Narcissus ‘Delnashaugh’ (Double Daffodil)
Narcissus ‘Delnashaugh’ (Double Daffodil)
Narcissus ‘Delnashaugh’ (Double Daffodil)
Narcissus (Mixed Large Daffodils)
Narcissus (Mixed Large Daffodils)
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)
Cornus florida (Flowering Dogwood)
In A Vase On Monday – Iris Spring
Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share a vase of materials gathered from our gardens.
In A Vase On Monday – Iris Spring
A neighbor was selling flower bouquets Saturday from her porch and I could not resist when the list included lupine and viburnum. I have unsuccessfully tried growing lupine seed this year. Then the flower grower didn’t bring lupine this week after all, but threw in buttercups. The viburnum heads were fairly weak even though I conditioned the stems overnight. The color is useful though and I immediately thought it would pair well with deep purple Iris ‘Crimson King’.
Iris ‘Crimson King’ and Viburnum
I filled out the arrangement with other irises of the moment, and other odds and ends.
In A Vase On Monday – Iris Spring
In A Vase On Monday – Iris Spring
Iris germanica ‘Orinoco Flow’
In A Vase On Monday – Iris Spring
Ranunculus bulbosus (Buttercup)
Iris tectorum (Japanese Roof Iris) and Iris ‘Crimson King’
Materials
Flowers
Iris ‘Crimson King’
Iris germanica ‘Orinoco Flow’
Iris germanica ‘Raspberry Blush’
Iris tectorum (Japanese Roof Iris)
Phlox divaricata (Woodland phlox)
Ranunculus bulbosus (Buttercup)
Twin Sisters / Cemetery Ladies (Narcissus x medioluteus)
Viburnum
Foliage
Heuchera villosa ‘Big Top Bronze’ (Coral Bells)
Penstemon digitalis ‘Husker Red’ (Beardtongue)
Container
Glass Pedestal Dish
In A Vase On Monday – Iris Spring
Twin Sisters / Cemetery Ladies (Narcissus x medioluteus)
As always thanks to our host Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for providing this opportunity to to share our vases. Visit her to discover what garden surprises she and others are offering this week.
In A Vase On Monday – Iris Spring
Clematis ‘Jackmanii’
Heuchera villosa ‘Big Top Bronze’ (Coral Bells)
Iris germanica ‘Raspberry Blush’
Iris germanica ‘Orinoco Flow’
In A Vase On Monday – Delicate Quietude
Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share an arrangement using materials collected from our gardens.
In A Vase On Monday – Delicate Quietude
A second group of irises abruptly opened all at once on Saturday. My first thought was to showcase them in a lush bouquet, but as springtime settles in there is competition for what enters the Monday vase. So this week only one stalk of iris stands sentry. This is Iris germanica ‘Raspberry Blush’ (and friends).
In A Vase On Monday – Delicate Quietude
A late-blooming narcissus and Solomon’s seal were two surprises I had not remembered to expect. Finding them changed the direction today’s vase took. The pair proved challenging to combine but I like the echo of yellow between the trumpet of one and the broad leaves of the other.
Narcissus and Polygonatum biflorum (Solomon’s seal)
The Solomon’s seal is a 2-year old passalong from my friend Chris.
Narcissus and Polygonatum biflorum (Solomon’s seal)
I stair-stepped the narcissus faces in parallel with the dangling flowers of Solomon’s seal; eventually the effect was lost to the greater cause of trying to balance the overall design.
In the end the physical limitation of the floral pin in the vase dictated the final look. There just was room to add a slender stem of Phlox stolonifera ‘Sherwood Purple.’
In A Vase On Monday – Delicate Quietude
Materials
Flowers
Iberis sempervirens (Candytuft)
Iris germanica ‘Raspberry Blush’
Narcissus
Phlox stolonifera ‘Sherwood Purple’
Polygonatum biflorum (Solomon’s seal)
Foliage
Leucanthemum x superbum (Shasta Daisy)
Vase
Porcelain Ikebana vase, Georgetown Pottery, Maine. Rectangle Blue Zen (6.75L x 3.75W x 2H inches)
In A Vase On Monday – Delicate Quietude
Thanks to Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for hosting and giving us an opportunity to share flower designs across the world. Visit her to discover what she and others found to place In A Vase On Monday.
In A Vase On Monday – Columbine And Blush
Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share an arrangement using materials collected from the garden.
We are in the midst of a perfect spring in North Carolina. Skies are bluest blue, air is crisp at dawn, sunlight is warm and nourishing. Across the region petal-like bracts of dogwoods unfold above colorful azaleas, native columbine flowers nod atop every breeze and in my garden, irises are beginning to bloom.
Iris season epitomizes the best of spring in my little garden space. And so it is that mature hellebores, native columbine and early-blooming tall bearded irises take the stage this week for today’s Monday vase.
Several types of purple irises are flowering but Iris germanica ‘Raspberry Blush’ is the one I selected to use. Since purchasing Raspberry Blush several years ago I have often though the iris may be mislabeled. It seems more salmony orange than raspberry.
Iris germanica ‘Raspberry Blush’
But outdoors in certain light the flower has more reddish tones and I can almost see raspberry.
Iris germanica ‘Raspberry Blush’
Growing nearby the confusingly named iris is a strong stand of Aquilegia canadensis or Eastern red columbine. Its color seems particularly muted this year. The pale hue sparked my imagination to pair it with the iris.
Aquilegia canadensis (Eastern red columbine)
Having never used columbine indoors, prior to cutting any I looked it up and read it can last quite well. Because this wildflower has self-seeded and spread itself into many parts of the garden, it was easy to collect a large batch. In such a large bunch the columbine quickly became tangled and it was tricky to tame.
In A Vase On Monday – Columbine And Blush
Removing the foliage made it look tidier, but was too time-consuming. I settled on using only a few stems. When inserted into a florist’s frog the columbine created the outline of the design.
In A Vase On Monday – Columbine And Blush
Next came the placement of the irises.
Columbine and Iris germanica ‘Raspberry Blush’
Hellebores tucked around the base of the arrangement help to conceal the mechanics.
Hellebores
The final arrangement is loose and fresh, much more interesting in person than as captured in photographs. The pictures have forced me to analyze quite a lot. If I were making it over I would lower most of the columbine and allow the irises to soar above. Or I would add several focal flowers in contrasting colors to make the design more dynamic.
In A Vase On Monday – Columbine And Blush
Materials
Flowers
Aquilegia canadensis (Eastern red columbine)
Helleborus x hybridus (Lenten rose)
Iris germanica ‘Raspberry Blush’
Container and Mechanics
Blue and periwinkle ceramic bowl
Small black plastic Solo bowl – vase insert
3-inch florist’s frog (floral pin holder)
Black stones
The container was purchased from a potter at the local Eno River Festival probably a dozen years ago.
Container, Interior
Container, Exterior
Container with florist’s frog in place.
Last week several people asked about how long a clematis would last in a vase. The ‘Jackmanii’ I used lasted only 2 days, but it brought pleasure each time I passed by the vase.
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 