In a vase on Monday – Treasures of spring

I’m sure everyone will find some lovely spring flowers this week to share with all the participants of Cathy at Rambling in the garden‘s weekly meme.

My little vases of joy have had triple use; I prepared them on Saturday for a very special friend’s Hen Night.  Fifteen little Campari bottles stuffed with spring flowers; what could be more fitting for a spring bride.  They were placed on the tables and if I say so myself added a very special something to the delicious array of food.  My friend chose a couple of the bottles to take home as did one of the other guests. (Sorry no images at the event, I didn’t take my camera).

How the flowers ended up in the Orangery

Yesterday, Sunday I’d invited some friends to come to see the spring bulbs in the garden and enjoy an English tea party; it was also one of the friend’s birthday so a good excuse to celebrate.

The little bottles were on the table when everyone arrived but it soon became clear that with all the extra food brought by everyone there was no space for all the flowers so they ended up on the cubes that cover the wall over the ‘outside’ kitchen; luckily fully visible from the table.

Narcissus Thalia, Rosemary and Iris

This morning I decided to bring all the flowers into the house so that they now adorn the kitchen, the sideboard and the sitting room.

In the Kitchen

Today the vases were moved into the house, some added to a tray of candles on the coffee table

On the sideboard

Viburnum burkwoodii adds some gorgeous perfume.

I think I almost like a selection of small vases more than one large arrangement.

Have a great week!

 

10 good things for March

Chloris at The Blooming Garden writes a monthly roundup of the best things in her garden in any given month and has decided to make the day the 23rd of each month so that others may join her.

There is no shortage of choice this month as spring has come to My Hesperides Garden and it is such a pleasure to walk around each day to see what is newly flowering and watch progress on buds that are slowly opening.

One thing I can see from the kitchen table is the progress of the Wisteria, extra special this year after loosing all the blooms last year to the Beast from the East!

Wisteria ‘Prolific’ 18th March

Wisteria Prolific today 23rd March

Wisteria ‘Prolific’

It is as if the colour was waiting for today to show. in another couple of days I think it will be open completely.  There are so many buds, I’m so excited to see it flowering.

Viburnum burkwoodii

Usually Viburnum burkwoodii is the first to flower but this year carlessii beat it by a couple of days.

Viburnum carlessii

Narcissus Thalia

Thalia are gorgeous, I need to pick more to bring into the house as they have a delicious perfume.

Clematis armandii

Another white spring flower and another that is delicately perfumed.

Magnolia stellata

There is Euphorbia rigida and E. myrsinites all around the garden

Both these Euphorbias seed prolifically in the gravel so I’m able to lift them and place them where I want them.  They have been the most obvious statement of spring’s arrival; luckily they work well as a back drop to all the spring bulbs and then continue to look attractive even in the heat of summer.

Hyacinth Miss Saigon, Anemone coronaria ‘Sylphide and Euphobia

More Hyacinths from a mixed pack

A little mix of spring colour from bulbs

Muscari and Hyacinth Delph Blue

Suddenly the foliage of the bearded Iris is growing too, another month and they will be flowering too.

Hyacinths Berry Fruit mix

Just behind the Hyacinths you can just see Iris reticulata ‘Harmony’, which has been a great success this year.

Muscari with Euphorbia

There has been blossom in profusion from the fruit trees but I only have an image of the miniature flowering peach (I think that is what it is but each year I forget!!!

Dwarf flowering peach

 

Then of course there are tulips

Tulip Miami Sunset

Tulip White Triumphator

I love how the sun shines through their leaves

Tulip ‘Negrita Parrot’ and Hyacinths

Tulip ‘Exotic Emperor’

Tulip ‘Exotic Emperor’

I’ve rather lost count, but I think that is ten!  Spring is here now in Italy, the cold wind we’ve been experiencing all month has finally dropped and it is wonderfully warm.  Do visit Chloris and perhaps find ten things you’d like to share from your garden too.

