Category Archives: flower arrangements

In a Vase on Monday – Tropical Fantasy

I recently acquired some fabric called Tropical Fantasy. It features animals lurking in palm trees and giant teapots. I believe this vase fits quite well into that theme. Many bromeliad flowers are the embodiment of a tropical fantasy. I get a head shaking moment every now and then in the garden and ask myself “is that a flower or what?”

Our rainy season is taking a long holiday from precipitation. Scorched is the new normal as temperatures have been over 90 (32C) for the past few weeks. The good news is the humidity dropped. The bad news is this is making the orchids very unhappy. I can’t get enough water on them and have had to pull some up to get them out of the sun. I can’t recall ever having crispy brown orchids.

The components:

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This is the appropriately named “Fantasia” Aechmea Bromeliad. The foliage is a sawtooth edged silvery grey with pink undertones, pretty fantastic.

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These flowers are from two different Aechmea blanchetiana bromeliads. Red stemmed flowers are from the raspberry cultivar and the yellow one is from lemon. The foliage is red or yellow tinged in these two varieties. The Blanchetiana comes in a number of colors, one called iced tea due to the foliage color. These are stunning in the sun. Foliage in the vase is prunings from Dracaena reflexa. These used to be called Pleomele, I think. The one in my garden is (or was!) about 15 feet tall. It was growing over the bottom of the roof so I trimmed it back.

That’s all from the slow simmer setting in South Florida. Thanks to Cathy for hosting our weekly vase adventure into other gardens and climates. To see more vases follow this link RamblingintheGarden.

In a Vase on Monday – Sirius Survivors

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We are deeply entrenched in the dog days of summer in my garden. Some Saharan dust meandered in and shut down our cooling clouds and showers. Every time I look at the weather it says “feels like 108 F” Surprisingly, it is much warmer further north. I feel fortunate to live close enough to the Atlantic Ocean to catch a breeze. The breezes make it less hot, not cooler!

The dog star, Sirius, rises during the hottest part of the summer. Modern definitions of the dog days of summer have them occurring from July 11-August 3. The scope must be greatly expanded for South Florida! In ancient times the dog days lasted longer. I agree with the ancient philosophers. It is hot in my garden well past the first of September.

The flowers in this vase are Sirius or even serious survivors. Thriving in sun and heat and going with or without hand watering by the fickle gardener they still shine.

The fittest:

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Some tried and true summer favorites, Gardenias and Zinnias. Gardenias are the Tropical variety that is deciduous here, Tabernaemontana diviricata. Zinnias are grown from seed I saved last year hoping for pink and orange flowers.

The tropical part:

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Orange flowers are Parrotflowers (Heliconia psittacorum Choconiana) Red flowers are Red Shrimp Plant (Justicia brandegeana). Dark ferny foliage is Copper Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) Maybe that is not so tropical.

I inherited the vase from my mother and have enjoyed using it for years.

Visit Cathy at the link RamblingintheGarden to visit more gardens via vase.

For those wondering about Gopher Tortoises mentioned in last week’s vase post, here is one ambling up the walk to my front porch. Once he or she arrives near the potted herbs any basil hanging over the edge of the pot will be trimmed to turtle height. This turtle also enjoys charteuse Coleus and melons. A bit of an odd salad!

In a Vase on Monday – The Flip Side

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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:

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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

In a Vase on Monday – Primarily Tropical

It’s high Summer, damp and humid, the tropical flowers are basking in the moisture producing bountiful flowers. For some reason a lot of these flowers are red. My theory is they are red to attract hummingbirds, seemingly a major pollinator in tropical rainforests where a lot of these plants are from. I could be wrong. I was quite surprised this morning by an aggressive Gulf Fritillary butterfly trying to get a taste of my herbal scalp conditioner!

I decided to use a primary colors theme as opposed to a patriotic one. I am finding myself embarrassed and unsupportive of what is going on in my country right now. White flowers were purposely left out. All of the plants are from elsewhere.

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Red spikes are Aechmea miniata, from Brazil, surrounded by Blue Plumbago (Plumbago auriculata) from South Africa.

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“Lady Di’ Heliconia (Heliconia psittacorum) flowers and foliage are in the background with a few spears of Miniature – “Lava” I think, Pineapple. Heliconias are from Central and South America. Pineapples hail from Brazil and Paraguay. The area I live in used to be home to huge pineapple plantations. I rarely run across pineapples in their natural state – extremely sharp foliage, probably four feet tall and mad colored, tiny fruit.

