Tag Archives: early spring garden

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

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

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

Fern-like foliage of Tansy brought its own calming texture to the complex structure of the flowers.

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.

In A Vase On Monday – Spring Intention

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In A Vase On Monday – Spring Intention

Every Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share a vase with items collected from our gardens.

It is easy to become distracted in the spring garden. The only thing I knew I wanted in today’s vase was cerinthe and then when I went out to gather materials this morning I completely forgot to get some, realizing the omission only after this vase was assembled. So much for intention; I’ve come to appreciate flexibility and resiliency just as much.

In A Vase On Monday – Spring Intention

A single Coral Charm peony was available this morning. At its feet was a large spread of Stachys byzantina, fuzzy lamb’s ears, glistening in the sunlight. The combination was serendipitously satisfying in its contrast of texture and form.

In A Vase On Monday – Spring Intention

A touch of recently planted Purple Bicolor Sweet William, along with hellebores heading to seed, and bulbous seed pods of summer snowflakes fill out the design.

Dianthus ‘Purple Bicolor’ (Sweet William)

Seeds forming on hellebores

Leucojum aestivum (summer snowflake) seed pods

Materials
Flowers
Dianthus ‘Purple Bicolor’ (Sweet William)
Helleborus x hybridus
Paeonia lactiflora ‘Coral Charm’ (Coral Charm Peony)
Foliage
Leucojum aestivum (summer snowflake) Seedheads
Stachys byzantina (Lamb’s Ear)
Container
Textured, incised ceramic pedestal vase, rice or bone color. 5×6-inches, with floral pin holder.
Black stones

In A Vase On Monday – Spring Intention

Had to include one more image. Since bringing the peony inside it is already opening more fully.

In A Vase On Monday – Spring Intention

Have a wonderful week. 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.

Silent Sunday – Easter

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Garden View

Baptisia ‘Purple Smoke’

Lychnis coronaria (Rose Campion)

Iris × hollandica (Dutch Iris)

Iris × hollandica (Dutch Iris) in Southern Side Garden

‘Pride of Gibraltar’ Hummingbird Cerinthe

In A Vase On Monday – Crimson King

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Every Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share a vase with materials gathered from our gardens.

In A Vase On Monday – Crimson King

Spring is coming on too quickly for me to keep up. Suddenly the early irises are in full bloom.

In A Vase On Monday – Crimson King

In A Vase On Monday – Crimson King. Side view

A passalong from a dear neighbor ever so many years ago, the dark and intense reddish-violet Iris ‘Crimson King’ is the main star in today’s vase.

Iris ‘Crimson King

Amassed onto one side for impact, white Cheerfulness daffodils were selected to brighten and to provide contrast against the intense purple of Crimson King.

Iris germanica ‘Orinoco Flow’ brings texture and pattern to the design, while reinforcing the purple and white theme. Similarly Hellebores, chosen originally to serve as fillers, also heighten and enhance the color theme.

In A Vase On Monday – Crimson King

Materials
Flowers
Iris ‘Crimson King’
Iris germanica ‘Orinoco Flow’
Narcissus ‘Cheerfulness’
Helleborus x hybridus
Foliage
Leucanthemum x superbum ‘Becky’
Container
Textured, incised ceramic pedestal vase, rice or bone color. 5×6-inches, with floral pin holder.
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.

In A Vase On Monday – Branches And Iris

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In A Vase On Monday – Branches And Iris

Every Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden encourages us to share a vase with materials gathered from our gardens. Our flowering dogwood opened a couple days ago so, braving a few strikes of lightning and raindrops, I clipped a few branches to highlight today.

In A Vase On Monday – Branches And Iris

At the same time I rescued a deep yellow daffodil and one with pink accents from the pending rains.

In A Vase On Monday – Branches And Iris

A reliable clump of Dutch iris circa 2001 bloomed en masse yesterday and I felt they deserved to be featured as well, as much for their resilience as for their beauty.

In A Vase On Monday – Branches And Iris

The selections turned out to be not particularly compatible in shape or color, but with no time to search for more materials they managed to keep their co-starring roles. The result is far afield from my original vision. The daffodils I believe tied the dogwood and irises together. There are always lessons to learn but in the end, fresh spring flowers are glorious and fill our house with joy.

