Monday gives us all the change to experiment with our flower arranging skills and to participate in Cathy at Rambling in the Garden‘s challenge to find flowers from our own gardens to pick and plonk or arrange in a vase. After a week when each day was windier and colder than the last, today is warm, sunny and definitely more spring-like than it has been.
Although I have complained (justifiably) each week about the quality of bulbs that I bought last autumn, there have been tulips to pick each week since the end of January. Today’s tulips are the last of the chilled and forced bulbs and the timing is just right as the tulips in the garden are just beginning to flower now, although I will be less keen to pick them.
Photinia, Viburnum burkwoodii, Tulip Yokohama
Tulip Yokohama
Viburnum burkwoodii, Tulip Yokohama
During the week that we had snow here my husband was away in Japan. He asked me what I would like him to bring back with him and of course I immediately thought of an Ikebana vase!!!
He was taken by his business colleagues to an Ikebana school where he chose two vases for me plus a multi-pinned flower holder. this is the first time I’ve tried using the vase.
Narcissus Thalia
The vase is on a low foot, not very visible in my photograph. This isn’t a true Ikebana arrangement; I just filled the pins with Narcissus Thalia which are just beginning to flower in my garden.
Do visit Cathy to see what she and others have found to pick in their gardens today.
I hope you all have a lovely spring-like week.
Creating my own garden of the Hesperides 
Bellissimo il vaso che ti ha portato Richard, mi piace molto come lo hai usato per i narcisi!
Un po’ diversa delle mie vase normale.
Love your new vase from Japan. R. chose well! Glad your Thalia opened in time for you to include them today. The white tulips are gorgeous too. Have fun with your new vases Christina!
Thanks Susie. It was nice using Thalia when I knew you had them too!
Both arrangements a very lovely Christina: one loose and flowing and the other more formal and very elegant.
Thanks Jane. It was nice to have some different materials to work with today.
I like the contrast between your wild Photinia and sophisticated Tulips, and your Ikebana vase is rather wonderful.
I like the Photinia buds but I’m not so keen when the flowers open. It will be interesting to see how long the Narcissus remain standing like soldiers.
Lovely white tulips and narcissus, both my favourites. xx
Yours will be flowering soon!
The tulips will but sadly the narcissus Thalia have yet to appear above ground so may not. xx
That’s a shame; do you think something has eaten them or have they rotted?
How wonderful to get the Ikebana vases and flower holder….a perfect present. And I love what you have arranged….those beautiful long stems of Narcissus Thalia look wonderful in the vase. I have enjoyed all the tulips you have had since I have none, but understand about being frustrated with the quality of the bulbs not meeting your expectations. This last grouping is lovely with their cream color. Perfect with the Photinia and Viburnum burkwoodii.
Glad to hear you have warmed up…we are in for a short warming to help melt more of our snow. But the week after Easter they are calling for another cold snap with snow….Yikes!
They were telling us that it might snow again for Easter but now say it might be 30°C that’s summer temperatures. I think I’ll just wait and see!!!
Both arrangements are stunning! What a thoughtful husband.
Yes, he is; with a little prompting!
Re my narcissus Thalia I don’t know but will have a dig and see in a few weeks time. xx
Christina, I’m glad you have good weather today. Yokohama Tulips are beautiful and with the flowers of Viburnum burkwoodii and Photinia are wonderful. It is a magnificent vase. What beautiful gifts your husband from Japan has brought you; yes, ordered by you. The Ikebana vase I love with the tall and pretty Thalia Daffodils. It is a divine vase. Here in Spain they also forecast a new wave of cold and snow for the weekend. While today it is not raining and the sun is shining, but from tomorrow it will rain again. I hope with all my heart that you have finally reached Spring in temperatures, but not as much as 30 Centigrades: that’s for Summer. Enjoy your wonderful Christina garden today. Take care. Greetings from Margarita.
We had lots of rain last week too; the weather is so strange now. So hot last summer and then a very cold winter that doesn’t want to end. What have we done to our poor dear planet!
Christina, I think we have done a lot of damage to Mother Nature and now she is taking us for all the evil. Climate Change is the first of them. Christina, all gardeners can do a lot by not using insecticides or chemicals in our gardens; doing ecological remedies to end the plagues and using compost made in our garden to fertilize plants or vermicompost worm or humus that we do too. I am sorry for letting myself be carried away by my ecological garden ideas. But it’s true Christina, it’s Climate Change. 🙂 Greetings from Margarita.
