Tag Archives: Spiraea prunifolia (bridal wreath spiraea)

Just Ahead Of Spring

Spring Equinox 2022 in Northern Hemisphere will be at 11:33 AM EDT on
Sunday, March 20.

In A Vase On Monday – March Mingle

In A Vase On Monday – March Mingle

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 – March Mingle

I gathered flowers from the garden on Friday ahead of predicted storms on Saturday and deep freezing temperatures Sunday morning.  I knew the camellia that has just begun flowering could suffer damage so it was the first stop.

Camellia x ‘Coral Delight’

I hadn’t grown hyacinths in several years so was excited this week when they began unfolding. I brought in five to enjoy. Their fragrance is nearly overpowering, even from the foyer where this week’s arrangement sits.

Hyacinth Orientalis Shades of Blue

The hyacinths along with the foliage and aged hellebores create one of my favorite color studies—a rich, yet peaceful, combination of blues and greens.

Greens And Blues (or Purples)

Bright sprigs of white spiraea help create contrast against the dark hyacinths.

Spiraea prunifolia (bridal wreath spiraea) and Hyacinth Orientalis Shades of Blue

Materials
Flowers
Camellia x ‘Coral Delight’
‘Pride of Gibraltar’ Hummingbird Cerinthe
Helleborus x hybridus (Lenten rose)
Spiraea prunifolia (bridal wreath spiraea)
Foliage
Gardenia jasminoides
Hippeastrum
Container
Black metal suiban. 4 x 9.5 x 6.5 inches. Japan.

Helleborus x hybridus (Lenten rose)

Visible from the side angle, at the back right corner and at front center are a couple of pieces of cerinthe that overwintered in the meditation circle. The plant had seemingly shaken off the strains of winter and was just starting to bloom. Fingers crossed it will pull through the weekend’s weather challenge.

In A Vase On Monday – March Mingle

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

In A Vase On Monday – Pastels And Cream

In A Vase On Monday – Pastels And Cream

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

This week I offer an arc of delicately colored hellebores in creams and soft pinks, a set of summer snowflakes, and a pair of spirea stems with flowers beginning to unfold.

In A Vase On Monday – Pastels And Cream

Leucojum aestivum (summer snowflake)

Spiraea prunifolia (bridal wreath spiraea)

Beneath the standing flowers, additional hellebores rest gently, floating atop the pool of cool water.

In A Vase On Monday – Pastels And Cream

Materials
Flowers
Helleborus x hybridus (Lenten rose)
Leucojum aestivum (summer snowflake)
Spiraea prunifolia (bridal wreath spiraea)
Foliage
Gardenia jasminoides
Container
Black metal suiban. 4 x 9.5 x 6.5 inches. Japan.

In A Vase On Monday – Pastels And Cream

It was warm when I gathered the flowers on Saturday so before arranging them I placed them in water overnight to recover from the stress. By the next morning about half had drooped significantly. Others were fine.

In A Vase On Monday – Pastels And Cream

In A Vase On Monday – Pastels And Cream

In A Vase On Monday – Pastels And Cream

Thanks to our host Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for providing this opportunity 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 – Daffodils In Green Vase

In A Vase On Monday – Daffodils In Green Vase

As each week begins Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share a vase of materials gathered from our gardens.

In A Vase On Monday – Daffodils In Green Vase

The increasing hours of daylight are a gift that cannot go unremarked.  Spring is in the air. Since last Monday one small patch of Tete-a-Tete daffodils opened with conviction, dancing and swaying in the sunlight (yay, there was actual sunshine the past week). I filled the vase with a mass of the solid yellow flowers.

In A Vase On Monday – Daffodils In Green Vase

Tips of spiraea branches still in tight bud were used to lighten and lift the design.

In A Vase On Monday – Daffodils In Green Vase

Materials
Flowers
Narcissus ‘Tete-a-Tete’ (Tete-a-Tete Daffodil)
Foliage
Spiraea prunifolia (bridal wreath spiraea)
Container
Hand-thrown Seagrove Pottery (olive-artichoke glaze)

In A Vase On Monday – Daffodils In Green Vase

In A Vase On Monday – Daffodils In Green Vase

Many thanks to Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for hosting and giving us an opportunity to share flower-filled vases across the world. Visit her to discover what garden surprises she and others are offering this week.

