Each Little World

IVOM: Heuchera flowers

I am not particularly crazy about Heuchera flowers. They flop or are not very big or an interesting color. But when you have a swath of one or two varieties, you can get enough flowers to make a statement. I've divided and moved so many Heucheras over the years that there are very few I can identify anymore, including these. The plants were growing on along the back of the driveway border so I knew that cutting them would not make a noticeable differnce/ 

They're in a cranberry glas vase with leaves from one of the plants. The bouquet may be composed of delicate stems but there are enough of them to hold their own with the statue of the Lohan. 

I like the way the little baubles of color relate to his casual necklaces. 

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

Happy Fourth of July

Yesterday I was in the checkout line at the grocery store and noticed the bouquet of red and white flowers in the cart of the shopper ahead of me. They made me realize I had flowers in those colors blooming in the garden. So I went home and made my own display. The flowers are Astilbe 'Fanal' which has been increasing in my garden once I found the right spot for it and Tanacetum parthenium (Feverfew). The flags are decorations from various 4th of July gatherings. The vase is dark blue glass and almost impossible to photograph.

Our big American flag is the one we ordered from our then U.S. Senator Bill Proxmire; it flew over the U.S. Capitol on the day we were married. 

We got a half an inch of rain overnight and everything is glistening. The temperature is only 72°F. but the WeatherBug says the humidity is 100%. It's not raining but there is so much moisture in the air it almost looks foggy. Perfect weeding weather if the mosquitoes don't eat you alive. 

This photo was taken standing in our driveway near the house and looking east across neighboring yards. Our 'Forest Pansy' Redbud is looking particularly beautiful. Hope you have a pleasant 4th!

IVOM: Posies for the party

Each June the Friends group of the Helen Louise Allen Textile Collection at UW-Madison host a High Tea. It's part fund-raiser, part social event and often is held at the home of someone who collects textiles and has them on display for the event. I was unable to attend this year, but sent along five small bouquets to put on end tables as my contribution. (I'm on the board of the HLATC Development Committee). I put them together in the basement by the laundry sink, using the top of the washer and dryer as my work surface; so not the most romantic backdrop for pictures.  

These needed to be rather small bouquets so I used empty jam jars. I always keep an array of small jars and bottles with my vases to use to bring small gift bouquets when we go visiting.  

I wanted these to look a little more finished, so I wrapped them in garage sale hankies, held in place with a rubber band at the neck of the container. I also wrapped large leaves around the inside of the container for one of the larger jars. 

As for flowers, I just randomly grabbed a bit of everything. Three were arrangements in shades of red and pink and two showcased yellow flowers. 

I used my go-to method for transporting bouquets: a sturdy box shallow enough that the flowers will mostly be above the edges. I stuff bubble wrap in between, so nothing moves and no vases touch each othe. Then I set it on the floor of the car. I have a box with bubble-wrap on a shelf in the garage that is always ready to go. It makes me much more likely to put a bouquet together quickly if I don't have to think about how to deal with it in the car. 

To see what other gardeners have put together this week, visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden who hosts this meme. 

In a Vase on Monday: The last Peony

I knew our weekend of heat and wind, followed by rain and cold was likely to put an end to the flowers on my remaining Peony. When I brought P. 'Soft Salmon Joy' indoors, it was loosely closed and covered in raindrops. I'd barely got it into this blue gray tea bowl before it opened so wide I thought it might lose its petals. 

It didn't, which gave me time to add Heuchera foliage and Tulip stems to the Tea bowl. It has been sitting on the mantle partnered with this vase by the same artist, so I thought I should fill the vase to let them remain a pair. 

I used more of these Tulip stems which I discovered by accident out in the Traffic Island garden, where I'd forgotten to cut the dead flowers off. I love their curves and the green color fading into cream and pink. 

The vase includes Peony foliage and two stems of Heuchera 'Blackberry Crisp'.

Visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden to see what other gardeners from here, there and everywhere have put into a vase today. 

IVOM: Japanese containers

A perfect Peony in a pickle jar! I put this Peony in the bamboo vase-within-a-vase that is intended to hold the water and a flower and fits inside one of my Japanese Ikebana baskets. Alas it leaked. So the flower enjoyed this temporary home until I jerry-rigged a solution.

Ikebana basket + Peony = Tea House arrangement.

Despite both doors and windows of the Tea House being open, it was cloudy enough outside to make it a bit difficult to get a good picture. 

The Peony spent the rest of its days in the living room. 

This is a contemporary interpretation on a traditional flower holder by Madison artist Richard Jones. 

The flower is Geranium phaeum 'Joan Baker', a mourning widow, which makes a substantial clump.

We bought this wall container many years ago at a Japanese emporium in Boston. Both this one and the one above are perfect for narrow end walls and corners which makes photographing them awkward. This one hangs on the wall between a hallway to another part of the house and the stairs leading down to our front door. That space has a cherry display shelf currently holding a small Japanese chest. 

The flower is Clematis 'Guernsey Cream'.

To see what other gardeners have put in a vase this morning, join Cathy at Rambling in the Garden to share our creations from our gardens. Cathy is the creator of this totally enjoyable meme. 

IVOM: This and that

Despite a lot of rain and cool temperatures, it is May. That means the garden is full of blooms and the house is full of bouquets; so many that I've lost count. It also means that this is a very photo-heavy post. These bouquets were all done in the last few days and most of them are still in place in the house. 

It's hard to find a blank wall in our house to use as a backdrop so the flowers stand out. I took these photos in the front hall using a Chinese bench to hold the vases. I was on my knees with my feet going into the coat closet directly behind me! It was the only way I could capture the vase as well as the flowers.

