The past few weeks have been so un-Floridalike and dreary I went in search of a “spring wildflower bouquet” to cheer things up. Fortunately, with the dreary comes the precipitation and that brings salvia, lots of salvia. The Tropical Red Salvia is having a banner year, so I have flowers in almost all possible colors – just missing the neon orange version, though I rarely see that color. The backdrop for the vase is a Prayer Plant, as in, praying for blue skies and sunshine!
The vase is a repurposed olive oil bottle. One of those upgraded olive oils for drizzling that I usually forget about until it goes rancid and it turns up as a vase on Monday. I have four different salvias in the vase – White Flame and Mystic Spires in blue and white, along the white and coral versions of Tropical Red Salvia (Salvia coccinea); a few Bidens alba white daisies for a wildflower touch. The foliage is a twist of Mammy Croton and Asian Sword Ferns. The Prayer Plant is a Pink Star, that has seemingly lost its pink. A neighbor gave me this plant last Christmas and I am still amazed I haven’t killed it – just made it silver.
That is all from overcast South Florida. I will be wishing on a Pink Star for a reprieve in the clouds and hope everyone is staying warm and enjoying winter garden introspection.
To find more vases, go to Cathy’s page at ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com
The Shrub Queen 
Lovely vase, and I’ll add my hopes for sun.
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Thank you. Here’s hoping for a few rays!
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Here in NJ, we always talk about moving to Florida for the warmth. The salvia is also a draw. We love it here and grow several types for butterflies and hummingbirds. Looking forward to Spring. Beautiful bouquet.
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Well, it is 76 degrees! And the rain is imminent. Probably more comfortable here. The butterflies do love the salvia and have been enjoying it. Stay warm!
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Oh, I will have to tell my husband, he loves warm weather. I even wore fingerless gloves today in the house.
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We also had three tornadoes touch down yesterday! Weather madness here.
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Yikes, that is awful. I hope there was no damage.
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Just lost a few trees.. scary wind 🌬️
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The backdrop of the Prayer Plant is perfect to showcase your flowers. Salvia in winter is exquisite. I wouldn’t see them to late spring or early summer. So I was warmed by their presence. Hoping the sun comes for you soon. Here sun usually means really cold weather but I’ll take it even with the polar vortex.
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Thank you. I usually have a few salvia, but the rain has really encouraged them. Hope you see some sun.
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The leaves of the Prayer Plant are so nice with the salvia. Is sun predicted soon?
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Thanks, we have a chance for a glimpse of the sun later in the week. So weird.
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The Prayer Plant is a good background for your flowers. Our weather has come in today with some sleet.
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Thank you. Frozen precipitation, Oh NO! Stay warm.
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The foliage of your prayer plant is amazing, even without any pink! You have succeeded in bringing some warmth and sunshine with your ‘spring’ posy and I hope you get the break in the clouds you hope for too
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Thanks, Cathy. It looks like the UK here right now!
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The bouquet is all the more lovely when placed in front of the prayer plant, Amelia. I’ve never had much success growing Maranta as houseplants but then my Salvias don’t do nearly as well as yours either.
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Thank you, Kris. The prayer plant is a first for me, though they will grow outside here.
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Nice little posy. I hope your weather improves soon! 🌞
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Thanks, Eliza. Now we are having a thunderstorm! Argh.
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I love the theme of your post these week, with the Prayer Plant reflecting your thoughts. Just imagine the wonderful growth you will have from the rain, the garden will be exuberant.
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Thanks, Noelle. I am hoping for exuberance.
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Wow, that prayer plant is awesome! I miss those. The common sort was very popular when I was a kid. I grew one for more than a decade from the early 1990s until 2006. Of course, it was not as dramatic as yours.
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Look up the pInk star variety. It is much more dramatic than mine.
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I sort of prefer yours after losing its pink.
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Lovely to see your January flowers Amelia and the foliage of the prayer plant which is stunning 😍 My sister is in Miami at the moment and was dismayed to experience rain. Here we woke up to a blanket of snow this morning and the next couple of days are promising freezing weather.
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Thank you, Anna. I hope it stops raining before your sister leaves. It has been an odd winter here so far.
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Oh dear, I hope your sunshine comes back soon. At least you still have some lovely flowers – beautiful Salvias! The white one is very striking. And the prayer plant is hopefully doing its job while sitting pretty with your vase!
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There are rumors of sun tomorrow.
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Fingers crossed!
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Those leaves are awesome! The flowers sing directly to my heart today. It’s been raining off and on today and getting colder and colder. Hope you get some Florida sunshine soon
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It seems strange for you to be talking about such a run of dreary weather! Your arrangement cuts through all that. The salvias are lovely clear colours, but I was actually distracted by the white bidens. I might have to check for seed suppliers here.
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I agree. The Bidens is a native wildflower here and a weed for the most part. I have seen the yellow ones grown in Europe and the UK and wonder if they would grow here.
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