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Although this could very well be a picture of me finding a new treasure at a favorite nursery, it's actually an illustration by David Catrow for a children's book called Plantzilla.

Monday, February 8, 2016

In A Vase on Monday

Each Monday,  Cathy at Rambling in the Garden hosts this addictive meme which challenges us to arrange material from the garden in a container to enjoy indoors.  Click here to join in the fun!

Until a Saturday trip to Vashon Island, I was hard-pressed for inspiration this week's bouquet.   On the side of the road were several small piles of Madrone (Arbutus menziesii) AKA Madrona and Arbutus branches, their cinnamon-colored barkless smoothness demanding that the car be stopped.

The leaves were gone and there were no Madrona trees nearby so someone must have dumped them and perhaps deer ate the leaves?  Anyway the ones small enough to fit in the car came home with me. However, most of what's blooming outside is a bit small for these large branches.  They could go in a container by themselves but I couldn't think of one that would work until just now as I'm writing this. Maybe next week.

Snowdrops are plentiful right now and had I been thinking, a small bouquet of those with some pretty greenery would have been just the thing but that didn't hit me until just now either.   Crocus tommasianus are blooming but I don't know if they cut well or not, what was blooming last week is still going now but has already been used, and I can't bring myself to cut the hellebores.  What to do?
Cheat, that's what.

You perhaps remember this container from my trip to Wight's Nursery, already used in December.  It's since moved outside.  How about arranging plants instead of cut flowers? 


Such a sunny and calm day meant that doing this outside would be delightful. 

A new Euphorbia 'Ruby Glow' and an orange Libertia from Jungle Fever along with some other plants hanging around got stuffed in.  Cyclamen coum is still glowing with radiant blooms months after it came home.


Black mondo grass and some red twig dogwood add more color.

One of the dark-leaved bergenias echos the burgundy color in the veins of the heuchera and that of the Euphorbia.

 I should have elevated this to photograph it.  

Oh well, it looked lovely when I put it on a column outside to enjoy at eye level.  The Madrona branches were inserted several times but just didn't work with this so they'll wait to find a purpose.


13 comments:

  1. How lovely to be working outside! My favorite kind of combo: dependent more on foliage than flowers, the the Cyclamen do really make it pop.

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  2. That is such a great mix of colour, shape and texture.

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  3. Yay, you bought the 'Ruby Glow'. Smart move to grab those branches, can't wait to see what you do with them.

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  4. Love those branches. And what a wonderful container....and it is not cheating....I was a bit outside the box this week as nothing is blooming. I agree how lucky to be working outside!

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  5. Why don't people stop and pick up branches from my garden? I was hoping to see what you did with them, but I guess I'll have to wait a week... (I can never remember that Monday is "in a vase..." day)

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  6. Haha - I like Alan's opening question! And no, not cheating - it's thinking out of the vase (box) - and such a pleasing result :) Thanks for sharing ps I am intrigued by the fish tiles (?)

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  7. Beautiful composition!
    How about saving this branches to grow some annual potted vines on.

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  8. I do love this "vase" and the colorful combo you placed in it. I hope you would share the photo of it on top of the column. And isn't it so darn wonderful that we can work outside already?

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  9. Love all the foliage! First Loree and now you tempt me with that Euphorbia 'Ruby Glow'.

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  10. We have to stretch our imaginations to come up with vases this early. Your creativity remains in good working order. This reminds me that sprucing up with some outdoor pot arrangements would probably put me in a spring-ey mood.

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  11. I like it! You'd think inspiration would rub off on me, but no. The best I did was change out a wreath on the door to Mother's room in the Special Care Unit! And it's artificial flowers on a heart-shaped wreath. No new post.

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  12. I'm attracted to Libertia every time I see it - it's too bad it's such a thirsty thing! However, I picked up 2 of those Euphorbia 'Ruby Glow' myself this past weekend.

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  13. Clever arrangement, Peter, I like the Ruby Glow too, I was collecting Euphorbs last fall and love how they are making it through the winter looking great.

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Thanks so much for taking the time to comment! I love to hear your thoughts.