Cathy of
Rambling in the Garden celebrates the second anniversary of her popular "In a Vase on Monday" feature with today's post. While I prepared vases in connection with a couple of other blogger's memes in the past, I never did so consistently until I joined in with Cathy's merry band at the end of March last year. By my count, I've participated for 85 weeks without a break.
Cathy's own dedication to the meme has been the driving force behind my participation. She always brings enthusiasm to the process. And, rain or shine, in town or on holiday, her posts appear like clockwork. She encourages participation on whatever level works for each blogger and she supports everyone with appreciative comments. So, Cathy, my vase this week is dedicated to you.
 |
| Front view |
 |
| Back view |
 |
| Top view |
After the hottest October on record here, as well as two bouts with Santa Ana winds (also known as "devil winds"), flowers are in relatively short supply in my garden this week. My
Senna bicapsularis, one of the mainstays of my fall garden, is already fading but I took advantage of the fact that there was still enough to cut. However, the
Senna came with two surprises:
 |
| As I was preparing a Senna stem for my vase, I discovered a bright yellow caterpillar chomping away, accompanied by several ants. The ants got washed away but I took pains to move the caterpillar back to the shrub where it can continue to pursue its life goal. The Senna is a host plant for the sulphur butterfly, Phoebis sennae. |
 |
| The second surprise was the fasciated (flattened) stem I found on the Senna. Fasciation (aka cresting) can be caused by genetic abnormalities or bacteria. If I'd had more time, I would have tried to create an arrangement around this stem. |
Here's a closer look at what was included in this week's vase:
 |
| Clockwise from upper left: Eustoma grandiflorum 'Borealis Yellow', Leptospermum 'Copper Glow', the inedible berries of Pyrus calleryana (aka ornamental pear), and Senna bicapsularis (aka Winter Senna) |
Visit Cathy to see how she's celebrating her meme anniversary and to find the intriguing contributions of a diverse group of bloggers from different parts of the world. Their ingenuity, enthusiasm, and the beauty of their creations is a large part of the draw of this meme.
 |
| This week's vase on the dining table |
All material
© 2012-2015 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
