IAVOM ~ Pink Champagne

 

It's another Monday and so a fresh vase is now residing on the kitchen windowsill and will brighten my view when I'm at the kitchen sink. In my vase this week are :

• Ranunculus - I'm improving when it comes to growing ranunculus but still haven't got it right. More stems were wonky than straight and I struggled to find three to stand up nice and straight in a vase. These were planted in a tray back in the autumn and have been grown under cover. I must admit to neglecting them a bit and perhaps should have moved them in to individual pots not long after sprouting so must try to remember this next time. They were bought as ranunculus' Champagne' - a mix of coral, peach and salmon colours but I think that somebody forgot to tell them and they have all produced ruffled pale pink veined flowers. Not a colour I would choose but still pleasant enough.
• Accompanying the ranunculus are a couple of stems of lunaria annua variegata alba, also known a variegated white honesty, which conveniently self-seeds each year. As well as shining in early spring and attracting pollinators, the papery seed-cases make for effective Christmas decorations either in vases or used in seasonal wreaths.

The vase is a relatively cheap and cheerful purchase from the florist just a few doors away from my hairdresser. I'm kicking myself as I forgot to pop in to the shop last week when I had a hair appointment to see if there was any new stock. Oh well I will just have to call next time.

Thanks as always to Cathy who blogs over at 'Rambling In The Garden' for hosting. It's much appreciated and I do look forward to peeking into other vases every week.

 

It is still trying to remember that it is spring here with the weather still trying to find an improving and steady pattern. Still more seeds have been sown, there has been some potting up, my tomato plug plants have arrived and this morning we planted some seed potatoes before the inevitable rain descended. I hope that you enjoy your week and that you are able to spend some of it in the garden.

Wordless Wednesday ~ RHS Harlow Carr

 

IAVOM ~ Here Today, Gone Tomorrow

 

This week's Monday vase is a simple concoction of three flowering stems of amelanchier lamarckii. I snipped these in advance on Friday having seen the weather forecast. Yet another named storm 'Storm Kathleen' battered us over the weekend with gale force winds and more in the way of heavy rain. Surely it must cease soon - this seemingly never ending pattern of grey and rain. I do hope so.

Last week the amelanchier had a spell looking subtly glorious in the limelight with it's starry white flowers and soft coppery foliage. Today it looks somewhat bedraggled and it has definitely lost a substantial amount of blossom. However pear blossom and crabapple 'Red Sentinel' have taken on the baton in the blossom stakes. Apple blossom is not far behind.

My vase is the teeny tiny vase which has featured in vase posts before. It's that small that I'm unable to find the twin vase that I bought at the same time! A search party will be launched shortly.

Thanks to Cathy over at 'Rambling In The Garden' as always for her hosting skills whatever the season or the weather. It's much appreciated. 

IAVOM ~ 'April Come She Will'

 It has been a decidedly spring- like Easter - blue skies, sunshine and warmth here until today. True to form the weather is now in typical bank holiday mode and it's raining. At least we were able to enjoy two consecutive completely dry days. It seems an age since that last happened. Fortunately I picked some flowers in the dry of yesterday to sit on the dining room table namely :

• narcissus - there are two different varieties here but I'm not sure what they are other than one might possibly be 'Tresamble'.
• A nameless white hellebore which has seeded in profusion. I spent some of yesterday afternoon removing the seedlings.
• A single flower of hellebore x hybridus (Ashwood Evolution Group) Yellow Double that himself treated me to this year for my birthday.
• Muscari - again I know not which variety. 
• A couple of the lovely little crocus 'Firefly'. These have flowered late but then they were planted later in the autumn. 
• Finally a couple of stems of the thug that is lamium galaeobdolon variegatum. It does look attractive in it's spring glory but oh what an absolute nuisance. I think that our hostess Cathy over at 'Rambling In The Garden' would use the term 'devil plant' to describe it. Thanks Cathy as always for hosting.

Whilst I was cutting my flowers I noticed that I must have nicked my index finger which was dripping a trail of blood. I had to to stop at that point but later returned and added three stems of pussy willow to give a bit of height to the back of the bowl. I forgot to take another photo at that point. I have to confess that the pussy willow were shop bought especially for Easter.

Here spring has well and truly sprung and all of a sudden that list of jobs to be done both outside and in the greenhouse is lengthening by the day. Seed sowing is in full gear now and this afternoon it's the turn of cosmos and sunflowers to be sown. I am sweating about the so far no sign of germination from the larkspur (despite the seed packet having a spell in the freezer) and disappointed by the appearance of only two snapdragon seedlings. I hope that they have some friends keeping them company in soon. The remaining sowings look promising and no doubt the greenhouse shuffle will ensue before long. I hope that spring is treating you all kindly too or if you're in the southern hemisphere that you are lapping up mellow autumn days.

