I have to confess to being thrilled with the result of today’s vase, based around the newly opened stem of Amaryllis/Hippeastrum ‘Luna’, a bloom that would have looked gorgeous however it was presented. The soft white petals with a greenish tinge to their base and a diffused green rib on the reverse positively glow in an almost non earthly way, reflecting its name which is the Latin word for moon and thereby also the Roman goddess of the moon.
This green tinge called for a green glass vase, not visible in the above photograph, and the cut stem of the amaryllis was held in place with glass pebbles in two alternating colours, the layering idea borrowed from Christina (thank you). I had wondered about using inula seedheads, still standing in the border and their roundness hinting at planets in the solar system, but heading down the garden I noticed how green and shiny the leaves on an epimedium were, and surprisingly long too – why had I never noticed these before, with their stiff and graceful stems, for use in a vase? Sticking with glossy green foliage, they were joined by leaves of Arum italicum ‘Marmoratum’ – and that was it, simple but very effective.
The vase was photographed outside on a mossy stone of the rockery, surrounded by ferns and with a quartz sphere as the only introduced prop, sitting on the naturally formed stand of a rocky looking shell found on Skegness beach. Even without the natural setting of the rockery the vase looks lovely on the kitchen table – who would have thought a single flower stem and a few leaves could look so pretty, or that such a simple act of cutting them and putting them in a vase could bring so much pleasure? What could you find in your garden or forage from nearby to bring you pleasure this Monday? I always look forward to seeing what you find – and do leave links so others can share too.
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This is gorgeous Cathy! I love the white and green of the Amaryllis/Hippeastrum ‘Luna’ and you have chosen the perfect foliage to compliment it, and thanks for the mention and link, I’m glad the idea was useful. Here’s the link to my post: https://myhesperidesgarden.wordpress.com/2015/01/19/in-a-vase-on-monday-keeping-it-simple/
Thanks Christina – I really love this vase and hope to be able to keep the amaryllis growing for next year too. I have also bought the book – an unused second hand one from Amazon.
What a gorgeous flower Cathy – I love Amaryllis but am always put off by the price of the bulbs when ordering in the autumn. I can see why they are so expensive though – the flower is certainly worth it!! I love the way you have arranged and displayed the vase for the photographs too – you certainly should be please with your effort this week.
My vases this week can be found at: http://peoniesandposies.com/2015/01/19/in-a-vase-on-monday-winter-flowers/. I am very early this week as I am off to London in about half an hour so I need to rush and pack a few things in a bag – I have got my priorities right though and posted here before worrying about frivolities like clean clothes and tooth paste!
This amaryllis was from Lidl so was very reasonable – but of course buying it was pot luck. Certainly makes me want to try and keep it going which I never normally bother with , and the neon pink one too. The result was even better than I could have expected ps I wrote my post yesterday and scheduled it to publish this morning. Hope all goes well with your daughter’s move, sad though it may be for you.
I keep saying to myself I must join in this meme and overcome my inability to arrange or even cut flowers from the garden. Yours looks so professional, my offerings would seem paltry. Wonderful amarylis
The amaryllis is gorgeous, isn’t it? When I post the Monday vase I do try not to say ‘arrange’ as most of us have come from your perspective, thinking we can’t ‘arrange’ – but over the months we have realised that the plonking we do is in fact very effective. Certainly this vase was just plonked, but needed something to hold the stems in place. The pleasure is in bringing things from the garden inside, and discovering in doing so that the simplest of vases are often the ones that bring us most pleasure. Even the Golfer who has always hated the concept of cutting flowers now says that he enjoys seeing the vases in the house 😉 And of course it doesn’t have to be flowers…. Maybe see you soon…..?
What a stunning earthy display Cathy. Seems we were thinking along the same lines as my amaryllis bloomed too. But I have little greenery to add so I had to be a bit creative, but I like how mine turned out. I do have a few more ideas though and you have given me more as I have a few more amaryllis that will be blooming in the next 2 months.
Here’s my link this week:
http://gardenseyeview.com/2015/01/19/digging-deep/
Aw thanks Donna – and even though the amaryllis is gorgeous I am nearly as thrilled with discovering the epimedium foliage!!
