Monday, July 4, 2016

In a Vase on Monday on the Fourth of July

Here we are...it's July 4th! A day that to me used to mean hanging out with friends and family under the pretense of celebrating our great nation. However as someone with a dog (deaf as she may be) it's now about managing her stress (she can still feel the big explosions) and as a Portland homeowner it's about praying this won't be the year our neighborhood goes up in flames. Big fireworks are illegal here (just like in Seattle and Spokane  the other two cities I've lived in) but that doesn't mean squat. I've never lived anywhere that explodes on the 4th quite like Portland. Yeehaw! Big fun...

So today is also the end of the Aeonium Challenge, fun as it's been. Ya'll have until midnight to get in your entries...

I thought it would be fitting to end the challenge with a green Aeonium feature. Since all I've done previously is feature the dark ones.

Plus since it's the 4th, beer seemed rather fitting!

Andrew spotted this wonderful marketing effort and brought it home for us to enjoy.

Or maybe that should have been "enjoy"...

Beautiful as it was, it really wasn't very good.

Still that doesn't stop me from celebrating.

Joining Aeonium canariense in the beer can are cuttings from Tradescantia pallida 'Purple Heart' and Grevillea australis.

As always our Monday garden cutting/vase creations are hosted by Cathy at Rambling in the Garden. Thank you to all that have put together an Aeonium Challenge entry and sent an image. Our judges will be meeting next week and if all goes as planned I will be announcing the winner (and sharing all the entries) on July 18th. Stay tuned!
All material © 2009-2016 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

26 comments:

  1. Happy 4th of July to you both! Fab arrangement as always, but can't help commenting on the beer can too which I happen to like the colour scheme and design of!

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    1. Ya, the beer can really inspired the whole thing, gotta love that!

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  2. Worth getting just for the cans, regardless of how the contents taste! I notice this did not make it to your mantel though... :)

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    1. I thought about it, but have recently done something else there...so it's in the kitchen.

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  3. Shiner Beer in Portland oh my! It's a local favorite here and I'd not seen the prickly pear variety. Great arrangement with perfect colors.

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    1. Well I hope the prickly pear variety becomes available there, it's just so much fun!

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  4. Your arrangement makes great use of both the succulents and the beer can. VERY clever marketing by the beer maker - I wonder why I've never seen the brand down here (not that I can claim having made a thorough study of the beer aisle).

    I share your apprehensions about the holiday. The sheer frequency of fireworks in the harbor area seem to have made my cat immune to the panic she once evidenced but fire is a constant worry here. Personal fireworks are illegal all over SoCal but you wouldn't know it from the displays we can see from our backyard - they're pretty but also scary. I hope you enjoy the holiday anyway, Loree.

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    1. And extra day off with my husband around is always a good thing, and thankfully there were no fires on our block. Just a lot of noise. Thank god it's over for another year! Hope yours wasn't too bad.

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  5. A fun creative arrangement from vase to plant material...striking color contrast...

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    1. Thanks Donna, I kind of wish I had saved more of the cans!

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  6. AnonymousJuly 04, 2016

    The beer can is both a brilliant prop and brilliant vase - and the tradescantia is the perfect foil for your aeoniums. I wonder how many entries you will get for your challenge - do let the IOVOM community see what the winning one is like please

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    1. Glad you enjoyed it Cathy, and I will try to remember to do so!

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  7. You did buy the beer because of the can colors, right? Another great arrangement Loree! Looking forward to seeing the aeonium challenge winner too.

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    1. Andrew gets the credit for the beer, and he did well!

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  8. Gosh, I'd actually like to try that beer. Silly, but anyway the cans and labeling are so colorful! I wish people wouldn't set off so many fireworks here--it really does sound like a war outside. I don't mind the big ones at the park, though. I hope you had a fun, safe Independence Day!

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    1. If you get a chance drink it ice cold, that seemed to damp down the not so subtle sweetness.

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  9. AnonymousJuly 05, 2016

    A perfect label for the Danger Gardener. You have a great husband who was thinking of you. But my question is how did you two like? Even if it isn’t good, it would make good bait for drowning slugs in containers of it. And you get that cool looking vase.
    John (Aberdeen)

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    1. The beer wasn't very good, although ice cold made it better. Andrew also campaigned the alcohol content was more like kool-aide than beer. However we chose to drink it ourselves rather than share with the slugs.

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  10. Too bad it didn't taste better as it is such clever marketing. We are luxuriating in a 19C. Log house up at the tip of the Wisconsin thumb. We sat outdoors and enjoyed a dark sky with amazing stars. We heard official fireworks somewhere but did not see them. Home and blogging again at the end of the week.

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    1. Oh your getaway sounds wonderful! Enjoy every minute.

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  11. Leave it to Andrew to find a perfect beer for you. Sorry it wasn't very good but the marketing is fabulous and you did a bang up job matching the colors of the can. The color combo is dynamite! Thanks for the arrangement and the fun challenge!

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    1. Thanks Peter. It's probably better that it wasn't really tasty - then I'd have to go buy it all up to have on hand as the official beer!

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  12. AnonymousJuly 05, 2016

    Really love that plants go with the beer can! Very clever.

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  13. If only the product could match the aesthetics, we who prize design would not be stuck drinking sub-par beer. I don't see much regret leaking into your account, so it was worth it. But darn, I wish that beer were as good as its packaging.

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