In A Vase On Monday – Late November Selections

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden encourages us to share a vase highlighting what is growing in our gardens.

The garden’s seasonal transition away from floral abundance left me unenthusiastically inspecting stems and sticks yesterday. Finding a bright leaf here and there lit my spirit, small clusters of berries brought a smile.

Spiraea prunifolia (bridal wreath spiraea)

Cornus florida (Flowering Dogwood)

Cornus florida (Flowering Dogwood)

Callicarpa americana (American beautyberry)

When from among my large planting of passalong chrysanthemums left raggedy from cold and rain, I was able to glean several fresh blooms, I felt encouragement enough to assemble a vase and then another.

In A Vase On Monday – Late November Selections

In A Vase On Monday – Late November Selections

Verbena bonariensis (Tall Verbena)

Spiraea prunifolia (bridal wreath spiraea)

Materials
Flowers
Button Chrysanthemum
Verbena bonariensis (Tall Verbena)
Foliage
Aquilegia canadensis (Eastern red columbine)
Callicarpa americana (American beautyberry)
Cornus florida (Flowering Dogwood)
Itea virginica ‘Sprich’ LITTLE HENRY (Virginia sweetspire)
Spiraea prunifolia (bridal wreath spiraea)
Container
Porcelain Ikebana vases, Georgetown Pottery, Maine. Triangle Black Wave, Triangle Blue Wave (6.5 W x 6.5 L x 2H)

In A Vase On Monday – Late November Selections

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 Frills

In A Vase On Monday – Spring Frills

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

Springtime flowers and colors can be a bit frilly, but I resisted the urge to create something more abstract and restrained this week. As we set the clocks ahead this weekend to enjoy more daylight I decided to acknowledge and embrace the generosity and bounty of spring

In A Vase On Monday – Spring Frills

It has been too cold and wet to enjoy the garden much recently and I have postponed much-needed weeding and other chores. Browsing around the borders on Friday I noticed 5 or 6 stems of lavender hyacinths had all flopped down toward the ground. Whether something was eating the roots or recent cold temperatures had caused the collapse I could not determine. Other colors nearby seemed fine. So it remains a mystery, but I rescued them for today’s vase. They seem to be taking in water and continue to look fresh.

In A Vase On Monday – Spring Frills

The pale yellow hyacinth continues to be a favorite, but it is joined this week by a more buttery yellow that is quite nice.

In A Vase On Monday – Spring Frills

In A Vase On Monday – Spring Frills

Bursting with flowers, bridal wreath spiraea was used to achieve height and textural relief.

In A Vase On Monday – Spring Frills

A small patch of Leucojum has been blooming recently. These are pass-alongs from my sisters’  garden. I gathered a few and tucked them into the vase for a little surprise when viewing at close range.

In A Vase On Monday – Spring Frills

Materials
Flowers
Hyacinthus orientalis (Hyacinth Sunrise Mix)
Leucojum (Snowflake)
Spiraea prunifolia (bridal wreath spiraea)
Foliage
None
Vase
Glazed ceramic vase

In A Vase On Monday – Spring Frills

Colors Of Spring Trio -March 4, 2018

Many readers were interested to know how long last week’s submerged flowers would last.

I had prepared the vases on Sunday mid-day. The anemone began fading after a day and a half, but kept intact. After another half-day (Tuesday morning), it was done and the water was colored purple.

The hyacinth lasted until Wednesday.

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 – Branch And Bloom

In A Vase On Monday – Branch And Bloom

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

Many Daffodils are beginning to show color around the garden, but only one sunny flower had ventured to open by the time I gathered items for today’s vase. On the other hand Hellebores have been making strong headway all week and I resigned myself to using them again this week. They worked out nicely in this late winter design.

In A Vase On Monday – Branch And Bloom

Responding to some sunny, warm days, a large spirea in the western border soon will burst into blossom. I enlisted several of its branches to add shape and structure to the vase.

In A Vase On Monday – Branch And Bloom

A small florist’s frog inserted into a small black plastic dish keeps the materials in place. A white ceramic square serves as the vase.

In A Vase On Monday – Branch And Bloom

Materials

Flowers
Helleborus x hybridus (Lenten rose)
Foliage
Spiraea prunifolia (bridal wreath spiraea)
Vase
White ceramic square dish. Florist’s frog in black plastic cup

In A Vase On Monday – Branch And Bloom

In A Vase On Monday – Branch And Bloom

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.

