by

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!

Advertisements
by

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.

by

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?

 

 

by

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?

by

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.