{"id":1575,"date":"2014-11-05T08:33:23","date_gmt":"2014-11-05T16:33:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogadmin.plantlust.com\/blog\/?p=1575"},"modified":"2024-01-24T06:23:46","modified_gmt":"2024-01-24T14:23:46","slug":"in-a-vase","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/plantlust.com\/blog\/plants\/in-a-vase\/","title":{"rendered":"In a vase\u2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

There are many popular internet memes<\/a> for Garden Bloggers who wish to participate: Bloom Day<\/a>, Foliage Follow-up<\/a> and Wordless Wednesday<\/a>, to name just three. On my personal blog, danger garden<\/a>, I\u2019ve never missed a Bloomday, frequently join in the foliage fun and have occasionally been wordless on a Wednesday. I have, however, never participated in In a Vase on Monday<\/a>, and that\u2019s a shame.
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Why? I am a firm believer in bringing pieces of the garden into the house, especially in the winter months when we\u2019re not outside (as much anyway) to enjoy.<\/p>\n

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My vase creations usually follow closely the way I plant-up outside containers, I tend not to mix things. If I\u2019ve pruned an arctostaphylos several cuttings will end up inside in a vase. When I lifted the tender Echeveria ‘Black Prince’<\/a> to overwinter indoors their blooms were cut and went into a vase.
\n\"Echeveria<\/a><\/p>\n

Heck even a broken Melianthus major \u2018Antonow\u2019s Blue\u2019<\/a>\u00a0stem will end up tucked in a wall pocket (I do have a bit of a vase collection). Since the autumn rains have returned here in Portland and I\u2019m feeling a bit of disconnect from\u00a0the\u00a0garden I thought I would challenge myself to go out and collect branches and blooms and bring them indoors to build a mixed bouquet in the spirit of the meme \u201cIn a Vase on Monday\u201d\u2026here is the result…
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I started out thinking about the things I missed, since I\u2019m no longer spending my afternoons working on the patio. Then also things that have exploded with growth and could use a little cutting back, the Pennisetum purpureum ‘Vertigo’<\/a> certainly fits that description and I do love a little drama in an arrangement.
\n\"Pennisetum<\/a><\/p>\n

Thinking about what I wanted this creation to be, basically “autumn in a vase,” it hit me, I needed berries! There are only a few plants in my garden that produce fall berries, some of the mahonia<\/a> are already underway as are a couple of the Aucuba japonica ‘Longifolia’<\/a> but they\u2019re not really of size to prune. So instead I did a little foraging. Just a block away there\u2019s a fabulous Arbutus unedo<\/a> in an unoccupied lot that\u00a0could benefit from a little pruning. See how the left side needs to be trimmed up a bit?
\n\"Arbutus<\/a><\/p>\n

The best part is there are both blooms and berries on the plant at the same time, it\u2019s practically screaming to be put in a vase!
\n\"Arbutus<\/a><\/p>\n

Back in my garden I knew I needed to include the blooms of the Abutilon ‘Red Tiger<\/a>‘, it’s tragic they’ve been out there blooming away\u00a0and I’ve not been able to properly\u00a0enjoy them.
\n\"Abutilon<\/a><\/p>\n

The arbutus berries echo the colors of the abutilon nicely.
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The flowers of Salvia koyamae<\/a> (something I never would have thought to plant in my garden but was a pass along from Andrew Keys) add a touch of yellow, as do the seed pods of Crocosmia ‘Orangeade’<\/a>.
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Another view of the salvia and crocosmia, both slightly past their prime (flowers fallen and seed pods turned brown).
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I believe all of these elements will last quite awhile as cut stems\u00a0\u2013 I\u2019ve learned from experience not everything does (I\u2019m looking at you Salvia discolor<\/a>!).
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This was such a fun exercise I may just have to repeat it thought the upcoming weeks, bringing a little garden indoors is good for the\u00a0spirit. And after all these plants are still calling to me…<\/p>\n\n\t\t