At least once a summer, I get the itch to create a really large arrangement in one of my hefty vases. This blown glass beauty I brought back (very carefully as a carry-on) from a trip to Poland. The whole thing, top to bottom, measures roughly 30″ x 35″ (76 x 90 cm). Yup, it’s a biggie!
What’s in it: wild goldenrod (Solidago sp.) and woodland sunflower (Helianthus divaricata), and from the garden– beach sunflower (Helianthus debilis), four colors of spider flower (Cleome hassleriana), flowering tobacco (Nicotiana alata), Verbena bonariensis, Zinnia elegans, and a couple stems of triple-leaved foliage from Carolina lupine (Thermopsis villosa) and seed heads and foliage from bronze fennel (Foeniculum vulgare purpureum).
Then, for contrast, here are a couple of little vase arrangements from my kitchen windowsill. On the left, lime-green Nicotiana langsdorffii, purple Salvia greggii, and black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta). On the right, a mix of Cosmos bipinnatus and woodland sunflower (Helianthus divaricata).
Thanks to Cathy at Rambling in the Garden who hosts the weekly garden meme In A Vase On Monday, featuring flowers from our gardens. Click the link to join the fun or see what others are sharing this week.
Eliza Waters 
I just love your flower arrangements! That vase is spectacular, I’ve never seen one that large. The arrangement highlights its beauty.
Thank you, Laura. As it is so large, it doesn’t get a lot of use over the year, but when I do, it is quite a marvel, ha!
A delightful ‘biggie’ vase, allows an adventure in the display world Eliza. Very nice. And I noticed on your ‘little’ windowsill display that the one green flower facing the camera has a face in it. Have you a few fairies in your garden your not telling us about? 🤗🤣❤️🙏
Hordes of wee folk, I’m sure! 😉
Thanks, Mark.
That vase is amazing! I cannot believe you carried it back in your carry-on!
Gorgeous arrangements, all.
Thank you, Dale. The shop keeper made me a special box with a handle that worked very well, I didn’t dare let it out of my sight!
That’s fantastic. It really is beautiful.
The woodland sunflower was new to me. When I looked it up, I think I found it, listed as Helianthus divaricatus, but woe is me: not a single Texas county is home to that beauty, even in our forested areas. The combination of the sunflower and cosmos is perfect!
Thank you, Linda. Goldenrod and woodland sunflowers are abundant in all my fields right now, I could stuff many vases full of them and never run out!
Beautiful and creative as always Eliza. Hope you are well.
Thank you, Cindy, very well!
A wonder vase it looks but oh my your garden has an abundance of flowers. Beautiful.
Thank you, Rupali. I do plant a lot of cut flowers as I love having flowers in the house. So cheering. 🙂
Beautiful vases and arrangements Eliza and such a lovely mixture of colours too! 💖 xxx
Thanks much, Xenia! 🙏🏼 💜
Wow! Big and beautiful. The vase is so lovely. You must have a hug collection of vases — do you have a special cupboard for them?
*huge
Thank you, Barbara. I have a hutch full of vases, over 100, geesh! I’ve been collecting ones that appealed to me since high school. I needed one for every size and amount of flowers, lol!
So many flowers still in bloom in your garden. Your big vase was perfect for your bouquet.
Thank you! I have to wait for enough blooms of the right height… the time was now. 🙂
Gasp! What a treasured and super gorgeous vase….and your flowers look magnificent! The ‘littles’ as well.
Thank you, Alice. I had a lot of fun picking the flowers and putting them all together. Better than Calgon for taking me away from it all. 😉
Holy smokes that is big and you filled it with beautiful late summer flowers….love this. And I love the small vases showcasing the flowers up close.
Thank you, Donna. I have to do a mega-vase at least once per summer!
A big, beautiful tribute to fall.
Thank you, Laurie. With the temps dropping daily, I’m enjoying the garden while it lasts. 🙂
The calendar page has definitely turned. It now feels like fall.
If I hadn’t already realized that your summer garden was exploding with flowers, this arrangement alone would’ve made that clear, Eliza! It’s a wonderful display and that vase is a beauty. I love the small arrangements on the kitchen windowsill too.
https://krispgarden.blogspot.com/
Thank you, Kris. I will relish that abundance as long as it lasts!
Large vase or small vase, your flower arrangements are always ingenious and beautiful!
Thank you kindly, Hien!
Wow! That is so special Eliza❣️💐❣️
Thank you very much, Val! 🙂
Stunning! !
Thank you! 💕
Mercy, that’s one big mama of a vase, Eliza! And dragging something that immense on an airplane must’ve been quite a story, too. Lovely arrangements here — big as well as little.