The vase is Scandinavian from the local antique mall. It has dwarf Iris 'Cherry Garden,' Muscari paraadoxum, prairie Trillium and unknown Heuchera and Epimedium foliage. The Muscari are very large, almost navy blue with a bit of yellow edge showing. 

This vase ended up on my bathroom vanity. 

I love the look and colors of this vase’s tubes but each must be filled individually. That makes it a chore and the flowers drink up the small amount of water quickly. Epimedium 'Lilac Fairy', Fritillaria pontica and Heuchera 'Marmalade' foliage. This Frit seeds around nicely. 

It went on the shelf above the kitchen sink. A great location if impossible to photograph.

Muscari 'Valerie Finis', Tulipa sylvestris and a bit of vine from Clematis alpina 'Stolwijk Gold'. This particular tulip was popularized by Jefferson at Monticello, according to Brent and Becky Heath. 

The same little bouquet on the soapstone sink-surround in Mark's bathroom with an African mask. Everything is reflected in the mirror behind the sink.

The rain meant I kept cutting more flowers to enjoy rather than let them get beaten down. This is Peony 'Nosegay', a second generation cross between P. tenufolia and P. mlokosewitschii ("Molly the witch"). She's a sensuous beauty.

Since this Chinese stone statue had his hand on his hip, I couldn't resist letting him hold the Peony.

It has been a spectacular year for Trilliums in my garden. They've been so plentiful, I haven't hesitated to pick them for bouquets. Trillium grandiflorum with Convallaria 'Hardwick Hall'.

It wouldn't be spring without daffodils and Tulips. 

The colors work well with this wall and the big guy!

It may be a national holiday here, but that won't stop many of us from joining Cathy at Rambling in the Garden to share our creations from our gardens. Cathy is the creator of this totally enjoyable meme. 

IVOM: Color

We've had so much cool, gray and wet weather that spring ephemerals and bulbs have lasted a long time. In the case of many of my Tulips, it's more accurate to say that it has taken them a long time to come into full bloom. Now it feels like overnight they've exploded into bright bursts of color.

These are 'Prinses Irene' with a single red one that may be 'Rococo'.

T. 'Purperkroon' is joined by a slightly shorter black parrot type Tulip while the redder T. 'Rococo' continues to hold the bottom line. 

To see what others have plucked from their gardens to put into a vase today, visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden who hosts this addictive Monday meme. 

IVOM: Tulips at last

Peony japonica, Tulip 'Schoonoord' and the last Hellebore 'Sparkling Diamond' all blooming at once. More signs of a quirky Spring. 

P. japonica has flowers all open about this far. The cool weather is keeping them from exploding which is nice; but I am ready for some warmer days. 

The lovely yellow dangling bells (above) are Fritillaria pallidiflora. This stem grew in a marvelously twisted direction so it hung down when put in the vase. 

Hellebore 'Sparkling Diamond' looks as good going to seed as it does when it first blooms. 

To see what other gardeners have put in a vase today, stop by Rambling in the Garden where Cathy hosts all of us who don't mind clipping a few blooms from our gardens to put in a vase indoors. 

In a Vase on Monday: Snatched out of the snow!

It started snowing fairly heavily about 10 a.m. on Saturday. It let up a few hours later and what was on the trees and the ground almost completely disappeared — until it started again! I wasn't too worried about the snow since I could go out and shake it off the plants where its weight was bending them down. The real problem was the frost warning overnight.

I spent a good two hours covering anything that I was not sure could make it through this radical temperature change. The garden was a mess of plastic pails, pots, cardboard boxes and garbage bags and old sheets draped over a network of bamboo poles on all the species Peonies and my tree Peony. Since I really did not know what would survive, I cut a random group of blooms for the house. 

. . . 

Trillium erectum in a vase by Richard Jones of Studio Paran. Note the red band around the opening of container. This one has a built-in metal frog. 

Another Trillium and another Richard Jones vase.

Trillium sessile with Fritillaria ruthenica. Note the red dot on the front of the vase, which I decided meant it had to have red(ish) flowers. The Frit is quite a bit darker than it appears here. 

Helleborus 'Sympathy' and Paeonia mairei in a vase that belonged to my late mother-in-law. That red tray was just too strong a color contrast for this delicate vase, so I changed locations. When Mark saw where I'd put his mother's vase, he snapped this photo. He liked the fact that my bouquet reflected the floral theme of my collage hanging on the wall above it. 

Helleborus 'Sympathy' is my most impressive and longest-flowering variety while P. mairei is the first of my species Peonies to flower. 

To see what other gardeners have put into a vase today, visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden who hosts this addictive Monday meme. 

First signs of life in the garden

Our weather is rather up and down at the moment, mornings in the 30s and afternoons in the 50s. In general, it is a bit early to start doing too much cutting back. I don't want to have to go out and try to protect things if we get snow or some really cold overnight lows because I exposed emerging plants too early. But there are signs of life everywhere I look. This Hellebore right next to the house is the only one with buds making an obvious appearance. 

Cyclamen purpurascens that were just plant last fall are looking great.

Euphorbia martinii 'Tiny Tim', another new plant last fall, also looking good. I am hoping the lively appearance of these plants means they are, in fact, alive!

My Helleborus niger, a Thanksgiving bloomer, tried to make an appearance last November but weather conditions were not cooperative. Buds were opening but it was so cold I just piled leaves on top of them. 

Across the path, its sibling is doing equally well.  

I'm not sure that "first signs of life" is the right title for this post since only the Hellebore at the top is make its initial appearance. Everyone else has been hanging out under the snow and is actually re-appearing! Since it is supposed to rain for much of this coming week, I decided to cut a couple of these flowers and some of the snowdrops that are up. First vase of the year with flowers from my garden!