The owner of the home and the Hydrangeas has been away for several months, he's had a lovely couple renting from him, last weekend they moved across town. Moving is my worse nightmare, I hate it. Whenever I move one of the first things I do is to buy a few cut flowers, nothing makes a new place feel like home (or takes the focus off the chaos) like a bouquet. I decided a nice arrangement from around "their" old home would be just the thing for our (ex) neighbors to take with them, to welcome them to their new home.
No doubt this volunteer vine is a garden thug, can anyone identify it? It's sprung up around the Hydrangeas and is working it's way forward to the front of the house. I did cut some to use in the vase.
Well, not so much a vase really. This colorful Ball jar held the gift arrangements we were given at a "Field to Vase" dinner back in 2013. I thought the color would go nicely with the Hydrangeas, little did I realize I'd be stuffing that jar so full you wouldn't even be able to see it.
The tiny white flowers belong to Persicaria microcephala ‘Red Dragon’, I included a few branches thinking the dark stripe on the leaves would look good with the several dark Canna leaves I'd added.
Instead they basically disappeared.
There's the mystery weed/vine.
Another Persicaria shot.
And the whole mess. I am not particularly thrilled with this creation. I needed something more substantial to balance the Hydrangea balls. I was on the right track with the Canna leaves but then got sidetracked.
Knowing we wouldn't get a chance to say goodbye (and hand over the flowers) until the next day I brought the vase inside and stashed it in our "media room" (aka the second bedroom which we use for TV/computer). Shocking how different indoor lighting makes it all look!
As much as I would have liked to re-make this one it was still nice to hand-off something to the moving neighbors. I should also add that as a infrequent contributor to the "in a vase on Monday" meme I am in awe of those who join up every single week. You're amazing. Always out there looking, cutting and creating.
See all of this week's creations here: Rambling in the Garden.
All material © 2009-2015 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.
It's a beautiful arrangement and an even more beautiful thought! You are such a nice neighbor! Your mystery thug vine looks like wild clematis to me. I've been losing the battle with one for years. Despite digging it up, pulling it whenever I see it, and swearing at it, it comes back. While mine doesn't have the chance to bloom, it grows all over town and there are new little gift seedlings in the parking strip every year which are invisible until they start growing through everything else. The flowers are boring tiny white things but it has interesting seed heads. Unlike it's cultivated cousins, I've never seen one of these look perfectly healthy and then suddenly die. (dammit!)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the info in the weed vine. I will make sure to not let it bloom, or maybe even get rid of it entirely.
DeleteWhat a nice thing to do for your neighbors! You must have given that Hydrangea a good amount of water, after this hot dry summer I wouldn't have expected it to still look so good. I have a lot of respect for all the bloggers who take part in this meme every week too. It's more work than I want to do.
ReplyDeleteThe Hydrangeas were looking down for the count in late August (I stopped trying), but the rains that came in September seem to have reinvigorated them.They are on the north side of their house so in deep shade.
DeleteWhat a nice gesture--and what a great bouquet. I'm in awe of people who can just whip up these beautiful floral creations. I could never do that.
ReplyDeleteI bet you could! Give it a try...come on! I would think perhaps the only thing holding you back would be a lack of material. Your garden has so many succulent structure plants, not ones you can easily cut stems from.
DeleteI've been doing bouquets for my house every week for probably 20 years, and yet I have never joined in this meme..maybe it would force me to raise the bar! I love your creation this week, !
ReplyDeletePlease do! I'd love to see what you're creating AND get a peak at your vase collection (which I suspect would put mine to shame).
DeleteI've got some pruning planned for this week or weekend, so I'm going to give this a try. I've been saying that for a few months now, but I'm serious now. I was also going to say that the mystery vine looks like a clematis too -- Clematis terniflora maybe.
ReplyDeleteYay! Do it...
DeleteI love the arrangement that you made! The colors are beautiful!
