September 02, 2024

It's Only Foliage in a Vase on Monday

arrangement 1

The garden is still bursting with blooms!

But I needed to trim some of the foliage on my potted plants, so I thought it might be fun to do a "foliage only" arrangement. I clipped, clipped away out in the garden, gave it a little thought, and here's what I came up with. The "foliage only" grouping includes:

Coleus 1

Coleus 2

Coleus 3

Coleus 4

Several mixed cultivars of Coleus (C. scutellarioides) that I grow in pots;

Hydrangea macrophylla

The wonderful framing element of Hydrangea foliage (H. macrophylla);

Jacobaea maritima

A couple sprigs of the sprightly Dusty Miller (Jacobaea maritima);

Cosmos bipinnatus

A fun, squiggly spot of Cosmos (C. bipinnatus);

Hypoestes phyllostachya

And several groupings of Polka Dot Plant (Hypoestes phyllostachya), to add some character.

arrangement 2

This was a fun one! I might try to do this more often in the future...it's a slightly more challenging departure from the equally delightful bloom-focused arrangements.

Thanks so much to Cathy for hosting In a Vase on Monday!

35 comments:

  1. Very pretty! I love foliage, too. And a big bonus is you might get some new plants. Amelia, the shrub queen

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    1. Thanks! Yes, I slipped some of the clippings into the surrounding soil of the pots. And then we got rain, so more plants! :)

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  2. Oh my Beth this is stunning. If this was entered at the state fair it would get best in show!

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    1. You are kind, Donna. It was a fun one to prepare...the Coleus and the Polka Dot Plant are as vibrant and colorful as blooms would be. :)

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  3. That's probably the prettiest foliage arrangement I've ever seen, Beth! The addition of the polka dot plant was inspired. That was one of the first house plants I grew as a child so I'm very fond of it.

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    1. Thank you for the kind compliment, Kris. :) I love the PD Plants, too. I often bring them in for the winter, so there'll be more for next summer!

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  4. I like it a lot, Beth! Isn't it wonderful how many varieties of coleus there are these days?

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    1. Thanks! Yes, it's incredible how many Coleus cultivars are available! I usually buy a mix, for fun...and since they do well in my shade/partial shade garden and add some color. :)

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  5. What a great result Beth, and and such an intriguing challenge for you to put together! The coleus works so well because of its colour and the shape of the leaf, and the spotty hypoestes makes such a great contrast. The latter is grown as a houseplant in the UK but does it grow outside for you?

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    1. Thanks, Cathy. It was fun to pull it together. I grow the Polka Dot plant in pots outside during the warm months, and bring most of my pots (other plants, too) indoors during the winter. So, it's a houseplant for part of the year.

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  6. I like this a lot, it's amazing how many colors you gathered. Wonderful!

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    1. Thanks! It sure was fun to play with all the elements. I kept looking at the Coleus outdoors and thinking, "There's enough color there, even without flowers." So, I decided to try a foliage-only arrangement. :)

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  7. That's a stunner! Beautifully arranged to show off that amazing foliage. It reminded me of a Christmas wreath.
    https://zonethreegardenlife.blog/2024/09/02/in-a-vase-monday-september-2/

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    1. Hi Jenny: Thank you. I was thinking the colors were sort of holiday-ish, too. But bright, as well. :)

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  8. And just as beautiful as any arrangement with blooms. Nicely done, Beth--it's gorgeous! Tina

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    1. Hi Tina: I love working with blooms, as well, but thought this would be a fun challenge. I'll have to try it more often--especially in winter when no flowers are blooming.

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  9. This is so beautiful, Beth, I love it! 🤩 Eliza

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    1. Thanks, Eliza! It was fun to work on it--so many options in the garden currently. :)

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  10. Beth, I love this so much. Colorful, vibrant, exciting! I meant to plant coleus this year but didn't get to it (one of many things), but about two weeks ago a landscaper was trimming coleus in beds at the entrance to a development; I stopped and asked for cuttings. She happily obliged. They rooted easily in water and I just planted them out yesterday in a pot.

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    1. Thanks, Susie. They're fun annuals for my pots--especially since the options for colorful flowers and foliage are limited in the shade. And, yes, I love that they root so easily, too. :)

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  11. That is a delightful arrangement Beth, so many different colours and textures.

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    1. Thanks so much. :) It was fun to imagine it, and then arrange it.

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    1. Hi Sandra: Thank you. I'm going to try to do this more often. :)

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  13. That is amazing Beth! it is so colourful, and so pretty. Well done!

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  14. Oh sorry, that last comment was me, Cathy at wordsandherbs. Always forget to fill in my name etc!

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    1. No problem, Cathy. Now I know it's you and thank you for the kind words. I wish these platforms would make it easier to comment on each others' blogs and be secure at the same time. Maybe someday...

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  15. That's fantastic Beth! The colorful foliage and the way you've arranged it is just super.

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    1. Thanks, Loree--it sure was fun to try something a little different. I'm going to have to do these "foliage only" groupings more often...especially in winter.

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  16. What amazing colour and a great arrangement using only foliage. It couldn’t have been easy to make that creation - I love it.

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    1. Hi Catherine: Thanks! Actually, it wasn't too difficult, and it sure was fun. :)

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  17. That's a fun take on a bouquet. I love the contrast that the dusty miller brings in.

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    1. Thanks, Jerry. It was fun to work with the elements of the arrangement and try something new.

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