A Botanical Garden Morning

After teaching my regular Tuesday morning Men Who Bend yoga class I sought out spring ephemera at the local North Carolina Botanical Garden (NCBG). A perfect place for a meditative, peaceful walk at any time of year, the garden today was especially enjoyable. I headed straight toward a spot where I remembered previously seeing Sanguinaria (Bloodroot).

I’m including signage where possible to show the natural ranges of the plants.

Later in my walk I came upon an expansive collection in the mountain habitat.

There were some delicate Windflowers.

I expected lots of Trilliums but I was early or they are late.

A few Trout lilies were out.

Erythronium umbilicatum ssp. (Dimpled Trout Lily)

Cardamine douglassii (limestone bittercress)

Hepatica acutiloba (Sharp-lobed Hepatica)

Hepatica americana (Round-lobe Liverleaf)

Here are a few more, including Virginia bluebells that were growing up into the walkway.

Mertensia virginica (Virginia bluebells)

Though not an ephemeral I rarely get photos of birds so was happy to take this one of reasonable quality. There were many White-throated Sparrows in this wooded spot.

Zonotrichia albicollis (White-throated Sparrow)

Not ephemeral, there is one more plant I became enamored of this morning. I was unfamiliar with it and was happy to discover this little patch. It turns out to have been rescued in 2023 from a Department of Defense site scheduled to be bulldozed. It is “a rare shrub that — in the entire world — grows only in six counties in the Sandhills of North and South Carolina.” Read about the rescue.

Pyxidanthera barbulata var. brevifolla (Sandhills Pyxie-moss)

Do you have a favorite ephemeral?

In A Vase On Monday – Yellows Of Spring

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Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to gather flowers and other materials from our gardens each Monday.

Lately I’ve done a little traveling, yoga teaching and gardening. The gardening is satisfying, progress is slow. My head is full of ideas, the garden, full of weeds. I am having fun rediscovering “little friends” peeking up through the earth. Multiple swaths of narcissus in full bloom bring encouragement and cheer to each day.

Friends stopped by to visit last Friday with a potted hyacinth in hand. The flowers of softest pastel yellow are featured today and paired with a few hastily collected daffodils.

I planned to group them together, but unhappy with the result, I gave each type their own vase.

In this world of chaos and meanness, sending love and peace to you.

Please visit our host, Cathy, at Rambling In The Garden to enjoy her original vase and check out links to creations of other gardeners around the world.

In A Vase On Monday – Sprouts

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Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to gather flowers and other materials from our gardens each Monday.

Daylight is noticeably longer this week. The daphne and a few hellebores are making themselves known. The garden itself is primed for action, once conditions give the signal. For weeks we’ve been in a deep freeze.

This is one of the coldest winters I can recall in a long time and I am pulling out sweaters that haven’t been worn in years. January and early February have featured ice, snow and extended periods of below freezing temperatures. Despite the weather we were able to hold a memorial service at home for my dear husband with family and friends attending from all around the country. They made it back home safely after a few weather-related delays.

During the past weeks we’ve received some beautiful cards, flowers and other expressions of sympathy, each one bringing comfort to my daughter and me. Among the flowers were some from a favorite local florist whose designs I admire. I invite you to click on an image to view the gallery in detail. The arrangements were long lasting but eventually I had to break them down, saving the elements that were still in good condition and placing in smaller and smaller containers.

For today’s contribution I reworked the last bits into an Ikebana, inspired by a sense of renewal and growth from four cut branches (maybe willow, I’m not sure) that had begun taking root and sprouting.

The calla lilies are from a potted plant gifted by a friend. I plan to get back to sharing flowers from my actual garden next time.

I am grateful for your loving comments and support. Sending love and peace to you.

Please visit our host, Cathy, at Rambling In The Garden to enjoy her original vase and check out links to creations of other gardeners around the world.

Along The Path

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When I started digging up the back yard to lay out a labyrinth my husband, David, never questioned it even though I’d never actually walked one. He helped haul and place the stones (and even walked the meditation path with me a time or two).

He admired and appreciated the flowers in bloom, complimented my fresh floral arrangements in the house, alerted me to butterfly sightings and reminded me which bird I was seeing at the feeder. Wherever we traveled he walked with me through parks and gardens, along trails, and always knew more than I did about nature’s ways.

