Tag Archives: pansy

February Trend

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Helleborus x hybridus (Lenten rose)

February days flow between winter’s cold and the warmth of early spring.

On the warm days one can sense the bustle of life underground and know things are happening.

Garden With Meditation Circle

Hellebores seem weeks late this year. At last some are coming into flower.

Helleborus x hybridus (Lenten rose)

I ventured out a week ago, my first garden center trip in two years. To state that in writing seems absurd.

I bought a Euphorbia x Martinii ‘Ascot Rainbow’ and 72 pot-bound pansies for the meditation circle at greatly reduced prices. There were plenty of temptingly fresh pansies but the tired ones are greening up nicely after receiving some attention. They have yet to make an impact from afar, but up close they are strong.

Pansy ‘Delta™ Berry Tart Mix’ (Viola × wittrockiana)

Pansy ‘Delta™ Premium Pure Light Blue’ (Viola × wittrockiana)

Pansy ‘MG II Clear Mix’ (Viola × wittrockiana)

Pansy ‘Panola® Purple’ (Viola × wittrockiana)

I wonder should the euphorbia be cut back?

Euphorbia x Martinii ‘Ascot Rainbow’

One of my favorite ground covers was in stock (and not on sale). I had much luck with Candytuft in the early years of this garden, but of late it is short-lived.

Iberis s. ‘Alexander’s White’ (Candytuft)

As I await many new fall-planted bulbs to appear, I have seed packets on hand and mail orders scheduled to help fill the garden this year. As February days trend toward spring everything seems possible, even lupines.

Perennial Lupine (from seed)

In A Vase On Monday—Spring Pansies

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In A Vase On Monday-Spring Pansies

Each Monday brings the chance to join Cathy’s In A Vase On Monday to share an arrangement using materials gathered from the garden.

Planted in fall, pansies and viola at last are beginning to fill out and bring color to the meditation circle. I decided to bring some indoors to feature this week.

Pansies In Meditation Circle

Viola In Meditation Circle

Pansies and viola have such short stems it was hard to imagine what to do with them other than fill small glasses and group them together. Thinking of how Cathy uses props every week, I remembered a birthday gift from my sister I had been saving. This unique tear-off pad of paper placemats has a gorgeous and endearing design, appropriate for springtime. Each placemat is fairly thick, not like the flimsy ones used in some restaurants. The gift included napkins as well so I decide to use them also.

Paper Placemats

I made tiny posies and placed them into six cordial glasses. The glasses sit together in a silver caddy. The placemat stands up vertically so it appears the rabbits are in the background smelling the flowers.

In A Vase On Monday-Spring Pansies

There were enough extras to fill another small crystal vase and a miniature sugar bowl from my daughter’s childhood tea set.

In A Vase On Monday-Spring Pansies

From overhead the flowers converge into the props, making an interesting tapestry of color.

In A Vase On Monday-Spring Pansies

In black and white this spring arrangement becomes intense and dramatic.

In A Vase On Monday-Spring Pansies

Materials List

Iberis sempervirens (Candytuft)
Pansy
Phlox divaricata ‘Blue Moon’ (Woodland phlox)
Viola
Penstemon digitalis ‘Husker Red’ (Beardtongue) – foliage
6 Cordial glasses (footed) with silver caddy, small Waterford vase, sugar bowl from child’s tea set
Decorative paper placemats and napkins

Rabbits usually do not bother my pansies and I hope they will not see this arrangement as an invitation to dine.

In A Vase On Monday-Spring Pansies

As I mentioned in a recent post A Preview of Art In Bloom, I have signed up for six presentations by well-known floral designers this Thursday through Sunday. Flowers, flowers, flowers!

Thanks to Cathy for hosting this weekly flower arranging addiction. Visit her at Rambling In The Garden to discover what she and others are placing In A Vase On Monday and feel free to join in.

In A Vase On Monday—Ruby Moon And Star

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In A Vase On Monday – Ruby Moon And Star

This last Monday of 2015 brings the chance to share cut flowers from the garden by joining in Cathy’s weekly challenge In A Vase On Monday.

Do you know the term Full Cold Moon? It is new to me, but suddenly this year I began seeing it frequently in the news. “December’s full moon, the last of the year, is called the Full Cold Moon because it occurs during the beginning of winter (NASA).”

