Trying to feature more of my vase collection, I’m showing two vases this week, one bold and one demure.
The first is a blue, stoneware jug filled with bold, bright Zinnias (Z. elegans ‘Sprite’ mix and the only gold cactus-flowering type that survived the slugs).
The second is a more delicate, pastel arrangement in a 1940s hobnail milk-glass perfume decanter (it has a glass stopper). My mother had a similar one when I was growing up. I found this one in a vintage shop.
The highlight of the arrangement is my first Dahlia ‘Moonstruck’ bloom, perfect in creamy-white with a touch of lemon. Above it, starry, white clusters of Garlic Chives (Allium tuberosum) have green eyes and dark stamens. Love-In-Mist (Nigella damascena) flowers in raspberry and green-tinged white, along with a few seed pods complement the dark pink Cosmos (C. ‘Sensation’). Sprigs of purple Catmint (Nepeta racemosa) finish the vase.
Thanks to Cathy at Rambling In the Garden, who hosts a weekly meme to showcase arrangements created from our gardens. Wander over to see what gardeners all over the world are arranging this week.
Eliza Waters 
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This is so utterly gorgeous and displays your brilliant and creative eye for creating beauty that makes me happy.
Thank you very much, Cindy! x
The first one has an autumnal feeling, and I love the blue of the vase. The second is more delicate and the vase fascinating.
Thank you. It has definitely been feeling autumnal here lately…the leaves are already starting to turn!
Here too!
The flesh coloured nigella are lovely. Two great contrasts.
Thank you, Susan.
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Both are gorgeous, but the demure one has the edge I think. Classically delicate!
Thank you very much… that one is my favorite, too. 🙂
Lovely contrast, Demure for me, too
Thank you, Derrick 🙂
Oh I’m hard pushed to pick a favourite vase Eliza. I wonder why the slugs had it in for your gold cactus type zinnias when your others have obviously flourished. Such attractive warm shades too. The demure vase itself is most striking and unusual – what a great purchase!
Thank you, Anna. The slugs went after every seedling that popped up. I had to sow twice and still only ended up with about 5 plants. Next year I’ll have to corral seedlings with copper flashing, my only hope.
I like them both – I like the casual simplicity of the bold one – it makes me think of a kitchen with open doors and windows which is empty because the owner is out in the garden.
Lovely image – thanks, Cath!
Dahlia ‘Moonstruck’ is a beauty. The flowers are beautiful in both arrangements, but the vases really take front stage.
Thank you kindly, Susie.
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Both beautiful and so different! Honey Bees love the Garlic Chive blossoms…..I let them grow wherever they want to.
Thank you, Alice. My garlic chives took over way too much of my garden and took about two years to bring under control. Now I deadhead judiciously!
I’m a wilder & lazier gardener than you are…I “let it grow” & see what happens! As long as pollinators are enjoying!
Beautiful Eliza, the vases are as wonderful as the flowers that set them off.
Many thanks, Andrea.
Such a wonderful collection Eliza! Flowers, too (:
Thank you, Kathy!
I love your description of the hobnail milk-glass perfume decanter, and its reminder your childhood. The flowers are really pretty and that Dahlia well worth growing. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you, Noelle.
Love them both Eliza, thanks for reminding me how much I like Zinnias. Next year a planting of them for sure.
Thanks, Carole. The butterflies, esp. Monarchs, love to sip zinnias on their way south. They are a ‘must-have!’
Love that blue, Maya blue. And, of course, the flowers are lovely, too. 😉
🙂 Thanks, Laurie.
Look at all those zinnias – wonderful!! 🙂 And a pretty mix in the other vase too, but the zinnias have swung it for me!
Thank you, Cathy. Zinnias are very cheerful, aren’t they? 🙂
Indeed 🙂
You’ve shown two faces of late summer and both are beautiful!
Thank you, Peter!
beautiful as always ❤
Thank you, Kim!
They are both so beautiful Eliza. If I had to pick, it would be the hobnail vase……really lovely combination of flowers and I love the decanter as a vase.
Thank you, Sally. 🙂
Such beautiful vases and fillers. Happy IAVOM.
Thank you, Lisa!
These are lovely Eliza!
Merci!
That blue jug is lovely and probably looks good with all kinds of flowers. I like the perfume bottle very much too. So unusual and pretty things in it, the pink Nigella is very sweet. My Zinnias have not done well against the slugs so I can admire yours. We are all addicted to vases as much as flowers.
Addicted, definitely. 🙂 Thanks, Alison.