Postscript - my trip to the greeenhouse this afternoon revealed one emerging larkspur - it was invisible this morning 😂

IAVOM ~ 'It Might As Well Be Spring'

 

It was a beautiful start to the day here - warm and sunny with more than a hint of spring in the air.  After all we're now only two days away from that magical equinox. I headed in the direction of the garden more or less straightaway after breakfast to top up that green waste bin. It's now nestled securely in place waiting collection tomorrow. A spot of shopping after lunch and then time to pick a few snippets for this week's 'In A Vase On Monday'. Another trio this week comprising :

• Muscari 'Valerie Finnis' which is a most delightful baby blue colour.
• Ribes sanguineum 'Elvington's White' - this is a deciduous shrubs with leaves of a slightly dubious scent.
• A spriglet of the delicate looking flowers of Prunus incisa 'Kojo -no- mai' also known as the Fuji cherry - I have two of these plants. One is is in a pot whilst the other in the ground is bigger. It can grow into a small tree up to 2.5 metres (8ft) but mine isn't anywhere near that high.  I think that this could be that it just doesn't get enough sun. It came into flower at least a couple of weeks ago.

Thanks to our ever stalwart host Cathy who blogs over at 'Rambling In The Garden'. I wonder what is in everyone else's vases this week. No doubt the wish list will grow and we're off to the first plant sale of the year at the weekend too. I can't wait!

IAVOM ~ Snippets

Last week's most welcome run of consecutive dry days came to an abrupt end yesterday when it poured down for most of the day. Fortunately I took the weather forecast into account and picked a few flowers for this week's vase on Saturday, otherwise they would have been most bedraggled indeed. In my smallest of small vases are :

• Corydalis 'Purple Bird' - planted as corms last autumn. This variety is new to me and I'm looking forward to seeing it make more growth and hopefully a bigger impact next year. I believe that it quickly goes dormant so I must make sure that I mark the plants with labels.
• Iris reticulata 'Pixie' - this is also a variety that I've not planted before and I have been really pleased with it. Why though do my irises planted on the same day at the same depth refuse to open simaltaneously but emerge in fits and starts? This year I also grew 'Clairette' and 'Kathryn Hodgkins' - all equally lovely. Sadly they rarely survive into a second year in pots for me.
• Pulmonaria 'Blue Ensign' - the bluest of blues although I believe that there is an even bluer relative newcomer  on the scene by the name of 'Miss Elly - definite shades of 'Dallas' there. I'm on the look out for her and hope that I might come across her at a plant sale that I'm hoping to get to later on this month. 
• Last but not least peeping coyly from behind the iris is a sprig of cardamine quinquefolia. This hardy perennial is going over now and will disappear completely in late spring to emerge again at the back end of January/ early February. After eleven years what was once a small pot has morphed into a veritable pool of colour. It's an excellent companion for snowdrops and hellebores.

Thanks as always to Cathy over at 'Rambling In The Garden' for her steadfast hosting. The forecast for this week is changeable. On the plus side it looks as if the temperatures are going to rise so I'm hoping to fit in some gardening jobs between the showers. There is much to be done. I hope that you enjoy your week.

IAVOM ~ Hellebore Days

 

A trio of hellebores in today's 'In A Vase On Monday' - the names are lost in the mists of time apart from the one with the pink edging on the flower which is Helleborus Gold Collection 'Ice n' Roses' - Picotee'. The arum leaf which you can just about glimpse at the back is from a seedling of arum italicum, which is now self seeding to nuisance proportions. My fault for once commenting to a friend that it had never seeded whilst hers had. Most of the seedlings are being extricated when I spot them but this one escaped. It is different from the parent and I like the markings. 

The vase is also one of a trio which came home with me last summer after a garden visit.

Thanks as always to the lovely Cathy over at 'Rambling In The Garden' for her hosting this weekly meme which is must appreciated. A rare completely dry day so I have been busy pruning and filling the garden waste bin up in readiness for the first grand collection after the winter respite. Then the filling game will start again with only two weeks to the next collection. Looking forward to seeing what is on other vases this week.