Entering Spring

Spiraea prunifolia (bridal wreath spiraea)

Spiraea prunifolia (bridal wreath spiraea)

Spring equinox. Sunday (March 20, 2016) at 12:30 a.m. EDT

A week of spectacular weather, sunny and warm, encouraged the garden deeper into bloom.

Spirea, an old-fashioned passalong, could hold back no longer. This shrub disappointed last year but has redeemed itself with a dazzling pageant.

Spiraea prunifolia (bridal wreath spiraea)

Spiraea prunifolia (bridal wreath spiraea)

The branches are laden with flowers.

Spiraea prunifolia (bridal wreath spiraea)

Spiraea prunifolia (bridal wreath spiraea)

Spiraea prunifolia (bridal wreath spiraea)

Spiraea prunifolia (bridal wreath spiraea)

Early blooming King Alfred were followed by Tete-a-tete daffodils. Both quickly finished their bright yellow displays for this spring once the temperatures increased. Fortunately the appearance of the white flowers of Narcissus ‘Thalia’ made a well-timed replacement.

Narcissus 'Thalia’ (Thalia Daffodil)

Narcissus ‘Thalia’ (Thalia Daffodil)

I love white in the garden, but there is color as well.

What for weeks seemed like blooms on Euphorbia ‘Ascot Rainbow’ actually are variegated bracts. Recently, deep red, tiny flowers have been exposed.

Euphorbia 'Ascot Rainbow' (Ascot Rainbow Spurge)

Euphorbia ‘Ascot Rainbow’ (Ascot Rainbow Spurge)

Multicolored pansies, planted in fall around the meditation circle, are filling out.

Pansies in Meditation Circle

Pansies in Meditation Circle

Anemone coronaria began flowering before Christmas but now are growing more vigorously. The blue-violet ‘Mr. Fokker’ is my favorite.

Anemone coronaria ‘Mr. Fokker’

Anemone coronaria ‘Mr. Fokker’

Another old-fashioned garden staple, Phlox subulata (Moss Phlox) will soon decorate several of the borders.

Phlox subulata (Moss Phlox)

Phlox subulata (Moss Phlox)

The last frost day in piedmont North Carolina is mid-April, but spring has been set in motion.

In A Vase On Monday—Spring Assortment

In A Vase On Monday - Spring Assortment

In A Vase On Monday – Spring Assortment

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

Finally in full bloom in the southwestern border, hellebores were the starting inspiration for today’s arrangement.  These are not the ones recently purchased at the hellebore farm, but were passed along from Vicki, a yoga and garden club friend, about five years ago.

In A Vase On Monday - Spring Assortment

In A Vase On Monday – Spring Assortment

Growing on the north side of the house Camellia x ‘Coral Delight’ is full of flowers and plenty of fat buds promise many more. One branch of this camellia was included to add color interest and serve as a focal point.

In A Vase On Monday - Spring Assortment

In A Vase On Monday – Spring Assortment

A redbud twig and five or six stems of spiraea were selected to add height and movement to the design. Both of these springtime favorites burst into blossom just in the past couple of days.

In A Vase On Monday - Spring Assortment

In A Vase On Monday – Spring Assortment

In A Vase On Monday - Spring Assortment

In A Vase On Monday – Spring Assortment

Added as a last minute impulse, bright yellow from a trio of Narcissus ‘King Alfred’ lifts the arrangement and ties the other flowers together.

In A Vase On Monday - Spring Assortment

In A Vase On Monday – Spring Assortment

I grabbed a cranberry-colored glass vase just to hold the hellebores while they were being conditioned, but ended up sticking with it. Not only is the vase a perfect size, but the dark red brings an unexpected element of drama to the spring assortment.

In A Vase On Monday - Spring Assortment

In A Vase On Monday – Spring Assortment

Materials
Camellia x ‘Coral Delight’
Cercis canadensis L. (Eastern Redbud)
Helleborus x hybridus (Lenten rose)
Narcissus ‘King Alfred’ (trumpet daffodil)
Spiraea prunifolia (bridal wreath spiraea)
Cranberry red glass vase

On yesterday’s gray afternoon there was little light for picture-taking in the dining room where I moved the arrangement for display. The flowers will brighten up our meals this week (if we eat indoors! Last week we had most meals on the screened porch enjoying the birds and the view of the awakening garden.)

