Last week my sister showed me a photo of annual vinca (Catharanthus roseus) floating in a crystal bowl, so I thought I should try a version of my own today. Mine is quite simple, consisting of only five flowers in two colors.
The warm pink is from plants I put in just this summer and have really enjoyed. The white comes from the self-seeded plant I mentioned in last Monday's vase. With only a small yellow eye, it is nearly a pure white, and I love the effect. In fact, I am keeping two of last week's stems in water as they appear to have begun rooting, and I'm hoping for more of these plants that the garden has so kindly given me.
Today's blooms were floated in a shallow stoneware dish I made years ago. Its blue color comes from copper in the glaze, while the pale rim is the color of the actual clay, showing where the molten glaze flowed off during firing.
After another bout of high temperatures, today was a little cooler. I am itching to overhaul the garden for autumn, but I know I had better wait! Temperatures will undoubtedly climb again. I have plans for transplanting a couple of plants from other spots, as well as some that have been sitting out the summer in nursery pots. Can you tell I'm ready for summer to end?
Thanks to Cathy, as always, for hosting In a Vase on Monday! Do check at Rambling in the Garden for the other lovely vases this week!
Weather Diary: Sunny; High: 100 F (38 C)/Low: 74 F (23 C)
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Cathy (Tuesday, 15 August 2017 09:53)
Ah ha, I see we were on the same wavelength this week Amy! Floating is such a lovely way to display flowers that tend to droop downwards hiding their beauty. Your bowl is lovely as well. :) I know how you feel about autumn... I have had enough of the summer heat too even if it isn't as bad as yours!
Kris P (Tuesday, 15 August 2017 12:20)
Floating flowers seem to be a "thing" this week. Lovely and easy - I like it! We're also enjoying a fall weather preview and I too am chomping at the bit waiting for fall's arrival so I can get started on a host of new projects. Meanwhile, my work in the garden is limited to refreshing my succulent containers.
Cathy (Thursday, 17 August 2017 02:09)
Lovely - and it's good to be reminded how effective 'simple' is. It's interesting hearing you talk about the urge to overhaul the garden for autumn as I am almost at that stage too despite a garden full of blooms - I wonder if it is instinctive? So far I am just focussing on the things that don't remove any colour - and planting out awaiting pots!
Amy@smallsunnygarden (Thursday, 17 August 2017 10:49)
Cathy@Words and Herbs - It seems to have been the right time for the idea :) I loved your mixed flowers; perhaps I had better make a larger dish for this sort of thing! It does seem like four months of any one season is about enough?!
Amy@smallsunnygarden (Thursday, 17 August 2017 10:55)
Kris - Floating the flowers almost seems "too" easy, but the results are always so refreshing. I think all this almost-autumnal weather is triggering all our planting instincts. ;-)
Amy@smallsunnygarden (Thursday, 17 August 2017 11:03)
Cathy@Rambling in the Garden - I do almost feel like I'm cheating when I slip a few flowers into a dish, stand back to admire, and then consider it finished... ;-) I think the itch to tidy and plant and dig into the garden generally must be instinctive, don't you? I'm blaming it on the changing sunlight as our temps are still fairly warm, though I must say the weather for the past couple of days has been glorious!