Just recently subscribed to this blog, and it certainly is enjoyable. I love my small garden, mainly ornamental, but I’m hoping to get back to veg and herbs this year. I also enjoy floral art. Here in the northern East midlands it’s so cold, snow flurries today, so lovely to look at beautiful flowers and arrangements.
Hi Pam – thanks for dropping in. This is such a supportive meme and together we have grown in confidence with our picking and plonking, learning a lot as share vases. Feel free to join us at any time, either regularly or occasionally. No evidence of snow here on the W/E Midlands border, so not too far from you, I guess.
You’ve managed a lunar masterpiece Cathy. ‘Luna’ is a beautiful amaryllis and the patterned Arum is a dynamic complement. Thanks for hosting. My post this week is:
https://pbmgarden.wordpress.com/2015/01/19/in-a-vase-on-monday-winter-vase/
Thanks Susie – I really am chuffed with the result, even though all I did was facilitate it 🙂
A lovely minimalist arrangement. White and green is a winning combination.
Thanks Christine – and yet the contents sell themselves with little help from me 😉
I should probably say something profound, “the hand that rocks the cradle….”, a bit feeble but the best I can manage.
Lost for words? Tut tut!
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I love it! Your Amaryllis really is lovely, but using the Arum leaves with it was a brainwave Cathy! The Epimedium leaves are so much larger than any I see here, and a lovely green too.
My vase is quite modest this week:
https://wordsandherbs.wordpress.com/2015/01/19/in-a-vase-on-monday-earthly-joys/
Thanks Cathy!
Thanks Cathy, I do too. The epimedium is probably ‘Frohnleiten’, certainly one with yellow flowers, and so easily overlooked in the woodland edge border except when the new bronzey veined leaves emerge. Presumably these are still last years leaves, but they are pristine and the stems are so elegant. I think we will see it again!
Brilliant as ever Cathy. Take a look at the vase I am sharing, thanks to my friend Jo. https://digwithdorris.wordpress.com/2015/01/19/in-a-vase-on-monday
Thanks Dorris – and how nice to ‘share’ a vase with a friend!
What a marvelous setting you have chosen for your vase. I am partial to moss and you have used it to perfection. Please see my offering at https://johnsviccellio.wordpress.com/2015/01/19/in-a-vase-on-monday-foliage-replay/
The moss appears very readily on stones and walls here, John, with no help from me 🙂 I was trying to find a completely greenish background outside and the rocks fitted with the moon theme
Beautiful arrangement and clever title – we expect no less from you!
Thanks Annette, kind words…
Hi Cathy, I just wanted to say that I not only admire your flower arrangements, but your stunning and clever writing. I enjoy reading you every week. I have a lemon arrangement (odd, but it’s pretty special to me!) but it won’t be posted until next week. Thank for your terrific blogging.
Thank you so much for your comment, Susan – I do enjoy writing and it is good to have an outlet, but even better to know that people enjoy reading it! I look forward to seeing your lemon vase in due course, and perhaps hearing what makes it so special
Hi Cathy, it all looks lovely, and I am very impressed that you could bring yourself to cut the Amaryllis ! I love the white of the bloom against the smokiness of the quartz.
Having first cut an amaryllis for a vase before Christmas I had no qualms at all this time – but it was a recent article from the RHS that suggested they lasted just as well in water as on the plant that made me take the plunge. After the excitement of watching the stem grow, I feel the flowers look even better in a vase and enhanced with foliage.
Absolutely gorgeous Cathy! At the risk of sounding theatrical, I actually gasped when I saw it. That’s one of the prettiest Hippeastrum I’ve seen yet and it combines beautifully with the foliage and your wonderful props. Here’s my contribution this week: http://krispgarden.blogspot.com/2015/01/in-vase-on-monday-moment-in-spotlight.html
It still takes me by surprise when I look at it Kris – it’s a real headturner, isn’t it? But the leaves are gorgeous too, aren’t they?