In A Vase On Monday – Branches And Iris

Materials
Flowers
Cornus florida (Flowering Dogwood)
Iris × hollandica (Dutch Iris)
Narcissus ‘Delnashaugh’ (Double Daffodil)
Narcissus (no ID)
Foliage
Iris leaves
Container
Black metal suiban. 4 x 9.5 x 6.5 inches. Japan.
Black stones

In A Vase On Monday – Branches And Iris

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.

In A Vase On Monday – Tulips and Daffodils

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In A Vase On Monday – Tulips and Daffodils

Every Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden encourages us to share a vase with materials gathered from our gardens.

On the last day of February a friend stopped by with a pot of tulips in bud. They’ve been a marvel. I resisted cutting them until recently, spurred on by wishing for a little something else to add to this set of pink-centered daffodils.

In A Vase On Monday – Tulips and Daffodils

I had tried some pink daffodils a few times but last year finally established a grouping in the garden. This one came in a mixed bag so I’m not sure of its name.

In A Vase On Monday – Tulips and Daffodils

This lovely double one is a perfect accompaniment for the single.

Narcissus ‘Delnashaugh’ (Double Daffodil)

So I selected a few tulips to include in the vase. I like the pleasing way the colors blend.

In A Vase On Monday – Tulips and Daffodils

Materials
Flowers
Narcissus ‘Delnashaugh’ (Double Daffodil)
Narcissus (no ID)
Tulip
Foliage
None
Container
Dark blue matte ceramic jar

Last week I had prepared a fresh vase of white daffodils, Narcissus ‘Thalia’, but didn’t manage to get them photographed in time to join other Monday vases, so I am sneaking them in today. Thalia are a particular favorite and I’m pleased to see their numbers increasing again after a few years of poor showing.

Narcissus ‘Thalia’

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.

Wordless Wednesday – Early March Wonders

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Camellia ‘Coral Delight’

Cercis canadensis (Eastern Redbud)

‘Pride of Gibraltar’ Hummingbird Cerinthe

Narcissus ‘Delnashaugh’ (Double Daffodil)

Wordless Wednesday – A Tulip Gift

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Tulips From A Friend with Daffodils

Tulips From A Friend with Summer Snowflakes

In A Vase On Monday – Hellebores With Shades Of Blue

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In A Vase On Monday – Hellebores With Shades Of Blue

Every Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden encourages us to share a vase with materials gathered from our gardens.

A quickly assembled vase for today in blue (more purple really), pale green and white was not quite balanced when I took the photos. (Later I removed the hyacinth on the left and was somewhat more satisfied.)

My friend since college, Susan, brought me pansies last fall for a bit of color throughout winter. With the warmer weather the blue/purple, white and apricot flowers have come into their own. For this vase I connected several of the the bluish ones with strongly fragrant hyacinths of similar shades. In contrast, white summer snowflakes and greenish white hellebores stand tall above the darker layer.

In A Vase On Monday – Hellebores With Shades Of Blue

Materials
Flowers
Helleborus x hybridus
Hyacinth Orientalis ‘Shades of Blue’
Leucojum aestivum (summer snowflake)
Pansy Grandio True Blue’
Pansy Grandio Deep Blue W/Blotch’
Foliage
Helleborus
Container
Textured, incised ceramic pedestal vase, rice or bone color. 5×6-inches, with floral pin holder

In A Vase On Monday – Hellebores With Shades Of Blue

My husband’s medical issues continue to be a challenge, but I managed an hour in the garden Sunday afternoon, sprinkling some seeds and imagining and designing and reaping the benefit of just being outdoors. I dug some summer snowflakes to share with our caregiver’s mother. Passing along plants is gratifying, especially since I’ve so often been the recipient of gardeners’s generosity.

Thanks to Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for hosting each week. Visit her blog to see her hellebores and check out others’ vases from many parts of the world.