ReplyDeleteGreetings, Sofie
http://sofies-succulent-beads.blogspot.be/
Thanks Sofie!
DeleteI love the plum color in that Hydrangea and the Canna leaves are the perfect accent. It's amazing how different the arrangement looks against the different backgrounds. I hope your exiting temporary neighbors appreciate the gesture - you're right that flowers help to ground one in the middle of the chaos known as moving.
ReplyDeleteAs much as I love the green walls of our media room the dark brown exterior of the house definitely is a winner where the plants are concerned!
DeleteI always think Hydrangeas look great in a vase, and the massive canna leaves pick up the burgundy shades wonderfully. What really makes your arrangement for me is all the dangling geometric little sea oats heads, they are magical. What a nice send-off for your neighbors, I hope you get some nice new ones.
ReplyDeleteAren't those Sea Oats just the best? I intend to use every single one of mine in arrangements this autumn.
DeleteYes, I thought it looked like a clematis too, and another blogger has used it in their vase today where I read that it can be quite invasive! Those hydrangeas are such interesting colours and your ex-neighbours will surely appreciate your kind and thoughtful gesture. Thank you for sharing it with us too ps does your Red Dragon's leaves get any darker than this?
ReplyDeleteRe: the ‘Red Dragon’ leaves...yes! They are usually much darker. I think it was the summers relentless sun that cased them to become so green.
DeleteHow thoughtful, Loree! And I really like it--it looks professional and very full of life. I'm an infrequent vase meme participant, too, although I love to arrange flowers. I agree--it's incredible to see all the creativity and beauty from the meme's participants. Love the Northern Sea Oats! They really add a lot of charm, don't they?! Well done!
ReplyDeleteThanks PP, you are kind.
DeleteIn my pre-gardening days, I fell for the fluffy seed heads of that clematis and made a bouquet with them. In my ignorance, I threw them out the door when I tired of them. Bad move! Never did rid that border of the tenacious beast. You are your own worst critic. I think your arrangement is lovely, especially the arabesques of sea oats that show up so well against the dark background of your house. I like Hydrangeas best when they fade to those dusky colors and the dark canna leaves are a nice touch.
ReplyDeleteYikes! Thank you for sharing that tale Ricki. I will eradicate from the neighbor's property asap! It's amazing the things that show up over there. Earlier in the season Carex pendula started growing, thankfully I learned early on that it's invasive and got rid of it too.
DeleteThe colors are great. What a smokey-licious hydrangea color.
ReplyDeleteI also admire the dedicated bouquet-ers. Somehow I never get to that. I shove some roses in a vase and that's it.
Hey, roses in a vase sound perfectly lovely...especially knowing the variety of roses that you grow.
DeleteChange is difficult, you are lovely to give your neighbors flowers from their old home. I love the bouquet, I think if you had a larger vase like a big old pitcher it would have please you more...you needed more room for all the amazing flowers and leave. I love the color combo!
ReplyDeleteYou know, I think you're right! A big chunky vase would have made the whole thing more appropriate in scale.
DeleteMy oh my that vase arrangement you created is pretty amazing! The other day at a client's, I met a couple who only do cut flower / plant arrangements for events, restaurants.
ReplyDeleteWhat fun that would be! Well, until it turned stressful.
DeleteOh, I love it! The fluffy hydrangeas with arching stems above and sturdy canna leaves - nice contrasting textures.
ReplyDeleteThank you VW!
DeleteThat plant you wonder what it was is the dreaded Clematis vitalba or old mans beard. Highly invasive. It can blanket trees quickly and the seeds spread this plant everywhere. We have fought it in our Pacific Northwest neighborhood and it's considered a noxious weed in King County.
ReplyDeleteThat’s a fabulous arrangement. I actually like the wild look of the mix with the more formal hydrangeas - it’s a nice contrast.
ReplyDeleteI think it turned out beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThat wild clematis vine is the bane of my existence. And a solid reason why non-gardening neighbors suck.