David passed away Monday and my daughter and I are heartbroken. I will miss the comfort of his strong hands holding mine and guiding me through life’s journey, and so much more.

David Vaun Moffat
November 23, 1944 — January 12, 2026
Chapel Hill, NC

I invite you to read more about David and sign the guestbook.
David Vaun Moffat Obituary

Peace to my dear husband and to all of you.

Happy Anniversary – pbmGarden!

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Yesterday was the fifteenth anniversary of registering pbmGarden. An amazing passage of time woven with soil, plants, rain, drought, discouragement, delight, comments, suggestions, peace, exuberance, flower vases, friendships and support. I am grateful to have been welcomed among you.

My garden has been through ebbs and flows many times and it’s definitely at one of it’s lowest stages, in need of attention and care. Looking back at a view of the garden in 2017 I reminded myself this morning that it still holds possibility, when the time is right.

I invite you to settle into a favorite spot in your garden or visualize yourself there. Press play to listen to the healing vibrations of my Tibetan singing bowls. Close your eyes. Become aware of the rise and fall of your breath. Soak in the spirit of your garden as the sounds wash over and seep deeply into your being.

Sound Bath

In A Vase On Monday – At Year’s End

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Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to gather flowers and other materials from our gardens each Monday. My garden is in winter disarray with but for a stray camellia now and again. We’ve had ping-pong weather this month, cold, warm, cold, warm and cold to come.

Our daughter is visiting this week to be with her Dad and is comfort to us both. The house has been filled with floral gifts. As you know, flowers bring joy and even my husband’s part-time caregiver, a normally quiet, reserved young man, unreservedly expressed how nice all the flowers looked!

I arranged a Christmas boxed gift of roses from my sister-in-law into two vases, one for the daughter’s room and one for the living room. The roses were pink, lavender, yellow and red. I separated out the yellow roses for the daughter and combined the rest with chrysanthemums, baby’s breath and dianthus from the grocery store.

My college friend brought lunch and flowers before Christmas. The bouquet was already beautifully designed and I tweaked them only slightly. I added baby’s breath and some white calla lilies (still fresh after a few weeks) and place them in a textured ceramic vase.

A dear yoga student gave me a preplanted bulb garden with amaryllis (Hippeastrum), hyacinths and one other bulb that hasn’t opened yet. It’s been delightful to anticipate the flowering. The amaryllis was about 6 inches tall when I received it and the first flower opened Christmas Eve. The hyacinths burgeoned overnight and soon the bulbs became a garden.

We are thankful for the many expressions of love at this holiday season. With paperwhites from our niece and her family waiting in the wings, we’ll continue to fill the house with flowers and soon I expect hellebores from the garden to awaken.

Sending love and peace to you.

Please visit our host, Cathy, at Rambling In The Garden to enjoy her original vase and check out links to creations of other gardeners around the world.

In A Vase On Monday – Mid-December Florals

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Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to gather flowers and other materials from our gardens each Monday. Two pots of calla lilies have cheered the house for weeks, but the plants were beginning to fade. This morning I took a few minutes to clip all the remaining stems and place them in water.

In A Vase On Monday – Mid-December Florals

One container was white and the other, burgundy. The first-blooming flowers from the burgundy calla lilies have faded toward white with pink accents.

Materials
Flowers
Zantedeschia (Calla lily)
Foliage
Same as flowers
Vase
Angular black ceramic

I’ve not posted nor commented recently. My husband’s health continues to decline. We are caring for him at home. Our daughter spent a few weeks with us and my sisters have visited several times. Thanks for your kind messages and virtual hugs. They really do help and are much appreciated.
Please visit our host, Cathy, at Rambling In The Garden to enjoy her original vase and check out links to creations of other gardeners around the world. Peace.

In A Vase On Monday – Blushing Pink and White

32 Replies

Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to gather flowers and other materials from our gardens each Monday. We are celebrating twelve years of vases shared across the miles every Monday.

In A Vase On Monday – Blushing Pink and White

Our daughter awoke to snow (and no power and 25F., but an excited puppy) this morning in Asheville while here in Chapel Hill we have a good chance for the first freeze overnight. Sub-freezing temperatures of 21 to 30 degrees are expected.

