It's Only Foliage in a Vase on Monday

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:









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



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



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



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



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

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!

One of Each Daffodil in a Vase

It's time for In a Vase on Monday, and I thought it would be fun to combine one of each variety of Daffodil (Narcissus spp.) blooming in the garden. Daffodils of various types have been blooming here since early March, and they continue to put on a show. Most of these were from a Colorblends mix I planted years ago, and they continue to flourish. I'm not sure of the variety names, and I don't know if this mix is still available, but there are many mix options. Here they are in no particular order:















Since I set those in the vase a few days ago, other slightly different ones have bloomed:

Similar to one in the vase, but with orange and yellow petals in place of salmon.

Similar to the dramatic, central flower in the vase, but with larger orange petals.

I can't be sure, but it seems like some of the original varieties have hybridized: There are just so many variations. Has this ever happened in your garden?



It was fun to hunt for this combination. I'm linking in with Cathy's "In a Vase on Monday" meme, over at Rambling in the Garden: Head on over to see all the creative arrangements of beautiful plants!

Frozen Flowers in Vases

As many bloggers in many locales have mentioned, we've had a seesaw of weather since February--back and forth between record warmth and bitter cold. This reveals (even more dramatically than in a "normal" season) how hardy the late winter/early spring bloomers can be.



A few days ago, I picked these flowers in the morning when the temps were much below freezing; they were sadly plopped to the ground. Soon after, in vases, they seemed happier. They're still going strong today.



This Hellebore (Helleborus orientalis) is the anchor of the group.



The Daffodils (Narcissus) include large-cupped...



...and curly lace varieties.



When I picked it, this bloom was frozen in its partial unfurling.



About a day later, it was nearly fully open, bright, and perky.

They make a "welcome spring" statement in the family room--way up high where the cat and dog can't reach them. And our extended forecast is looking much better, too. :)

I'm linking in with Cathy's "In a Vase on Monday" meme, over at Rambling in the Garden. Head on over to see all the creative arrangements and beautiful combinations.

Happy Easter and Happy Spring!

Wistful About Summer Vases

About this time of year, the reality of summer's end hits me. September in Southern Wisconsin is a very comfortable, pleasant experience. But the moodiness of summer drawing to an end always catches me a bit. It's in the spirit of that wistfulness that I lovingly place bright blooms in vases and realize their days are numbered.



Unless I have a special occasion to arrange for, I tend to create very simple combinations. In this case, I simply plopped a mix of Mistflowers (Conoclinium coelestinum and Ageratina havanensis) into a decorative garden pitcher and called it a day.



Awesome qualities about these cut flowers: They have a long vase life and the foliage is lush enough to add structure to a simple arrangement.



I love, love, love the color of the blue ones.



I also added a few sprigs of Blue Mistflowers to this group, which also contains 'State Fair Mix' Zinnias (Z. elegens) and 'Sensation Mix' Cosmos (C. bipinnatus). I was happy with the mix of colors, and in this particular glass vase.



It complements the stained glass lamp next to it.

I will miss these cut flowers during the long winter months ahead. For now, I'm enjoying them indoors in vases, and in the garden covered in pollinators...until the first frost in October.

You can join the "In a Vase on Monday" meme by posting about your arrangements and linking to Cathy's meme at Rambling in the Garden.