In A Vase On Monday – Lightly Scented Yellow

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In A Vase On Monday – Lightly Scented Yellow

Every Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden encourages us to share a vase with materials gathered from our gardens.

In A Vase On Monday – Lightly Scented Yellow

‘King Alfred’ daffodils continue to open around the garden. I grabbed a few minutes this afternoon to pluck a couple handfuls and place them in an earth-toned ceramic container. I bought the vase one spring day many years ago at an Apple Chill Festival on downtown Chapel Hill’s Franklin Street. I scanned back through pictures and I believe the last time I used it for a Monday vase was 2015.

In A Vase On Monday – Lightly Scented Yellow

Narcissus ‘King Alfred’

One non-Alfred with pale yellow petals made its way into the vase as well, it’s name long forgotten.

In A Vase On Monday – Lightly Scented Yellow

Materials
Flowers
Narcissus ‘King Alfred’
Narcissus sp.
Foliage
Gardenia jasminoides
Camellia sasanqua ‘Yuletide’
Lavandula (Lavender)
Container
Glazed ceramic pot

The daffodils are nicely scented and it’s hard to overstate how cheerful they are. Thanks to Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for hosting each week. Visit her blog to see her hellebores and check out others’ vases from many parts of the world.

Wordless Wednesday – Early Risers

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Leucojum aestivum (summer snowflake)

Helleborus x hybridus

American robins arrived with flock of Red-winged Blackbirds over the weekend. Blackbirds can be heard in background in the video.

Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)

Hyacinth Orientalis ‘Shades of Blue’

Iberis sempervirens (Candytuft)

Iris Reticulata ‘Harmony’

Muscari (Grape Hyacinth)

Viola

In A Vase On Monday – First Daffodils

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In A Vase On Monday – First Daffodils

Every Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden encourages us to share a vase with materials gathered from our gardens.

Late in the day I plucked a handful of flowers, a joyful signaling of the awakening garden.

In A Vase On Monday – First Daffodils

Daffodils began opening last Thursday followed by a few more each day. First were Narcissus ‘King Alfred,’ tall trumpets and quite fragrant.

Narcissus ‘King Alfred’

Suddenly today a little patch of N. ‘Tete-a-Tete’ were in full bloom along with a medium size one whose name I’ve lost.

Narcissus ‘Tete-a-Tete’

In A Vase On Monday – First Daffodils (no name)

Materials
Flowers
Narcissus ‘King Alfred’
Narcissus ‘Tete-a-Tete’ (Tete-a-Tete Daffodil)
Foliage
None
Container
Glazed ceramic and small glass cylinder vases

Hope you all have a great week. Thanks to Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for hosting each week.

Wordless Wednesday – MidApril Closeups

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Narcissus ‘Delnashaugh’ (Double Daffodil)

Narcissus (Mixed Large Daffodils)

Narcissus ‘Cheerfulness’

Twin Sisters / Cemetery Ladies (Narcissus x medioluteus)

Iris germanica ‘Raspberry Blush’

Iris germanica ‘Orinoco Flow’

Cornus florida (Flowering Dogwood)

Wordless Wednesday – Shades of Blue

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Hyacinth Orientalis Shades of Blue

‘Pride of Gibraltar’ Hummingbird Cerinthe

Sedum ‘Thunderhead’ (planted 2021)

March Clouds

Friday Blue And Whites

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It has been a busy week of weeding and mulching the garden but there is more to do, always more. Several hours before dawn we awoke to a powerful lightning storm but it carried little rain so far. I ventured outside around eight o’clock to secure the tarp covering my mulch and to catch a few quick pictures.

In the past couple days the spirea has opened even more fully.

Spiraea prunifolia (bridal wreath spiraea)

Muscari is finally visible above the greenery of this bulbs planted in 2018.

Muscari ‘Armeniacum’

Anemones are awesome flowers. I have planted many over the years but few actually have made it to this stage. These were planted several years ago.

Anemone De Caen ‘Mr Fokker’

More of the cerinthe flowers have opened. Hope they seed all around.

‘Pride of Gibraltar’ Hummingbird Cerinthe

Candytuft is one of my favorite groundcovers. This is a small patch planted 20 years ago in a front sidewalk border. Try as I might I cannot seem to get it to thrive in other areas of the garden for very long.

