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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, November 16, 2015

In A Vase on Monday - Foliage Follow Up November 2015

Linking with In A Vase On Monday at Cathy's blog, Rambling in the Garden and with Foliage Follow Up at Pam's blog, Digging.

What to do when Monday and Foliage Follow-Up happen on the same day?  A wiser person would simply do an arrangement of foliage but you've got me so first this week's arrangement, which is a partial cheat.  Most of the elements came from my garden but not all this year; the wheat was not, nor was the eucalyptus which I do grow.

The Indian Horse Chestnut conkers are from our tree but the spiky seedpods came from the ground beneath a huge old tree found on walk around our neighborhood. Throw in some glass pumpkins and the cute spinning gourd, a gift from Danger and, as they do in Portland, put a bird on it..





There you have it, this week's vase.  Since it's dried, it will stay there through Thanksgiving.


Found these velvet pumpkins on clearance after Halloween.  For a couple of bucks each, who could resist?

Now the random foliage, shot in a hurry during the rain storm.  Who knew that on Sunday the clouds would part and we'd have a sunny afternoon.  Oh well.

One of my baby Yucca rostratas which will, perhaps in my lifetime, trunk up.  Or maybe I'll simply get tired of waiting and get a large one if I ever redo my back beds.

While the plan was to leave these outside all winter, seeing them in the rain makes me sad and I know they'll look much better come spring if they winter indoors so that's the next task.

Hooray, one of the Yucca 'Bright Star'  is coloring up nicely.

Euonymus japonicus really shines in the fall and winter and is just starting to take on a little of it's pink cold weather coloration.


I never tire of  lovingly gazing at cyclamen foliage.  The leaf patterns are so varied from plant to plant.

The wind took most of the autumn foliage from the deciduous trees but there is still some hanging on.


In the greenhouse:  I keep trying to give this one away but today, I'm happy to see that nice orange color. 


Cussonia spicata is looking like it might actually live.  Hooray!

This, of course, is a tropical house plant that's not supposed to like temps as low as what the greenhouse experiences.  We'll see how it does.

Back outside, the leaves of the inherited Acer palmatum 'Bloodgood' continue to thrill. To think that when we moved in, I didn't like the purple leaves and contemplated removing the (then) much smaller tree.  It now keeps me company when I'm on the back porch talking on the phone, drinking my morning coffe, or just being throughout the year and it's branches are starting to grow beautiful lichens. Can't imagine being without it now.  Strange how plants grow on us.

What foliage is catching your eye this month?  
Can't wait to see your Monday Vases!

27 comments:

  1. I'm still very much enjoying the big vase full of dried stuff that I made a couple of months ago. It never changes or needs redoing. I hope my two Yucca rostrata make trunks in my lifetime too. They're so very expensive if you buy them already trunked.

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    1. This dried vase actually gets stored in an upstairs closet for fall each year. I added some stuff to it this year though. Love those things that last a while! They are expensive already trunked but I wonder if they might be less expensive in California, Arizona, places like that.

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  2. Plants can definitely grow on us. Believe it or not, there was a time when agaves didn't move me. I love your stair-stepping agaves, and here's to trunking Yucca rostratas, although they look pretty great even without trunks. Thanks for joining in again, Peter!

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    1. It's always a pleasure to join your foliage party, Pam! I'm a recent convert to the charms of agaves myself.

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  3. Your pumpkin collection is growing nicely; love the velvet addition! So glad you changed your mind about the Maple tree. I found a small Yucca filamentosa "Color Guard" the other day. It was 75% off and nicely "pink'd up": I couldn't resist. You think it would do well in a pot for a few years?

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    1. Oh yes, yuccas have done very well for me in pots for years. Congratulations on your new one!

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  4. What gorgeous seasonal vase - I love the contents and all the props too. The velvet pumpkins were a great find! Thanks for sharing

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  5. Your Thanksgiving vase is wonderful, Peter. I love those purple berries, I've never grown Calliacarpa but my Sunset garden guide claims the shrub can be grown here so I'll have to hunt one down. My own foliage post is still sitting in my camera.

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    1. Oh Kris, you'll love Callicarpa to play with in your arrangements! I saw it last Christmas used with golden evergreen foliage and they were magical together. Well, there's always tomorrow for a foliage post, right?

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  6. Lots of good stuff here Peter, and I'm very jealous of your velvet pumpkin bargains!

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    1. I've admired your velvet pumpkins but had only seen them at kind of high end shops. These bargains were perfect for me.

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  7. Love the vase and the little pumpkin vignettes and glad you are taking pity on the little yuccas especially since you have the wonderful garage/greenhouse : )

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    1. Those poor agave will be much happier inside but, believe it or not, the greenhouse is quite full so they'll go upstairs to an unused bedroom with lots of sun and will look much better in the spring than if I left them outside.

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  8. Love your velvet pumpkins and all your wonderful foliage! I do like your Acer Bloodgood and am so pleased that you decided to keep it, your morning coffee wouldn't be the same without it.

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    1. Thanks, Pauline. I'm very happy to have a tree of that size. Since I chat on the phone out there a lot too, the tree seems to help solve the worlds problems. So glad I didn't replace it with something more interesting that would have taken forever to reach this size!

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  9. Your vase is magnificent, the grasses remind me of the plumes on the foreheads of circus horses. I love the eucalyptus silver dollar branches, they add a lot of character, and look good with the purple berries. All your foliage plants are looking good, the big red-leaved maple is wonderful, my little ones finally turned red, so pretty.

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    1. Thank you, Hannah. The wide variety of fall colors of maples is so special.

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  10. That's a glorious harvest bouquet and I especially like all the little things strewn at its feet.

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  11. Your arrangement is beautiful and dramatic!
    After the windstorm coming in tonight, the foliage that has my attention will be on the lawn, ready to be raked up I hate to see all of the pretty go.

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    1. Thanks, Linda. I fear you're right about the foliage and the storm. Sad to see it go.

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  12. Love your very autumnal arrangement. also love the repetition of pots on the steps, repetition is always good.

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    1. Thanks Christina. You're right, repetition is always good, a design truth that I, in my desire to have one of everything that can be grown, need to remember more frequently.

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  13. Love the "Chinese Lanterns" in your arrangement, but it's the purple berries that make it all sing. These fall colors and pumpkins certainly look gorgeous against the woodwork in your house.

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    1. We were lucky to find so much unpainted woodwork in our house when we bought it as a fixer upper. Funny but 18 years later it's still a fixer upper.

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  14. That has to be one of my favorite Portlandia skits.

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