In a Vase on Monday: The succulents take charge

Last year, I featured succulents as the main ingredient in several arrangements.  I haven't done that as much this year but, after more than 2 weeks of extremely low humidity and high winds, I decided that working with succulents would be more gratifying this week than cutting flowers that wither in the dry air within 2 or 3 days.  I also had a huge clump of Aeonium arboreum threatening to block a path that had to be removed so it provided my centerpiece.

I used a polished stone vase that can't be trusted to hold water

Back view

The vase contains: Aeonium arborescens, Alternanthera 'Little Ruby', and the fuzzy blooms of Pennisetum advena 'Rubrum'.  As Alternanthera needs water, I inserted those stems in a floral water tube before inserted them in the vase.

With seasonal decorations taking over most of the space I usually assign to floral arrangements, I skipped on a vase for the front entry this week.

The succulent vase sits on the dining room table, while the front entry table holds a faux tree I've had for years, decked out with painted wood birds and garden-themed ornaments

Although dry conditions persist here (and the Thomas Fire in Ventura County is still largely uncontained), I broke down mid-week and picked up a Christmas tree, a garland for the arbor outside the front door, and a wreath.  All were drier than I'd have liked but local sellers didn't seem to be expecting any new shipments so I just selected the best specimens I could find.  Whether they'll hold up much beyond Christmas Day is questionable at best.  The wreath and the garland, both hanging outside, are drying out especially quickly even with occasional misting.  I'd planned to embellish both but made do on Sunday with tricking out the wreath.

Somehow I always forget to take proper "before" photos but, without the bow and the small gnome ornament, this shows the mixed evergreen wreath I started out with

This is the after shot of the wreath embellished with materials from my garden

The materials I added included: more Aeonium arboreum, Aeonium haworthii 'Kiwi', cones of Leucadendron 'Pisa', stems of Magnolia grandiflora, berries of Nandina domestica, and stems of Oscularia deltoides, another succulent

The front porch got a couple other seasonal accents too.

In addition to his holiday bow, the gargoyle on the left got some dried Magnolia seed cones (minus most of the bright red seeds removed by the squirrels).  The gnome on the right, who came out of his hide-out in the garage, holds another large Aeonium rosette. 

For more "In a Vase on Monday" posts, visit our host, Cathy of Rambling in the Garden.


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