Vase of White Delphiniums, Laceflower, Daisies and Corkscrew Willow



This vase was created in September during the second flush of bloom for my delphiniums and daisies.  The delphs, unhappy in part shade, flopped over and were begging to be cut instead of being left to drag their flowers through the dirt.

Last summer I grew annual laceflower, Ammi visnaga 'Green Mist' (above), with the hope of using it in lots of flower arrangements.  I ended up not using it much at all, because the early inflorescences were too large for the tight bouquets I usually make, and then I forgot about it by the time the smaller side shoots were ready.  Oh well.  At least I used it in this one arrangement.

The young Ammi flowers are white like this . . .

 

. . . while the older ones turn green and are still interesting in bouquets.

 



A vase full of nothing but delphiniums is lovely, or they blend well with other long stemmed flowers. 

In the photo above you can see the hint of green that gives these 'Green Twist' delphiniums their name.

 

'Esther Reed' double daisies (Leucanthemum x superbum) are preferable to single daisies, in my opinion, because they don't have an unpleasant scent.  Young ER daisies have a hint of yellow in the center, then they mature to completely white.  In the background you can see leaves of Solomon's seal (Polygonatum odoratum 'Variegatum'), which is easy to grow in partial shade and an excellent filler plant for arrangements.

 

Twists of corkscrew willow (Salix matsudana 'Tortuosa') add to the slightly wild look of this arrangement.  Willow roots are so invasive that I'm experimenting with growing the corkscrew type in pots.  We'll see how well it works over the next few years.  In the meantime, the stems are a great addition to vases.