We all know the saying “third time lucky!” but the true saying is, in fact “on the third time the luck changes!” And this is what happened with regard to the hail. The first time when there was a massive hail storm 5 miles away it rained here; the second time when there was a light hail fall a little further away, it rained here. But on Saturday when it poured and poured with rain in Viterbo with just a little hail, here in My Hesperides Garden there WAS HAIL.
The tomatoes were OK, but here’s some of the damage caused:
Rose foliage broken by hail
Aubergine foliage shredded by hail
Holely Pepper!
Luckily I have some replacements in the greenhouse if these die.
But I am, of course digressing, this is Monday and time to join Cathy from Rambling in the Garden for “In a Vase on Monday”, where we asked to show a vase of flowers picked from the garden or the surrounding countryside.
I had in mind an elegant vase of just one kind of flower, but then after the hail I found lots of broken tulips and I didn’t want to waste them so I put them in the basket, much as before although I have to say I don’t really like tulips this way, they are far more beautiful on long stems, but what could I do?
Cerinthe, Choisya and tulips
I added some Cerinthe and Chiosya ternata flower to try and lift the colour but not a ‘vase’ I particularly pleased with, plus as it was raining it had to be photographed inside and I need to work on that.
I could have made a display of Bearded Iris which have begun to open their fat buds.
Too hail damaged to be attractive in a vase
Or a vase of bright red little tulips would have brightened a dull spot.
Much too sad – poor tulips!
There were other tulips T. Sorbet, their colour wasn’t right for the dining room, but would look bright in the kitchen. Now, I’ve been admiring all the pretty little jars and bottles that I’ve seen being used by other participants and I don’t have anything like them, so I started to think where I could get some, then inspiration my favourite summer aperitivo comes in an iconic glass bottle – just right so I needed lots. So for the sake of In a Vase on Monday summer started early and aperitivo time meant Campari soda!
Pretty little bottles, do you recognise them?
T. Sorbet
The vase I wanted to share with you this week was this. Tall Dutch Irises, they are one of my favourite cut flowers at this time of year and I intend growing some in the cuttings bed for next year, but this year as each bulb is producing 2 or 3 stems I felt I could cut seven for the sitting room.
This is what I intended to show as my vase!
Thanks again Cathy, none of this would have happened with you!
Creating my own garden of the Hesperides 
Hail is an awe full thing!
I’m so sorry to hear about that hail storm, Christina! I know how disappointing it is to find the plants you’ve carefully tended so badly treated by circumstances beyond your control. But you turned lemons into lemonade (another aphorism) – your bouquet of tulips, Cerinthe and Choisya is beautiful, as are the tulips ‘Sorbet’ in bottles.
Thanks Kris, it is nice to hear some understanding words of consolation.
Christina it is so sad to see your shredded flowers and foliage, you must feel like crying, I would,
I like those little glass bottle vases I would be saving them for display and no I do not recognise them, never seen them here, the line of single tulips are nice, the only flowers I have inside the house are those I find broken by the weather, my rescue flower vases,
love the irises, beautiful! just beautiful, Frances
Thanks Frances, I have to say I’m enjoying having cut flowers in the house a lot and I would never have thought of putting a line of 5 short (broken) tulips in individual vases if it hadn’t been for this meme!
But you know, how I appreciate you putting things you are not pleased with or that have not turned out as you would like on your blog. It is so much more interesting to be honest and we are sometimes a bit nervous of it. Cin cin. (have another Campari)
I will enjoy adding to my stock of ‘vases’! The hail damage could have been a lot worse so I just hope there is no more.
Oh Christina – you must have been heartbroken to see the damage the hail did, but using some of the damaged goods made some pretty purses out of the sow’s ears. And THREE vases – well, more than that if you counted the bottles separately! – on a Monday, well that’s a treat for us! All completely different and pretty in their own individual way. I look forward to having cerinthe to use in due course to add to mine – such a useful plant.
I think Cerinthe is one plant I actually prefer in a vase to in the garden, so I don’t mind picking, plus it self seeds so freely there is a great deal of it around. Thanks for the positive comments.
