Monday, January 19, 2015

Monday Vase: a Monochrome Monday

Monday vase meme
This morning's vase was initially conceived with the lovely purpled bracts of Salvia greggii "Autumn Moon" in mind.  The little shrub has bloomed continuously since its purchase back in October and is only now finally slowing down for a rest.  A few white and pink flowers still linger deep in the leaves, but mostly it is covered with handsome bracts arching above the bright green foliage.

Clearly it is time to deadhead so why not combine a little garden tending with making a vase?  (By the way, I have read that these plants should be pruned sparingly so this was more of a simple deadheading task.)  And the muted colours suggested use with a brown/black vase which I have used earlier.  And that led to the thought of using other material in the same hues.

The "other"material was apricot twigs which I saw immediately on stepping out the side door this morning.  Out came the clippers.  After all, we are always told to remove weak and crossing branches, of which there were more than enough to fill the centre of the small pot.  An added advantage was the deep red tone to some of the wood and the many swelling buds.
Having combined apricot twigs and Salvia bracts, I proceeded to make a brief tour of the garden, which, at this stage, does not take very long!  I noticed the smoky hues of the tiny Eremophila "Valentine" shrub, and I could not resist adding a single stem with the soft red buds and grey-tinged leaves.
eremophila buds, monday vase meme
So in all, there is a little bit of autumn (Salvia greggii), winter (Eremophila), and spring (Apricot buds).  Photographed out in the front patio...
Monday vase meme
 It has a nice, cottagey effect in the kitchen as well.  

Please check the other vases at Cathy's meme - always fun!

Happy Monday!
Salvia greggii, autumn sage, autumn sage "Autumn Moon"

10 comments:

  1. Isn't it funny how our vases sometimes come together - a snip here, a pruning there, a chance spotting, and what a lovely result! Using stems and buds and new leaves, all these things bring a unique touch to the vase - thanks so much for joining in and sharing :)

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    1. Thanks so much, Cathy :) It really is wonderful how much there is that can be brought together for a vase in this way! Thanks for the inspiration to just start with what's already there - I've always wanted to do more with flowers indoors but the flower arranging books left me a bit intimidated!

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  2. You did a masterful job with your materials Amy. I didn't know that Salvia greggii should be pruned lightly - my harsher treatment of them may account for their poor performance in my garden.

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    1. It's one of those things: "I know I read it someplace"... Mine has only been in the ground since October, too, so we'll see how it weathers the garden long term. Thanks a lot, Kris!

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  3. ΙΚΕΒΑΝΑ!!!!!!!!!!!
    μια ομορφη τριτη ευχομαι!!!
    αγγελικη.

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    1. Absolutely right, Angela!! Because the glaze on the little pot is a classic Japanese style glaze. It is a type known as temmoku. So with the twigs, the effect became a little bit Ikebana ;-)))
      Happy Wednesday!!

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  4. How beautiful the stems look in a vase. My apricots should be pruned, I hope some have red stems like yours. I very much like how the arrangement is airy even though it is composed of twiggy stems, something I must remember. Christina

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    1. I was surprised (not to mention pleased) at how well those stems worked. They're so chunky I didn't have much confidence in them! Thanks, Christina :)

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  5. I love that salvia too, Amy, and your vase is so elegant. Don't know the Eremophila, so had to google it - interesting! A lovely, elegant arrangement

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    1. The Eremophila has been a very pleasant discovery for me; I almost refused to cut any of it as the plant is still so small! But it's been vigorous enough to allow a little snip ;) So glad to see you here, Cathy - I so enjoy your blog :)

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