This handsome tray and silverware caddy were Festivus gifts from a dear friend who knows my taste. New acquisitions in the background are, from left to right: Arctostaphylos ‘Pacific Mist’, Globularia cordifolia and Lilium martagon ‘Nepera’ (off subject, but I figure you would want to know).
I just happen to have some water glasses that fit perfectly into those compartments so naturally it has been pressed into service as a vase.
Jason, at gardeninacity, recently posted a tutorial on keeping lilacs fresh indoors. You can see it here. I don’t know about you but some of his information was news to me. Fingers crossed that these bouquets will last more than a few hours. In addition to the lilacs, there are some forget-me-nots, Persicaria ‘Purple Shield’ (see how it matches the candle holder and the tablecloth?…happy accident) and one orange Geum that was added when the whole arrangement seemed to threaten to go all prissy on me.
The second vase is an afterthought because I had material left over. As often happens, I like it better than the one I set out to make. It is made up of the same ingredients minus the forget-me-nots and plus Euphorbia robiae and Hosta leaves, two to line the vase and one in the bouquet.
I wish I knew what resulted in this dramatic shot. Even after all this time, the inner workings of my camera remain a mystery.
I don’t have many surfaces that lend themselves to displaying vases so these are lined up on the dining room table, even though they don’t necessarily go together. The talented and imaginative Cathy at Rambling in the Garden hosts In a Vase on Monday (iavom, in case that title confused you) every Monday, without fail.
I printed out Jason’s directions as I never have luck with lilacs. As you say, it was news to me too. I think the second vase has more drama but it’s always fun to do variations on the theme. Like you I have trouble finding a spot to take the photo. This time I moved a lamp off a table and shoved things around to get a bare spot against a plain wall!
I guess we all go through gymnastics on Mondays, trying to get a good photo of our vases. No matter how I try, they always look better in real life, except for the occasional lucky shot.
Lilac time is one of the delights of spring. Their fragrance elicits sweet memories of gardens and people past for many. You’ve done a splendid job of combining them with other blooms which is not an easy task. Beautifully done!
Thanks, Peter. You do nostalgia so well!
Lilacs! These are another plant in the garden of my dreams, which is the only place they grow here. The shrubs are sometimes sold locally but even those advertised as suitable to our climate don’t get enough winter cold to perform well. Use of the Geum – and the Euphorbia in the second vase – does give your arrangements an unexpected and pleasing jolt.
Lilacs are a nostalgic plant (see Peter’s comment). Sorry you can’t grow them but you have many compensations.
Well done, both of them! I hope the Lilacs last a good long time for you.
Four days is a pretty good run for lilacs, in my experience.
A lovely arrangement, but I have to ask: do you leave your Festivus tree up year round?
The tree is in a big pot, to move in and out of the house. I hope to get a couple of years out of it before it begs to be put in the ground. Maybe I will have found a good place for it by then.
These make an exciting pair on your table. I think they work well. I like the use of the hosta leaf inside the 2nd vase and the way it picks up the color of your Euphorbia.
The leaves in the glass are a good camouflage when the stems of the bouquet are less than attractive.
I more or less gave up trying to photograph my vases inside and almost always take them outside for the photoshoot! I really like the possibilities that the ‘silverware caddy’ offer for vases and this week’s option is surprising striking for its simplicity – and how things change when you swap some of the contents! Both work so well, don’t they?
I’m still working on the photography thing. Maybe I need to get a better setup for outside.
There’s another thing we share: the lilac-laden wedding…never to be realized.
Gorgeous, along with peonies lilacs are something I miss. I have managed to get a miniature Korean lilac which flowered here, but the scent isn’t the same as I remember.
Sorry about the scent: it’s the main reason for my attachment to lilacs.