What bad luck! Hope all will recover and your “vase” salvaged something from the wreckage. If everything happens in threes, that should be all the hail for now! I love your “vases” – should be a happy summer for you! I’m off for some Campari soda myself!
As you say I have to hope the hail only comes in threes and that’s it for this year. Enjoy your Campari!
It’s hard to imagine you getting hail when you are so far south. Spring weather can certainly be changeable but you do seem to be getting strange hailstone storms in your area. Amelia
Hail is not so unusual in Italy even in late spring. I’ve seen very heavy hail storms in the south in late May, but it is the first time in the garden here, as I said I’ve been lucky.
Shocking to see your hail-damaged plants, especially the poor iris. What a disappointment, but you’ve overcome. I adore your basket of richly colored blooms with the white accent. Your Dutch Iris are marvelous too and I think you found perfect little bottles for your T. Sorbet. susie
Thank you Susie, I will enjoy the blooms inside instead of out. At least only a few of the Iris were open, there are lots more to come.
Christina, well done on getting the little bottles for the display. Perfect! And the ultimate sacrifice.
So sorry about the hail.
Weather happens! If the we have no more I will be relieved. The tulips in the Spring Walk weren’t effected, protected by the lavender I think.
I do dread hail too Christina – your poor tulips – and that bearded iris! I hope things recover and start to look pretty again soon. A good opportunity to bring in more flowers though, as well as have an extra aperitif! The last vase is lovely too, but sometimes it’s the ones with a story behind them that make them more special! 😀
I’d probably be happy to just settle for the storyless Iris vase!
Sorry to hear about the hailstorm; we get horrible ones here in mid-summer and I can totally sympathize…. Love those little bottles and the sweet tulips – and the irises in your last vase are spectacular!
They can happen here in summer too, but so far not actually on the garden!
I hope to grow more Dutch iris for cutting next year, some pure white would be nice and I’ll plant some in the Spring Walk.
Hi Christina, So sorry about the hailstorm; your poor plants look like they were attacked by locusts! But beauty came out of it, anyway. I like your tulip basket; the colors are lovely. But the row of glass bottles with the red and white tulips is amazing. You are very creative!
Thanks Debbie, at least the hail wasn’t a foot deep as it was a couple of weeks ago just 5 miles from me.
Those tomatoes seem to be living a charmed existence Christina which is most fortunate. Hail can do dreadful damage – I remember a favourite hosta being shredded in spring a few years ago. I do like the colours of the tulips in the basket. Do you know the varieties?
The fringed purple is Curley Sue and may be Queen of the Night.
What a dreadful sight must have greeted you, I had no idea that hailstones could do so much damage. But you managed to turn it into a success with your flowers vases. I hope that is the end of hail for you for this year.
I very much hope so too Pauline. Last year almoat all the olive trees in the area were hit by hail just after flowering and the crops were mush reduced; again on that occasion we were lucky!
Oh your poor plants – I will stop feeling so envious of your wonderful growing climate now. I don’t ever remember seeing hail so bad that it damages plants. Did you feel like rushing out with a big umbrella to protect your favourites or is it too dangerous?
It can be so big that it makes dents in cars!
That is scarey!
The iris in the vase are elegant, the ones in the garden not so much 😦 sorry to hear that the hail finally found you.
Luckily only a couple of the Iris germanica had opened their buds and so got damaged; today more opened and they look great!
What good use you have made of your broken flowers Christina! It is so frustrating when the weather ruins beautiful flowers but the up side is the lovely tulips you now have inside. I always have this problem with peonies – there is invariably a summer storm just as they start to flower and I have to cut the flowers before the weather destroys them. I love your dutch iris – I think I need to add them to my shopping list!
The Iris were planted in autumn 2010 so have flowered for four years, I’m impressed that this year the bulbs seem to be producing 2 or 3 stems all the same tall height.
So sorry about the hail, how sad to see all that damage, but wow, those irises!
…and they are still looking perfect!