Tag Archives: IAVOM

In a Vase on Monday – Anniversary Challenge

In celebration of the tenth anniversary of IAVOM, a challenge was issued by Cathy – to use a wacky container as a vase. Of course, I looked in my closet and came up with a pair of cowboy boots. I tried a pointe ballet slipper first, but was unable to overcome the shape of the shoe. It is a bit of a balancing act to persuade flowers (I use the term loosely here) to stay in a cowboy boot. The structural arrangements involve a rock, packing tissue and a plastic cup of water – and a bit of a lean towards the wall as these are probably 30 year old boots and I have a tendency towards overpronating and the boots are slanted from wear. The grey “flowers” are kind of crunchy and shatter on impact, so careful placement and balancing is essential. One hit the floor by Fiona the greyhound, who was quite startled and is consciously avoiding the boot now.

Given the container, I decided on a western themed plant palette, succulents and hot colors.

The grey “flowers” are the succulent Graptosedum and I added a few sprigs of another type of sedum, I am not sure which one. Burgundy foliage is a ‘Fireball’ Neoregelia Bromeliad pup; orange and red flowers are the dried flowers of Aechmea rubens Bromeliad. There are a few sprigs of Muscadine grapevine in the back of the arrangement.

Another view:

My thanks go to Cathy for all these years of hosting In a Vase on Monday. I enjoy starting my week with vases of flowers from all over the world and sharing ideas with other gardeners. It is fascinating to me what others grow in their gardens and why.

Follow this link to visit Cathy and see the wacky 10 Year Anniversary vases..http://ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com

In a Vase on Monday – Old School

My old school, The University of Georgia, is currently topping the US college football rankings and has been for the past 19 weeks. I decided it was time to do a vase in the team colors, red and black. My husband describes the level of dedication to the sport at UGA as “Football as Religion” It is quite an experience to be in a stadium filled with 92,000 barking fans decked out in school colors. Despite being married to me for over 30 years, my husband has not yet learned to bark properly.

The reason for all the barking? Bulldogs are the team mascot, there is always a white bulldog on the sidelines (he has his own air conditioned dog house) The current one is named ‘Boom’ and they are named in order. Boom is UGA XI, when I was in school UGA IV was in charge. Follow the link for more bulldog mascot info https://georgiadogs.com/sports/2017/6/16/uga Note the vase disguises the year on the diploma.

There are probably few gardens in temperate areas that have plants with red and black foliage, but I do! The foliage is from the Piecrust Croton (Codieum varigatum), other leaves have yellows, greens and pink splashes, it is quite a colorful plant. The white flowers are ‘Miss Alice’ Bougainvillea; larger red flowers are Nodding Hibiscus (Malvaviscus arboreus); bell shaped red flowers are Firecracker Plant (Russelia equisetafolium).

Another view. The black vase was a thrift store find and is one of my favorites for its versatility and contrast to the flowers it holds…and it is perfect for this “Go Dawgs” vase.

That is all from South Florida this Monday. I guess everyone now knows what I have been doing on Saturday afternoons (if we can conquer the where it is streaming on TV challenge) Visit Cathy at http://ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com to see more vases.

In a Vase on Monday – Muhly & Juba Dance

I love a little Muhly Grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris) in the fall. The mix of Juba Bush (Iresine diffusa) and Muhly swaying in the ocean breeze gives me gardening goosebumps. Our very rainy September gave all the wildflowers a boost and the garden is enjoying a late season extravaganza with very happy pollinators cruising the flowers. As these things go we are having a very dry October and now I am hoping for rain!

The Muhly and Juba:

Muhly Grass is in pink in the background joined by off white Juba Bush. The word Juba is a dance move in the Caribbean that involves swaying hips. The Juba Bush is a native wildflower that appears and plants itself where happy. I have found it impossible to propagate, and am happy to find it when it decides to make an appearance. It is perennial and can grow 3 or 4 feet tall. I suppose birds are responsible for the Juba. Another gardening mystery to ponder. The Muhly has a similar modus operandi and I have some odd drifts in the garden.

Other flowers in the photo:

The deep blue flowers with coarse stems are Porterweed (Stachytarpheta jamaicaensis); the pale blue spikes with lavendar foliage are Vitex trifolia, some call this California Lilac. It is remarkably hardy. Darker purple foliage is Purple Queen (Transcandentia pallida) another great indestructible.

The lower level:

The lower levels in this vase are the wallflowers, the kind that don’t dance. Front and center is the last Purple Prince Zinnia of the season; viney pink flowers are from the Coral Love Vine (Antigonon leptopus); white spikes are Tropical Red Salvia (Salvia coccinea). The vase is a family heirloom made by the Ute Indian tribe.

