After a few weeks of summer tropical vases, I decided to put together some flowers from the flip side of my garden. Not that there really is a flip side, the lines between the tropicals and the more typical garden flowers blurred long ago. Most classic cut flowers, like Zinnias and Dahlias need to be grown in containers as the sugar sand in the garden is unforgiving and perpetually dry. Sometimes I put the containers in the garden and enjoy the flowers, most times I end up with stems devoid of flowers and leave the beheaded containers with the vegetables.
Most of these flowers were cut from the garden. The zinnias are the only thing from containers. I get stunted zinnias if I try growing them in the ground – unless, the rabbits get to them first. We have an unusually high rabbit population this year. Marsh rabbits. Even more unusual and they ate the zinnia seedlings out of the pots they could reach. Here is one enjoying cantaloupe rind at the compost heap. Our local gopher tortoise has built a burrow under the compost heap and seemingly is inviting friends over for dinner. The zinnias are served as an appetizer course.
Contents from The Flip Side:
In orange, front and center are the zinnias; yellow flowers are from the shrub, Thyrallis (Galpinia gracilis); white daisies are Bidens alba; red spikes are Tropical Red Salvia (Salvia coccinea); hot pink flowers are Coral Vine (Antigonon leptopus); purple backed leaves are Vitex trifolia; A few Asian Sword Ferns are added for a touch of green.
That is all from Marsh Rabbit Central. I think the Gopher Tortoise has extended an invitation to the Eastern Cottontail Rabbits for brunch. It’s a good thing lettuce is out of season here.
To see more vases (and fewer rabbits) visit Cathy’s blog RamblingintheGarden
The Shrub Queen 
I guess you could use a few raptors in the neighborhood! Nature can present such challenges to the gardener, for sure.
Nice to mix up your floral styles… I like both. At least you have the choice… no way my garden can offer up a tropical look. 🙂
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You made me remember the raptors here migrate. Hawks and Eagles are here in the winter, that may explain the abundant bunnies.
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Well, they do look a bit less tropical, sort of like Midwestern wildflowers.
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Midwest summer!
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Good grief Amelia, what is a marsh rabbit? And a gopher tortoise? And are cottontail rabbits a Thing (I know of Flopsy, Mopsy and Cottontail, the Flopsy Bunnies, of course)? What an interest mix of blooms your unwelcome (?) visitors have allowed us today – have we seen those pretty pink antigonon flowers before?
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The marsh Rabbit is the short eared rabbit in the picture. Gopher tortoises are good sized turtles that lumber around the garden, this one loves coleus and basil. They mow the wildflowers for me. Cottontails are probably similar to what is in the UK. We don’t have the hares. The antigonon is called Coral Vine, I have cut it before and believe it is used as a summer annual further north. I think Liz has grown it.
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Thanks for all the info – I find it hard to visualise a turtle wandering around the garden somehow!!
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I’ll have to post a photo. The locals love the tortoises, it is not uncommon to see a car stopped in the middle of the road and someone moving a tortoise to safety. People carry towels in their cars for this purpose.
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Who knew!
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I recognize most of your flowers this week in your summer bouquet. Rabbits are a pain.
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Most of them probably grow in Houston..these rabbits have actually eaten the tops off the pineapples.
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You would think that would be unpleasant to eat.
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Indeed. But they are also eating cantaloupe rinds.
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I had deer eat a rose bush. Yuck!
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Ow! I had a client with a magnificent Little Gem Magnolia screen, until one night the deer ate all the foliage they could reach..tree form!
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It’s a pretty, sunny arrangement with the bright touches of pink, Amelia. I’m sorry to hear that the bunnies are “helping out” in your garden. I saw a possum in my own garden last night but I’ve yet to see a bunny this season – of course I’ve probably just jinxed myself by making that statement.
https://krispgarden.blogspot.com/
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And you produce such delightful bouquets even with those munchers around! Well done: I love the shape and movement in your arrangement.
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Thanks, Noelle
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Oh dear, gourmet rabbits! The zinnias that survived are lovely though, and I like the pink and yellow in your arrangement. A very pretty combination – the coral vine is gorgeous!
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These rabbits only eat the pretty stuff. Thank you.
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Gopher tortoises and marsh rabbits – I love this description and had to look them up! Your vase is gorgeous and the flowers are actually more familiar to me…as you say a bit more traditional in many garden worlds. I love seeing your topicals however. My visits to more more tropical climes have always been fleeting with no time to fully appreciate the flora.
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Thank you. I suppose it is tropical wildlife!
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Lovely, lovely. Don’t get me started with rabbits–they are my biggest gardening challenge in this location. I love your combination of ferns and Zinnias and everything else. And the vase, itself, is fabulous. 🙂
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The rabbits shape my gardening to a certain extent, they have eaten the tops off pineapple plants.
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