Both arrangements are lovely, as are the vases that contain them, Eliza. Your post sent me on a mission to my closet, where I found 2 almost forgotten perfume decanters. I’ve never used them and no longer even recall where they came from. Unlike yours, both are truly tiny but they might accommodate a tiny bloom or 2 someday. As to the slugs, how dare they attack your zinnias! I guess my resident raccoons (there appears to be a gang of 3 now) do me some service in that department. Let me know if you want me to trap one and mail it to you! 😉
Thanks, Kris! Hehe, no thanks, we have plenty of raccoons of our own. Since I don’t grow corn, they stay mostly down by the river, thankfully.
Hope to see your perfume decanters some IAVOM. 🙂
At first glance I thought the Bold one was my favourite, but all the pretty ingredients in the second one have won me over, and that vase itself is so special! I have never seen anything like that before. What a lucky find. 😀
Thank you, Cathy. I do like that hobnail glass, but don’t use it often as the opening is small. I find I favor about a 3″ opening most of the time.
Lovely and creative! What is better than the simplicity of a jug of Zinnias? A hobnailed vintage container with Dahlias! i have a blue hobnail bowl that belonged to my grandmother. Slugs? try diatomeous earth, I think where you are, I am not sure I have seen a slug here on my revolting sugar sand.
Thank you, Amelia. Slug pellets and DE only work until the next rain, but are useful in spring. I’ve tried beer and hand-picking with salt. Argh. Copper flashing is the most successful as they won’t cross it. But it costs $$$$, even scrap. (sigh)
Softer, almost Autumnal colours. 🙂
Yes, autumn is closer every day.
Looks beautiful!
Thank you!
Lovely arrangements! I loved the photo of the bold with your garden in the background and while I would usually prefer the bold, this time I have to choose the exceptional combination of the vase and delicate pastels of the demure.🙂
Thank you!
I think these are both great vases – I personally like the zinnias better, but I always love zinnias, so that isn’t surprising (to me, at least).
Thank you, Sarah. Both have merits, but nothing says ‘summer’ like zinnias.
We had a patch at the house I grew up in which bloomed amazingly – they really were summer encapsulated in a flower.
Beautiful!I have a blue vase that looks almost the same!
Thank you, Anca. The jug or decanter?
Both are beautiful. The perfume decanter is a really fascinating vase. I’d not heard of hobnailed glass before.
Thank you, Allison. Hobnail glass was produced here in the 20th cent, mostly 40/50s. It is an unusual bottle.
I love them both. They’re so beautiful. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like the perfume decanter. Very unusual (at least to me).
Thank you, Robin. The decanter held a huge amount of (no doubt) ‘cheap’ cologne. 1940: – no stick or roll-on deodorant commercially available like today. Made by Wrisley, it came in different scents- lilac, honeysuckle, apple blossom and lily of the valley.
Using that vintage decanter as a vase is brilliant, Eliza! Truly both arrangements are lovely ❤
Thank you very much, Christy!
Both lovely but my eye is drawn to the second arrangement in that beautiful decanter.
Thank you, Belinda. That one is quite popular.
Your arrangements are the best!
Aw, thanks, Fi!
I love the bold Vase full as I am drawn to the colour of that Vase but then the demure is so beautiful. Now I can’t chose which o like best. Clever you , best of both!
Thank you, Dorris.
I like both of these arrangement, and both vases. I must be an old fashioned girl because I really admire that hobnail vase that was born before I was. She’s held up well!
And I’ve never met a dahlia I didn’t like. 🙂
🙂 Thank you, Micheal. I feel the same way about dahlias.
This is so absolutely flawless and shows your splendid and imaginative eye for making magnificence that makes me glad.
Thank you.
Perfect use of both vases…so different, but equally beautiful.
Thank you, Ricki.
The arrangements fit the vases so well, Eliza. Stunning!
Thank you, Peggy. I hope you are doing well? What continent are you now on? 🙂
All is good! The typical four jobs and couch surfing – never a dull moment! :)) I’m in California again. Working out the details now if I’ll be in Florence full-time for at least a year starting in January. Who knows, might not work out. But I’d like it to. 🙂 How are you? All is well? I imagine the weather must be interesting switching to fall now!
Good to get your update. Firenze for a year– I’d swoon! One of my favorite cities.
All is well here… after a cool month, we’ve returned to warm/humid summer weather, but I’m happy for it as I know it won’t last long. Most of the trees are showing color already. Not looking forward to dormancy – I miss my garden in the off months.
I can imagine, Eliza. You’re an amazing gardener. No idea if Florence will work out. Things are complicated, as always. 😉 Hope you are enjoying these last weeks with your garden. I sure am, that’s for sure. 🙂
such pretty flowers and i love the vase!
Thank you!
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