This year there was a full moon on Christmas day for the first time since 1977 (the next occurrence is not until 2034). Not surprisingly, given all the rain lately, it was cloudy here as the moon peaked (6:11 a.m. EST), but later we were able to glimpse the rare lunar event.

Inspired by December’s special moon, for this week’s arrangement I started by selecting the container—a ruby moon and star cut glass bowl that usually sits on my dining room buffet. I added only a few flowers allowing the intricate pattern to stand out as the main feature of the design.

In A Vase On Monday – Ruby Moon And Star

Hellebores are beginning to flower and I was able to find one to float in the dish.

Helleborus x hybridus (Lenten rose)

To set adrift alongside the hellebore I collected some colorful pansies from the meditation garden.

Pansies with a sprig of Angelina sedum

The crystal bowl is rather deep. Concerned the pansies were not sturdy enough to sit in such a large amount of water, I placed them into a pair of floating glass globes.

Pansies held in floating glass globes

The floating globes, a recent hostess gift from my yoga friend Corrina, are lovely I think and are sure to be very useful. Designed with a well in the center to hold tea lights, they worked great for the pansies also.

In A Vase On Monday – Ruby Moon And Star

Materials

Helleborus x hybridus (Lenten rose)
Viola tricolor var. hortensis (Pansy)
Sedum rupestre ‘Angelina’ (Angelina Stonecrop)

Here are the moon and star details, with the hellebore peeking though one of the moons.

Hellebore, framed by the moon

As 2015 comes to a close, I would like to offer a big thanks to Cathy for hosting this weekly flower addiction. Visit her at Rambling In The Garden to discover what she and others are placing In A Vase On Monday.

Yinyang Of The Morning Garden

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Shady Side, Sunny Side-Meditation Circle on Frosty New Year’s Day

They are complementary opposites. Slowly across the meditation circle Yin (darkness) defers to Yang (sunlight).

Happy New Year! The first day of 2015 began frosty cold, but ice crystals on plants in the labyrinth quickly disappeared once discovered by the rays of the morning sun.

Dianthus ‘Ideal Select White’

Pansy

Thymus serpyllum ‘Pink Chintz’ (Pink chintz thyme)

I have been dreaming my way through garden catalogs and making plans to fill gaps in the hedges bordering the fence with gardenias, camellias and yet unknowns.

Meditation Circle on Frosty New Year’s Day

There is a Christmas gift of tulip bulbs to plant this weekend, even as many daffodils are already emerging.

Revolving The Evolving Meditation Circle

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Nests of ants have become recent squatters and the voles appear to have returned to the meditation circle. But there are no signs of deer jumping the fence this year, so after avoiding them for years I am taking a chance with pansies and violas to add some color to the meditation garden this fall and winter.

Delta Premium Pure Primrose (White to pale yellow)

Delta True Blue (medium blue)

Viola (purple) – detail

I spent most of the day fixing up the meditation circle, which has been on its own since spring. Since creating it in April 2011 I have tried to rely mostly on evergreen perennials to mark the walls of the labyrinth, but results have been uneven.

After planting the pansies and violas in-between the perennials, I watered them in well. With luck they should last until spring. maybe by then I will have a new inspiration for the meditation garden plantings.

Plants in the Meditation Garden October 1, 2013

Pansy ‘Majestic Giant Purple’
Pansy ‘Delta Premium Pure Primrose’ (white to pale yellow)
Pansy ‘Delta True Blue’ (medium blue)
Viola sp. (purple)
Penstemon ‘Husker Red’ – seeding everywhere
Penstemon ‘Pikes Peak Purple’ (Beardtongue) – did not bloom well this spring, dying out
Iberis sempervirens ‘Purity’ (Candytuft) – died out last year; replanted in spring, also dying out
Mounding Thyme – developed black areas from center; two completely died, some are recovering. Trimmed today.
Alyssum ‘Easter Bonnet Violet’ – (annual) planted in spring, only now blooming.
Dianthus ‘Ideal Select White’ – several died; relocated two further into center. Needs deadheading constantly.
Dianthus (salmony-pink color) – one died; bloomed most of summer but not attractive, needs deadheading constantly.

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Tag Archives: pansy

February Trend

In A Vase On Monday—Spring Pansies

In A Vase On Monday—Ruby Moon And Star

Yinyang Of The Morning Garden

Revolving The Evolving Meditation Circle

Plants in the Meditation Garden October 1, 2013