Thank you, Debbie. Clearly, I REALLY wanted that vase, lol!
A garden in a vase! That is just beautiful, Eliza😊
Thank you, Belinda. It does feel like most of the garden is in there, lol!
Gosh, complex indeed – and what a size! I am in awe of the scale and complexity of it, and rather envy you having the real thing to admire. The solidago has worked brilliantly tying it all together. I had to smile at your answer to the question about vases, as I have half a wardrobe of them, plus the ones that double up as something else, or existed as decorative items before I actually began using them – as you say, a vase needs to be ‘just right’ for its contents… 😉 Thanks for your enthusiasm for this meme, as always
Thank you, Cathy, and for hosting. It’s the best meme on the web, IMO. 🙂
Oh thanks Eliza, what a kind thing to say – even though we have a fairly small core of contributors, there are many people who drop in to read the posts on a regular basis without posting their own vase
Oh my, absolutely splendid. I love all of it and envy that fabulous collection of blooms. Your Polish glass vase is very special indeed and totally compliments the arrangement. Gorgeous! …and your windowsill looks like mine!!
https://zonethreegardenlife.blog/2024/09/02/in-a-vase-monday-september-2/
Thanks, Jenny. I think the littles are the ones I enjoy the most, as I spend a fair amount of my day in the kitchen. 🙂
WOW…Just love this!
🙂 Glad you do, thanks, Sandy!
Oh, that’s so pretty! I think that’s the most graceful one I’ve seen all day. And the little ones are lovely, too.
Beth @ PlantPostings.com
Thank you very much, Beth!
‘Wild’ goldenrod is even more impressive than a garden variety. A species is supposedly native here, but I have never seen it, and what I see in pictures is not very impressive, which is normal for many chaparral species. I got my first exotic goldenrod at the end of last winter, so I want to see what it does next year. Carolina lupine foliage looks like trifoliate orange foliage, but is probably less dangerous to handle.
We have fields and fields of goldenrod here, and several different species, too. I never need to plant it! Not sure which species you have but many are stoloniferous, as well as allelopathic, so must be watched.
Thankfully, Carolina lupine foliage is user friendly. 🙂
Only Solidago elongata, spathulata and velutina are native here, and none are aggressive. That is likely why I do not encounter them. Only the new introduction would concern me if it were in a situation from which it could escape into the wild.
The seeds fly off in the wind… you might keep them trimmed, just in case.
They will be deadheaded because of where they will bloom. They do not have many options for escape from there anyway. I will not grow them in my home garden though. That would be riskier. A native species would be nice there, even if not as pretty.
That vase is an absolute beauty – well worth the effort to snuggle (not smuggle!) it home, Linda xx
Thank you, Linda. Yes, it was precious cargo!
I bet! ❤️
Splendid arrangements, especially the one in the big vase, with the long goldenrod stems.
Thank you, Tom. The goldenrod this year is exuberant!
Magnificent blown glass vase. You did it proud with your arrangement full of September blooms.
Thank you very much, Susie! I really love that vase. It spends most of the year on a shelf as a decorative piece.
Your Polish vase is lovely Eliza, and you have put it to good use with so many gorgeous flowers! Love the snippets on the windowsill too. 😃
Thank you, Cathy. Had to follow that urge for a grande!
Hi Eliza.
A wild, exuberant and magnificent arrangement! And the little ones are charming. I shall miss your vases as the summer ends. I think you should do a monthly one for autumn/winter- no pressure. Or at least a Christmas one!
MJ
I might consider it, but the rules for this meme is that it has to be sourced from your yard/land, so I’d have to post it on its own, which I have occasionally done in the past, usually around Valentine’s Day. I always have a vase of store bought on the table. Can’t live without fresh flowers!
Stunning! The vase and the flowers!
Thank you, Nancy!
What a magnificent collection of colourful blooms. It sums up the late summer beauty in your garden, and that vase is magnificent too.
Thank you, Noelle. 🙂
Love the contrast!
🙂 Gracias, Maria!
OMG, I can’t rave enough about your fabulous big and little flower arrangements and vases!!!🙂 What a beautiful selection of flowers and love the contrast between the vases. How wonderful you traveled to Poland and the vase made it home safely!🙂
Thank you for your enthusiasm, it is much appreciated! 🙂 xo
Glorious flowers! I’m impressed that the vase made it. Now we know why they tell us to be careful of opening overhead lockers.
Thank you, Susan. For sure! 🙂
Beautiful! It felt like I was looking at a celebration! Love it! Michele
Thank you, Michele! It was fun to create that big one. 🙂
Like how big the cosmos looks in the little container!
Thank you, Denise!
What a gorgeous riot of colour in that spectacular vase!
Thank you, Carol!