This week's vase is made of some of the lighter components of the garden: plants that yield those wonderful airy flowers that often serve as filler and "back-of-the-border" types, along with various grass flowers.
All three of the ornamental grasses now in the garden found their way into this vase. There are the rich, full tails of Pennisetum setaceum rubrum, the feathery sprays of Muhlenbergia capillaris "Regal Mist", and the gently bristled combs of Bouteloua gracilis "Blonde Ambition".
There are sprays of Perovskia atriplicifolia, along with a tuft of very blue flowering stems from Salvia farinacea and the lavender trumpets of Eremophila hygrophana, with its equally elegant silvery foliage.
And there are stems of Lavandula "Goodwin's Creek Gray", which is springing into autumn with a myriad of new bloom stalks.
And there are a few spots of bright orange-scarlet. From Justicia californica come the hummingbird-beloved trumpets...
...whose hue is echoed by the coral-colored simplicity of a Pelargonium recently added to the garden for the autumn/winter/spring season.
It all makes a large, if fairly wispy, bouquet in one of my handthrown stoneware vases -- this is a more angular one, whose shape seemed suited to the unusual components.
A big thank you to Cathy at Rambling in the Garden for hosting this wonderful theme, which, being weekly, gives me a good excuse to experiment with the less-obvious candidates from the garden!
Weather Diary: Fair; High: 83 F (28 C)/Low: 63 F (17 C); Humidity: 35%-55%
Cathy (Tuesday, 01 November 2016 09:02)
Such a good idea to use those plants which often get forgotten about at the back of borders. I am increasingly appreciating the benefits of grass and yours look so effective with the perovskia and salvia. Thanks for sharing
Kris P (Tuesday, 01 November 2016 11:58)
I love the airy feel provided by the grasses, Amy. I'm adding more ornamental grasses to the garden each year in search of that airy effect there.
Cathy (Tuesday, 01 November 2016 14:14)
A lovely display Amy, with those grasses punctuated with little splashes of colour. How lovely to have lavender flowering again, and the Pelargoniums theough the winter! :)
Diana Studer (Tuesday, 01 November 2016 15:29)
I enjoy your flowers
but I'm lost in admiration of your vases!!
Amy@smallsunnygarden (Wednesday, 02 November 2016 00:26)
Cathy @ Rambling in the Garden - I have been wanting to focus a vase on the background flowers; they have been very rewarding over the last month or so!
Derek Grant (Wednesday, 02 November 2016 00:57)
I especially like the 2 'vase shots'.
Amy@smallsunnygarden (Wednesday, 02 November 2016 01:07)
I've been so inspired by the grasses in your garden, Kris; it's really encouraged me to experiment :) The latest is, of course, Bouteloua "Blonde Ambition", which apparently is only now coming into nurseries here. I hope it will prove a good one as it certainly adds a new texture dimension! I also have a Muhlenbergia lindheimeri convalescing in a pot. After I got it home I found that it had not been properly potted and had roots hanging out in thin air where soil should have been... It looks like it will survive - another good reason to grow grasses ;-)
Amy@smallsunnygarden (Wednesday, 02 November 2016 01:10)
Cathy @ Words and Herbs - Last summer proved that it will be difficult to get a pelargonium through the hottest months, but they are good cool season plants here. I still love the classic scarlets ;-)
Amy@smallsunnygarden (Wednesday, 02 November 2016 01:12)
Diana - Thanks so much for the wonderful compliment :)
Amy@smallsunnygarden (Wednesday, 02 November 2016 01:15)
Derek - Thanks very much! I don't do vase portraits very often ;-) With the textures being either muted or reflective, I often have difficulty with the focus. Must learn how to do them well... :)