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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, October 16, 2017

In a Vase on Monday - From the Thrift Store With Love

As always, many thanks to Cathy at Rambling in the Garden for hosting this fun meme!  Click here to see what others have put in a vase to enjoy this week.

This summer, I found this sweet hand-painted vase at a thrift store for just a few dollars so it had to come home with me.  Must remember to grow some asters to fill it next year!

I went searching for flowers that picked up the colors of the vase.  Clerodendron trichotomum was shedding all over the lawn so those were easy.  Double impatiens won't be alive much longer.

Clerodendrum bungei 'Cashmere Bouquet', Persecaria 'Golden Arrow', foliage from ornamental grass and Berberis 'Orange Rocket'

Foliage from Persecaria 'Painter's Palette'  and some hydrangeas got thrown in. 

Foliage of Parahebe perfoliata, Lonicera nitida and some grass blooms round out the arrangement.

Joining the vase are this autumn paperweight from last year's Glass Eye sale,

A conker, some acorns, and oak foliage found on a walk this sunny Sunday, the last sunny day we'll have for a while,

And a maple leaf rose made last fall that I never got around to throwing away. 


Taking advantage of the sunny afternoon, I dragged the last of the plants into the greenhouse, planted the thankfully few bulbs I bought this year, and planted a few ornamental cabbages and pansies to enjoy this winter.   Sunny days in autumn are very special!  What have you put in a vase to enjoy this week?

23 comments:

  1. We have a big Bur Oak at the end of our driveway and get hundreds of acorns as a result. Have I ever found one with its cap on?!! You have managed to create a bouquet as dramatic as that vase.

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    1. Thanks Linda! Few oaks grew in Alaska so acorns fascinated me as a kid when we visited family in Vermont and I found a few. They still thrill me and luckily there are lots of oaks in the park up the street and after a wind we can find a few with caps still on. They do like to pop off so if I keep the acorns, a hot glue gun helps keep them attached.

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  2. What a wonderful set of accoutrements! What is it about acorns with their caps on that is so appealing? Is it that they look like little heads? Glad you mustered some energy to get outside yesterday. I did a bit too much on Saturday, and spent Sunday resting aching muscles. I was getting frustrated with having so many half-finished projects, and just had to put on one big push this weekend to get one thing done.

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    1. Felt like I wanted to get some things cleaned up before the big rain storm made foliage even wetter. Don't know why acorns are so appealing. I also love the typical oak leaf form, maybe because it's so different from other leaves.

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  3. You are a pro! I've enjoyed all of your arrangements--and that location near the stairwell with the beautiful wood is yummy. Excellent!

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    1. Some of my random throwing things into vases work better than others. We're lucky to have that warm wood in our entry.

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  4. Oh the vase itself is an absolute delight, Peter, quite apart from what's in it - does it have a maker's name on the bottom? It gives the impression of a clear glass vase stuffed with blooms and adds an almost surreal feel to your arrangement. I love the mix of grasses, berries and blooms today AND all your lovely woodland props - thanks so much for sharing them

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    1. I'm a big fan of painted China that was a hobby of mid-Victorian ladies in England and Europe. After the American Civil War, this became quite a popular pastime in the U.S. Blank glazed china (blanks) were sent to the U.S. by Limoges and other makers. (http://www.collectorsjournal.com/columns/hand-painted-china-was-a-popular-hobby/article_45d3cfea-5a75-11e7-a2f4-9fd190694768.html
      This piece may be of that vintage. There is no maker's mark on the ware but a painted signature of the woman who painted it. Glad you enjoyed the arrangement; I was certainly thrilled to find this vase for such a low price!

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  5. Perfect. I love that blue hydrangea in the center; very cool that the maple leaf rose lasted another year.

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    1. I was surprised that the maple leaf roses are still intact. They were going to get a bit of spray paint for winter last year but that never happened. As the leaves are coloring up and falling, it's time to make more!

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  6. As usual, a wonderful vignette, Peter! That paperweight adds a touch of magic to the scene. And, after seeing one after another blogger reveal great thrift store vases, I really need to take the time to make the rounds myself. I wonder if they'd take some of my old unused vases in trade...

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    1. Oh my goodness, yes the thrift stores are full of wonders! I recently visited one in Seattle where the line of cars donating stuff took up half of the parking lot. Many people are in simplify mode and getting rid of things that they don't use on a daily basis. Great news for magpies like myself - oh look, something shiny.

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  7. That vase is gorgeous, a great find. You've managed to find plenty to put in and around and I like the explosive shapes you've made.

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    1. Thanks Alison, it's always fun to try and find a different vase and props each Monday. Some of the vases and props get to stay while others, purchased at thrift stores, get donated back after they make their appearance.

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  8. What a great find that vase is, Peter and you've filled it to perfection! Love your autumnal props, too. I love picking up little things on walks, mementoes that anchor us to earth.

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    1. Thanks Eliza! When walking, I feel like a kid as my pockets usually come back filled with rocks, cones, or any other interesting things found along the way.

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  9. The jewel tones just glow in this arrangement.

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  10. Wonderful colors!
    We were busy this weekend, so we got out into the yard today, scrambling to get as much done as we could before the rains set in. Looks like I'll be doing indoor projects for a while.

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  11. Wow that vase was a find. I like the fallish riot of a bouquet too. Happy IAVOM.

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  12. That's some vase! Sumptuous arrangement and all the details that went into the vignette.

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  13. Great find! I like keeping an eye on the local thrift stores.

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