Monday, January 16, 2017

In a Vase on Monday: Contrasting textures

The inspiration for today's "In a Vase on Monday" post came from yesterday's Bloom Day post.  While viewing the photos I'd taken for that post, I was struck by the similarity in the colors of my Leucadendron 'Wilson's Wonder' and Phylica pubescens, as well as their contrasting textures, and wondered how flowers of the two would look together.

Leucadendron 'Wilson's Wonder', planted along the driveway in the front garden (left), and Phylica pubescens in a pot on the back patio (right)


Sunday morning, under gray skies, I cut stems from both plants and assembled several possible companions.  When I found I wasn't pleased with the result of squeezing everything into a single vase, I split the contents into two separate vases.

Vase #1:

Simplifying the contents of this vase gave each element a chance to stand out and emphasized the textural contrast of the Leucadendron and the Phylica

I used just a few stems of Abelia to fill in around the base of the Leucadendron stems in the back

Top view

Clockwise from the upper left, this vase contains: Leucadendron 'Wilson's Wonder', Phylica pubescens (aka Featherhead), yellow and orange forms of Papaver nudicaule, berries of Nandina domestica, and Abelia 'Kaleidoscope'


Vase #2:

Even though the Grevillea I cut had a nice long stem, it got lost in the first vase so I reduced the stem by half and popped it into a smaller vase

Top view

Clockwise from the left, this vase contains: Grevillea 'Ned Kelly', Abelia 'Kaleidoscope', Gaillardia 'Arizona Sun', G. 'Arizona Red', and more Nandina domestica berries


Unlike many of my weekly creations, these two vases would complement one another.  I separated them in the house but you can view them side-by-side.

The larger vase sits on the dining table and the smaller one sits in the front entry


For more Monday vases, visit our host, Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.


All material © 2012-2017 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
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26 comments:

  1. AnonymousJanuary 16, 2017 at 10:58 AM

    I forgot about GBBD yesterday but will do it tomorrow! What fun to experiment with different colours and textures - I especially like the second vase with the gaillardias which wouldn't look out of place in mid summer. Thanks for sharing

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    1. Kris PetersonJanuary 16, 2017 at 7:47 PM

      Despite my recent love affair with the feathery Phylica, I admit that the second vase is my favorite this week too, Cathy.

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  2. organicgardendreamsJanuary 16, 2017 at 11:38 AM

    Hi Kris, I hope you don't mind me saying this, but I have a clear favorite: Your vase #2! I think the combination of the delicate Grevillea bloom and the yellow/red Gaillardia just did it for me. It is so fascinating how the Gaillardia pics up the red of the Grevillea and the other reds in your bouquet and at the same time adds that dramatic yellow. Just lovely!
    Warm regards,
    Christina

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    1. Kris PetersonJanuary 16, 2017 at 7:50 PM

      That Grevillea flower just about begged to be picked, Christina. Most of the flowers on 'Ned Kelly' appear on short stems, often trailing in the dirt, but this one greeted me standing proud on a tall stem. I did feel a bit bad about cutting that stem short to fit the smaller stature of the Gaillardias, though.

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  3. AlisonCJanuary 16, 2017 at 12:19 PM

    They are fantastic and I love the colours. I must make sure I have some Papaver nudicaule seeds though I'm hoping some will self seed. How long do they last for you in water?

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    1. Kris PetersonJanuary 16, 2017 at 7:52 PM

      The Iceland poppies surprised me by holding up almost a full week in a vase the last time I cut them, Alison. I think the trick is to pick them just as the bud is breaking through its casing. Conditioning the stem using scalding water probably helped too.

      Delete
  4. Anca TîrcăJanuary 16, 2017 at 2:40 PM

    Much colour, as usual!Your garden is an infinite source of beauty!

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    1. Kris PetersonJanuary 16, 2017 at 7:53 PM

      Thanks Anca! I'm just lucky that my plants don't have to deal with a topping of snow!

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  5. Eliza WatersJanuary 16, 2017 at 4:01 PM

    Ooh, these are lovely! Great pairings for texture and color. I love the bright splashes of poppies and the grevillea looks like a whirling dervish!

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    1. Kris PetersonJanuary 16, 2017 at 7:54 PM

      I had the same thought when I looked at the photo of that Grevillea, Eliza.

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  6. sweetbayJanuary 16, 2017 at 6:28 PM

    Your bouquets are beautiful! I envy your Iceland poppies. They are so big and beautiful and burn up here.

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    1. Kris PetersonJanuary 16, 2017 at 7:56 PM

      The rain we've received beginning in December and continuing into January has really given the Iceland poppies a boost this year, Sweetbay.

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  7. outlawgardenerJanuary 16, 2017 at 9:34 PM

    Oh so nice, vibrant, and warm looking. So happy that you finally got some rain. Let's hope that it continues (not the flooding part.)

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    1. Kris PetersonJanuary 17, 2017 at 9:50 AM

      There's another big storm coming in toward the end of this week but it looks clearer as we head into February, with just periodic chances of rain.

      Delete
  8. AnonymousJanuary 17, 2017 at 12:36 AM

    I always open your posts knowing I'm going to enjoy a shot of summer, and this doesn't disappoint. I know these are winter flowers for you, but they are so exotic to those of us who don't live in such a favoured area for plants. Your rain has made everything fresh and will hopefully help the garden flourish for some time to come.

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    1. Kris PetersonJanuary 17, 2017 at 9:54 AM

      We've already had substantially more rain than we had during the entirety of last year, Christina, so we're off to a great start.

      Delete
  9. AnonymousJanuary 17, 2017 at 2:04 AM

    Both vases look fresh and springlike - the combination of the red poppy and Nandina berries adds lots of zing, and the Phylica is a lovely soft contrast. I should like to grow Grevillea after seeing you use it in vases, but I don't recall ever seeing it offered for summer planting here... We will see!

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    1. Kris PetersonJanuary 17, 2017 at 9:56 AM

      Grevilleas are native to Australia, Cathy. I suspect they couldn't survive your winters outdoors but perhaps they could handle wintering over in a greenhouse?

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  10. The Shrub QueenJanuary 17, 2017 at 12:51 PM

    love those Grevilleas, still haven't seen any around here. And the Poppies, divine. The rain must be helping everything look beautiful.It's interesting to see pictures and have a vase A ha moment!

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    1. Kris PetersonJanuary 17, 2017 at 8:54 PM

      The rain has been a wonderful boost, Amelia - to the garden and, even more so, to the gardener.

      Delete
  11. Pam/Digging https://www.penick.net/diggingJanuary 17, 2017 at 7:55 PM

    Those are beautiful! I can't believe how many flowers you have at this time of year.

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    1. Kris PetersonJanuary 17, 2017 at 8:55 PM

      Well, I'm told everything grows in California, Pam! ;)

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  12. Amy@SmallSunnyGardenJanuary 17, 2017 at 8:36 PM

    I love your idea of combining the phylica and leucodendron based on textures :) Both vases are wonderfully vibrant!

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