In A Vase On Monday – Spring Forward
Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share an arrangement using materials collected from the garden.
In A Vase On Monday – Spring Forward
Spring forward—yesterday marked a return to daylight savings time and we set clocks ahead by one hour. Despite the optimistic spring forward mnemonic, I gathered my flowers well ahead this week, on Friday, to stay ahead of winter’s return. A light snow fell briefly Sunday morning dusting the garden for a couple of hours before giving way to bright blue skies and sunshine. Early forecast models had predicted this might be a much bigger event than it was, but we could not escape below-freezing temperatures for several nights.
With impending cold and snow in mind I collected freely and was able to assemble a couple of designs.
In A Vase On Monday – Spring Forward
Both arrangements include Anemone coronaria ‘Mr. Fokker’ for a rich punch of color and lovely pure white Narcissus ‘Thalia’ for springtime freshness.
Anemone coronaria ‘Mr. Fokker’
Narcissus ‘Thalia’ just opened during the past week.
White Narcissus ‘Thalia’
The first arrangement places Mr. Fokker in a Portmerion porcelain vase with a botanic pattern with echoes of blues, greens and a blush of pink. Camellia x ‘Coral Delight’ enlivens the effect, subtle hellebores add balance.
In A Vase On Monday – Spring Forward
Although designed to be viewed from the front, the back of this arrangement shows off the Acuba’s gold flecks on dark green leaves.
Outside, arching branches of Eastern redbud are in bloom.
Back view highlights Acuba foliage. Eastern redbud is visible outdoors.
The second arrangement was intended to be a simple pitcher of daffodils, the newly opened Narcissus ‘Thalia’, and mostly is.
In A Vase On Monday – Spring Forward
In my experience daffodils are strong-willed, non-compliant participants in flower arrangements and work best when used alone. I forgot that lesson this week and fiddled with them for way too long. After a struggle I conceded and let them sit where they wanted; however, I did insist they share the vase with several anemones, grape hyacinths, candytuft and a single Tahiti double daffodil.
In A Vase On Monday – Spring Forward
The small bits of muscari and Iberis sempervirens add interesting texture and work well with the colors scheme.
In A Vase On Monday – Spring Forward
The stoneware container holding this second design was a wedding gift from my college roommate. I enjoy using this piece. It was made by a well-known local potter, Jim Pringle.
In A Vase On Monday – Spring Forward
Materials
Flowers
Anemone coronaria ‘Mr. Fokker’
Anemone coronaria ‘The Bride’
Camellia x ‘Coral Delight’ (Synonym: Camellia japonica x Camellia saluenensis)
Helleborus x hybridus (Lenten rose)
Hyacinth orientalis ‘Blue Jacket’
Hyacinth Sunrise Mix
Iberis sempervirens (Candytuft)
Muscari (Grape Hyacinth)
Narcissus ‘Thalia’
Foliage
Aucuba japonica ‘Variegata’ (Gold Dust Aucuba)
Vases
Portmerion- Botanic vase made in England
Stoneware pitcher glazed with bands of cream, green, blue. (from set of 4 cups and pitcher, Pringle Pottery, North Carolina, circa 1977)
Snow or no, this looks like spring to me. Has the season changed for you yet?
In A Vase On Monday – Spring Forward
Thanks to Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for hosting and giving us a chance to express our flower arranging passion. Visit her to discover what she and others found this week in their winter gardens to place In A Vase On Monday.
pbmGarden 
Spring to welcome you and David home, perfect! Springtime vases are such a joy and is is good to see your abundant flowers, hope the cold nights aren’t doing any damage.
Wonderful to be back home, that’s for sure. David is working hard at PT and seeing good results. Still a ways to go but each day is better. The cold is distressing after everything budded so early. Probably lost the hydrangeas for the year.
Luscious and lovely! I hope that your garden rebounds from the cold spell without prejudice.
Thank you! We’re expecting a few more nights well below freezing so it will be tricky to keep the garden protected.
Your vases are beautiful. Sorry to hear about the cold hitting your area. Do all gardeners have Portmeirion? I just ate my breakfast from the same design as your vase.
I imagine breakfast would be better with botanicals to enjoy. This vase was a gift from my sister who has a knack for selecting nice ones.
I “visited” the dishes in the store for years before I could afford them.
I’m glad we both made it through that crazy snow Sunday. Beautiful vases again, Susie.
