In A Vase On Monday – Monochrome
In A Vase On Monday – Monochrome
Every Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share a vase with materials selected from our gardens. With both in their prime, it was difficult to choose between irises and peonies so both get a deserved moment in the limelight this week.
Iris
The irises coloring the front yard this week are passalongs that came without a name. Their delicate flowers are more petite and flowy than many of my irises.
Iris With Raindrops
I love their pure violet blue hue and their slender confident stature rising above the green grass and wanted to translate this monochromatic growing scheme into a simple vase.
In A Vase On Monday – Monochrome
In A Vase On Monday – Monochrome
Reusing Lamb’s ears in the same container from last week, the vase came together quickly. Versatile Cerinthe used as filler made a pleasant partner to the iris.
In A Vase On Monday – Monochrome
In A Vase On Monday – Monochrome
Materials
Flowers
Iris, a passalong
‘Pride of Gibraltar’ Hummingbird Cerinthe
Foliage
Stachys byzantina (Lamb’s Ear)
Container
Textured, incised ceramic pedestal vase, rice or bone color. 5×6-inches, with floral pin holder.
Black stones
Peony
With more rain forecast I cut most of the open Coral Charm peonies Friday morning.
In A Vase On Monday – Monochrome
In A Vase On Monday – Monochrome
In A Vase On Monday – Monochrome
In A Vase On Monday – Monochrome
Fern-like foliage of Tansy brought its own calming texture to the complex structure of the flowers.
In A Vase On Monday – Monochrome
In A Vase On Monday – Monochrome
Materials
Flowers
Helleborus x hybridus
Paeonia lactiflora ‘Coral Charm’ (Coral Charm Peony)
Foliage
Tanacetum vulgare (Tansy)
Container
Black metal suiban. 4 x 9.5 x 6.5 inches. Japan.
Black stones
Thanks to Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for hosting each week. Visit her blog to see her vase and check out those of other gardeners from around the world.
pbmGarden 
They’re both so beautiful! I like how the edges on the tansy foliage kind of echoes the peony petals…
Oh, I see that now, that serrated edging. Keen observation.
I am enjoying both vases, especially as I can’t grow either of your flowers here.
With climate change happening so quickly I wonder how long I’ll be able to grow peonies. I understand they really need a long chill. We had only a couple very cold periods anyway this year, fairly mild.
And of course you would chose 2 favorites I don’t grow in this tiny garden-iris and peony….and especially in those 2 colors. Wow! Thanks for the garden eye candy. Needed it.
Glad to share these with you today, Donna. They’re two of my favorites.
Beautiful! Thank you for sharing.
Thank you Su!
Both these different flowers deserve their own place as who could choose the better, love these colours and the form. I like the way you have arranged them.
Thanks Noelle. I think it proved easier to create separate arrangements for the irises and peonies. Irises especially are not very cooperative.
I absolutely love the Tansy foliage with those peonies – so fun and lacey. My friend had some at her flower farm and it was the first time I had seen tansy like yours (I have a variety that grows wild on our ditch, but the greenery on it is not very pretty) and now it has become one of my favorite sources of greenery.
Katie, I like Tansy for its foliage too. I don’t have any ferns and the tansy leaves remind me of them. Glad you have a source!
What a treat to have two vases from you today, and both lovely of course! I am not a huge fan of irises as you might remember, but the overall effect of them en masse in your pedestal vase in that pretty shade is perfectly charming. YOur peonies are, of course, stunning! What a shame you had to cut them all to avoid the weather damage… 🙄 I do have a cerinthe in flower, but they are self-seeded from last year, so I still have not grown any Pride of Gibraltar 😉
Cathy, I remember you aren’t too fond of irises. It’s funny how flowers appeal and affect us, isn’t it? My grandmother grew them and I spent a lot of time with her in her cutting garden so that may be where my interest was sparked. They are so reliable and ask so little. The peonies may have been too far gone when I cut them. I’ve been picking up petals off the floor all day! All my cerinthe are self-seeded this year too. I’ve never found any seed offered except Pride of Gibraltar. Thank you for hosting!
