Coleus in a Vase on Monday

The Coleus (C. scutellarioides) plants in my outdoor pots were top-heavy. So, after deadheading them, I decided to create a display dedicated to Coleus, alone. Last year, I made an arrangement with foliage, alone, but it included foliage from several plant genera and species. This arrangement, in this post, (above) is simply several varieties of Coleus.

I gathered as many plant tags as I could to ID them, and while I didn't get them all, among them are 'Wizard Jade,' 'Rainbow Multicolor,' 'Red Green,' 'Wizard Scarlet,' 'Kong Lime Sprite,' and 'Black Dragon.' Here they are, in no particular order:

They provide plenty of color and variety for their vase.

For more arrangement ideas from around the world, check out Cathy's 'In a Vase on Monday' meme, over at Rambling in the Garden.

Warm and Cool Vases on Monday

I hadn't planned to do a post on cut flowers this week, because I simply cut the flowers and plopped them in vases. But the colors were so vibrant, I thought I'd share. The first vase includes mostly warm, vibrant colors that brighten their corner in the washroom.



A sprig of Dusty Miller (Jacobaea maritima) offers a bit of contrast.



'Zowie! Yellow Flame' Zinnias (Z. elegans) are the stars.



Also, a few warm 'State Fair Mix' Zinnias that compliment the color scheme.



Some sprigs of Lesser Calamint (Clinopodium nepeta) provide lacy structure.



False Sunflowers (Heliopsis helianthoides) frame the edges.



One warm spike of Gladiolus (G. grandiflora) crowns the middle.



And a few stems of Black-Eyed Susans (Rudbeckia hirta) offer structure and more warmth.



Next, I plopped the cooler-colored blooms in their own vase in a different washroom.



More 'State Fair Mix' Zinnias.



Many cuttings of 'Sensation Mix' Cosmos (C. bipinnatus), for their foliage and fabulous blooms, including white...



And pink.

Finally, I rounded up some Resurrection Lilies (Lycoris squamigera) and framed them with Ostrich Ferns (Matteuccia struthiopteris).

What's blooming in your garden and gracing your vases? Join the "In a Vase on Monday" meme over at Rambling in the Garden. Thanks to Cathy for hosting!

Wordless Pollinators on 'Summer Beauty' Alliums

Rusty-Patched Bumblebee

Mining Bee

Two-Spotted Bumblebee

Orange Wing Moth

Sweat Bees

Western Honey Bee

Bumblebee and Sweat Bee

Common Eastern Bumblebee

Bumblebees

Western Honey Bee

Bumblebees

Bumblebee and Honey Bee

Rusty-Patched Bumblebee

* Help save the endangered rusty-patched bumblebee. *

Vignettes for Six on Saturday

For this "Six on Saturday," I'm focusing on plant combinations and "vignettes" that have met or exceeded my expectations this summer. The first is the grouping in the center of the back garden under the middle Oak tree.

At the center, Wild Senna (S.  hebecarpa) isn't blooming yet, but its tall, healthy stalks provide structure. In the pot, the purple Shamrock Oxalis (O. vulcanicola 'Zinfandel') is happy in the partial shade. Patches of lavender Alliums (A. tanguticum 'Summer Beauty') flank the sides, and ground covers and Ostrich Ferns (Matteuccia struthiopteris) frame the front and back.

My potted plants in this partially shady spot just off the patio are colorful and overflowing, as usually happens by this time of the summer. They get dappled sun, off and on all day. The pots combine a mix of various Coleus, Impatiens, Dracaena Spikes, and Callas.

In the side garden--which gets continuous, western sun all afternoon--the Mexican Sunflowers (Tithonia rotundifolia 'Goldfinger') and the False Sunflowers (Heliopsis helianthoides) are performing beautifully this year, with bright and complimentary colors. While I've planted them near each other in the past, they seem particularly happy this summer.

Nearby, the Black-Eyed Susans (Rudbeckia hirta) seem happy, too, paired with 'Autumn Joy' Sedums (Hylotelephium spectabile). I had to plant some new Butterflyweed seedlings (Asclepias tuberosa), because the plants in this spot sadly disappeared during the winter (not enough snow cover?). Hopefully, they'll return and fill in next spring and summer. Fortunately, I have other Milkweeds in other locations for the monarch butterflies.

Another combination I've planted together in the past pairs Tropical Impatiens (I. hawkeri) and Angelonias (A. angustifolia). This duo is SunPatiens 'Compact Purple Candy' and AngelDance 'Violet Bicolor' Angelonia. The colors are luscious, and the plants are great companions in the pot.

Finally, I added 'Summer Beauty' Alliums (A. tanguticum) around the mailbox a couple of years ago. They've filled in, they're VERY happy in this spot, and they're covered with pollinators of all types. More on that later...

Thanks to Jim for hosting the "Six on Saturday" meme! To join, head on over to Garden Ruminations.