Iberis sempervirens (Candytuft)

Have a safe and happy weekend.

In A Vase On Monday – Spring Tea

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In A Vase On Monday – Spring Tea

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share a vase of materials gathered from our gardens.

I gathered the first Thalia Daffodils this morning thinking they would feature in today’s vase. Stems of spirea, camellias, snowflakes and bits of foliage of different sorts, including fresh rosettes of unfurling columbine–all collected up as well.

Narcissus ‘Thalia’ (Thalia Daffodil)

Aquilegia canadensis (Eastern red columbine)

But hellebores being conditioned in a drinking glass engaged my attention and inspired me to use them on their own without adornment.

In A Vase On Monday – Spring Tea

For a container today I had already decided to use my grandmother’s burgundy teapot so I shifted the hellebores into it.

In A Vase On Monday – Spring Tea

Three sprigs of Cerinthe seemed to add a nice final touch.

Helleborus x hybridus

In A Vase On Monday – Spring Tea

Helleborus x hybridus

In A Vase On Monday – Spring Tea

Materials
Flowers
Helleborus hybridus
‘Pride of Gibraltar’ Hummingbird Cerinthe
Foliage
Container
Grandma’s Teapot. McCormick Tea, Baltimore Md., Made In USA (some history of this teapot)

Many thanks to Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for hosting and giving us an opportunity to try arranging flowers to share. Visit her to discover what garden surprises she and others are offering this week.

Spring Opening 2021

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Vernal Equinox: March 20, 2021 5:37 am.

Spring officially arrived this morning in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Narcissus ‘Tete-a-Tete’ (Tete-a-Tete Daffodil)

After a week of severe weather warnings here on Thursday we saw only light rain showers on a day that sadly brought damaging tornados nearby and across the region.

I managed only a couple hours of cleanup this week but it was satisfying to measure a bit of progress. A delivery of mulch scheduled for mid-week is a huge incentive to get busy weeding today.

Narcissus ‘King Alfred’

In fall of 2018 I layered tulip and muscari bulbs in a big blue pot. Last year a few tulips surprised me with blooms but muscari foliage was the bigger surprise. It never died back last summer, nor over the winter. So there is a tangle of leaves with little flowers now beginning to open.

Muscari ‘Armeniacum’

After the winter a crinum lily is lifted way above ground. I read it should be planted with soil up to the neck of the bulb, which it was, but like my daughter who couldn’t tolerate turtlenecks as a child, the crinum didn’t like being restricted either apparently. Is the solution to dump more soil around it? It is already growing new leaves. I also read these bulbs could grow to 20 pounds so getting the planting right early on is important.

Crinum × powellii (Crinum lily)

I have tentatively identified a mystery plant in another pot as Matthiola incana (Stock). I think I pulled it up last fall by mistake and temporarily potted it until I could get back to it.

Matthiola incana (Stock -Giant Imperial Blend)

There is a very small clump of anemones starting to flower. Even one of these richly colored flowers is impactful when added to little bouquets of summer snowflakes and daffodils which I have been happily sharing with neighbors.

Anemone De Caen ‘Mr Fokker’

Some of the Liatris spicata ‘Blazing Star’ planted last year but enjoyed only by the rabbits have begun to emerge. The Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Ruby Slippers’ is waking up. Spiraea seems very late this year but a few flowers have begun to show.

Liatris spicata ‘Blazing Star’

Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Ruby Slippers’ (Lil’ Ruby dwarf Oakleaf Hydrangea)

Spiraea prunifolia (bridal wreath spiraea)

The hellebores continue to open and now the garden is looking more colorful when viewed more than six inches away.

Helleborus x hybridus

Before I finish I must mention I am haunted by the recent tragedy in Atlanta. Please keep in your thoughts the Asian women who were targeted and murdered this week. Amidst such suffering in the world we must find a way to bring compassion into our hearts.

Helleborus x hybridus

Thanks for stopping by. Wishing you a productive and exciting spring!

In A Vase On Monday – Spring Tryouts

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