This week's vases aren't particularly Christmas-y but I'm holding back the flowers in more seasonal colors for an upcoming holiday celebration. Once again, I walked into my garden thinking I didn't have much that would be useful to create an arrangement only to be surprised at just what I found.
The jumping off point for my first, purple-themed vase was an unusual
Abelia I recently rediscovered on my back slope. I planted it in 2012 but I've got no photographic record of its blooms in any year since.
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| While down on the back slope to cut the Abelia, I was surprised to find several stems of noID paperwhite Narcissus in bloom so I cut those too. I didn't plant these bulbs and they don't get anything other than rainwater, yet they bloom most years. The only real question is: why haven't I planted more of them? |
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| Back view: I also cut a few stems of the Pittosporum we planted to mark the property line between us and one of our neighbors at the bottom of the slope |
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| Top view: The oddest element in this arrangement may be the unripe berries of the asparagus fern I added. These plants, which came with the garden, spread with abandon despite my best effort to contain them; however, the glossy berries mutate from celadon green to bluish white to greenish-purple before turning red. I've thought about using the green ones in an arrangement before but never got around to doing so until now. |
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| Clockwise from the upper left: Abelia 'Chiapas', Asparagus densiflorus berries, noID Narcissus, Osteospermum 'Berry White', Pittosporum tenuifolium 'Silver Magic', and Polygala myrtifolia 'Mariposa' |
The blooms of my pink
Camellia sasanquas are still plentiful but they're showing signs of wear so I decided to cut a few stems for a second vase while I still could.
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| I tried combining the Camellias with stems from 2 colorful coleus varieties but the Camellias cried out for more refined foliage |
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| Back view: The silver vase is a nod to the upcoming holidays |
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| Top view |
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| Clockwise from the left: noID Camellia sasanqua, Pseuderanthemum 'Texas Tri-star', and Westringia fruticosa 'Morning Light' |
The orchid and
Leucadendron arrangement I created 2 weeks ago is
still in good shape and currently sitting on a side table in the living room.
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| The front entry table is occupied by a faux Christmas tree and decorations I've had for a decade or more |
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| The first of this week's new arrangements sits on the dining table and the second sits on the stone structure next to it, along with a silvery raccoon a friend gave me a couple of years ago as a nod to my ongoing struggle with those furry pests |
For more IAVOM arrangements,
visit our host, Cathy at Rambling in the Garden. Best wishes to all this holiday season!
All material © 2012-2018 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
