Happy vase day! For this week's collection, I knew I had to include some "hearts."
First, I included the heart-shaped foliage of Red Barrenwort (Epimedium x rubrum). The foliage is as exciting as the flowers (which I didn't include this time).
Next, Virginia Waterleaf (Hydrophyllum virginianum) is another plant with amazing foliage. In this case, I think the mottled leaves and their deeply lobed structure are even more visually appealing than the flowers (they're not blooming yet). In this arrangement, the leaves complement the foliage of the next plant.
Bleeding Hearts (Lamprocapnos spectabilis): They're at peak bloom now, they're excellent cut flowers, and they have a decent vase life. Definitely a favorite--in the garden and in a vase!
It's a good year for Wood Violets (Viola sororia). I'm letting them naturalize more than in the past: Why discourage beautiful, native ground covers?
It took a while for the native Chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa) to settle in to the garden, but it's really coming into its own now. It's been a great fall foliage replacement for the invasive Burning Bush (Euonymus alatus) we removed about 10 years ago. And now plentiful spring flowers are adding to the magic! A Chokeberry sprig with a couple of flower clusters added a nice central focal point to the vase.
Finally, the photo at the top of this post doesn't include this last element, but I thought the arrangement needed a "spike" of some sort. So I cut a sprig of budding Korean Lilac (Syringa meyeri).
What a joy to have so many options for cut flowers again! I hope spring is in full swing in your garden, too. For more vases from gardens around the world, visit Cathy's "In a Vase on Monday" meme at Rambling in the Garden.
On Tuesday, May 5, our book, "A Journey of Seasonal Wisdom," will be released as a paperback, and available on Amazon! It's also available in ebook format.
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Fellow blogger, Donna Donabella, and I co-wrote the book, and its readers are truly part of the story. Take a journey with us through the seasons, week by week. We're both so thrilled our collaborative effort of several years is now a finished product! Visit Golden Dragonfly Press to learn more!
A gorgeous arrangement. I love all the colors, and you're right - the Epimedium foliage is bringing it all together. Your chokeberry looks perfect popped in the center!
ReplyDeleteThanks! It's fun to be back at floral arranging with garden elements right outside the door. :)
DeleteOh Beth I adore this incredible vase filled with so many favorite spring delights I no longer have in this garden. I did finally get a few violets to take off in the native plant garden. I am hoping to see them multiply every year. So looking forward to finally having our book full of nature's love released. Cheers to you my friend.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Donna. Violets are so lovely, and I'm enjoying them in little vases, too. Cheers to the upcoming book launch!
DeleteOh I love your hearts Beth - what a great idea, and yes, epimedium foliage is so attractive. The chokeberry flowers look very similar to hawthorn, a common hedging plant in the UK
ReplyDeleteOh, yes, the Hawthorn blooms do look very similar, don't they? Some Crataegus species are native here in the U.S., too. Lovely shrubs. Thanks so much for hosting "Vase Day" Cathy!
DeleteIt is beautiful. :-)
ReplyDeleteI do love bleeding hearts.
xo
Thanks, Carla. The Bleeding Hearts would be lovely simply on their own, and there are so many in the garden. Hmmm...I think I'll clip a few more. :)
DeleteLovely hearts. Epimedium and Dicentra! Amelia. Cheers to Spring!
ReplyDeleteHi Amelia: Thanks for stopping by. Happy spring to you, too!
DeleteThat's a lovely mix, Beth! I wish I could grow bleeding hearts in my garden!
ReplyDeleteHi Kris: Yes the Bleeding Hearts are a staple here, as they tolerate shade, they're so colorful and visually appealing...and, they're great cut flowers!
DeleteThis is lovely Beth, and really made me smile. 😁 The shape of the whole arrangement is somehow heart-shaped too. Was that intentional? So many pretty elements in there to enjoy!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Cathy. :) The heart shape of the arrangement wasn't intentional, but I guess maybe my mind was thinking that way. LOL.
DeleteReally pretty Beth. I love dicentras, ( I can't get my head round lampo- thingy.) My clumps get smaller every year, I'd like to have lots. We're already into summer here in south west France. But it's nice to slow down and relish each season.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Chloris. I know what you mean about the Latin for the Bleeding Hearts. I have to roll that one around in my head to pronounce it, but it has kind of an interesting ring to it. I envy your switch to summer weather. Soon it will warm up here, too. Yay!
DeleteYour bleeding heart blossoms are lovely. I had a few, but not as many as usual. It has been a strange up and down Spring.
ReplyDeleteGosh, I agree about the roller-coaster weather. We don't seem to linger on "normal" weather much anymore. The Bleeding Hearts, however, have had a great spring--maybe because of the excess rain and cool temperatures.
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