Monday, January 4, 2016

In a Vase on Monday: transistions


I'm sure I've written this before – I love to decorate for Christmas – but come the 26th, I'm over it. Completely and totally. This year I thought I'd keep a few elements of the poinsettia display, but update it with a slightly spring feel.

I'm not meticulous enough for real kokedama, but I wanted to bring a pair of Maidenhair ferns (Adiantum venustum) inside and put them in these great vintage wooden bowls. A little moss from the garden, left over Tillandsia usneoides and wire and I had something that would at least contain the root ball.

The silver goblets are reused from the Christmas display, this one is filled with Grevillea 'Peaches and Cream' foliage and a Lysimachia paridiformis var. stenophylla stem. A couple more Grevillea leaves are underneath, along with some sort of Proteaceous cones I brought back from California.

The mix of tarnished silver and wood is a bit odd, but it's what I'd envisioned so I went with it. The tall vase is an oldie, when I want to fill it with cut flowers and foliage I drop a glass tumbler inside to hold the water.

In it are cuttings from Leucothoe fontanesiana 'Rainbow'...

A single Protea bloom (not from my garden, of course), more Grevillea foliage...

And a few fronds from a sword fern (Polystichum munitum) complete the mess.

I find small pedestals like this invaluable for displaying Tillandsia, I was thrilled when I recently spotted this wooden one at a thrift shop.

Another Protea bloom tucked in a very small silver vase, joined by a couple fronds from a wavy cloak fern (Cheilanthes sinuata/Astrolepis sinuata).

Have you noticed the long, thin, branch running behind? It's from an Arctostaphylos (Manzanita) and was brought to me by this kind lady. She noticed a leaning Arctostaphylos in my front garden and thought a matching brace would be just the thing to keep it upright. It will be! And it will eventually make it out there...

I couldn't help but cover the cut ends with a little moss collected from my garden. Then of course tuck in a few Tillandsia.

And another cone brought back from Southern California, this one from a Banksia.

More goblets, out front is Asplenium nidus 'Crispy Wave' joined by Lysimachia paridiformis var. stenophylla in the back...

And the second Maidenhair fern.

Not shown above – because it's not on the mantle but another group of plants nearby – this one in particular I'm curious about...

I bought the stem of three prior to leaving town. Back then they were tight cones, they've since opened to what you see here.

I thought it was a Protea, but the closest I've found to identifying it online is Protea scolymocephala, but I just don't think that's right. Help?

As you've probably heard "In a Vase on Monday" is an blogger's meme hosted by Cathy at Rambling in the Garden. This is my entry for the week, click here to see what others have done this first week of the new year...

All material © 2009-2016 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

38 comments:

  1. That is a dramatic mantle-scape. I think the wood and metal work well together because the plant materials have the same colors and tones. You are so lucky to be able to go out to the garden at this time of year. Looks like we are now going to have below normal temps. Ugh.

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    1. I'm lucky that I did this when the foliage in the garden was still visible. Yesterday I woke to snow and by the afternoon it was freezing rain. Now there's about an inch of snow topped with a quarter inch of ice. Plants bent over every which way...praying we get above freezing today so it can start to melt.

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  2. Leucodenrun - not sure which one trying to find out

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    1. Leucadendron Rubrum or Leucadendron Plumosum

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    2. ... Love these!!! One of my all time favs. I like to buy them fresh for arrangements or wall hangings/wreaths, watch them pop ( it takes a while ) and when finished with arrangement I save the Leucodendrun, stashing away to enjoy in some secret or not so secret spot throughout the year and beyond. They are sweet

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    3. I was leaning toward your Leucadendron Plumosum ID and another commenter below agreed. Thank you! Do you put them in water or keep them dry? Where do you find them? I remember seeing them at Garden Fever last year...which I thought was odd because they don't normally carry cut flowers. This year I made a quick stop downtown to grab a Christmas gift and found these at Solabee.

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  3. dramatic! exotic! fabulous!

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  4. I really love your mantel of plants...stunning and so exotic....especially Leucothoe fontanesiana 'Rainbow'.

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    1. I've been a little obsessed with that plant ever since seeing it in the poinsettia arrangement that inspired the "challenge"...glad I finally got to use it!

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  5. A great mantle arrangement! It's like a small garden in your living room with lots of interesting things to see! Love the leucadrendrons! Thanks to Susan for the identification. I like to leave the holiday stuff up as long as I can.

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    1. Yes! "a small garden in your living room with lots of interesting things to see" I think that's exactly what I was going for without really knowing it.

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  6. This an amazing plantscape, Loree - so much to interest and fascinate the observer, and you clearly have put it together with such vision. I am so impressed - thanks for sharing

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    1. Thank you for providing the push to do so. Your meme has really inspired me to do more of this kind of thing.

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  7. Just wonderful! But if I ever make it to your house for another visit, you'll have to hide that tall wooden vase. I can't take my eyes off it!

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    1. Thanks for the warning! BTW it came from Cost Plus World Market eons ago. Is that store in your area?

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  8. Always enjoy your Monday arrangements, so talented.

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  9. Your mantle displays deserve to be immortalized in a book or calendar, Loree! I love that Leucadendron Susan identified. It's too bad I've never seen that one in my local garden centers.

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    1. It's pretty elusive isn't it? I'm glad to have a name...now I can learn more. And thank you for your kind words. "52 weeks of Mantle-scaping"...do you think anyone would buy that?

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  10. I think your unknown plant is what you get when a Protea mates with a parrot. That mantle arrangement is so fabulous. I am so jealous of your supreme talent.

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    1. Ha! Sounds tricky, and like something better left to the laboratory. "Supreme talent" huh? You're kind.

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  11. It's definitely a Leucadendron plumosum.

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  12. Wow! That's so pretty! And your tillandsia look so good. I like how you combine them with so many different things. And I hope all your agaves do OK with your snow and freezing rain!

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    1. Oh those poor Agaves! I wish I could bring them inside and warm them by the fire.

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  13. Crazy beautiful, Loree!

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  14. Sorry I can't be of any help, but I love your mystery protea-like blooms - how cool. And I wish I could keep maidenhair ferns alive. I know someone else who's killed one recently too, so it's not just me haha. Must be the heat? (although it was kept indoors..)

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    1. Leucadendron plumosum is the answer, I'll be curious to see if you ever run across them. Sorry about the maidenhair ferns...we always want what we "can't" grow - right?

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  15. What an amazing collection of interesting plants. Here in Italy we keep the Christmas decorations up until Twelfth Night or La Befana as it is called here; another holiday when children are given sweets if they have been good or charcoal if naughty.

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    1. I know several people who follow in your Italian footsteps, I wish I could be more relaxed about it but I just have to make everything go away!!!

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  16. Your mantle arrangement is so exciting and tropical, Loree! I especially like the big Protea flower, and Tillandsia, and the Leucadentron flowers are magical with the contrasting fuzzy peach interiors.

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    1. Thanks Hannah, if I ever move to southern California I am going to go Protea mad!

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  17. Me likey, especially all the containers.

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  18. This is a masterpiece!!! I absolutely love it.

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