With sasanquas in full bloom I found three at the just-opening stage and evicted a little bee from its cozy space inside one. The intended star for today is Daphne ‘Aureomarginata Alba’. It seems very early for it to open but there it is.

The paper quilling card is from a college friend for my birthday this past summer. I liked it so much I’ve left it out and today it made a nice backdrop for the small vase.

Materials
Flowers
Camellia sasanqua ‘Hana-Jiman’
Daphne ‘Aureomarginata Alba’
Foliage
Same as flowers
Vase
Runner vase, 2-inch high blue bottles (Handworked in Michigan)

Oberon (Daughter’s 6-month old Bernedoodle)

Please visit our host, Cathy, at Rambling In The Garden to enjoy her original vase and check out links to creations of other gardeners around the world. Peace.

In A Vase On Monday – Virgie’s Chrysanthemums

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Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share cut flowers from our gardens each Monday.

Virgie’s passalong button chrysanthemums are freshly abloom this week. They are one of many plants she shared with me when I was just becoming interested in gardening. The perennial sweet pea was another. I’ve grown them more than a quarter century.

In A Vase On Monday – Virgie’s Chrysanthemums

Materials
Flowers
Button Chrysanthemum
Foliage
Aquilegia canadensis (Eastern red columbine)
Lathyrus latifolius (Perennial Sweet Pea)
Vase
Raku ware, unknown artist, circa 1978.

Note: I’m appending an updated version of the vase to this post. I didn’t think I’d have time to include the zinnias and dahlia today, but found a few more minutes. Lovely to find a dahlia blooming in the first week of November. The blooms of Cut and Come Again Zinnias are very small by this time of year, but I found a few in fairly good condition considering we’ve had lows in the 30sF.

Please visit our host, Cathy, at Rambling In The Garden to enjoy her original vase and check out links to creations of other gardeners around the world. Peace.

In A Vase On Monday – Floral Indulgence

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Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share cut flowers from our gardens each Monday.

I”m hosting my book club tomorrow at lunch (There Are Rivers In The Sky by Elif Shafak) and although I have a few zinnias, chrysanthemums and camellias in flower, I just wanted some different colors and forms to work with. A trip to Trader Joe’s was fruitful, but when assembling the arrangement this morning I lamented not springing for another 7 or 8 stems of these or even a couple more varieties of flowers. I would surround the base with another layer of blooms. but overall I am pleased to have a special vase ready to welcome my guests. It is rare for me to buy cut flowers, so it was fun to design with some I do not grow in the garden.

Photographing the flowers was a challenge on this cloudy day. The light was weak. We had the first rain overnight in weeks (and not enough). There have been several frost warnings but no frost yet. I just looked up our first frost date, thinking it is around October 23rd. Now it is even later: November 4th.

Materials
Flowers
Gerbera jamesonii (Gerbera daisy)
~~Scabiosa (Pincushion flowers)~~ Leucospermum (Pincushion Protea)
Foliage
Mixed foliage, including seeded Eucalyptus
Vase
Crystal pedestal bowl

Thanks for indulging me as I flex the rules today.

Please visit our host, Cathy, at Rambling In The Garden to enjoy her original vase and check out links to creations of other gardeners around the world. Peace.

In A Vase On Monday – Pink October

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Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share cut flowers from our gardens each Monday.

This is a quick concoction of Camellia sasanqua ‘Hana-Jiman’ with a tuft of Dragon Wing Begonia. The camellias are lightly-scented. They opened about a week ago and are greatly admired by ants and yellow jackets. By the time I teased insects out of the prominent yellow stamens I couldn’t take time to arrange beyond placing the flowers in water.

The year is hurtling forward—my red Christmas camellia, Camellia sasanqua ‘Yuletide,’ already has one flower!

Last week I used one of my red and black pots created by potter Charles Chrisco. When not in use they sit at the end of an entertainment center in the living room where I can see them every day. Cathy requested to see the whole lineup so here they are. Textures and details are more interesting than what you can see here, but you can see the shapes.

Materials
Flowers
Camellia sasanqua ‘Hana-Jiman’
Dragon Wing Begonia
Foliage
Vase
Ikebana Platter, Bronze.

Please visit our host, Cathy, at Rambling In The Garden to enjoy her original vase and check out links to creations of other gardeners around the world. Peace.