In A Vase On Monday - Spring Assortment

In A Vase On Monday – Spring Assortment

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.

In A Vase On Monday—April Allure

 

In A Vase On Monday - April Allure

In A Vase On Monday – April Allure

Late on this April afternoon I am joining Cathy for In A Vase On Monday, a weekly challenge to fill a vase using materials gathered from one’s garden.

I wondered all weekend what might work in a vase for today, knowing blue-violet Anemone coronaria ‘Mr. Fokker’ would be my first choice. I had not imagined finding such a large and varied collection of blooms as I did. These flowers inspired me to create a formal classic round design.

Anemone coronaria 'Mr. Fokker'

Anemone coronaria ‘Mr. Fokker’

Camellia x 'Koto-no-kaori'

Camellia x ‘Koto-no-kaori’

Camellia x 'Coral Delight'

Camellia x ‘Coral Delight’

Helleborus x hybridus (Lenten rose)

Helleborus x hybridus (Lenten rose)

Spiraea prunifolia (bridal wreath spiraea)

Spiraea prunifolia (bridal wreath spiraea)

Narcissus 'Thalia’ (Thalia Daffodil)

Narcissus ‘Thalia’ (Thalia Daffodil)

For this week’s container I affixed floral foam to a 6-inch shallow plastic dish. Once the design was completed the shallow dish was placed atop the actual vase. The cream-colored ceramic urn, imprinted with “Vintage 4,” lends a traditional flair to the design and the extra height helps provide proper proportion.

The arrangement is held in a small shallow dish.

The arrangement is held in a small shallow dish.

 

In A Vase On Monday

In A Vase On Monday

I am happy with the arrangement, although there are always things to tweak. After seeing photographs of the arrangement I realize too many of the flowers are vying to become the focal point, taking away the emphasis from Mr. Fokker. I really like the pure bright white of the Thalia daffodil, Anemone coronaria ‘Bride’ and spiraea, and think it would help the balance of the design to bring the white further down toward the base. I like the green tones of the older hellebores, serving almost as foliage, while the fresher pinkish ones echo the hue of the camellias.

It is wonderful to have enough flowers for a mixed arrangement this week. Spring is welcome to hang around a while.

Materials

Anemone coronaria ‘Bride’
Anemone coronaria ‘Mr. Fokker’
Narcissus ‘Thalia’ (Thalia Daffodil)
Camellia x ‘Coral Delight’
Camellia x ‘Koto-no-kaori’
Spiraea prunifolia (bridal wreath spiraea)
Helleborus x hybridus (Lenten rose)
Buxus microphylla var koreana ‘Wintergreen’ (Wintergreen boxwood)
Heuchera villosa ‘Big Top Bronze’ (Coral Bells)

Many thanks to Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for hosting. Please visit her to see what she and others are placing In A Vase On Monday.

In A Vase On Monday—Azure Medley

In A Vase On Monday - March Medley

Monday brings an opportunity to practice flower arranging by joining in Cathy’s weekly  In A Vase On Monday, where the only rule is to fill a vase using materials gathered from one’s garden.

In A Vase On Monday - Pseudomuscari azureum (syn. Muscari azureum)

In A Vase On Monday – Pseudomuscari azureum (syn. Muscari azureum)

I was excited about cutting a few Azure Muscari this morning to use for my Monday vase. They have just opened in the last couple days. Though there only are 6 growing in my garden, they are so diminutive it seemed worthwhile to cut a few to enjoy close-up.

Pseudomuscari azureum (syn. Muscari azureum), the azure grape hyacinth features a bright blue color with a darker blue stripe on each flower. The flowers themselves grow on densely-packed racemes.

In the Pseudomuscari genus the mouth of the flowers is shaped like an open bell, rather than narrowing the way it does on Muscari.

Each flower forms an open bell - Pseudomuscari azureum (syn. Muscari azureum)

Each blue flower forms an open bell – Pseudomuscari azureum (syn. Muscari azureum)

I recently bought 2 round black pin holders, very tiny, just 3/4 inch, so decided to try one out today. It was more difficult to use than expected so I will need to practice more with it. It is hard to get small stems inserted securely without damaging them. Very cute holder though.

