In a Vase, on Monday – Escape From the Compost Pile

Chris Mousseau

I had to bite the bullet late last week and drastically prune back a lot of Zinnias and Prairie Coneflower – Ratibida pinnata – in order to give some room to a few rapidly growing dahlias and make passable the pathway leading to said dahlias. I wound up with an armful of flowers on long stems and, instead of tossing them onto the compost pile or snipping them up to act as a green mulch in the garden, I stripped off the lower leaves and put together one of my taller vases of cut flowers. Every Monday, Cathy at Rambling In The Garden encourages us to share a vase highlighting what is growing in our gardens. For me, this week, Zinnias are one of the colourful stars of the garden, much loved by butterflies such as the above swallowtail. Here’s the vase:

17 Comments

    2. Love the vase and the butterfly, which Swallowtail is that? I have been watching them all summer. My vases often are a result of pruning…wish I could grow Zinnias and Rudbeckia like yours. The color and texture of the firewood is a great accent.

      Liked by 3 people

  2. Wonderful — flowers and swallowtail alike. In the third photo, is that yellow and white flower near the center also a zinnia? It’s beautiful — my favorite of the whole bunch.

    Liked by 1 person

  3. ‘Escape from the compost pile’ seems to describe those vegetables that grow from a compost pile, and then get taken to the kitchen as if someone put effort into growing them. Okay, so the kitchen is not much of a situation to escape to, but at least they are useful.
    Prairie coneflower is a delightful wildflower. Laura Ingalls probably brings some into her home.

    Liked by 1 person

  4. Good yo waste these lovely bright blooms Chris, and I like their airiness amidst the solid colours of the zinnias…reminds me, must have a vase of zinnias soon!!

    Liked by 1 person

Comments are closed.