An Arrangement with Dyer's Grape

The summer is almost over, and my grandchildren will go to school soon after Labor Day. The breezy wind feels like Fall is in the air! The road side weeds, like the dyer's grape, is turning into a pretty color purple and bearing fruit. Surprisingly, it's a very tough plant and can stay fresh for quite some time after you pick them--a good material for Ikebana. I tried to use it with the same color toned Zinnia that I picked from the garden. Here is my arrangement.

Color, Mass and Texture

I like to use seasonal materials and am always looking for things from my garden and the surroundings. Now, the perennial flowers have faded away, toad lilies have turned into the seed pods, which is a nice Ikebana material. My design here is for showing the Color, Mass and Texture, using red Zinnia, Phlox and green seed pod with two gold metal pieces in the black vase.

August Orchid Bloom

I checked all my orchids collection at outside under the trees and inside the house, I could't find any spike or any sign of flowering for next month. But some time they will surprise me, like the first picture. I found it already has two buds then I brought home and waiting for its blooming.
For this month, I have four kind of different orchids are in full blooming now. See below:

Cattleya Alliance.  Purple "Star bright"

Another Oncidium. Sharry Baby, chocolate fragrance

Phalaenopsis.  Bright, indirect light is required,   

Onc. Spacelatium, a small plant

A Cluster of Small Vases

Each small vase is 4" tall, five vases connected together as a 13" long container. It's cute and interesting (the water flows inside through all the vases). Using this kind of container to arrange is a bit challenging and fun. I looked around in my garden, only the Coral bell flower was long enough for horizontal style. I added its leaves, picked some Daisies, Phlox and Toad lily seed pods to complete my composition.
I think a crochet for the base is better than the wood. Do you agree?

An Arrangement Using Horsetail Plant

This horsetail plant is from my garden (they spread easily). It's so thin, I think it's malnutrition. So a small, tube ceramic vase should be suitable.

Butterfly Orchid - Onc. Mendenhail "Hildos"

Oncidium Mendenhail. "Hildos", also known as the "Butterfly Orchid". I have had this plant for a few years. It skipped a bloom last year. It has very large flower that blooms on tall spikes, successive bloomers with each flower lasting about one month, with a 2 to 4 week wait between flowering on the same spike.
It wil be interesting for you to follow the date posted to see the changes (7/17 to 8/07).

 

My Garden - (5) Mid Summer

My garden series are all perennial plants except the zinnia, in this garden 5. Phlox were transferred from my friend Doris' garden last Spring. I am glad they grew well this Summer.

Phlox and Zinnia

Cone Flower

Jack in the pulpit, ( I forgot to take picture for its flower)

Bee in the Stocks' Aster

Zinnia and Butterfly

Zinnia and Butterfly

My only flowering Hydrangea this year