3:4 inch Black Pin Holder

3:4 inch Black Pin Holder

For the container I needed something flat and chose the white inside of a lid from a small round box of English bone china. The white side of the lid is visible in the very first image (the official portrait of today’s design). Later I turned the lid over and forgot to turn it back. I was experimenting after noticing the colors of the outside of the box lid might complement the flowers. Of course the top side provides no way to hold water anyway.

In A Vase On Monday

In A Vase On Monday

Companions for this week’s Azure Muscari are Spiraea prunifolia (bridal wreath spiraea) and Iberis sempervirens (Candytuft), both just coming into bloom, along with rich purple Viola that bounced back admirably from a cold winter in the meditation circle.

Spiraea prunifolia (bridal wreath spiraea)

Spiraea prunifolia (bridal wreath spiraea)

Iberis sempervirens (Candytuft)

Iberis sempervirens (Candytuft)

Viola

Viola

A scattering of Iberis leaves help balance the design.

In A Vase On Monday

In A Vase On Monday

Many thanks to Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for hosting. Please visit her to see what she and others are placing In A Vase On Monday.

Finding Connections

Seed pod of Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly Plant)

Seed pod of Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly Plant)

Needed to spend time in the garden this morning, just wanted the connection to the natural world.

Several asclepias tubersosa were reintroduced to the garden last year. The seed pods of this one are showier than the flowers were earlier this year and I got lost studying them for a good long while.

Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly Plant)

Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly Plant)

Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly Plant)

Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly Plant)

Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly Plant)-6

Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly Plant)-9

Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly Plant)-4

Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly Plant)-7

Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly Plant)-3

 

Eventually I moved on toward the front yard. For the past week the pair of crape myrtles at the end of the walkway have been shifting from green to rich orange and golden hues.

Lagerstroemia (Crape Myrtle)

Lagerstroemia (Crape Myrtle)

I do not have the right equipment for taking good bird photographs but this pair caught my attention. Northern red cardinals are generally very patient at the feeder and seem content to share. The small bird is, I think, a Carolina wren.

Northern Cardinal and Carolina Wren

Northern Cardinal and Carolina Wren

Behind the feeder is a passalong Spiraea prunifolia (bridal wreath spiraea) which lost its leaves a month or more ago for some reason. It usually has nice autumn color. Instead of leaves, random white blossoms brave the season at the tip top of the shrub.

Spiraea prunifolia (bridal wreath spiraea)

Spiraea prunifolia (bridal wreath spiraea)

Later in the morning, yoga class was overflowing so our mats were closely placed. During our practice we breathed in and out together, sharing our space and our energy, and connecting with ourselves and with each other.

These connections and the ones found in the garden in the early morning light carried me through the day.

In A Vase On Monday—Branching Into Spring

In A Vase On Monday

It is Monday evening and I am joining in Cathy’s weekly challenge In A Vase On Monday to create a floral arrangement from materials gathered in one’s own garden.

I dashed out late this afternoon when today’s heavy rain finally had paused. Brilliant white branches of spiraea, now in full bloom, draped gracefully downward under the weight of the day’s water. Thinking I simply would gather a few stems to place in a vase for today, I happy found the long spires were resilient after giving them a quick shake to remove the water. [Note: I am grateful to Marian at Hortitopia for helping me identify this as bridal wreath spiraea.]

Nearby I noticed the strong pink magenta flowers of the redbud tree. Deciding to switch directions, I cut a few branches of this also. Now my new goal was to display the curving, arching lines of several branches of redbud against the backdrop of a black container. My vision called for sophisticated restraint.

To support the arrangement I placed three florist’s frogs into a low black acrylic dish.  As I started assembling the arrangement, each placement felt interesting, but it can be hard to know when to stop. Eventually I had included the spiraea also, making the design a bit more exuberant, even frillier, than I had intended. But I like the way it turned out.

In A Vase On Monday-3

In A Vase On Monday

Black stones set among the flower pins complete the arrangement.

I photographed the flowers on a handwoven silk table runner, a thoughtful gift from one of my sisters.

In A Vase On Monday-2 

Materials List

Cercis canadensis (Eastern Redbud)
Spiraea prunifolia (bridal wreath spiraea)

In A Vase On Monday

In A Vase On Monday-4

In A Vase On Monday-5

In A Vase On Monday-6

Thanks to Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for hosting. Visit her to see what she and others are placing In A Vase On Monday.