Tag Archives: muscari

In A Vase On Monday – Green Urn With Irises

In A Vase On Monday – Irises In Green Urn

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

As irises begin their spring performance, it seems only natural to feature a group of Dutch iris that popped up next to the driveway this week, just as they have for the past twenty years. Attempts to extend Dutch iris into the main garden borders have been oddly unsuccessful, but this bunch is resilient.  They all opened at the same time so I cut the entire group (more than two dozen) to use in an arrangement.

In A Vase On Monday – Irises In Green Urn

The green container is one my sister chose for me at an estate sale a few years ago. The large, tall and heavy urn easily holds today’s long, sturdy iris stems. With its unique shape the vase itself could be the focal point, but the Dutch irises, all white but for a single blue one, compete with a strong presence.

In A Vase On Monday – Irises In Green Urn

Markings of bright egg-yolk yellow as well as pale hints of lavender give quirky personality to the white flowers.

In A Vase On Monday – Irises In Green Urn

In A Vase On Monday – Irises In Green Urn

In A Vase On Monday – Irises In Green Urn

In A Vase On Monday – Irises In Green Urn

Materials
Flowers
Iris × hollandica (Dutch iris)
Foliage
‘Pride of Gibraltar’ Hummingbird Cerinthe
Container
Large Green Ceramic Urn

In A Vase On Monday – Irises In Green Urn

In A Vase On Monday – Irises In Green Urn (Waterlogue watercolor effect)

Thanks to our host Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for encouraging us to create and share our vases. Visit her to discover what garden surprises she and others are enjoying this week.

In A Vase On Monday – Blue And White

In A Vase On Monday – Blue And White

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 – Blue And White

In A Vase On Monday – Blue And White

My father took my sisters and me to my first college basketball game at Duke when I was in about the fourth grade (on a school night. We were two hours away). Later when my older sister became a freshman at UNC, we inevitably switched loyalties and have been following the Tar Heels ever since. Today’s flowers are a tribute to Carolina basketball, marking the epic 81-77 win Saturday in the first NCAA Final Four meeting of Carolina and Duke.

In A Vase On Monday – Blue And White

There’s just something about playing Duke. In 1974 I was in Carmichael in the student section with fantastic seats, mid-court about the 4th row, for the great 17 points in 8 seconds comeback when Walter Davis made his famous shot that sent the game into overtime. If you know what I’m talking about, you know what I’m talking about. If not, back to regular garden programming next week.

In A Vase On Monday – Blue And White

Materials
Flowers
White Cyclamen
White Iberis Sempervirens (Candytuft)
White Leucojum aestivum (Summer snowflake)
Blue and White Muscari (Grape hyacinth)
Blue pansies
Foliage
Container
Porcelain Ikebana vase, Georgetown Pottery, Maine. Rectangle Blue Zen (6.75L x 3.75W x 2H inches)

Thanks to our host Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for encouraging us to share our vases. Visit her to discover what garden surprises she and others are enjoying this week.

In A Vase On Monday – Cerinthe With Pink

In A Vase On Monday – Cerinthe With Pink

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

I noticed some of the cerinthe is beginning to set seed. It’s the first time I’ve really seen it bloom so I’m not sure if cutting it will help it keep growing, but it seemed like a good choice to feature in this week’s vase.

In A Vase On Monday – Cerinthe With Pink

Small stems of redbud and spirea were used as color accents.

In A Vase On Monday – Cerinthe With Pink

A Fenton handpainted glass vase echoes the colors displayed in the cerinthe and makes the redbud pop.

In A Vase On Monday – Cerinthe With Pink

Materials
Flowers
Cercis canadensis (Eastern Redbud)
‘Pride of Gibraltar’ Hummingbird Cerinthe
Spiraea prunifolia (bridal wreath spiraea)
Foliage
‘Pride of Gibraltar’ Hummingbird Cerinthe
Container
Hand painted Fenton Glass Vase – USA

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 – Fanciful Flight

In A Vase On Monday – Fanciful Flight

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

This Ikebana-style design reminds me of flying or dancing.