IAVOM ~ Just A Few Drops

Dropping into this week's 'In A Vase On Monday' post are a few of my special snowdrops. I wish I knew how to insert text and arrows for identification purposes but such wizardry is beyond me so I will rely on the good old left to right method :

• Galanthus 'Fieldgate Superb' with a distinctive X marking.  There are a number of 'Fieldgate' snowdrops which all arrived as chance seedlings in the garden of the late Colin Mason who lived in Kenilworth. You can read more about them here. I have five 'Fieldgate' varieties and there is definitely room for more.
• 'Galanthus 'Wendy's Gold,' feeling shy on a dull day and refusing to open for the camera, perhaps because she is in a shadier border than the other snowdrops I picked. Her yellow ovary does shine out though. Like most yellow snowdrops she seems to clump up agonisingly slowly.
• Galanthus 'Trimmer' - lurking at the back and third from left. This one hasn't made into the garden yet but grows in a pot, which is overwintering in the greenhouse.
• Galanthus 'Viridapice' - this is the big boy of the group. Although the label has gone missing I'm reasonably sure of the identity. 
• Galanthus 'Hans Guck In De Luft' (which translates as Johnny-Head-In-Air) with such soulful eyes. This is a fairly new arrival has still to make it from pot culture into the garden. The one original bulb has multiplied quickly. I will be planting one potful out this week and have three more pots waiting in the wings. There will soon be spares to share with friends.
• Galanthus 'Lost Label' - hiding behind young 'Hans' is a green tipped unknown variety. I will have to send a photo to my snowdrop friends to see if they know what it might be. Loosing labels doesn't upset me as much as it used to as the flower gives me exactly the same pleasure with or without a name. Still it's nice to know what's what.
• Galanthus 'Sutton Courtenay' - this one has an unmistakeable yellowish lime green ovary and the markings are the same colour.
• Last but not least is the distinctive 'Trumps' which I included in a vase some three weeks ago and which is still going strong. I must divide what is now a large clump.

Thanks to Cathy over at 'Rambling In The Garden' for her brilliant hosting each and every Monday. This week her post is featuring the most gorgeous hellebore which I simply must track down! The recent wet weather has not treated the snowdrops or other early flowers such as crocus well. However today the sun has been out on and off with patches of blue sky and spring seems to be that bit nearer. 

IAVOM ~ 'Reeling In The Years'

 It's Monday again and I'm joining in with the 'In A Vase On Monday' meme which invites bloggers to share their flowers in a vase or alternative container. A great way to kick-start the new week! A quick pick and plonk from me late yesterday afternoon. In my vase are :

• Iris reticulata - I'm not sure what variety but possibly 'Clairette'. They have popped up over the last week in a pot set aside as I wasn't sure what was in it. No signs of any other occupants so far though.
• Helleborus x hybridus (Ashwood Evolution Group) Yellow Double' - this is a recent arrival and was a gift from himself as I celebrated one of those big birthdays that ends in a 0 last week. It's a beauty and now I need to find the perfect spot for it.

I have used a favourite vase which was hand painted by my mum. I  can't make my mind up whether the markings are suns or stars. On the subject of the solar system just before darkness fell last night we headed to catch the 'Gaia' exhibition at a local museum, which is based on the site of a former medieval monastery. This art installation is touring the world and gives us an opportunity to see what our planet looks like from the moon. 

Measuring seven metres in diameter and created from 120dpi detailed NASA imagery of the Earth’s surface, 'Gaia' gives us the opportunity to see our planet, floating in three dimensions. In Greek mythology Gaia is the personification of the Earth, hence the name of the installation. We thought that our local museum was perhaps to small to get the best experience of 'Gaia' but imagine that it will look fantastic suspended in Tewkesbury Abbey, where it will be heading off to next week. Do have a look here to find out more and to see whether 'Gaia' might be heading in your direction in the future.

Thanks to Cathy over at 'Rambling In The Garden' for her stellar hosting each and every week. Although it's raining heavily outside at the moment I'm hoping to spend some time in my greenhouse  this week well wrapped up in the heated gilet that my sister has kindly bought for me in deference to my senior years. I hope that you're able to venture out into the garden this week.

IAVOM ~ 'Blowin' In The Wind'

The residents of today's vase were vigorously swirling about in the wind as I took this photo. Last week's snow and ice turned back to wet and windy yesterday with the arrival of storm 'Isha', which caused some considerable havoc across the country especially in Scotland. Today the sun is out and although the wind is brisk it's certainly abated. In my vase are :

• Stems of cornus sanguinea 'Anny's Winter Orange'.
• Stems of pittisporum' Silver Ball'.
• Flowers from one of my favourite snowdrops with the unfortunate name of 'Trumps'. I think that the snowdrop preceded the politician or certainly his arrival on the world's political stage. It has distinct green markings on the outside, flowers early and has clumped up well in the garden.

Thanks to Cathy over at 'Rambling In The Garden' for inviting us to share our vases little and large, whatever the weather or the season. Here another named winter storm is waiting in the wings for tomorrow but the weather gods are are promising to be more kind at the weekend. I'm looking forward to it!