In a vase on Monday – suddenly there’s more choice!

The garden and the countryside are looking very spring-like – that moment that suddenly arrives when there are clouds of blossom everywhere, vying for our interest.  Again I was able to give a bouquet to our hostess for Sunday lunch as well as have several vases at home.

I used a jam jar with a smaller bottle inside to hold the flowers for my hostess yesterday

Anemone coronaria ‘Mr Fokker’

Hyacinth from a mixed pack which added some amazing perfume

The cold autumn combined with the warmth of the last week or so has encouraged my Narcissus to flower earlier than usual.  I love the multi-headed Thalia and picked some for the classic blue jug/Narcissus combination

Blue jug with Narcissus Thalia and a single stem of Tulip Exotic Emperor

I ordered Alstroemerias when I was at the Hampton Court Flower show last July; they were delivered in September.  The plants were very small and not looking in great shape as the carrier had been rather slow, however after putting them into larger pots and then placing them in the cold greenhouse for the winter they have grown on exceedingly well and there are buds on most of the plants, this is A. ‘Avanti’

Blue jug with Narcissus Thalia, Alstroemeria and Tulip Exotic Emperor

I had intended creating a vase full of the white froth of blossom; but the wild plums were already shedding their snow-like petals; but I wanted ‘white’ so I instead I used Viburnum tinus with just a few stems of ‘true’ plum blossom (the tree is covered with blossom this year building up my hopes that there may be a mass of plums this year); these were joined by Narcissus Cheerfulness, N. Thalia, Anemone coronaria ‘The Bride’ and tucked in but not very visible in this image Tulip Exotic Emperor.

In a vase on Monday

Anemone coronaria ‘The Bride’, Narcissus Cheerfulness, Tulip Exotic Emperor and Viburnum tinus blooms

Anemone coronaria ‘The Bride’, Narcissus Cheerfulness and Plum blossom

Do visit our hostess for the best Monday meme, Cathy at Rambling in the garden for more vases from around the world.

Happy gardening!

In a Vase on Monday – Sunshine Yellow and Blue

Cathy at Rambling in the Garden asks us each Monday to find flowers in our gardens to pick and bring into our homes; this new habit has certainly improved my experience of Monday mornings, as I’m sure it has for many others; if you haven’t yet joined in, do be brave – it’s spring and there are so many lovely flowers to enjoy and share.

Last Friday was International Womens’ Day and I had enough flowers to prepare a large vase of blossom for a friend who hosted a lunch to celebrate the day and for a small vase for another friend whose birthday it was.

Vase for a friend’s birthday

Sorry, this was photographed in a rush.  The vase for my friend included: Anemone coronaria ‘The Bride’, A green Hellebore, Wild plum blossom, Viburnum tinus, and Prostrate rosemary.

Prostrate Rosemary, it seems a much stronger blue at the moment

Anemone coronaria ‘The Bride’

Green Hellebore

Wild Plum blossom

My own vase is simple today with just Prostrate Rosemary and Tulip Crystal Star.

In a vase on Monday

Tulip Crystal Star

Tulip Crystal Star and Prostrate Rosemary

Hope spring is springing where you are, have a lovely week.

Singing the blues

Spring bulbs are continuing to give a lot of pleasure in the garden. A surprising number of them are blue.

Prostrate Rosemary

The rosemary has had flowers since November but there have never been quite as many as there are now.

Muscari

Iris reticulata ‘Harmony’, I increased their numbers this year and love this view along the upper slope path

The ones in the foreground have been there for several years but those behind were planted last autumn.

Crocus

The light shining through the petals of the crocus is so uplifting.

Hyacinths

I find the perfume of hyacinths in the house too strong but in the garden they are perfect, plus their strong form can be appreciated from inside the house.

Anemone coronaria ‘Mr Fokker’

Anemone coronaria ‘Mr Fokker’ makes an ideal contrast with the inflorescence of Euphorbia rigida.