In A Vase On Monday – Fanciful Flight

While Heuchera leaves reach out and stretch away from the vase, an arching piece of spirea  sports tiny stems playfully pointing upwards. I had intended to use the white flowers of spirea but removed them on a whim.

A young camellia bud leans forward and up; its fully open counterpart keeps the entire design gently grounded.

In A Vase On Monday – Fanciful Flight

Muscari adds texture and balances the deep coral of the camellia.

In A Vase On Monday – Fanciful Flight

Materials
Flowers
Camellia ‘Coral Delight’
Muscari ‘Armeniacum’
Foliage
Heuchera villosa ‘Big Top Bronze’ (Coral Bells)
Spirea Spiraea prunifolia (bridal wreath spiraea)
Container
Porcelain Ikebana vase, Georgetown Pottery, Maine. Triangle Black Wave (6.5 W x 6.5 L x 2H)

In A Vase On Monday – Fanciful Flight

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.

Friday Blue And Whites

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)

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

‘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)

Iberis sempervirens (Candytuft)

Have a safe and happy weekend.

In A Vase On Monday—Vintage Purple

In A Vase On Monday—Vintage Purple

Each Monday Cathy from Rambling In The Garden invites us to share a vase assembled from materials collected in our gardens.

Iris germanica ‘Orinoco Flow’ was the starting point for today’s vase. With inky coloring outlining  a stitching pattern around the edges of the falls, this iris, which just began opening this week, commands attention.

I. ‘Orinoco Flow’

Clematis ‘Jackmanii’ opened abruptly after sporting fat buds promisingly for days. It deserves attention as well, and made a nice focal flower for the design near the base.

In A Vase On Monday—Vintage Purple

In A Vase On Monday—Vintage Purple

In A Vase On Monday—Vintage Purple

Sweetly scented late-blooming narcissus are used as secondary flowers adding contrast in color, value and form. Several stems of the first iris to open this spring, a solid purple iris hybrid pass-along, made it into my Monday vase again this week.

In A Vase On Monday—Vintage Purple

Through the years I have admired on others’ blogs the graceful way tulips age. Finally I am able to enjoy up-close the late-stage beauty of Tulip Triumph ‘Negrita.’ Fresh Anemones always delight.

In A Vase On Monday—Vintage Purple

Materials

Flowers
Anemone De Caen ‘Mr Fokker’
Clematis ‘Jackmanii’
Iris germanica (Tall bearded iris)
Iris germanica ‘Orinoco Flow’
Muscari ‘Armeniacum’
Narcissus
Tulip Triumph ‘Negrita’
Foliage
Buxus microphylla var koreana ‘Wintergreen’ (Winter boxwood)
Stachys Byzantine (Lamb’s Ear)
Container
Ceramic Urn Stamped “Vintage 4”
6-inch clear Lomey dish
eco-friendly Oasis floral foam

In A Vase On Monday—Vintage Purple

Many 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—April Trio

In A Vase On Monday – April Trio 1

Each Monday Cathy from Rambling In The Garden invites us to share a vase assembled from materials collected in our gardens.

Flowers blooming in the garden this week make my heart sing! I put together three quick assemblages. The first is a simple highlight of tulips, muscari and anemone.

In A Vase On Monday – April Trio 1

The other two vases mix and match the first iris and dogwood blooms with more muscari, tulips and anemones.

A fading bloom from a phalaenopisis orchid worked its way into this tall blue vase with white Dutch Iris and an early-blooming purple Iris germanica.

In A Vase On Monday – April Trio 2

Phalaenopsis (Moth Orchid) with Tulip Triumph ‘Negrita’

Iris × hollandica (Dutch Iris)

Iris × hollandica (Dutch Iris)

This Ikebana design was actually created first and began with fresh stems of flowering dogwood. It did not need anything else but I could not stop adding bits of color.

