I usually cut flowers on Sunday for IAVOM. This Sunday was Mother’s Day in the US. This particular Sunday in May always makes me reminisce about gardening with my mother, the Greatest Generation Southern Belle, who everyone called Miss Betty. My interest in gardening was sparked at her knee, planting field pansies (to use in vases for my elementary school teachers!) in the 1960s. Her father was a peach farmer in South Georgia, his mother a devoted gardener as well. The family joke is my brother and I got the farmer gene. Fortunately, the gene has been passed down and there are some more gardeners in the family. I am passing seeds along as they admit their interest and keeping my fingers crossed.
The vase has some unusual components. I am certain Miss Betty would love IAVOM if it had been in existence when she was. The picture is her graduation photo from nursing school in 1948. Here are the details:
The grey ‘flowers’ are Graptosedum. The smaller white flowers, Lotusleaf Begonias (Begonia nelumbifolia). Red bell shaped flowers, Firecracker Plant (Russelia equisetifolium). White flowers, Miss Alice Bougainvillea.Red and yellow and orange flowers, Parrotflowers (Heliconia psittacorum).
Background foliage is Asian Sword Ferns and trimmed Sabal Palm seedlings. The vase is a thrift store find.
Happy Mother’s Day to all, belated and otherwise. Thanks to Cathy for hosting, follow this link to her blog RamblingintheGarden for more vases.
The Shrub Queen 
Oh, it is pretty. I almost cut some of my mother’s roses, which are in my garden now. I planted some of them originally in about 1984.
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Thanks, Tony. I have some Sea Grape for you.
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Oh, THANK YOU! I will send you my mailing address.
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I always forget that the US Mothers’ Day is different than the UK’s, which is linked to Easter. Is it always the second Sunday in May for you? Miss Betty looks so glamorous in that photo, like a 1940s film star! I hope there will be a gardener in younger generations here too – I have my eye on The Tinker, but she is still always with her brother at this young age, and he shows no interest whatsoever 😉What a wonderful vase this is today, with everything perfectly placed and balanced. How extensive is your bougainvillaea? It must look amazing in full flower!
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yes, Mother’s day is the second Sunday in May here. Thank you, the vase is a result of a lot of fiddling. There is a picture of Miss Alice on SOS this past Saturday, she is quite restrained for a Bougainvillea and was knocked off the trellis by a hurricane last fall and completely defoliated, just getting back to full force.
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I will check out your SoS – sadly I tend not to have time to catch up with SoS posts generally. It must have been a bit embarrassing for Miss Alice t stand naked after that hurricane!
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Miss Alice actually fell over in the shrubs and was not exposed!
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Sweet memories, Amy. I think most of us can trace our love of gardening from a parent or grandparent that sparked our interest. I’m sure Miss Betty would be pleased with her arrangement!
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What a wonderful nod to your mom on Mother’s Day! I found myself thinking of mine yesterday too, although I most certainly didn’t get my interest in gardening from her – it’s actually rather a minor miracle I developed an interest in gardening at all.
I love your use of the Graprosedum rosettes. I “need” more Graptosedum myself.
https://krispgarden.blogspot.com/
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Thanks, Kris, you definitely need some Graptosedum.
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Oh yes, I think any keen gardener would be enamoured with this meme and your Mum would have loved your vases! My Mum is 88 and a gardener and her Dad was a market gardener and farmer, so the gene is being passed down in our family too. I’m hoping my niece will get into gardening when she finally moves into her first home with a garden this year… 😃
Miss Alice looks lovely in a vase, and I like the way those sedum are draped over the edge. 😃
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Love the white Bougainvillea and the palm fronds in there. Plants I can only dream of although I do have friends who overwinter their Bougainvilleas in a semi heated garage! I enjoyed your family gardening history story – we do inherit the genes I believe.
https://zonethreegardenlife.blog/2025/05/12/in-a-vase-monday-may-12-2025/
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Thanks you. I have always been a bit puzzled by keeping Bougainvillea indoors, it is so thorny!
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Fabulous. A beautiful tribute to your mother.
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Thank you , Liz
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A beautiful hommage and such an unusual bouquet. Never thought of using succulents like this but the idea grows on me. 🙂
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Graptosedums are my roses!
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So lovely.
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