My friend Evan recently wrote: "In an attempt to chase away the blues, if only for a time, I took a walk through the green."
I've found myself thinking about that line a lot, January is historically a tough month for me and one of my strategies is to surround myself with life. Life in the form of plants and flowers — cuttings from the garden, stems from the market — anything and everything that makes me feel like I'm in the garden. As soon as Christmas is over I redecorate with green, and it really helps! Here's the current version...
It's kind of a hot mess, but it makes me very happy. Next to the green candle is a black glass vase filled with Grevillea australis and Brachyglottis greyi (Senecio greyi) from my garden, as well as three Leucadendron stems I bought at Trader Joe's before the holidays.
In the center of this photo is another black glass vase with Brachyglottis greyi and Leucothoe fontanesiana 'Rainbow', you'll also notice a bunch of Tillandsia, Bromeliads, moss, branches, etc...
I went a little overboard.
But what's wrong with that?
The green fernish business is Selaginella kraussiana 'Aurea', in little pots that I didn't plant out in the garden before the weather turned. They're happy here as long as I keep them watered and misted.
They're living in some thrift shop silver.
This particular branch (there are several on the mantle) came home from my walk through Bishop's Close in December.
The moss and lichen are suburb and the Tillandsia love it!
The final two vases have foliage from Grevillea 'Ivanhoe', Lysimachia paridiformis var. stenophylla, Osmanthus heterophyllus 'Purpureus' and Cryptomeria japonica 'Rasen' — as well as a couple more of the Leucadendron stems.
And of course there are Tillandsia tucked in everywhere.
The two plants on the end are Monvillea spegazzinii, you might recognize the largest from this post.
If this looks a little familiar don't worry you're not loosing your mind. I also wrote about this green madness last week on the Hardy Plant Society of Oregon blog (here). Gotta share the green gospel! Visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden for links to other blogger's vases this Monday.
Weather Diary, Jan 7: Hi 45, Low 39/ Precip .12
All material © 2009-2018 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.
Hot mess? Overboard? no way. Just green goodness to lift the January blues. I think your mantle looks wonderful. Monvillea spegazzinii was unrecognizable without the embellishments, but I remember the lichen covered branch clearly. So the Tillandsia is just tucked in and then removed when it needs to be watered?
ReplyDeleteRe: the Tillandsia yes, although I must admit I got lazy last week and didn't give it a swim and just misted it in place.
DeleteWe are supposed to warm up this week to almost 40 degrees. Insane, but I am wondering if there will be any foliage to cut for a vase. I hate going months with nothing from my own garden. You are so right about surrounding ourselves with green indoors in winter.
ReplyDeleteI hope you find something out there that is worth cutting.
DeleteYou have reclaimed the mantel in a big way! That lichen-covered branch is magnificent. I love that kind of stuff. When I was at Molbak's recently I saw some Selaginella sanguinea, like the name indicates, it was dark red. Pretty cool-looking, but none of the specimens looked particularly healthy. Maybe there will be more later in the season.
ReplyDeleteChristmas helped with that, I just didn't leave the mantle bare after taking down holiday decor and slid right into this iteration. I fell for Selaginella sanguinea at Portland Nursery a few years back. That's tricky stuff to keep happy. Mine's long dead.
DeleteA fabulous indoor green explosion! Love it!
ReplyDeleteThanks Peter!
DeleteThat is quite a jungle of green you have there.....lovely arrangements....here we are all white with no green outside to walk through.
ReplyDeleteI don't know about you, but that white wears me down fast. I hope you get some green soon.
DeleteI was going to comment that it's a green explosion but then Peter beat me to it. The mass elevate the importance of the natural materials, though, turning them from mantle accents to a justification for the mantle's presence. Your Monvillea looks just perfect in that setting too.
ReplyDelete"turning them from mantle accents to a justification for the mantle's presence"... I love that Kris!
DeleteIndoor garden. Cool!
ReplyDeleteYa gotta do what ya gotta do...
DeleteI don't see anything hot about this. It is soothing green and airy.
ReplyDeleteHappy IAVOM.
Thanks Lisa, same to you!
DeleteThe exuberance of it makes me very happy. I'm constantly in awe of the way you manage to shoehorn in so many plants and make them all look fabulous. You have the touch - both inside and out!
ReplyDeleteThank you Jane. I wonder if I had more space to work with (inside and out) if I would learn how to embrace openness, or if I would still shoehorn?
DeleteWow, I LOVE it! Also, I love that quote from Evan. And your quote about surrounding yourself with life .
ReplyDeleteThanks Alyse. I hope Evan doesn't mind my stealing his words. They were just so good.
DeleteYour friend Evan sounds very wise - what a great way of looking at seasonal affective disorder which so many people suffer from to a degree. Your green jumble is a delight - such an array of shades and textures, and the different ways you have added height. It demands detailed investigation and could keep you focussed for some time, examining evry element. You must have had such fun putting it together
ReplyDeleteHe is actually. And I did. Except for the part where a vase fell off the mantle and chipped the original (1948) fireplace tile...
DeleteBeautiful, lush and inspiring! The subtle shades of green are so soothing! I LOVE IT!
ReplyDeleteThanks Laurin!
DeleteOverboard is good - esp. when it looks like this - beautiful!
ReplyDeleteMore is really more, until less is more. (thank you!)
DeleteThanks for the inspiration, Loree. That's such good advice to surround yourself with green. Your mantle is perfectly decorated!
ReplyDeleteThanks Beth, I would imagine green is even more important in your part of the country.
DeleteSuperb...
ReplyDeleteI don't think it's overboard at all. It's wonderful! That would cheer me up, too. I'm going to try to go on more forest walks this winter, even if it's raining (but not absolutely pouring). Sorry I haven't commented in so long. I'm slowly picking things back up.
ReplyDelete