In A Vase On Monday – April Trio 3

Cornus florida (Flowering Dogwood)

Cornus florida (Flowering Dogwood)

Anemone De Caen ‘Mr Fokker’

Candytuft and Muscari

Iris germanica (Tall bearded iris)

Iris germanica (Tall bearded iris)

Iris germanica (Tall bearded iris)

Tulip Triumph ‘Negrita’

Materials

Flowers
Anemone De Caen ‘Mr Fokker’
Cornus florida (Flowering Dogwood)
Iberis (candytuft)
Iris germanica (Tall bearded iris)
Iris × hollandica (Dutch Iris)
Muscari ‘Armeniacum’
Phalaenopsis (Moth Orchid)
Tulip Triumph ‘Negrita’
Foliage

Containers
One – Hand-thrown Seagrove Pottery (olive-artichoke glaze)
Two – Handmade blue ceramic lidded jar
Three – Porcelain Ikebana vase, Georgetown Pottery, Maine. Rectangle Blue Zen (6.75L x 3.75W x 2H inches)

Hope signs of spring are close to your hearts this week.

Many 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—Spring Bulbs

Each Monday Cathy from Rambling In The Garden invites us to share a vase assembled from materials collected in our gardens.

 

Spring is in full swing in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Pure white Thalia daffodils and graceful stems of Leucojum brighten the outside borders and form the basis of today’s arrangement.

I hadn’t grown tulips in years but last fall decided to try give them a try again.  Perhaps they would have fared better with pre-chilling in the refrigerator; their growth is stunted with the flowers opening at ground level. A few in pots did a little better. Despite short stems these Negrita tulips  have a beautiful rich color and I am happy to have a few to include in a vase.

Mr. Fokker anemone is just starting to flower and the rich bluish purple is strong against the red tulips.

 

A hellebore from last week’s vase complements the tulip color.

Several sprigs of Candytuft and a dozen stems of muscari provide more texture.

Materials

Flowers
Anemone De Caen ‘Mr Fokker’
Helleborus x hybridus (Lenten rose)
Iberis (candytuft)
Leucojum aestivum (summer snowflake)
Muscari ‘Armeniacum’
Narcissus ‘Thalia’
Tulip Triumph ‘Negrita’
Foliage
Iris
Container
Hand thrown ceramic bowl, periwinkle blue glaze

 

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.

Spring Arrives!

Though the sun later broke through, the early morning was cloudy and cold when I walked through the garden looking for blooms. Forecasts warn of lows near freezing tonight and temperatures will dip into the twenties later this week. But here it is, March 20, 2013, and today is the first day of spring. The vernal equinox occurred at 7:02 a.m. EDT.

The early blooms of Helleborus have been a highlight since the first week of January.

Helleborus x hybridus (Lenten rose)

Helleborus x hybridus (Lenten rose)

The garden is waking up but shows no sign of hurry. Among the several patches of Phlox subulata a lone flower is open.

Phlox subulata 'Emerald Cushion Blue'

Phlox subulata ‘Emerald Cushion Blue’

A few little Muscari flowers began blooming this week. These were planted over a decade ago and barely bloomed at all last year, so it is nice to see them again.

Muscari (Grape Hyacinth)

Muscari (Grape Hyacinth)

Diminutive white flowers are beginning to fill the branches of a Spiraea I brought from my previous garden.

Spiraea

Spiraea

Iberis Sempervirens filled the meditation circle last year but most of what was planted there has died out. I blamed moles but also realize the site may not drain well enough for this plant. Fortunately it is tucked around the garden in other spots, a cheery little plant.

Iberis Sempervirens (Candytuft)

Iberis Sempervirens (Candytuft)

Last fall I finally remembered to add a few more daffodils to the garden. Just opened today is the first flower of the miniature Narcissus ‘Tete-a-Tete.’ The garden was so overgrown when it was time to plant these bulbs, it was hard to find a good place for them. They were relegated to an old terra cotta pot, which worked out just fine.

Narcissus 'Tete-a-Tete' (Tete-a-Tete Daffodil)

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

Camellia x ‘Coral Delight’ has been blooming beautifully for a few weeks. I love the milky white streak that marks these blossoms.

Camellia x 'Coral Delight'

Camellia x ‘Coral Delight’

Camellia x 'Coral Delight'

Camellia x ‘Coral Delight’

Happy Spring!