I think I have digressed enough! Follow this link RamblingintheGarden to visit Cathy’s blog and see what other gardeners have in their vases this Monday.

In a Vase on Monday – The Ephemeral Plonk

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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:

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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.

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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.

In a Vase on Monday – Rubens Rebound

I am definitely getting in touch with my inner tropical garden lover this Monday. My rainforest garden is putting out funkier flowers by the day. Of course, the bromeliads are uncooperative about growing where I want them and need rearranging. A winter time chore in full armor is in my future.

The flowers are Aechmea Rubens. I have never heard a common name for this plant. Apparently a botanical garden in Canada picked it up in Brazil and didn’t quite document it, so no one knows exactly where it came from. I am not sure where the one in my garden came from??! The rebound came when I couldn’t remember the name and put the picture in Google Lens and was referred to my own blog!

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A closer view. The flowers are very much like straw flowers. I have had them last until Thanksgiving in the garden. I am not sure about vase life, but I expect it will be a while. The background foliage is a Sabal Palm frond trimmed to fit. The vase and flowers are easily three feet tall. The plant in the garden is at least that tall.

Happy Monday from the tropics.

Thanks to Cathy for hosting. To visit other gardens via vase follow this link to RamblingintheGarden

In a Vase on Monday – Here comes the Frangipani

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The scent of Frangipani at night is a blessing in the tropics. It compensates for the humidity. June brings Bridal Bouquet Frangipani flowers and fragrance into the garden. This is not the typical Frangipani. The growth habit is columnar rather than a rounded tree form and the foliage can be semi evergreen. The foliage is also an unusual shape, called violin.

I use these as upright hedges to screen my neighbors wood fence. Some winters I see more fences than others as semi evergreen is a very good description. Come summer you can’t get much more tropical than this.

A closer view:

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The white flowers are the Bridal Bouquet Frangipani (Plumeria pudica). Yellow and Red flowers are “Lady Di” Heliconias (Heliconia psittacorum). Orange flowers are from the Firebush (Hamelia patens). There is a little charteuse Coleus in the back of the vase. The vase is a large crystal wedding gift from Tiffany’s.

That’s all from my South Florida garden. I’ll be savoring the scents of summer and ignoring the weeds.

Visit Cathy’s blog to see more vases this Monday.

In a Vase on Monday – Tea for Two

The two bottles are from a nice tea assortment I was gifted last year by my nephew’s wife, my niece in law? I saved the bottles and here they are with my vintage Blue Willow teapot enjoying the IAVOM spotlight. The flower colors reflect our weather in South Florida. Hot and hotter. Apparently we haven’t made it to Hell’s Front Porch yet. I see this on social media and have to laugh as it is a fairly apt description of late summer.

The bottle views:

The zinnias are supplying better colors this summer. All pinks and oranges. Another garden mystery to ponder. A few sprigs of Arabian Lilac (Vitex trifolia) and Firecracker Plant (Russelia equisetum) complete the bottle.

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This bottle has Gallardia (Gallardia pulchella), a few sprigs of Red Salvia (Salvia coccinea) and Arabian Lilac.

Happy Monday to all and thanks to Cathy for hosting IAVOM. Follow this link to visit Cathy’s blog and view more vases.

In a Vase on Monday – Tropicow

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I decided a little fun was in order this Monday and selected my cow vase to contain my beguiling tropical flowers. I dodged soaking rain showers while selecting flowers then stopped to dig up and move a Heliconia in the rain. Upon returning to the house drenched and bearing cut flowers; the dog looked at me like I had lost my mind. The Heliconia doesn’t seem to have noticed its new location. Rain is predicted all week, so it is a good time to move tropical plants.

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A closer cow view. The cow is wreathed in white Tropical Gardenias (Tabernaemontana divicata) accented with a pink Zinnia and a pink seedpod from Aechmea “Burgundy” Bromeliad.

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Bringing up the rear of the arrangement is the lovely fragrant “Aztec Gold” Frangipani. The lavendar spikes are from Arabian Lilac (Vitex trifolia). This doesn’t have a fragrance, though it sounds like it should. I like the purple backed leaves.

Happy Sultry Summer from South Florida!

To see more vases follow this link to Cathy’s blog RamblingintheGarden

In a Vase on Monday – Belated Mother’s Day

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.