My offering for this In a Vase on Monday post is small but cheerful.
The vase is an old pharmacy bottle that was dug up in Florida. The decades spent in the earth imparted a milky patina to the aqua glass. I found it at Dogwoods in Clayton, Georgia, over the 4th of July weekend. Now on to the flowers.
Profusion double-bloom zinnias (3 blooms on right): I purchased this petite variety at Shoppe in Forest Park. I love this shop’s urban location in a charming old bungalow. It’s built into a terraced hillside, so you meander up a shady hillside as you peruse the outdoor tables of plants.
Dwarf zinnia: This one’s the bright orange bloom on the left. I planted a seed packet of these, but unfortunately I was careless and let all but two seedlings get zapped by the sun. So this guy is a survivor!
Giant zinnia: It’s not in the vase because I couldn’t bear to cut the first bloom, but I wanted to share it. I planted giant zinnias from seed last year, and they reseeded themselves this year – what a nice surprise! I’m not sure of the exact variety (maybe California giants), but they get as tall as me!
You’ll notice that a couple the zinnia blooms in my vase show signs of age. Someone once told me that zinnias go by the nickname old maids. I’ve always like that. Zinnia’s are still pretty and attract plenty of pollinators long after they’ve earned a few age spots.
Buddleja (also spelled Buddleia): To finish off the arrangment, I snipped a stem from my Buddleja, commonly known as butterfly bush. I previously posted a vase with Buddleja here.
Thanks to Cathy and her blog, Rambling in the Garden, for hosting the IAVOM meme. She has a vase of moody blues and purples today. Please give her a visit, and don’t forget to check out the comments following her post to see offerings from gardeners around the world.
Also, a bit of good news. My friend Kara invited me to share on her blog, Inspired Southerner, so you can catch my garden posts there too.
I love zinnias but I didn’t know they were known as old maids. I planted my seeds late and I fear the heat here isn’t helping the seedlings so I may soon be planting plugs (after the heat fades a bit). Beautiful butterfly pic!
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Thank you, Kris! I had never heard the nickname before my friend told me. It could be a very local nickname–or perhaps even one her family came up with. But it seems so appropriate that I’ve adopted the term!
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Good to see your zinnias – I have had mixed results with my zinnias too, and was interested to read about the ‘old maid’ label (which makes sense as I had wondered about some of my blooms which I thought were fresh ones). Now you don’t give us a clue about just HOW big your giant zinnias are although you post a very big picture… do give us an idea of the diameter…?
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I measured it, and this one is 3.5 inches. I know some varieties can get even larger in diameter. I wish I’d kept the seed packet for the exact variety. The main thing that makes them giant in my mind is how tall they get–around 6 feet. I’m embracing the fact that they’ve reseeded, even though I’ve planted some new bushes in the area, which will be dwarfed by these zinnias soon! They are great producers and pollinator attractors well into the fall.
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That is BIG in all aspects, Terri – I can’t quiet get my head round a zinnia that size!
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Love the Zinnias, Cactus are my favorites. I have to see if I get that butterfly in FL. Happy Monday.
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Oooh. I just looked up cactus zinnias. I need to try those next year!
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