That’s intersting to read about you and your grandmother in her cutting garden – what a lovely memory to have. I think it’s the contrast of the throats that doesn’t appeal (the same with many pansies) – and the beards of these ones!!
The iris look even more like Iris pallida in these pictures. DId I mention that earlier? Peonies are RAD! I noticed them growing in the Pacific Northwest. They do not perform well here. A neighbor grew them well, but did not know why they performed so well in that particular garden, but nowhere else nearby.
I suppose they could be. I looked up Iris pallida after you mentioned it last week and they do look very much like the photos I found. Still bearded iris.
Do they smell like grape pop?
Couldn’t tell that. More like bubbleum.
? Well, that is odd. Now I am wondering if that is what mine ‘really’ smell like.
Two absolutely beautiful vases Suzie – the stars of each are such glorious colours. Do the peony flowers suffer from spotting when it rains?
Thanks Anna. I haven’t noticed spotting on peonies from rain, but if already open they just collect all that water and don’t last very well.
Lovely arrangements, Susie. Using tansy with the peonies was an inspired choice! ❤
Eliza, I tried years ago to get rid of the tansy because it spread so easily, but it felt differently. I really like it’s foliage much more than the flowers.
I’ve also read that tansy repels ants, good around foundations, I’d think, if ants were getting in the house. Although borax takes care of my little brown sugar ants quickly, leaving room to plant other things!
Thanks for that tip. We had a problem back in winter with ants.
Wow! When your bearded Irises show up, they aren’t subtle about it. I love the mix of the Iris and the Cerinthe. My feelings about the luscious peonies go without saying. I was tempted by an Itoh peony in my local garden center last week but I’d promised myself I won’t invest in another one unless or until the one I’ve had for years blooms.
Hmm, I passed up an Itoh peony last week, but am second guessing that decision. The irises are having a great time this spring!
Your arrangements are beautiful. I especially love the iris and peony!
Thanks Lee. Irises and peonies are especially rewarding this year.
There are the peonies! I love these, Susie. They are both calming and serene. That is a neat Iris, I like the smaller scale, tasteful and it looks great with the Cerinthe. Tansy is a good foil for the peonies.
Thanks Amy. I was happy to work the cerinthe into a vase finally.
Your iris and peony vases are beautiful and all the more because we don’t have them here yet. You must live somewhere where spring is well on its way.
Hi Cindy, I’m in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. We’ve had a rather strange spring, a bit of back and forth, some really too hot days for spring, but mild again today. The irises and peonies are pretty much on time. I have some other peonies that usually are several weeks behind.
It was lovely to see you Sunday, albeit only for a short time. All your vases are gorgeous and the one right next to you on Zoom didn’t go unnoticed either. 😀 The peonies look like silk, so delicate and so pretty. Cerinthe are flowering here as well, always a favourite with the bees.
Was sorry to miss you talk Sunday, Annette. It was good of you to share your experiences. Yes, I had prepared the vases early and the peonies were on the table next to me. They were mostly opened when I cut them and they’re fading quickly.
You captured spring in this one post.
These flowers do feel like spring to me, especially I think of irises in spring. Have a good week, Judy.
Both your iris and peonies are gorgeous Susie, and I am so glad you weren’t tempted to add anything this time so they could shine in their own right. Although I bet they would look lovely in an arrangement together too! I have finally found a Coral Charm plant that is affordable… should be arriving this week. I don’t suppose it will flower for me this year, but who knows, I may be lucky. Our peony foliage is only about 10 cm tall here so far so thre will be a bit of a wait anyway. Have a good week Susie!
So exciting Cathy. Glad you found Coral Charm and hope you’ll love it. I’d been watching a small peony this spring that I thought was one I’d ordered several years ago and had given up on it ever blooming. Surprised to see it was Coral Charm, then I remembered I’d broken off a piece by mistake last year and decided to stick it in the ground. Had two blooms on it. So, maybe yours will grace you with flowers too this year.
It arrived today – a decent sized plant, a little worse the wear for the journey, but it has one bud on it! 😀
Oh, a bud! That’s wonderful Cathy!