Monday, August 1, 2016

In a Vase on Monday, from Lotusland

I'm going to start my series of Lotusland posts where our visited ended, at the gift shop, and yes, I bought a vase.

Don't we all love garden and museum gift shops? I know I do. Here there were several lovely plants for sale...

And if I lived in a warmer climate I would have probably shopped them more seriously.

In fact on my previous visit (in 2009) I bought one of these Encephalartos. It never did much and finally wasted away. I didn't want to make that $20 mistake again.

I guess The Aeonium Challenge is still on my mind. This would have made a stunning entry, with a better photographic backdrop though.

So many fabulous things which could be yours mine!

I'd have loved to take the tile and fountain home with me...

The Xanthorrhoea bloom spikes though, they were for sale.

No I didn't buy one.

You'll see these containers (or at least similar ones) in a future post — they're in the garden itself. I love the tile pattern on the one on the right. Unfortunately all four sides were different and the others weren't to my liking.

I did buy a huge clump of Tillandsia usneoides (Spanish moss), much bigger than you see here. It was the healthiest I've ever seen and a great reminder of our visit. Spanish moss plays a big role in the Bromeliad garden at Lotusland, one of my favorite parts.

I also bought this small vase. There was an entire collection of small vases, trays and plates the shape of lotus leaves or decorated with them like this. Why didn't I take any photos inside the gift shop? I don't know! I wish I had.

The artist's mark on the bottom.

It's hard to capture the shape of the vase in a photo. It's not round but rather sort of gently misshapen.

Here it is filled with cuttings from the garden.

The muddy pink/salmon of the Macleaya cordata blooms reminds me of the color of the stucco buildings at Lotusland, so they were a natural to include.

Foliage from Alchemilla mollis is a sort of stand-in for lotus leaves...

While the Brachyglottis greyi (aka Senecio greyi) foliage works as a nice color complement.

The vignette is completed by a print we picked up at Schoolhouse Electric (Andrew's employer) and another vase filled with blooms from Schefflera brevipedunculata and foliage from Cotinus ‘Royal Purple'...

Thanks, as always, to our "In a Vase" hostess Cathy at Rambling in the Garden. Click over to see what other gardeners have put in their vases today!

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

25 comments:

  1. That's a beautiful tile fountain! Better than taking it home, couldn't we just move to Lotusland? Your arrangement, your new vase, and print are delightful together!

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    1. Yes, I like the way you think. And after all there is a home already there!

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  2. What a great reminder of your trip. I always try to buy something small that reminds me a great place.

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    1. My usual is jewelry, but this vase just spoke to me.

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  3. The arrangement really picks up the shades of the vase itself (a great memento btw!).

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  4. What a beautiful vase you purchased - I would have fallen for it, too! The Brachyglottis matches the green glaze perfectly and the two arrangements compliment each other very well.

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  5. Great vase! I'm headed to Seattle and Portland in a few days and have scoured your blog for great places to visit. So many choices...so little time!

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  6. Nothing like a new vase. Even though there are hardy Lotus we don't have enough sun/warmth in our garden to get them to bloom. Great combos in your two vases. Nice job coming up with an arrangement that works with the graphic design. That is a wonderful space at Lotusland where you took the pix. I've only ever seen straight garden images.

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    1. I am afraid that I'll overload everyone with Lotusland images...I took SO MANY photos!

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  7. The perfect suitcase memento of your birthday trip. Gotta bring a piece of Lotusland home, in some form!

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    1. Indeed...pictures are great but something you can hold in your hand is nice too.

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  8. I'm impressed by how well you captured what you saw at Lotusland in your new vase even though you used entirely different plants. I honestly can't remember the gift store there, much less a selection of plants for sale - although I do recall seeing a book on Walska's life - but it's been years since I've been there.

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  9. What an intriguing sounding place - and your new vase is a delight! You have been really creative replicating the ethos of the place in your vase - thanks for sharing

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    1. Have you heard of Lotusland before? It's a wonderful collection of gardens, I hope you'll check back for more photos!

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  10. I haven't commented in a while but I still fancifully read your posts. Such a lovely little treasure and reminder of your trip. It came to the right place to have a fitting arrangement that complemented it so perfectly. I lust after the Aeonium Challenge. It reminds me of what I could grow when I live in San Diego. I have a thing for burgundy and chartreuse plants. I bet you could build a fountain like that one : )

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    1. First we'd need to build a wall for the fountain to go against, maybe someday! Oh and I faithfully read your posts too, even though I don't always comment.

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  11. Absolutely beautiful!! I really like this display of a vase on monday...I love the vase and the cuttings you chose fit perfectly...all of it together with the print at the back and other cuttings makes a perfect vignette.
    Ohh those Xanthorrhoea bloom spikes are amazing.

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  12. Such a beautiful shop and I'm crazy about your vase. That is a winner. The arrangement looks great. I definitely need to add Tillandsia tectorum to my collection. It never occurred to me, until last week, to cut Macleaya for a vase, but they hold up really well and look great. A little messy, but worth an occasional table-wiping.

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    1. Tillandsia tectorum are so expensive! I only have this one because of a kind friend. And you're so right re: the table wipe...

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  13. The arrangement stands on its own but it was great fun to read about the thought processes behind it.

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