The rainy season in South Florida is living up to its name. Yes, it’s rainy and the Rain Lilies are loving it. I have never had so many in bloom. I decided to cut some to enjoy in the house, knowing they don’t last very long in a Vase. I cut a few other things, all oozers of sap, then held everything upside down and made it back inside before the rain started. I managed not to get slimed by the drippy stems, shoved the entire handful into the nearest vase, separated the colors and voila!
A flower arrangement that is really temporary.
The vase roster:
The pink flowers are Rain Lilies (Zephyranthes rubra); berries on red stems are Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia). I had to stop for a minute to think about the difference between Poison Ivy and Virginia Creeper – 3 leaves versus 5. Phew.
There was one white Tropical Gardenia (Tabernaemontana diviricata) within reach with the Arabian Lilac (Vitex trifolia) nearby. I trimmed a few branches of the Lilac, it has purple flowers. The sawtooth foliage is from the Virginia Creeper.
Happy Monday from the Land of Humidity!
Tune in to Cathy’s blog RamblingintheGarden by following this link to see more vases.
The Shrub Queen 
I thought they were rain lilies. I had some years with lots and other years with very few.
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The same here and probably another unanswerable question as to why.
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Oh, I’ve never cut them for life inside – good to be aware they are oozers! I really like the virginia creeper foliage, a great addition.
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Thanks, they are super poisonous so I am careful with them. They lasted about 6 hours.
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Parthenocissus quinquefolia is native? Is Parthenocissus tricuspidata also native, or is that farther north?
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Yes. I was surprised by this. P. q. thrives here. P. t. thrives much further north, it suffers in Atlanta but looks pretty good in DC and magnificent in Boston.
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Both performs well in the Santa Clara Valley, but I believe that Parthenocissus tricuspidata develops and retains better color for autumn, and that Parthenocissus quinquenervia is a bit more rampant.
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Very rampant here.
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both?
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No just the V. Creeper.
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I love rain lilies and have planted quite a few bulbs, not that I’ve seen much of any flowers from them! However, rain is in short supply here and perhaps they can’t be duped by irrigation systems.
https://krispgarden.blogspot.com/
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These reseed-maybe you should start from seed? Then they can find their own happy place,
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An ephemeral beauty of a vase. Like daylilies, I will opt for short vase life for the opportunity to enjoy a flower up close. Esp. when you aren’t spending a whole lost of time outside anyway!
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Thanks, Eliza. I enjoyed the Lilies and they are already gone. And there are more outside I cannot see out the windows!
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How lovely to see some pale pink from Florida. 😃 The rain lilies are so pretty and I hope they lasted a few hours for you! The Arabian lilac is lovely too and the whole arrangement is very cooling and summery. Send some rain our way Amelia – it’s dry as a bone here.
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Thanks pastel pink is sprinkled throughout the garden..of course it stopped raining!
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This so pretty, Amelia, and I am sure you are enjoying the lilies while you can, especially their abundance. I don’t envy you that humidity… 🙄
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What a lovely arrangement. Oh Florida, love that state, and we just visited in June, and yes, one of the days was a day-long deluge, but the rest of the time was great. Sanibel is a lovely place to vacation. Living in Florida would be a dream come true.
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Thanks Sanibel is lovely!!
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So pretty – love those lilies. You have inspired me to use my Virginia Creeper in the future. It is a wonderful addition and something I grow!
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Thanks it’s one of those things I never noticed until I was trying to get rid of some and thought that’s really pretty..
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Very pretty … the rain lilies are a lovely shape and their pink is so clean.
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Gosh, I would say you’ve made the most of the amazing elements at your disposal. The Rain Lilies alone are lovely with their soft pink color and form, but then adding the berries, Gardenia, and Vitex blooms, and the foliage…magic!
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Thank you, Beth
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There is something very soothing and calming about your arrangement. It is a shame that the blossoms didn’t last long.
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I agree, I think it is the graceful curves of the lilies. Hope you guys are thriving!
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