Anemone coronaria ‘Mr Fokker’ behind and a self sown seedling that looks like it is a cross between Mr. Fokker and Syphide

It is nice to see that the Anemone coronaria are crossing with each other producing new colours to enjoy.

What plants in your garden cross with each other to produce new colouration?

 

 

In a vase on Monday – Tulip Blumex Favourite

You may remember that last week I showed you one Tulip Blumex Favourite in the round goldfish bowl vase.  This week there are more of this interestingly coloured parrot tulip; I again used some Fatsia japonica seedheads although they are very heavy and have already flopped in the vase.

In a vase on Monday

Tulip Blumex Favourite

Tulip Blumex Favourite

Tulip Blumex Favourite

Tulip Blumex Favourite

Tulip Blumex Favourite

Tulip Blumex Favourite

Do visit Cathy at Rambling in the garden for other Monday vases.

Have a great gardening week.

I’m going to be sowing tomato and Zinnia seed as space becomes free on the propagating trays.  I sowed Zinnia Benary’s Giant Wine on Saturday and it has germinated this morning (good fresh seed from Chiltern Seeds).  Have you started sowing seeds yet?

Silent Sunday / yet another amazing winter sunset

More amazing sunsets this winter.

Today in the Garden 1st March 2019

Yesterday when I was in the greenhouse I glanced out and was horrified to see that the Cypress by the gate was billowing with smoke; I thought someone must have set the tree on fire – but no as I looked at all the Cypresses they all looked as if smoke was blowing away from them.  Then, of course, I realised that it wasn’t smoke but the fine dust-like pollen!  I pity anyone with an allergy, the pollen is so fine it filled the air and there would be no way of avoiding inhaling the pollen.  Stranger still was the fact that the day seemed to be completely still (after days of strong wind), yet the pollen didn’t stream off the trees constantly but in gusts.

Today was cloudy but not cold; ideal for taking some photographs showing the advance of spring.

Anemone coronaria ‘Sylphide’

More Anemones are opening their buds around the garden; I have sown the seed I saved last year; I want to be able to have them all around the garden and have enough to pick for a vase.

Anemone coronaria

Anemone coronaria ‘The Bride’

The white Anemones remain with short stems; they are the most prolific Anemone in the garden but grow with consistently short stems – very annoying.

The formal beds looking towards the left hand border

You can see Anemone coronaria ‘The Bride’ on the left and Euphorbia rigida peeping out between evergreen shrubs giving a shot of early colour all around the garden.

Euphorbia rigida

Rosemary

Rosemary has been flowering since the autumn but there seem to be even more flowers at the moment.

deep purple crocus

Hyacinth ‘Miss Saigon’

Hyacinths have been in the ground for several years now, I planted more last autumn too.  They reliably return each year giving a punch of strong colour just when we need it most.

Hyacinth from a mixed pack of blues

Grevillia rosmarinifolia, another plant that has been flowering for most of February.  This Grevillia is very hardy, I would like to try some of the other varieties but I rarely see them in nurseries here.

Top of drive border

You can tell it is winter by the patch of bright green in the field beyond the garden, it would be golden or brown in summer.

Lonicera fragrantissima

I think there are more blooms on the wonderful fragrant Lonicera than I’ve ever seen before.  Maybe due in part to more rain last summer.

Lonicera fragrantissima

So much perfume from such tiny flowers.

Iris reticulata ‘Harmony’

Iris reticulata ‘Harmony’ are blooming all around the garden at the moment; I love them.  This variety returns well each year but other varieties are less sure.  After seeing the wonderful selection of varieties Chloris at The Blooming Garden has, I hope to try some different ones next year.

I hope the good gardening weather continues everywhere.  Readers in the UK might like to contemplate that their temperatures this past week have been between 5 to 15 degrees higher than here in central Italy where last weekend we had a icy winds from the north.  Even yesterday, which was a glorious day our temperatures didn’t rise above 18°C.