Thanks John. Good luck throughout the rest of the week–cold temperatures expected here.
So fresh and beautiful! I dread what’s coming our way. Perhaps we will have spring again next week.
Thanks Marian. Hope the blast of cold will not be too unkind.
Yes, I have Portmeiron breakfast bowls too! I do so love Dr Fokker, and if mine from last year do not return I shall really have to buy new corms each year because the colour is so wonderful, especially contrasted with the pureness of Thalia’s white. A superb combination – and your extra touches help draw the eye even more. Thanks for sharing, and hope things are progressing well for you both
Thanks Cathy. Portmeiron porcelain really gets around! It’s lovely, isn’t it. Do you call it Dr Fokker rather than Mr then? I treasure the few in my garden as I’ve been unsuccessful getting subsequent plantings to survive. Good idea to keep adding more corms but frustrating when the don’t make it.
Do I call it Dr Fokker? Well, I obviously did, but just checking in the Peter Nyssen catalogue which I had next to me to try and work out what my tulips might be they are Mr Fokker here too, so it was a mental aberration on my part 😉 Sorry! I have some anemones coming up (outside), but I suspect they will be the red ones that I bought as plants to supplement blooms for Younger Daughter’s wedding flowers. I have buds on pots of Sylphide in the greenhouse though, which is very exciting 🙂
Purple Anemone amid N. ‘Thalia’ are such a striking combination. I love the vases, too. It’s so nice to see the redbud outside your window – spring will prevail!
Thanks Eliza. Our old redbud has done poorly for the last few years but is experiencing a rally this spring. It’s been very showy.
I planted one a few years ago and while it suckers abundantly, it gets winter killed pretty badly. We seem to be pushing its northern boundaries!
I love the rich color of that Anemone. Beautiful combinations all…. Unfortunately it is snowing here this morning. Happy Monday.
Thanks Lisa. Would love an entire garden of that anemone color, mostly anyway. Hope the snow won’t be damaging. Ours over the weekend was the best kind–very quick and light.
All of a sudden you have abundance and we get a glimpse of the garden as well. Love the litle dafs peeping out over the edge of your container.
The garden has produced lots of early blooms this year. Daffodils have been particularly strong and lasted well.
Beautiful blooms, displayed to maximum advantage with views of your garden in the background, Susie! I hope the blizzard discussed in the morning news doesn’t stop spring in its tracks there. It was smart of you to prepare ahead of the weekend snowfall and cut all those lovely blooms for today’s vase. I foolishly left many of the delicate Narcissus and Anemone blooms standing in my own garden last week when heat and our nasty Santa Ana winds took off and now the garden is populated with their withered stems.
Oh, that’s too bad the heat and wind zapped your flowers. It’s always hard to know which ones can be left. I was afraid the Thalias would be ruined but around town many daffodils seem no worse for the weather. Have a great week Kris.
What beautiful combinations of shape and color. And do they ever say Spring! I also love both of the containers and they each nicely echo the contents.
Thanks Linda. Spring flowers bring such cheer and joy. It’s my favorite season.
How lovely – all of them! The white Narcissus and purples go beautifully together. And your Portmeirion vase is gorgeous. I am so envious of it, having wanted one with the botanical pattern for years! We have another two weeks before our clocks change. It is still frosty at night here, but we have had 9 or 10°C the past few days, with a fair bit of sunshine too! 🙂
Thanks Cathy. My sister gave me that Portmerion vase many years ago and it seemed like a natural for the anemones and narcissus this week. Maybe you should treat yourself! Your weather sounds positively mild and pleasant.
What a contast from your beautiful, spring vase to the snow outside. Your white narcissus are a dream. Yes, spring is advancing day by day and very welcome it is too.
Spring came early here but winter has a grip this week. The snow was minor but it is the cold nights that may damage the tender buds. But spring will be back…
Beautiful mix of blooms
All are lovely and Portmerion is my favorite everyday china. A fine job taming the Thalias! March madness of a different sort, snow and all. Hope your husband is doing well.
What a gorgeous break from looking outside at the white landscape. Beautiful flowers and equally lovely containers. You certainly know how to celebrate the changing of the time. 🙂
Both of these arrangements are absolutely gorgeous. You combine the colors so nicely. I might have to plant some ‘Thalia’ Narcissus myself.
Thanks Jason. I think you will enjoy Thalia.
You do have such a way with dramatic presentations!