Monday is the day we share our vases with Cathy at Rambling in the Garden. As I mentioned last week; I was hoping there would be plenty of flowers as I needed to have several vases for a couple of parties I was hosting yesterday and last Thursday.
Thursday was Apericena (that is a euphemism for about a bottle of Prosecco or three and serve varying amounts of food. It is in reality a ‘dinner’ but made up of salads, nibbles and NOT the usual antipasto, primo, secondo and sweet! Yesterday was a lunch party for a group of good friends; for that I served a Persia feast for many Mezze and a main course plus of course a couple of desserts.
Vase for Apericena – now in the kitchen
This orange Dahlia has the reverse of the petals coloured slightly pink, which sound strange but actually makes it work in a vase with variety of colour combinations
Five minutes before my guests arrived for lunch, I threw together a very low vase for the table; my husband hates flowers on the table that stop you seeing the people on the opposite side of the table so he often removes vases to to side table when we all sit down – this was allowed to stay! The colours are not my usual mix, and are a bit of a clash but the individual flowers are lovely.
Table vase
Another of the orange dahlias
I used very short stems inserted into a round bowl filled with pebbles
I also added a couple of sunflowers which I have hardly picked for vases this year but have enjoyed seeing them in the cut flower beds.
In a vase on Monday
These all white flowers with blue perovskia acting as foliage was on the table where I served aperitivi on Sunday; sadly, very sadly while we were eating lunch a strong gust of wind knocked the vase onto the terrace where it broke. This was one of my favourite vases; actually made of rather nice crystal rather than the large array of Ikea vases that wouldn’t have mattered, this will be more difficult to replace.
Another of the no-name Dahlias; it is a fantastically large always pure flower.
The photographs were taken on Saturday evening when I put the vase together in the flower room.
Do visit Cathy to see her vase and many others from around the globe.
Creating my own garden of the Hesperides 
Beautiful!
Thanks
What a beautiful display of vases and flowers. And I sympathize losing one of your better vases. That’s is always the way; the junkers never break. I particularly like the low vase because I think those are more difficult to put together.
I agree, I’ve tried ding low vases many times to stop them being removed from the table but somehow they grow taller for me!!!!
That table centerpiece is lovely Christina. Clever to use the stones to hold the stems. Also am taken with the all-white arrangement–that no-name Dahlia is a winner. I’m so sorry about the broken vase–it was a beautiful one. Your entertaining sounds wonderful–lucky friends and neighbors. Hi to R. from D.
The entertainingly was hard work but so much fun. I was very sad about the vase but hopefully I can replace it.
Your guests must have loved your arrangements. So glad that the dining table centerpiece passed husband’s muster as it’s always nice to have something so beautiful to contemplate at table. So sorry that one of your favorite vases broke.
These things happen. Better that I use it and it gets broken than it stays closed in a cupboard all the time.
What a shame about that vase getting broken – I have always admired that one. It’s blue and white contents are gorgeous though – I have never grown perovskia and should perhaps remedy that, although not too soon after my big Claire Austin order! The frilly white dahlia is a wonderful focal point and you have many other pretty dahlias too. Like you, I have not really picked any sunflowers this year but, like everything in the cutting beds, I am just enjoying seeing them
It is always the way isn’t it? It was such a good shape for arranging. I will definitely have to search for another similar one.
Was it one you bought yourself, or was it a gift?
I bought it two years ago in a crystal outlet store in Tuscany as an Anniversary gift to myself,
Christina the photos are magnificent as all your vases. The vase for Apericena the color I like a lot and the orange Dahlia so special is divine. The vase for yesterday’s party is magnificent. With flowers so beautiful and cut for a low table vase: the Sunflowers I love as foliage. I’m sorry that your favorite vase was broken: it always happens the same thing breaks the best. The vase for today is magnificent, beautiful, divine. The pure white Dahlia without a name I like very much. The foliage, Perovskia blue, looks fantastic. It is a wonderful bouquet, very beautiful, I love it. Christina you have some beautiful flowers and great art to create very beautiful bouquets. Take care. Greetings from Margarita.
I am vary lucky to live in a climate where these flowers grow well as long as they are given water. I very much enjoy putting the arrangements together and I’m glad you enjoy them.
All three vases are lovely and, despite what you see as a color mismatch in the second, I think it’s a very effective combination. The last arrangement was my favorite but I’m sorry the wind cost you the vase itself. Wind is periodically a problem with vases in my front entryway as the wind sweeps through the door with incredible force at times – thus far, all toppled vases have landed on the chair next to the entry table but I’ll approach your experience as a cautionary tale.
We have hard surfaces everywhere not just on the terrace; if anything falls – it breaks! What was strange was that the wind came from no-where and subsided as quickly; I hadn’t noticed it at all at the table just a few feet away.
I think dahlias should all clash and shout at each other, they are supposed to be flamboyant. I have grown lots this year and I love to mix them all up together in a vase. Yours look gorgeous. But I also love the frilly white ones with the perovskia. What a shame about your lovely vase.
I like clashes but somehow the colours just didn’t feel quite right in this vase. But the chartreuse of the Euphorbia seems to mitigate all errors of colours!
Sorry about your vase, Christina. It always hurts to lose a favorite one (wince). The white cactus dahlia is like a fat, fluffy snowflake – gorgeous. The combo of perovskia and dahlias was esp. pretty.
I-m not sure why I hadn’t used the Perovskia with white flowers before, I liked combination.
If I am ever in your part of the world, I hope you invite me to a party; the food sounds delicious! And your arrangements are all very pretty! So sorry about the broken vase. I still remember the crystal bowl I broke over 20 years ago; I know how you feel!
You would be very welcome Deb!!! Do you ever come to Europe?
What a beautiful blue and white arrangement sad for the crystal, but – as you say, better to use the contained rather than leave it in a cupboard..
Your Aquileger seeds germinated over night; really good germination rate – there are masses! Let’s hope they grow on well. Thank you for the seed.
I am glad. I hope some are that v dark purple clematifolia one, but as you know you can never tell with aquilegia!
Fingers crossed
Very sorry to hear about your vase breaking…the arrangement with the Perovskia and white dahlias was magnificent.
Sometimes a vase just comes together, the vase that broke was a great shape, it made arranging easy.
My DIL is a foodie and always removes flowers from the table so that the smells don’t conflict with the food. Low arrangements stay when she is not in attendance. It always makes me sad when vases break…even the chintzy ones. That was a beautiful arrangement while it lasted…and I find the “clashy” one delightful.
I’m a foodie too and I wouldn’t put highly perfumed flowers on the table but perhaps she just doesn’t like flowers very much!
An apericena sounds like a good time. Love the orange dahlia and sunflowers.
A really good excuse to go back to the crystal outlet! Beautiful serene plant palette in the crystal vase, though I must admit to loving your low arrangement, the lime green blends everything together.
Interesting how lime green does that. Like spring foliage harmonizing all the bright spring flowers.
Lovely vases, Christina. Especially the table arrangement. What’s the foliage in it – is it origanum? And that breathtaking white vase with the perovskia. So sad it broke – I hope you eventually manage to find one that replaces it.
The Foliage is Euphorbia ‘Golden Foam’, I grew it from seed from Chiltern seeds
Oh I do like the sound of Apericena Christina and have admired all your party vases in this post and your last. I’m sorry to read about the accident that befell your crystal vase and hope that you manage to find an acceptable replacement.
Oh no what a shame about your vase. I do like your short vase though, looks lovely with the colour mix