Just awesome! The way you draped the plants suit the boot perfectly. 👍
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Thanks, Annette. It just happened!
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Haha – that is a great coincidence, Amelia, and I like the way you have allowed the boot to trigger a Western theme. Despite your difficulties in supporting the contents, your ingenuity has paid off and the result is wonderful! Thanks for your enthusiastic support over the years
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Thanks, Cathy. Happy Anniversary!!
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That is very creative. It would work well in my part of the country.
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Thank you – yes, very Texan.
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This is beautiful, I love it! Great thinking outside of the box. 🙂
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Thanks, Eliza. It just fell off the table and was smashed! Kind of an ephemeral boot.
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Oh, dear… at least it made it to the photoshoot! 😉
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There was a crash, I had to laugh. The succulents are heavy.
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That was inspired and what a great choice of plants and flowers to make up the arrangement. From Cathy’s tiny boot to your beautiful well loved full size one, we are having some lovely arrangements to celebrate IAVOM’s tenth birthday.
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From Cathy’s tiny boot to your genuine cowgirl full sized boot, we are having such fun looking at each other’s arrangements. Love the assortment of plants and flowers.
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Thanks, Noelle.
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I LOVE this Amelia! It’s eye-catching and the mix of colors is just perfect. That boot may not be made for walking but it’ll play well on a shelf!
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Thanks, Kris. I am guessing these are from Urban Cowboy days..
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Oh your cowboy boot is like a big brother to Cathy’s little boot Amelia 😂 They look as if they are most comfortable indeed and as if they have been cherished over the years. I love the brightness and the succulents that you filled them with. I hope that Fiona has recovered from the shock.
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Thank you, Anna. I laughed when I opened Cathy’s post this morning. Fiona had another shock when the whole thing fell over this afternoon…
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Oh how fun! These are all so very creative. I’m taking notes for future arrangements. 🙂
Happy IAVOM!
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Thank you.
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That looks more like a horticulturist boot than a cowboy boot. Cowboys get too much credit. Graptosedum is nice, but really wants to be left alone in the garden. Every once in a while, I break the rosettes off and plug them back where their elongated but bare stems originated from. They grow right back, and I plug them again.
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I think you are right about the Graptosedum – it grows surprisingly well in the ground.
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Fantastic!
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Brilliant! A great choice to celebrate and take up the challenge, and just the right sort of plants for it too! I hope it remains intact for a few days to enjoy! LOL!
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Thanks, Cathy.
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Looks like these flowers in the boot
I follow yours but can you follow mine? Anita
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