I am hoping to dance a lot of weeds out of the garden this week. The rains provided nourishment for a tangle of Muscandines and Inch Plants. I am not sure we have ever had as much rain in late summer and was surprised by the volume of unwelcome growth in the garden. I have determined Muscandines are offensive!

Thanks to Cathy for hosting, visit her at ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com to visit other gardens via vase.

Happy Gardening!!

In a Vase on Monday – Household Roos

We have a few roos around the house. The vase this week is a Fitz and Floyd coffee cup I found irresistible in the 80s. I found it on a fantastic sale and decided it would be my cute work coffee cup. The kangaroo looks a bit demented, so this was a perfect desk accessory for a design office. I soon realized the reason it was on sale – the kangaroo hits you in the face when you drink out of the cup. It was reassigned to pencil holding duties.

The other rooing around the house is from Fiona the greyhound. Rooing is a peculiar greyhound tradition. Fiona is a dog with a schedule. Every afternoon around 4:30, we all roo (sing with the dog)

Fiona in action:

Vase details:

Blue flowers in the foreground are ‘Blue Daze’ Evolvulus; yellow spikes are Thyrallis (Galphimia glauca); pink and white spikes are Tropical Red Salvia (Salvia coccinea); blue spikes are ‘Mystic Blue’ Salvia.

Another view:

Background spikes are Sabal Palm (Palmetto sabal) seedling bits and the off white bendys are Juba Bush (Iresine diffusa), a native wildflower with a nice fragrance. One of those things that has to choose where it will live.

Thanks to Cathy at http://ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com for hosting this weekly event. Follow the link to see more vases.

In a Vase on Monday – Lady Di was a Firecracker

My mother used to refer to spirited women she admired as “Firecrackers”. This is probably some sort of weirdness from the Deep South, but an apt description of many women who capture the imagination of the world. I think Diana, Princess of Wales qualifies.

What does this have to do with my vase this Monday? Well, we have Lady Di Heliconias and Firecracker plants together in the vase. The flowers have a kind of spirited pow going on as well.

The seemingly perpetual rain the last week of September inspired some serious late season flowering on most of the Salvia in the garden. I am waiting for a bumper crop of seedlings. The pure white Tropical Red Salvia was too luxuriant to resist and I cut quite a bit to add to the vase.

A closer view:

The “Lady Di” Heliconia (Heliconia psittacorum) in red and yellow; the red bells are Firecracker Plant (Russelia equisetiformis). The Russelia is amazingly drought tolerant and I love the unusual foliage texture. The rain seems to have encouraged the flowering, I have never seen quite a show like this.

Tropical Red Salvia (Salvia coccinea) occurs in several colors; surprising to me is that pure white is my favorite. The spike foliage is from the fronds of Sabal Palm (Palmetto sabal). Russelia foliage is in the background. The vase is a thrift store find.

The precipitation onslaught has finally slowed. We are getting some nice rains for growing new plants and I hope to get the rest of them out and established before the inevitable dry season sets in a month or so.

Thanks to Cathy for hosting IAVOM for weeks and weeks and years now! Follow this link to her blog to see creations from other gardeners – http://ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com

In a Vase on Monday – If you like Pina Coladas..

I was remembering a song lyric from the 80s “If you like Pina Coladas and getting caught in the rain” – the new next line would be to come visit my garden in South Florida. I have pineapples for juicing and so much rain it is seemingly impossible not to get caught in it. I think it has been raining for about 10 days. Fiona the greyhound has somehow figured out when to go out for the least amount of precipitation. Dogs know these things. She is now walking me.

The vase was chosen because it looks like it could be used to serve cocktails. The plant material was limited to tropical to enhance the pineapple. The mini pineapple plant is called ‘Lava Flow’; white flowers are Bridal Bouquet Frangipani (Plumeria pudica); orange and sage tipped flowers are from Soap Aloe (Aloe saponaria).

Another view:

Orange flowers are ‘Choconiana’ Heliconia (Heliconia psittacorum). Greenery is a frond from a Lady Palm (Rhaphis excelsa); fiddle shaped foliage is from Bridal Bouquet Plumeria and a few sprigs of Asian Sword Fern.

That’s all from the swamp this Monday. To see more vases from gardens around the world, visit Cathy at http://ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com

In a Vase on Monday – Cones of Uncertainty

We are on the downhill slide to the end of hurricane season. The peak is September 10. November 30 is the official end but mid-October is the unofficial end, though we had a wimpy hurricane the first week of November last year. So far, we have been lucky and stayed outside the cone of uncertainty in the weather forecasts. Watching these cones is a daily ritual in September and October.

Here is the recent cone from Hurricane Idalia.

There are some cones of a different sort in my vase this week, certainly not originating in my garden.

I love pine cones and collected these in Atlanta, prior to moving to South Florida. I keep them in a large brandy snifter on my side board. Something about the textures in this arrangement just demanded a few cones. These are from White Pines (Pinus strobus). It is really too warm for them in Atlanta and I am wondering if there are any there now with global warming.

