Monday, September 14, 2015

Not Quite in a Vase

Vases, such nice decorative objects. And I certainly have a thing for them especially for unique pieces.

Once upon a time I used to make an effort to regularly buy fresh flowers or at least take cuttings from the garden and put them on vases. Nowadays such a ritual have been cut off as a compromise to such a busy life. Fortunately I do like looking at vases without anything in it either, as pretty objects on their own.

But if I did put cuttings in vases again I certainly did consider putting these in...


Pretty isn't it? Seeds heads of Pachystegia insignis.

The leaves would make great supporting cast for the vase too.


Alas practicality won and joined other cutting in the recycling bin.

Mark :-)

18 comments :

  1. Aw, those seedheads are great, they would have looked wonderful in a vase. But of course I can see the other side of it too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I almost felt sad throwing them away Alison but it practicalities reigned supreme, there would have been a risk that they'll stay in the base for a long time if I didn't...

      Delete
  2. Given that I now make up a vase (or 2 or 3) every week, you'd be surprised how often I also throw out usable plant material. Sometimes, after tackling a job in the garden, taking that extra step is just one step too many. Your trimmings would have made a nice vase though...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You got that spot on Kris! It's amazing how much trimmings a garden produces even with just light maintenance.

      Delete
  3. I can relate. I have a vase collection as well. Some of them have never had plant matter in them. You would have some wonderful leaves for vase arrangements in you garden though - hopefully things will settle and you'll have more time soonish.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There's also something quite nice about having the house with very little plant material in contrast with the garden :)

      Delete
  4. Well it's the thought...

    So I'm curious about the hardiness of Pachystegia insignis, I've got one in a container that I'm thinking of planting out next spring. How cold of temperatures has it withstood in your garden?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It has sailed through the coldest winter we had Loree, winter 2010 at -10C (yikes!).

      Delete
  5. They do look great so they would really be nice in a container :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Tee hee! Yes, those seedheads would have graced any vase, but like you I tend to find myself admiring empty vases and only picking from the garden occasionally. Love the underside of those leaves.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Ooooah..., that's a bid sad that you threw the cuttings away. They have been really pretty and certainly would have looked good in a vase. But I am guilty of doing the same, when I cut back my salvia 'Mystic Spires Blue'. I just didn't have the time and energy to arrange them in a vase. So I definitively understand.
    Warm regards,
    Christina

    ReplyDelete
  8. We've all thrown perfectly beautiful and vase-worthy flowers into the compost heap. Pruning is one kind of job/mindset and putting things in a vase is another. When I'm pruning/cutting back, etc. I seldom keep the flowers as stopping to put them in water would interrupt the flow of the first job. Beautiful seed heads though.

    ReplyDelete
  9. It all comes down to time in the end! I have so much more free time these days, but still remember vividly when fitting in essentials was a real effort.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Being gainfully employed has its drawbacks.

    Sometimes I fill a vase with stuff and leave it outdoors and look at it through the window--that's a little easier, and if it's out there dead for a while, at least it isn't in the house, and is on the way to the compost bin. Those seed-heads are so cool!

    ReplyDelete
  11. So...you actually do draw the line somewhere. I was under the impression that no task was too much for you.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I love seed heads also, as well as beautiful leaves. And like you, I rarely make up vases. Not sure why - maybe I am just lazy!

    ReplyDelete
  13. The seed-heads are such pure white. The color palette of nature is indeed pure. Really like the seedheads.

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for taking the time to reply to our post, we love reading comments and hearing your views.

Due to the increased level of spam, please note comments on older posts are moderated and only published after approval. All new comments are read and any spam is deleted.