No Kings In My Garden

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I couldn’t attend a protest today so I made a poster for the house.

Wordless Wednesday – October Spice

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Phoebis sennae (Cloudless Sulphur) Nectaring On Zinnia

Phoebis sennae (Cloudless Sulphur) on Salvia greggii ‘Furman’s Red’ (Autumn Sage)

In A Vase On Monday – Zinnias In A Red Vase

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Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share cut flowers from our gardens each Monday.

In A Vase On Monday – Zinnias In A Red Vase

October has delivered a seriously beautiful and bright harvest moon, and some near-perfect sunny days. The weekend was gray with a small bit of rain at my house in the Piedmont region of North Carolina, while the coast is seeing some flooding and lots of erosion from a nor’easter.

A quick step around the garden Sunday afternoon yielded enough zinnias to feature in a vase. Joining them are Camellia sasanqua ‘Leslie Ann’ which is just beginning to flower and Lathyrus latifolius (Perennial Sweet Pea). I used stems of glossy gardenia foliage to form a support structure to hold the flower stems, and some dangly greenery to animate the design.

Camellia sasanqua ‘Leslie Ann’ with zinnias

Lathyrus latifolius (Perennial Sweet Pea) (left)

The seed pods of Iris domestica (Blackberry Lily) that I used in a vase a couple weeks ago opened this week to reveal the black seeds. Clustered as they are they resemble blackberries.

Seeds of Iris domestica (Blackberry Lily) (upper right)

The vase is from my collection of five red and black pots by Charles Chrisco. The size and shape fit the need, but not the color so well. There are a few deep orange, but none of the zinnias are actually red. As much as I like the piece, its particular shade of red is a bit too blue for the flowers and the vase competes with them for attention. But for mid-October I’m satisfied and grateful to be able to share a vase with you today. Thanks for being here.

Materials
Flowers
Camellia sasanqua ‘Leslie Ann’
Lathyrus latifolius (Perennial Sweet Pea)
Zinnia ‘Cut and Come Again’
Foliage
Crinum × powellii (Swamp Lily)
Lathyrus latifolius (Perennial Sweet Pea)
Tanacetum vulgare (Tansy)
Vase
Red/black raku vase, Charles Chrisco, Chrisco’s Pottery—Seagrove Potters

Peace to you with a special shoutout to all who are working to counter evil forces attacking our democracy. Please visit our host, Cathy, at Rambling In The Garden to enjoy her original vase and check out links to creations of other gardeners around the world.

In A Vase On Monday – A Morning Porch Posy

32 Replies

Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share cut flowers from our gardens each Monday.

October arrived, before it seems September had time to express herself. I’m stopping this morning to mark time, to notice, to feel the presence of this mild, sunny October morning.

A Dragon Wing hybrid graces the front entrance. So cheerful it is I can forgive its habitual scattering of petals. A few stems from the back of the plant fill a small bluish-green handmade vase to mark this moment. The posy didn’t need more but I added small chrysanthemums from pots on the steps, the mauve flowers wake up the begonias.

Materials
Flowers
Chrysanthemum
Dragon Wing Begonia
Foliage
Dragon Wing Begonia
Vase
Small blue-green ceramic jar

Peace to you and happy gardening. Stop a moment today to pause and be present. Then visit our host, Cathy at Rambling In The Garden to enjoy her original vase and check out links to creations of other gardeners around the world.

In A Vase On Monday – September Patchwork

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Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share cut flowers from our gardens each Monday.

Eight or so weeks without rain ended Friday with a nice thunderstorm. Despite tropical storms forming it’s still very dry here. On the anniversary of Helene I’m wary of wishing for rain as some places have already seeing flooding.

In A Vase On Monday – September Patchwork

The garden is in deep retreat, but I found changing foliage, a few zinnias and a lone coneflower to piece together into a vase this week—a patchwork of texture and color.

Materials
Flowers
Echinacea purpurea (Purple Coneflower)
Zinnia “Cut and Come Again”
Foliage
Cercis canadensis (Eastern Redbud)
Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Ruby Slippers’ (Lil’ Ruby dwarf Oakleaf Hydrangea)Container
Iris domestica (Blackberry Lily)
Vase
Black metal suiban. 4 x 9.5 x 6.5 inches. Japan.

