Monday, January 2, 2017

In a Vase on Monday: New Years Festivus

As is my tradition I quickly cleared out the Christmas decorations and bought flowers to ring in the New Year. The crazy "carbuncular" tulips (my husband's description) were purchased, but the rest of this table-top display comes from my garden.

Our New Year's tiara comes out annually, it's a treasure discovered in the attic — left behind by previous homeowners.

In the vases...the Acacia dealbata that took a beating in the ice storm still hasn't righted itself.

I took advantage of the easy access (and the fact it might perish in this coming week's cold anyway) and snipped a few small branchlets.

I also cut a few of the remaining Lysimachia paridiformis var. stenophylla.

It's a good combination.

The tulips needed a bit of foliage to fill out the vase, and since this Euphorbia rigida was getting a little leggy I cut several pieces.

It was a hard to do, since the promise of bright chartreuse flowers is just around the corner (just = a couple of months) but I really like this combination.

Besides, maybe they'll magically open in the warmer house? I know doubtful, but stranger things have happened.

I cut two too-many of the Lysimachia, so with the help of a florists vial to keep them hydrated, I tucked them into the moss wreath, for a post-Christmas update.

The floral festivus continues over on the mantle...

Anniversary flowers mixed with garden cuttings and even a vase creation left over from Christmas.

Still looking fresh!

This magnificent Antherium came from Cornell Farms, courtesy of a 50% off sale.

The ultra dark flowers are what sold me.

Can you believe I have one of these "enhanced" Tillandsia? (note the black tips)...I bought it for a friend but then wasn't able to send it to her. Oh well...

Pink Protea from New Seasons Market, Leucadendron stems from the everything store (Fred Meyer) and white Protea from the anniversary bouquet.

This bit of amazingness was a Christmas gift from Andrew (Estsy via Hungary).

I'll eventually frame it, but I wanted to enjoy it right away, thus the clip and cardboard method.

The Agave horrida nana kind of reminds me of my "enhanced" Tillandisa.

Did you notice the wonderful black glass vases? They're actually tumblers from Schoolhouse Electric (where Andrew works). I bought them specifically because I thought they would make great vases.

And they do!

Fabulous Eucalyptus also picked up at New Seasons. For more Monday vase fun (links to all the bloggers participating) visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden...

Weather Diary, January 1: Hi 40, Low 33/ Precip .13 (rain and snow flakes, no sticking snow)

All material © 2009-2017 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

26 comments:

  1. Wow! You've an abundance of great arrangements to celebrate the new year! Love the tiara treasure from your attic. Andrew's gift from Hungary is perfect for you! I'm not liking this cold weather business - would you turn up the heat?

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    1. The tiara is falling apart bit by bit, but I'll hang on to it as long as possible.

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  2. Wow! What a wealth of arrangements and floral bounty. Love those Tulips with their crinkly edges. Can't quite believe it's a new year . . .

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    1. I splurged, but since I didn't buy a real Christmas tree I still think I saved money (I can rational with the best of them).

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  3. What? Leucandendron stems at Fred Meyer? I have never seen that at ours. Great choice adding your extra bits to the wreath.

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    1. Yep...I find them there quite a bit. Sandwiched in between the carnations and lilies.

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  4. Man..you could be a floral designer. I envy your skillz! And yay for Festivus flowers. Yay!

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    1. You are too kind...I don't have the design chops needed for that kind of work.

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  5. I had to look up "carbuncle," a term I vaguely recall but couldn't define. The dictionary didn't help clarify Andrew's view of the flowers, providing 2 definitions: 1) a painful localized bacterial infection (yuck!) and 2) a mythical gemstone said to emit light in total darkness (just what we all need to start this year!). As those look like parrot tulips that will open in glorious color, I'm going with the second definition.

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    1. I believe he was going for the first one...but trust me, don't look at the photos accompanying that definition.

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  6. looks like you've got Festivus covered. Happy New Year to all three of you!

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    1. Why thank you! We were just reminiscing about our visit to your place in 2014 -- what wonderful memories!

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  7. Absolutely gorgeous and so unusual. I wish I had plants like that. You are a true inspirational gardener. Happy New Year!

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    1. Thank you Helena, but I did purchase several of the stems!

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  8. Carbuncle tulip - great description!! As always you have got an amazing array of vases and other floral extravaganza - so imaginative, and always taking advantage of whatever is available. You have such a talent for this - thanks so much for sharing and best wishes for 2017

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  9. Your house looks so sparkly and fresh. I'm still holding on to Christmas, just because I hesitate to put our little living tree out until after this brutal cold snap passes.

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    1. Ya my poor Blue Atlas Cedar was cast out into the cold, poor thing.

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  10. So much wonderful foliage and even flowers -- especially cheering in snowy times!

    Are you going to the HPSO talk with Rick Darke on 19 January? It's a program I'd love: lessons from his garden over 25 years. http://www.pacifichorticulture.org/events/hpso-time-and-the-garden-lessons-from-a-quarter-century-with-rick-darke/

    He spoke in my little town at a symposium this past March on the Living Landscape theme, which was excellent, but this talks is more personal and even more interesting.

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    1. Oh Nell -- that program was last year (or maybe the year before?) it was wonderful though. This year will be Karen Chapman, co-author of Foliage First (not quite yet out) and Fine Foliage...and yes, I will definitely be going.
      https://hpso.memberclicks.net/event-calendar

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    2. LOL! This keeps happening to me with searches; must search harder for context. Did you attend the Darke 'lessons from 25 years' program?

      It may have been 2015; will poke around other Portland garden blogs to see if anyone had a report-back. Always a pale shadow of the event, since more than half the effect is from his evocative and instructive photos.

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  11. These have been some of my favorite posts to read over the past year and will probably continue to be this year too! Happy New Year and keep up the great blogging/gardening/photography!

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    1. Ah thanks Jenn! What a nice thing to say. Sometimes I worry that I'm boring my readers...

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  12. And you have your content all ready to go. "danger holiday, ho ho ho"

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