The rest of the vase is mad tropical flowers and foliage. The orange and yellow spikey thing is the flower of a Blanchetiana Bromeliad (Aechmea blanchetiana), probably 3 feet long; colorful leaves are Piecrust Croton (Croton variegatum); palm frond is from a seedling Cabbage Palm (Palmetto sabal); the big leaf is White Bird of Paradise (Strelizia nicolai). The vase is Tiffany crystal, a wedding gift from a dear friend.

I’ll be checking the cones daily as a new potential storm might form off the coast of Africa this week…

Thanks to Cathy at ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com for hosting. Follow the link to see more vases.

In a Vase on Monday – Pineapple Perspective

After collecting flowers for my vase, I looked at what I had gathered and thought, “What a nice fall vase”.

Then, it dawned on me that fifteen years ago I would have thought no such thing. Moving to a frost free area changes your perspective on what a fall flower is – and then pineapples easily grow outside here. I have developed a pineapple perspective on gardening.

The flowers in the vase bloom prolifically in the fall and late summer to early fall is the prime pineapple season here. The town I live in, Jensen Beach, was at one time the pineapple capital of the world. Rarely, I run across a wild pineapple plant on the barrier island near my house. These are very sharp, the foliage covered in spines and have small pink pineapples.

The flowers:

The flowers are Parrotflowers (Heliconia psittacorum) “Lady Di” in red, and “Choconiana” in orange. These are hard to beat for a touch of tropical in the garden. The colored foliage is “Mammey” Croton (Codiaeum variegatum “Mammey”), a dwarf Croton that works great if a low shrub is needed. Boston Fern (Nephrolepsis exaltata) provides some green texture. The vase in an olive oil cruet that belonged to my mother.

The pineapple:

This is an overripe miniature pineapple with a twisting top. It is probably really seedy, these can be juiced or used for decoration. Either is a dicey situation as the whole thing is very sharp. That’s why it got left on the plant so long. I did not want to handle it.

That is all this Monday from the land of pineapples. Thanks to Cathy at http://ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com for hosting. Follow the link to see more vases.

Happy Gardening!!

In a Vase on Monday – Flash Fall

I associate the first week of September with cooler weather and the start of fall. This is usually not the case in South Florida. This morning was different. I enjoyed a small flash of fall while walking Fiona the greyhound. A cold front had penetrated the heat dome somehow. The humidity dropped to 50%, a breeze came up off the ocean and it was a clear sunny morning. In celebration of this minor miracle I went in search of an autumnal plant palette.

The fruit is from Cordia boissierei, the White Geiger tree. These seem to flower whenever the mood strikes and have nice clusters of white flowers and fruits. The sulphur butterflies adore the flowers which is an added bonus. The orange Firebush (Hamelia patens) is a garden stalwart and another favorite of the butterflies.

The faux fall foliage is actually from a very colorful tropical shrub. The Piecrust Croton (Codiaeum variegatum). This one does remind me of pie crust and this is the older growth, usually darker in color.

The white daisies, Bidens alba are still out in force plotting to take over the garden, so I cut another bunch. The yellow foliage is also from the Piecrust Croton, this is the new growth. The vase is a historical artifact from the Crate and Barrel, a vintage 70s candle holder that lost its mate somewhere along the way.

That is all from South Florida. I will enjoy the humidity reprieve as long as possible.

Thanks to Cathy from http://ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com for hosting. Follow the link to see more vases.

Happy Gardening!!

In a Vase on Monday – Bidens Control

Much like the President of the United States; this Bidens is a love it or hate it situation. It’s Bidens alba, a very cute – but very prolific native wildflower. The white daisy in the vase. My husband was in the hospital last week and during the course of his stay we managed to contract Covid. We are both on the mend. The Bidens took advantage and started flowering all over the place. I have been cutting it as birth control. This plant can put out 1200 seeds per plant. It doesn’t take long to have way too much Bidens. It is also called Spanish Needles due to the appearance of the seeds, they stick to everything (especially the dog!) Seeds can be seen in the photo below:

I cut the Bidens regularly and rarely use it in a vase. I have never had this much. I have grown to appreciate the flower by seeing it up close. It is a favorite of pollinators. However, I am happy to have saved myself from having to pull about 4,000 plants!

The rest of the vase:

Brown Eyed Girl Sunflowers smile from the front. I added a few ‘Purple Prince’ Zinnias and Mystic Spires Salvia for color. The vase is from a long ago florist arrangement.

That is all from South Florida . I’ll be relaxing a bit this week. Keeping an eye on the newly named Tropical Storm Idalia. I am a long way from the cone of danger. Wondering who the heck is Idalia?

Thank you to Cathy at http://ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com for hosting. Follow the link for a world tour of vases.