It has been cool and very dry in South Florida. Another ‘reason why people come here for the winter’ week. The succulents celebrated by flowering. I like the architectural aspect of succulents and enjoy cutting them to view the subtle color shading up close. The foliage from the Aloes is left in the garden, it is too sharp to handle.
Silvery grey Graptosedum and its flowers. I did not realize these would set seed until they started dropping on the floor. The ferny plant behind is Bronze Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare). I have been enjoying using this in vases and it would not have occurred to me to buy it for that purpose. It lasts a long time and adds a nice fragrance.
Soap Aloe (Aloe saponaria) flowers. This Aloe blooms about four times a year in my garden. Native to South Africa, it can be used as shampoo. Unfortunately, it seems most people are allergic to it, so I have not tried it!
Happy Monday and Happy Gardening or Garden Dreaming..
Thanks to Cathy for inviting us into her garden every Monday to share our vases. Please follow the link to visit and view the vases. RamblingintheGarden
The Shrub Queen 
Oh my! Did I tell you how much I preferred the common (vegetable type) of fennel, or was that someone else? I was not so keen on the bronze fennel, . . . but just coincidentally found yesterday that I inherited one! It is a long story, but to be brief, I intend to maintain it, and will learn to like it. I will grow the vegetable types also, just because I like the distended bulbous like petiole bases, but this bronze fennel can still provide foliage, . . . and perhaps look as pretty as common fennel.
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yes, I bought a green fennel to cook today and collected a bag of sea grape seeds..
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Sea grapes!
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Great title … it had me wondering until I saw the arrangement. I am definitely in the garden dreaming mode, really going to be ready for this year. Good news is this week we are getting a February thaw before back to the regularly scheduled programming. 😉
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Yay for the thaw!! I might like some fennel soap.
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Seeing your succulents has reminded me that I now have more potential for using foliage from indoor plants in my vases, I have been trying to add more houseplants (and keep them alive!) here – watch this space! Your vase is simple but effective – and also reminded me how pretty the fennel is – I used to have the bronze version but disposed of it once it started seeding itself too profusely…
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I am terrible with houseplants. The Graptosedum is prolific , stays outside and difficult to kill! I can’t recall fennel flowers, though butterfly caterpillars usually eat the fennel here.
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The Soap Aloe looks like a great plant as it blooms 4 times a year. Do you have it in the ground or pot?
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It is in the ground. I wouldn’t be surprised if there are 100, they don’t bloom at the same time for what reason I have no clue.
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Oh I love Fennel – always reminds me of Italy and it is such a useful plant for different texture, eating and of course flower arrangements. I love seeing your palette of colourful plants and flowers. This is another beauty.
https://zonethreegardenlife.blog/2025/02/24/in-a-vase-monday-february-24-2025/
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Thank you. I love to eat fennel, too.
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I love the flowers of your soap aloe, Amelia. I’ve yet to find the straight species here, although the soap aloe has been used extensively to create a hybrid form of Aloe striata. The latter’s flowers are nowhere near as pretty as those of your aloe, though.
https://krispgarden.blogspot.com/
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Thanks, Kris. this is a passalong here, a friend gave me one. I have to look the other up?
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This is a great arrangement. The feathery fennel leaves do work magic in your vase. (I think your Soap Aloe has some coloring that I could have used today.)
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Thanks Susie. It’s curious I had some comments about the red color it’s really salmon..
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I never realsied the Aloe could be used as soap. The flowers are unusual and offer an interesting specimens for the display. I love the contrast of the Silvery grey Graptosedum and its flowers and then the feathery the fennel adds the perfect bakdrop
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Thank you – have you heard of shampoo ginger?
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I love the way you use succulents in your vases Amelia. Mine don’t grow big enough to cut bits off! LOL! They contrast so nicely withbthe red flowers. Love the feathery fennel too. I must try and grow that again – I think mice killed mine off.
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Thanks Cathy. I think these are an old straight species Graptosedum that is indestructible.Do you have swallowtail butterflies? They host on fennel and the caterpillars will eat it all.
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We rarely see swallowtails, but I did have a caterpillar on a plant in my old garden once. The biggest pest here is the mice. They eat the roots and the plants then just keel over suddenly, still looking fairly green and healthy!
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A great combo, I’m a fan of fennel – eating and for the vase!
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Thanks from a fellow fennel fan..
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This is lovely and appears to be such unusual vase material to me. Succulents take so long to get to such sizes here, that I would never think to cut them. Do you root them when you are done or do you have enough already???
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Thank you, most of them I cut end up in the compost. They don’t like being left in water too long
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Oh, very nice: You are so very gifted at combining different elements for your arrangements. The Aloe, Graptosedum, and Foeniculum are wonderful companions, and your arrangement and the selected vase are wonderful all together. I smiled when I opened your blog post because it was so lovely. Thank you.
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What a wonderful compliment 😍 thank you.
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