Peace to you and happy gardening. Please visit our host, Cathy at Rambling In The Garden to enjoy her original vase and check out links to creations of other gardeners around the world.

In A Vase On Monday – Red Layers

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Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share cut flowers from our gardens each Monday.

Spider lilies have been blooming for several weeks and a few fresh ones opened in time to star in this week’s vase.

I envisioned an array of spider lilies simply standing tall above the rim of the vase, but the effect proved far less compelling than when they arise from the earth unadorned.

Adding an underpinning of foliage helped connect the spider lilies to the vase. A collar of zinnias near the base reinforced the color while augmenting texture.

I photographed the flowers on our freshly painted back porch trying to catch as much light as possible.

Materials
Flowers
Lycoris radiata (Spider Lily)
Zinnia “Cut and Come Again”
Foliage
Aquilegia canadensis (Eastern red columbine)
Cercis canadensis (Eastern Redbud)
Tanacetum vulgare (Tansy)
Container
Textured ceramic vase

Peace to you and happy gardening. Please visit our host, Cathy at Rambling In The Garden to enjoy her original vase and check out links to creations of other gardeners around the world.

In A Vase On Monday – Late Summer Florals

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Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share a vase of flowers from our gardens each Monday.

After an unusually rainy and hot summer, August turned dry mid-way with moderate and enjoyable temperatures and lower humidity. Among the weedy chaos of my garden, zinnias continue to offer a colorful palette which pollinators cannot resist. After a poor showing a few dahlias are doing their best to salvage what’s left of their season. Obedient plant is on a tear and I unexpectedly found a pokeweed to gather for today’s sharing!

In A Vase On Monday – Late Summer Florals

Lower left: Dahlia ‘Thomas Edison’. Lower right: Dahlia ‘HS Date’

Materials
Flowers
Dahlia sp. (no ID, yellow)
Dahlia ‘Great Silence’
Dahlia ‘HS Date’
Dahlia ‘Thomas Edison’
Dahlia ‘Tsuki Yori No Shisha’
Physostegia virginiana (Obedient plant)
Tanacetum vulgare (Tansy)
Zinnia “Cut and Come Again”
Foliage
Phytolacca americana (American pokeweed)
Container
Ikebana vases

An abundance of Obedient plant led to the creation of another vase for today.

Peace to you and happy gardening. Please visit our host, Cathy at Rambling In The Garden to enjoy her original vase and check out links to creations of other gardeners around the world.

Silent Sunday – Naturally Orange

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Question Mark (Polygonia interrogationis) – See the “?” on the left forewing?

In A Vase On Monday – Zinnias

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Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share a vase of flowers from our gardens each Monday.

I grabbed a couple of minutes to gather a bouquet of zinnias yesterday afternoon. I also found several mostly presentable dahlias, along with a few sprays of Obedient plant.

The Obedient plant is native passalong, but rather pesky. I’ve tried to get rid of it more than a few times. This year it’s looking rather nice and it made a sturdy foundation for placing the other flowers.

The zinnias are all self-seeded and completely untended. I and the pollinators have been happy they grew so well.

Materials
Flowers
Dahlia
Physostegia virginiana (Obedient plant)
Zinnia “Cut and Come Again”
Foliage
Pluchea camphorata (Camphor-Weed)
Container
Textured ceramic vase

Peace to you and happy gardening. Please visit our host, Cathy at Rambling In The Garden to enjoy her original vase and check out links to creations of other gardeners around the world.

Wordless Wednesday – Sunday’s Visitor

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Male Monarch (Danaus plexippus) – August 17, 2025

In A Vase On Monday – Gardenia Posy

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Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share a vase of flowers from our gardens each Monday.

A neighbor stopped by last week with a lovely yellow Kalanchoe. A few clippings paired with a reblooming surprise from the gardenia shrub along the north side of the house form a heartfelt contribution today. The past few weeks I’ve missed being part of this wonderful Monday vase community and hope I can peek in once in a while.

The vase is a little Vodka glass, one of a set of four bought for flowers because I liked the shape. It’s a useful size.

Materials
Flowers
Gardenia
Kalanchoe
Foliage
Gardenia
Container
Vodka glass

Peace to you and happy gardening. Please visit our host, Cathy at Rambling In The Garden to enjoy her original vase and check out links to creations of other gardeners around the world.