And now for something completely different! I had my fill of red and green and looked around to find something a little unusual. I’m not sure I have ever seen gilded Lobsterclaw Heliconia, so I got in touch with my inner Martha Stewart and painted these dried Heliconias gold. The gilded flowers called for a simple backdrop that needed no water. I found a few more palm fronds to trim and voila! (There is truly an endless supply of palm seedlings in my garden as they are difficult to get rid of.) I think the palm fronds will dry naturally so they may get gilded next!
A closer view:
The gilded flowers are Lobsterclaw Heliconias (Heliconia rostrata). I dried them during the summer – just to see if it was possible. They retained some of their coloration but are mostly brown. A paint brush and a little gold paint gave them their sparkle back. I had planned to hang them sideways from the bottom of a wreath and just never got around to it. Maybe a New Years wreath is in order? The trimmed fronds are from Cabbage Palms (Palmetto Sabal) which are sometimes called Sabal Palms and are native to Florida.
Many thanks to Cathy at RamblingintheGarden who oversees this wonderful garden meme.
Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Happy Christmas to all.
The Shrub Queen 
Brilliant! A very artful and creative idea, Amelia. I love it!
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Thanks Eliza.. Merry Christmas 🎄
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Merry Christmas! 😊🌿
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Ha, that reminds me of the 1980s more than Martha Stewart.
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Dramatic! It makes me think of a fan dance 😉 Merry Christmas, Amelia!
https://krispgarden.blogspot.com/
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Thanks, Kris. Trust me, I am not doing a fan dance!
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Very creative. Martha would be proud.
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Thank you. I used her craft paint! Merry Christmas!
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Who’d have thought lobster claws could look so festive? Very striking.
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Thank you, Liz. Happy Christmas or Joyeux Noel?!
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What a brilliant idea – and so creative! The lobster claw was such an asset in vases when it was fresh, but now you have extended its season indefinitely – and your trimmed palm leaves are always a success. Thanks so much for sharing your vase, as always
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Thank you, Cathy.
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Your inner Martha certainly rose to the occasion Amelia 😀 A most elegant and striking arrangement! Wishing you a Merry Christmas 🎄 xxx
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Thank you, Anna. Happy Christmas to you.
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Amazingly effective! Totally stunning and seasonally appropriate 🙂
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Thank you. Happy Holidays!!
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Wow! That is wonderful! 😁
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Thank you
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Oh, now that is very, very fun! Thank you for sharing your creativity. Love it!
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