Chinese Lantern (Physalis alkekengi) with purple (painted) eucalyptus

Well how about that, it is my birthday today!  As a little treat to myself I picked up a few things that I don’t currently grow in my garden (but I do hope to one day!).  I put them together for some fall colour in the house.  I thought I’d add it to my “In a Vase on Monday” collection, so here we go!

A little snippet of a view…

This past week while running errands I passed a florist shop that just looked so inviting.  It really doesn’t take much for me to want to go into a florist shop,  I even love the smell of them!  The purple painted eucalyptus really caught my eye.  The pictures don’t give it justice, it is beautiful!

Hydrangea from my father-in-law’s garden along with gypsophila paniculata (baby’s breath)

So, I was standing in the shop with some of the lovely eucalyptus wondering what I was going to do with it!  I thought of a picture I posted the other day of my California poppies with cornflower and that sealed the colour combination I wanted;  Purple and Orange!

full view

I came home and had fun putting it together.  I love doing that; fitting everything in its perfect place. Unfortunately,  it was really windy when I made it, so I couldn’t take it outside for pictures.  It is sitting in my front hall with so much natural light I thought for sure I could get a good picture…

I changed position to try and get more light from the window

not exactly…  But you more or less get the gist of the arrangement and colours 🙂  The hydrangea are from my father-in-law’s garden. He gave them to me about a month ago and this time they dried really well. I liked how the lighter shade looked here.

I love those windows, but they stink for taking pictures!

I was told by another blogger that the Chinese Lantern plant will run wild in the garden, so my intention is to grow it in a pot.  That is on my “eventually will get to”  list. I planted some of the gypsophila paniculata (O.K., I just call this baby’s breath because it is MUCH faster to say!) this spring.  One tiny little sprig came up, but with no flowers.  I’m hoping next year will be better.

Our Stickley corner piece. A perfect display place.

The large window looks out to part of our front yard.  There is beautiful brightness in the afternoon.  I love the arrangement sitting right there.  And now the front hall smells like lovely eucalyptus!

I’m looking forward to seeing what Cathy at Rambling in the Garden has put together for her meme “In a Vase on Monday”.  You can visit her at: http://ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com and see other lovely arrangements too.

Have a good week!
Dana