In a Vase on Monday: Tulips and tea bowls

We've had such a rainy weekend that I dashed out beforehand and cut a few flowers to make bouquets for this meme and to take to a couple of social gatherings on Saturday. These 'Schoonoord' Tulips had been in a vase a good 4 or 5 days by the time I photographed them. I initially put them on a tall Chinese display stand in front of a painting by local artist Tom Sargeant because I thought the colors in the vase were similar to some of the tones in the painting.

We found the vase at the recent Clay Collective weekend where the artist — Shumpei Tamaki — had a booth set up at Mark Skudlarek's studio and shop. The vase was fired upside down in the kiln and so the drips and lines of glaze run upward when the vase is set upright. 

It didn't take long before I decided to put the vase on the fireplace since I walk by it dozens of times each day and it is directly opposite the spot where I sit to read. 

'Schoonoord' is a double Tulip and I wanted to be able to easily watch it continue to unfold and reveal touches of gold and green in its interior. The vase also has a sprig of ivy, a stem of Euonymous and a leaf from Lily of the Valley 'Hardwick Hall' (Convallaria majalis).

The vase with the Tulips is at the other end of the mantle from these two tea bowls that were also made by Shumpei Tamaki.

I walked into his booth and went directly to the large dark tea bowl on the right. I picked it up and thought "this is the one." Then I waited for Mark to arrive and I watched to see what would catch his eye. He did the exact same thing I did, so I knew that bowl was coming home with us!

He was also smitten with this one with its glassy blue/gray/green glaze. It's quite different from most of our other tea bowls because it is porcelain and has a crackle glaze which pooled "like a rim of jewels," as Mark put it. I think it will also make an attractive little flower container at some future time as well. 

To see what other gardeners have put in a vase today, visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden who hosts this long-running meme.

Comments

[Barbara H.]

Both the tulips and the vase won my heart. They look pretty perfect together. The tea bowls are pretty eye catching too. What is the dumbbell shape in the middle? A rattle?

[Susie]

The tulips are lovely. They last a tantalizingly long time for you. I enjoy seeing your art pieces. The newest acquisitions seem perfect.

[Donna@GardensEyeView]

I love watching tulips unfold as well and these are lovely in the beautiful vase....I can see why you love this artist's work.

[Linda Brazill]

Your first guess was correct. It is an antique, or at least rusty, dumbbell.

[Peter/Outlaw]

As always, your style wins my heart. Your new acquisitions are as much of a delight as your long-awaited tulips. The upside of your late spring is that you now get to enjoy tulips and the like that are, in my garden, just a memory.

[Linda Brazill]

Thanks for those kind words. When we went out to the pottery festival we were convinced we would not buy anything! Someday there is going to be a great garage sale at our house.

[Cathy]

What a stylish vase with the elegant tulips and the equally elegant vase. All your new pieces have a great style of their own and I can see why you were smitten

[Lisa at Greenbow]

That's the spirit. Don't buy anything. ;) I like your new tea bowls. The grey one especially. I like the color combo on it. The tulip is lovely. I thought it a peony when I glanced at the first pictures. Perfect on the mantel. I wish you would send some rain down this way. DRY here with record high temps. UGH

[Linda Brazill]

We've had 4 inches of rain in the last week so clearly we are getting some of yours. Temps hitting 80 by Wed. Those tulips just exploded open in the last hour with the sun and warmth and the woodland peonies will be gone in a day with this wacky weather. No one is getting the weather they want or typically expect.

[Kris P]

I'm sorry you're continuing to be plagued with rain. At least you were able to rescue those pretty tulips. I love the vase!

[Nomads By Nature]

Oh my gosh. Perfection! All of it.

[Terri]

Beautiful vase! I love the tulips...they almost look like magnolias.

[Amelia Grant]

Love the restrained color palette and all of your new vases!

[Ciar]

What a beautiful, peaceful vase - just right for those lovely tulips.

[Linda Brazill]

My husband thought they were peonies. I think the fact they are both white and double is confusing.

[Loree / danger garden]

That vase, and those tulips, are sweet perfection.