Oh! Margarita, I do agree with you. But I think most gardeners are doing some good for the environment, but more needs to be done.
Oh you lucky thing, Christina – and you must be so pleased to have thought of asking for an ikebana vase. How wonderful – your narcissi look perfect in them. Your main vase, however, is wonderful and so well co-ordinated – the viburnum and photinia are a perfect match for the tulips. Thanks so much for sharing it with us
I’m glad you approve Cathy. He doesn’t usually travel to such interesting places, gift-wise so this was doubly welcome. I would have loved to have travelled with him but it was still mid winter in Japan too and I didn’t think the gardens would be worth seeing under snow! Maybe next time.
Will there be another time? Will he have to go again?
He’s not sure; the project will most be in Africa and with agencies in Europe. He loved Japan and would love to go again.
I was pleased with both vases today Cathy, Monday just wouldn’t be Monday without a vase.
Oh indeed 🙂
The vases look so pretty and will keep inspiring you, no doubt. How thoughtful of your husband 🙂 Both arrangements are delightful and elegant. Glad, you’re enjoying spring-like weather. We had great weather in Imperia at the w-e and on the way home but back now to cool and wet weather here, alas, it cannot continue like this, I hope. Have a good week!
Glad you had some good weather while you were in Italy. Most of last week was horribly cold and windy but maybe spring is on its way now.
Your husband is so wonderful to bring you home gifts like that! Both arrangements are beautiful but I’m in love with the first one. The color of the Photinia leaves makes a nice foil for the white tulips and the Viburnum provides just the right color echo.
Yes, I know I am lucky that my husband is good at buying gifts for me. He was taken to an Ikebana school by his colleagues and advised what to buy.
I love the way you have used the new vase for your Narcissi. Beautiful Viburnum too. 🙂 It is slightly warmer here too at last!
We have all waited so long for spring to arrive this year, let’s hope it stays now.
Both beautiful arrangements Christina and your new vase must have been a most welcome present. Your husband did well. Funnily enough one of my nieces and her boyfriend are on holiday in Japan at the moment from where I’ve been the recipient of one or two blossom photos.
Yes, he did do well; how wonderful to be there for the cherry blossom; it was too early when my husband was there.
The tulips and N. ‘Thalia’ are almost the same shade of cream when they are new. One of my favorites. Your arrangement feels lush and bountiful in your nifty, new vase.
Yes, the colours are very similar; I would have put them in the same vase but the sap from Narcissus poisons other flowers.
Each comment is worth reading, and your replies too. I did not realise that the sap from Narcissus poisons other flowers. Which comes to my point of sending you congratulations of bringing on such magnificent blooms each week. Those Narcissi Thalia are just perfect in your new vase.
Thank you Noelle you are very kind. The cut flowers give me (and I hope everyone) so much pleasure. Especially as my garden has 2 dormant seasons – winter obviously but also summer when very many plants hibernate from the heat and drought.
Wonderful, the both of them and you must go to Japan and see the gardens – the concept of space is fascinating. I think I like the tulips for their lush grace – is that Photinia fraserii in there? Red tip Photinia? The Narcissi are perfect in the Ikebana and how nice to have a proper vase from Japan.
Yes, didn’t I say there was Photinia in the vase, sorry I thought I did. Very useful at this time of year. I would love to go to Japan but it is very expensive!
you did, I was surprised red tips are in Italy.
Actually Photinia is very common here, used as a hedge in town gardens. It is surprisingly drought tolerant and the cold is no problem.
I really like the tulip Yokohama, it looks so fresh in the vase, curving amongst the foliage. Here I am impatient to see my new tulips, still tentatively in tight buds. Thalia too – a really good narcissus. Glad R enjoyed Japan.
My tulips in the garden are flowering early this year because it was so cold in November! I’m sure you’s will flower soon.
The photinia and viburnum are perfect with the lovely tulips, it must smell divine too. I love the daffodils in your new vase .
I like the Photinia while it is in bud; when the flowers open I don’t really like their perfume, it’s a bit cloying. The Viburnum smells divine!