Monday, September 29, 2014

In a Vase on Monday: A Substitute for Roses

I'd planned to feature yellow roses in this week's vase, prepared in connection with the popular meme hosted by Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.  One of my 'Buttercream' rose shrubs has been working hard to produce blooms since the weather cooled the weekend before last.  But then temperatures heated up again before cooling once more this past weekend and the roses were left looking rather sad.  So I went hunting for a substitute and ended up with a little of this and a little of that, creating a cheerful bouquet better suited to the start of autumn than the pale yellow roses.


This week, the back view of the vase is almost as pretty as the front view



The jumping off point for the new color scheme was Russelia equisetiformis 'Flamingo Park.'

Russelia 'Flamingo Park' is shown here in a close-up with Grevillea 'Superb'



Once I had my new color scheme, I was able to find a surprising number of complementary materials.  This week's bouquet consists of:

  • Abelia grandiflora 'Kaleidoscope' (3 stems)
  • Digiplexis 'Illumination Flame' (2 stems)
  • Gaillardia  x grandiflora 'Goblin' (4 stems)
  • Grevillea 'Superb' (1 stem)
  • Leucadendron 'Wilson's Wonder' (3 stems)
  • Nandina domestica (1 stem)
  • Russelia equisetiformis 'Flamingo Park' (2 stems)
  • Solenostemon scutellarioides 'Honey Crisp Coleus' (1 stem)
  • Tanacetum parthenium 'Aureum' (5 stems)


The Digiplexis is still producing sporadic blooms - shown here with Grevillea on one side, Gaillardia on the other, and a coleus leaf in the back

It's hard to pick a favorite when it comes to Leucadendron but 'Wilson's Wonder,' my 1st Leucadendron, is the one that most often causes me to stop in my tracks

The unripe berries of the Nandina were the perfect color for this bouquet



The vase is visible when you step through the front door, next to my favorite toad.




You can see Cathy's vase and those of other gardeners by visiting Rambling in the Garden.


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

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27 comments:

  1. AnonymousSeptember 29, 2014 at 9:44 AM

    Oh I do love to see the different vases we put together - your coral-ish colours were a real pleasure to see and very different from anything of the other vases that have been posted so far. Those Nandina berries are especially gorgeous!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kris PetersonSeptember 30, 2014 at 10:09 PM

      I surprised myself with this vase, Cathy - it wasn't at all what I intended at the outset.

      Delete
  2. AnonymousSeptember 29, 2014 at 10:39 AM

    What a lovely combination of berries, foliage and flowers, so exotic and vibrant, reflecting a hot climate. The colours on the foliage pick up the flower colour perfectly.

    ReplyDelete
  3. DonnaSeptember 29, 2014 at 1:15 PM

    Kris I like your vase of this and that...all the wonderful bits in your garden in this gorgeous vase...and another vase using berries...lovely!

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnnaSeptember 29, 2014 at 2:07 PM

    Some new to me flowers Kris so I'm off to find out more about them. Those berries are most attractive.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Julie@peoniesandposies.comSeptember 29, 2014 at 2:11 PM

    As ever lots of new flowers to me in your vase this week. It looks autumnal in a tropical sort of way (if that makes any sense). Well done for another beautiful arrangement!

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    Replies
    1. Kris PetersonSeptember 30, 2014 at 10:13 PM

      By comparison to yours, I guess this could be considered a tropical climate, Julie - although, isn't the tropics supposed to get rain? We've none of that.

      Delete
  6. Mark and GazSeptember 29, 2014 at 2:27 PM

    It never fails to amaze me what you come up with Kris, fabulous bouquet and loving the hot colours!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kris PetersonSeptember 30, 2014 at 10:15 PM

      I'm honestly surprised I found enough in the right color range to put it together. It really was a matter of collecting a little of this and a little of that.

      Delete
  7. debsgardenSeptember 29, 2014 at 3:05 PM

    You are a real artist! The leucodendron is quite amazing. I looked it up and am rather sad that it would not be hardy here, but I will enjoy it in your online bouquet!

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    Replies
    1. Kris PetersonSeptember 30, 2014 at 10:18 PM

      The Leucadendrons are among my favorite plants, Deb - they do especially well in this garden (as opposed to my prior garden, where poor L. 'Wilson's Wonder' was confined in a pot in one of the few sunny spaces I had).

      Delete
  8. AnonymousSeptember 29, 2014 at 3:47 PM

    Love the bright colors and textures in your arrangement this week. The back of the design is attractive too.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Beth at PlantPostingsSeptember 29, 2014 at 6:37 PM

    Oh, now that is really pretty! And I agree that the back is as pretty as the front. You are a talented arranger and you know how to combine unique textures, colors foliage, and blooms for a great bouquet! Very nice.

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    Replies
    1. Kris PetersonSeptember 30, 2014 at 10:23 PM

      Thanks Beth, although I don't know if it's talent so much as pure luck in finding the right materials after looking high and low throughout my garden.

      Delete
  10. UnknownSeptember 29, 2014 at 10:49 PM

    Cheerful sums it up perfectly! I feel happier having seen this :)

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  11. AnonymousSeptember 30, 2014 at 12:35 AM

    Deep sigh... all those gorgeous fresh colours and the light in your photos - looks like summer again! I thought at first you had two different vases - looks very lovely from both sides, but I especially love those big leaves of the Coleus in between the flowers. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kris PetersonSeptember 30, 2014 at 10:25 PM

      I often don't pay much attention to the back side of my vases, Cathy, but this one did turn out well.

      Delete
  12. Hoover BooSeptember 30, 2014 at 12:57 PM

    You are always so creative with what you choose from the garden. Who would have thought of adding Nandina berries? Well, creative people like you. Well done!

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    Replies
    1. Kris PetersonSeptember 30, 2014 at 10:27 PM

      Thanks Hoover Boo! Desperation serves inspiration in this case. Nandina berries work surprisingly well in a vase (as opposed to Nandina flowers, which shed rice-like hulls all over everything).

      Delete
  13. Kris PetersonSeptember 30, 2014 at 10:10 PM

    Thank you for visiting Ronnie!

    ReplyDelete
  14. chlorisOctober 1, 2014 at 4:12 AM

    Your arrangements are always such wonderful jewel colours. I love this. I am amazed how your Digiplexis keeps giving you fresh flowers.

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    Replies
    1. Kris PetersonOctober 6, 2014 at 10:25 PM

      The digiplexis is amazing (although it has been troubled by wooly aphids of late).

      Delete

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