Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share an arrangement using materials collected from the garden.

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.

Both arrangements include Anemone coronaria ‘Mr. Fokker’ for a rich punch of color and lovely pure white Narcissus ‘Thalia’ for springtime freshness.

Narcissus ‘Thalia’ just opened during the past week.

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.

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.

The second arrangement was intended to be a simple pitcher of daffodils, the newly opened Narcissus ‘Thalia’, and mostly is.

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.

The small bits of muscari and Iberis sempervirens add interesting texture and work well with the colors scheme.

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.

 

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?

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.