Welcome to ‘In A Vase On Monday’ when I am linking up with Cathy at Rambling In The Garden to join her challenge to fill a vase for the house from the garden every week.
This week I am introducing my flowers on a somber note – I am dedicating my arrangement to the sister of one of my closest friends. Sadly she lost her battle with breast cancer recently and her funeral took place today. Although I did not know her very well, she has been in my life on and off for the last twenty years and was very special to her husband, family and friends. Her death at a young age is a great tragedy.
I am pleased to announce that the peony season has started in my garden! Yesterday I showed you these peonies growing in the garden. Although they are my first peonies of the year and very precious they grow in a secluded area, so cutting the flowers to enjoy inside was not too hard. There are three of these peony plants in the bed – they were here when we moved in and yesterday I said I thought they might be a variety called Red Charm. Looking closer today at images on the internet they are more like Eliza Lundy, although it is very hard to be specific. They grow in a dappled shade position in damp but not wet soil. I have found that peonies grown in full sun produce far more flowers than those grown in light shade, but the flowers do not last as long.
My cutting bed peonies are all in a very sunny position, but in the borders I use peonies wherever I think they will add to the scheme without worrying too much about sun or shade. As all my peonies apart from these three are quite recently planted this will be the first year in this garden when I have a lot of buds to look forward to. It takes a newly planted peony a year or two to produce its first blooms and then you can only expect two or three flowers. After that the plant will produce increasing numbers of flowers every year as the size of the crown expands.
One again I have chosen my silver footed rose bowl. Although I am happy to use floral foam when it is needed I prefer to make arrangements without it. The top of this rose bowl allows me to thread the conditioned stems through the grid and the arrangement builds up to be self supporting. As long as I keep the water in the bowl topped up, this should last between three and five days. I have used my beautiful mock orange bush to provide the supporting base and the honeysuckle to add some movement. The honeysuckle has been flowering in the garden for a while now, so I don’t expect it to last very long in the vase. It will be easy to replace in a day or two if necessary. Generally it is best to choose flowers that are just coming into bloom – these will have the longest vase life.
As with tulip Jan Reus, I am struggling to capture the exact shade of this peony in a photograph. Peony Eliza Lundy is described as an early flowering petite fully double red and that description certainly fits what I have growing in my garden. In the vase, however, these flowers are more of a very deep cerise.
As a filler I have added some of these large aquilegia flowers. I have no recollection of planting aquilegia where this beautiful tall pale pink specimen grows, but it does seem rather too extraordinary to be a self seeded plant.
I have also added a few of the first blooms of astrantia. This one is called astrantia ‘Buckland’ and, like the peonies, it grows in a dappled shade spot. I find that astrantia does well in both sun and shade, although again the flowers last longer in a shady spot.
I have photographed the arrangement outside as I love all the greens in the background at the moment. Flowers always look particularly fresh when they are photographed in natural light. Inside the arrangement is going to live in the drawing room:
Finally for today, I am pleased to announce that the winner of my competition last week is Rachel Slater – well done Rachel for your very prompt response! Fresh from the Field Wedding Flowers will be on its way to you in the next day or so. Rachel is a flower grower in Yorkshire – Owl House Flowers is her new cutting garden based in Bingley. She specialises in beautiful seasonal British bouquets, cut flowers and foliage. You can find out more on her lovely FB page.
I hope you will pop over to Cathy’s blog now to see what she and the others taking part in this meme have made this week.
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So wunderschön!!!
Thank you!!
Do you find that the aquilegia last very long when cut? I’ve never even tried: they just seem so fragile in the garden! Mine are over for the year, but were a gorgeous deep blue. And, of course, a lovely arrangement!
I have never cut aquilegias before this year Libby, but I am finding they last surprisingly well.
Those peonies are a lovely shade, aren’t they, and the aquilegia, astrantia and honeysuckle are perfect to balance the blooms without detracting from them. I have noticed buds on some of my honeysuckle so look forward to using it in a vase soon. The astrantia will be around for ages and will be used again and again as I am sure you find yourself!
Thank you Cathy – you will be using your honeysuckle as mine go over I think. Astrantia is one of my favourite fillers – both in my borders and in a vase. The flowers have a great vase life and in the garden the plants seem to thrive in sun and shade.
Marvellous news about the book Julie, thankyou. I look forward to receiving it. And that display is beautiful….and a gorgeous tribute to your friends sister. It is my inspiration for tomorrows flowers. I think i have the same peony, inherited with the house and hard to capture the real colour. Thanks again Julie x
Thank you Rachel – you are very welcome & I should have time to get to the post office on Friday.
A beautiful and elegant arrangement, yet bittersweet for the loss of your friend’s sister.
Thank you.
Beautiful arrangement. I love those pale pink aquilegias next to the peonies. A lovely tribute to your friend’s sister.
Thank you Cathy.
The arrangement is breathtaking, Julie. I can only wish to grow herbaceous peonies and Astrantia.
I’m sorry to hear of the loss of your friend’s sister. I’ve lost 2 friends to breast cancer and I understand the sadness. Hopefully, all forms will be curable someday.
Thank you Kris – peonies are one of the highlights here in the UK, but you can grow so many things that we cannot.
What a lovely idea to dedicate today’s vase to your friends sister, Julie, so many women still die from this disease despite all the checks and treatments available. The description that fits the vase best today is opulent! Is that honeysuckle I can see too, it must smell lovely if that’s the case. Christina
Thank you Christina – you are right about the honeysuckle and the scent – it was delicious but sadly is over now. In my experience honeysuckle is not long lasting in a vase.
Julie,
Every single flower here can be proud to be beautiful on their own. More to that the Gardner who gaurds them.and a serene arrangement too.loved every bit of it.
And Julie can you tell be how to protect plants from bunnies. I have six of them foraging my plants. I lost lot of them. They are cuties but definitely not friendly to my garden.