I spotted those Hippeastrums in Lidl and by the time I went back they’d sold out. Ah well they are in the diary as a prompt for next autumn.
It was Anna of Green Tapestry who alerted me to them as my visits to Lidl are sporadic – hopefully someone will prompt me again this year too! There was a good selection of bulbs that were that little bit different – I used to always choose red ones but I have broken with this tradition now!
You have me convinced now that Amaryllis is a wonderful prospect for arranging 🙂 I was so intrigued by your first Amaryllis vase that I was going to use mine in the week or two after Christmas, but I felt I needed – and forgot to purchase – some foam. Three stems with four and five blooms apiece certainly gave me the opportunity! But they are spent now, so that project will wait till next winter! Oh well.
In any case, your pure white and green arrangement is even more stunning, and the arum foliage ties the flower so well with the epimedium leaves – luscious!
My own vase is very quiet this week, but still manages to combine three seasons – not bad for January?? http://smallsunnygarden.blogspot.com/2015/01/monday-vase-monochrome-monday.html
Your amaryllis sound as if they were wonderful! My pink one has now got a second stem which is just about to flower, not sure yet if Luna will have another stem – but she certainly makes an impact with this one, doesn’t she?
What lovely luminous ‘Luna’ light shines from your arrangement Cathy. You have set her off to perfection. I’m most pleased with mine too but could bring myself to behead her 🙂
Thanks Anna, and particularly for alerting me to their presence in Lidl
The white and green Hippeastrum and your arrangement is confirmation that ‘Less is More’.
Thanks Brian – that’s something we have definitely learned with this meme
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Oh my, ‘Luna’ really does glow, Cathy! As always, you’ve created a masterpiece! I’m not sure, though, that once my Amaryllises begin to bloom that I’ll be able to bring myself to cut them!
I ventured outside and cut some shrubbery for a vase this week:
https://cosmosandcleome.wordpress.com/2015/01/19/in-a-vase-on-monday-january-19-2015/
It really does seem to glow, doesn’t it? I think the meme is encouraging us to cut things we might not have cut before, so … perhaps in time?
Cathy I love your pure white Amaryllis. I always like to see them in a vase at Christmas and I find that they will last almost 10 days in water as long as the room is not too hot. The foliage you have put with is perfect.
Thanks Dorris – and I certainly have no qualms about cutting them now
In a couple of weeks once we throw our annual winter party I will have more, but for now I have two “practice” vases: http://astudentgardener.blogspot.ca/2015/01/in-vase-practice-makes-perfect.html
Maybe next year I’ll include a white amaryllis as well!
Hi Derek – for most of us it feels like one long practice I think, as we are learning all the time from ourselves and each other 😉
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Clever title, to go with an elegant arrangement. Sometimes simple is best.
Here’s mine (a bit late): http://bannersbyricki.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=4286&action=edit&message=6
Thanks rickii – I was chuffed with this one!
I love that white Hippeastrum with the delicate green stripe on the back. It is a perfect match for the Arum. A beautiful arrangement.
I bought some Hippeastrums from Lidl too after reading Anna’ s post. They were half the price of anyone else’ s and they all threw up 2 flower spikes. Jolly good value. The challenge now is to keep them for next year. I have never got them to bloom again. I wonder what the trick is.
I am going to make an effort to keep this and the pink one – the Dec RHS article gave details of how best to do so, I think. I have another soike coming on the pink one, but not yet on Luna.
Interesting about the Amaryllis flowers lasting just as well in water. And ‘Luna’ is well worth keeping as long as you can. I manage to kill mine when I grow them. Must try harder … A lovely vase, Cathy – the green and white are perfect. I particularly enjoyed the epimedium leaves – so big and lush. Which is it?
This is one of your best ever: so fresh and such a mix of winter and spring in one grouping. I love your found shell “stand”; just perfect. Makes me long for the days when I can go out into the garden. I think I need to get some Amaryllis bulbs again. It’s been a long time since I grew them and they are do beautiful.
Thanks so much Linda, although I couldn’t really fail with the amaryllis and that foliage! I look at amaryllis in a completely different light since doing these vases…
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Lovely combo!
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