Monday, October 20, 2014

In a Vase on Monday: The Old & the New

This week I actually had a floral feature in mind in advance for the vase prepared in connection with the celebration sponsored each Monday by Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.  Mid-month, just after Bloom Day (of course), I noticed that my Senna bicapsularis 'Worley's Butter Cream' had begun blooming.  There are only blooms on a few branches but I was glad to see them.  I initially thought I'd accent them with Tagetes lemmonii but I didn't like the mix so round and round the garden I went, searching for appropriate plants to complement the pale yellow Senna.  Once again, I ended up with more than I'd expected.


Back view



While the Senna makes its first appearance this year, most of the other elements have shown up earlier in one vase or another.  In addition to the Senna, there is:
  • Abelia x grandiflora 'Kaleidoscope'
  • Asparagus densiflorus 'Spengeri' (at least that's what I think it is)
  • Gomphrena haageana
  • Grevillea 'Superb'
  • Nandina domestica (berries)
  • Rusellia equisetiformis

Senna bicapsularis is also know as Christmas Senna for its habit of blooming late in the year

The asparagus fern has suddenly produced zillions of tiny white flowers

The unidentified Gomphrena I picked up a few weeks ago was definitely worth the purchase - the flowers have a long vase life (I briefly considered reusing the blooms I picked for my vase 2 weeks ago but these are freshly cut)

Grevillea 'Superb' has more blooms than ever before - it appears to like our cooler temperatures

The Nandina berries pick up the oranges tones of the variegated Abelia 'Kaleidoscope'

The yellow form of Russelia equisetiformis was a last minute addition - the coral form also would have worked



I think it turned out rather well.  It took its place opposite the front door, where it provides a cheery welcome.




My post was delayed a bit this morning as my husband and I discovered that our cat, Pipig, was missing, throwing me, if not him, into a panic.  She's recently taken to streaking out of the house but she's never stealthy about it so she's quickly collected and tucked back inside but, last night, she apparently managed an undetected escape when I stepped outside around 9pm to water a plant just outside the door.  Much to her surprise - as well as mine - she ended up spending the night outside.  After a frantic search outside early this morning, I finally heard mewing and found her perched on the top of the grape arbor, looking nearly as upset as I was.  It took both my husband and I to get her down.  Luckily for both of us, she managed to avoid being eaten by one of the neighborhood coyotes or squirted by one of the skunks that wandered the garden last night.  After a hearty breakfast and a good wash, she's fast asleep in her own bed.

Pipig having a good rest after her great escape and eventual recapture



Please visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden to see what she's got in her vase this week.  You'll also find links to other gardeners' creations.


All material © 2012-2014 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

24 comments:

  1. I so enjoy all the exotic flowers you use in your vases; they all harmonise beautifully together. The back and front views look like two different vases, if you turn it around it will seem like a different vase, clever. I'm glad you found your cat, it must have been very worrying for you. She looks very peaceful after all her adventures.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. After breakfast and a bath, Pipig slept 9 hours straight, getting up only to look for another meal this evening. I still haven't recovered...

      Delete
  2. This is such a beautiful arrangement Kris and you have wonderful plants to choose from. The Senna is a really gorgeous colour. I am glad your cat was safely found, it had not occurred to me the type of predators you have to contend with there.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The coyotes are a significant issue here. Their favorite foods appear to be stray cats and small dogs.

      Delete
  3. Bless Pipig, glad to see she's back inside looking comfy. The arrangement has worked well indeed, nice mix of airy, wispy, and delicate looking blooms.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. As it turns out, the only difficulty with the arrangement is that the tiny white flowers on the asparagus fern drop continuously.

      Delete
  4. The vase is beautiful and, oh crikey, so glad Pipig is safe and sound!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Pipig's disappearance really did give me a fright. The coyotes here routinely carry off small pets. I still don't know how she managed to sneak by me last night but I'm instituting a regular bed check from tonight on.

      Delete
  5. Poor Pipig - she looks worn out! I wonder what adventures she had...
    Your vase is lovely again Kris, with some exotic blooms I don't recognize. I really like the Senna flowers and the creamy Russelia which reminds me of cigar plant flowers. Definitely a cheerful welcome as you enter your home. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Whatever her adventures, I hope Pipig's learned her lesson (as I have). She was exhausted and hasn't even looked outside since her "rescue" this morning.

      The flowers on the Russelia are very like those of the Cuphea but the Russelia's foliage is very different, almost needle-like, with a trailing habit.

      Delete
  6. Oh I am glad you found her....and that vase is stunning and exotic...I love that Senna and look at that Grevillea...never see these in my neck of the woods.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The Senna is hardy to zone 8 while the Grevillea, an Austrailian plant, probably has an even more limited range in the US. Both are wonderful plants, although my Senna has gotten rather large for its spot and will have to be cut back severely at the end of this year's bloom cycle.

      Delete
  7. Each individual element featured in your vase is so striking. Lovely! Glad Pipig's great adventure has a happy ending.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm glad the adventure ended well too - at least Pipig had the sense to climb the arbor, putting her out of the reach of the neighborhood's cat-eating coyotes.

      Delete
  8. Awww Pipig! She looks SO warm and comfy and sleepy, I bet she's very relieved to be back in her own bed. Beautiful arrangement :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hope Pipig learned her lesson and doesn't try to pull another great escape!

      Delete
  9. Beautiful flowers, silly sleeping Pipig. I hope she learned from the adventure and realizes what a soft bed is worth!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think she appreciated her meals and bed yesterday when she was exhausted by her adventure but, by evening, she was seated back at the front door looking for another opportunity to escape. She was a rescue off the street so maybe she wants to return to her tough-kitty roots.

      Delete
  10. The Great Escape - glad she is back home safe! One of the joys of this meme is seeing what grows in other gardens in other places so it is fascinating to see your bright offerings of things that I am completely unfamiliar with - thank you for sharing and enthusing!

    ReplyDelete
  11. I always enjoy seeing what you have in bloom in each week. There is always something gorgeous and exotic -looking. What a beautiful vase, such beautiful colours.
    I didn' t realise that it is so dangerous for cats in your garden. You must be so relieved to have her safely back.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. An encounter with a skunk would be unpleasant (for both of us) but encounters with raccoons could be dangerous and an encounter with a coyote would be fatal. The coyotes have become very aggressive, even hunting during the day. They carried off a neighbor's terrier last year and there are endless accounts of them picking off cats so yes, I was relieved to find her in one piece!

      Delete
  12. Pipig looks very happy to be back in her own bed. Thank goodness she's OK. Coyotes are no joke, and a run-in with a skunk wouldn't have been fun.

    What a beautiful bouquet. The Grevillea really pulls the vase together and makes the whole arrangement sing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That Grevillea was the start of an obsession - I have more than a half dozen varieties now, although G. 'Superb" remains my favorite.

      Delete

I enjoy receiving your comments and suggestions! Google has turned on reCAPTCHA affecting some commentator IDs so, if you wish to identify yourself, please add your name to your comment.