CasaBlanca lilies
I almost missed these beauties. I planted a few ‘Casa Blanca’ bulbs at the back of the house, where they thrived and even multiplied. For some reason, I got it into my head that a better siting was called for, so I moved them. Bad idea. Only this one stem, which had escaped my shovel, returned. The weight of the huge flowers had it bowing low. Had it not been for the powerful scent, it might have come and gone without attracting my attention.
The last time Kathrine (SIL) visited, she brought me this vintage black pitcher.
It is just tall enough to allow Fuchsia ‘Golden Gate’ to dangle around the edges and provide a dramatic contrasting background for the tiny flowers.
Three Hosta ‘Guacamole’ leaves complete the picture.
‘Golden Gate’ had just had a haircut so there was some left over.
Lysimachia clethroides
This time I turned to the gooseneck loosestrife to fill out the vase and found a silk scarf with lots of hot pink stripes to use as a table runner.
Those little geese have been doing vase duty for weeks (shown here when they first started showing signs of florets emerging and paired with Acanthus spinosa.
Acanthus spinosa
The Acanthus is a favorite in the garden as well as in a vase. I’ve been lax about joining in on Cathy’s fab meme In a Vase on Monday, what with working and all, so I guess I’m kind of making up for lost time. One of these days I’m even going to take up that Ikebana challenge and give it a try.
I love these, especially the fushia, as we can’t grow it here. I do, however, have an hybrid Acanthus called Summer Beauty with very similar blooms. Are you still at Joy Creek? I’m headed to Seattle and Portland with a few friends on Thursday and we’re planning to visit. I think our day of nursery hopping is Saturday the 6th.
Oh, Goodie! That is one of the days that I work. I will be thrilled to meet you in person.
Two lovely compositions! I do miss having fuchsias in the garden but I’ve finally accepted that planting them here, even in a sheltered pot, is a death sentence.
I’ve lost several Fuchsias but that one comes back strong every year, no matter what. I’m trying some new ones this year…fingers crossed.
These are beautiful. The first arrangement especially is perfect in the black pitcher.
That pitcher can look forward to less pouring, more flower duty. I love it!
Oh, yes, good choices all around! Honestly, that first arrangement belongs in an art studio or a very upscale florist shop. Wow!
High praise…glad you like it.
Pretty vases as usual! I know exactly what you mean about working too much to stay tuned to blogging. I have lusted over the Monday vase meme for a while, but never seem to have enough time to get my creative juices going on time.
When you get it together to put out a vase from time to time, I know you will blow us away with your creativity. In the meantime, your Wednesday musings are a high point of the week. Thanks for taking some of those precious moments to drop by Sprig to Twig.
Such stylishness from a few simple blooms and foliage, as always. Thanks for finding time to squeeze a vase in, rickii!
I miss it when I skip Monday’s vase.
So glad you didn’t lose all your ‘Casa Blancas’. They have never multiplied for me.
I guess it was just beginner’s luck…and it’s run out.
I really love your creativity, Ricki. Very nice arrangements. Yes, I think every PNW garden needs a ton of hardy fuchsias. I’ll be curious to see which ones you put in. Besides the ever-reliable and never-to-be-without F. magellanica of course. 🙂
I put F. speciosa in a pot, where it is not doing very well. In the ground are ‘Maiden’s Blush’ and F. mag. ‘Alba’ (which, unlike its name, is actually pale pink and lavender). Your pink influence must be creeping up on me.
The black pitcher arrangement is quite dramatic. Lilies tend to take center stage in a vase and the fragrant ones are favorites!
Does that make me a “Drama Queen”?