Here’s what I’m working with this week: a small white porcelain vase with a deco-like bas relief around its base and petal-like flared rim; moss to fill the vase and stabilize the stems; a skewer to poke holes in the moss; two small stems of Helleborus (stems dunked in boiling water to prolong life); three leaves each of Pulmonaria and Heuchera.
The Helebore is still in bud. It will be a greenish white when it blooms out but at this stage the maroon markings on the undersides of the petals are still visible, reinforced by the maroon of the Heuchera leaves. The sword shape and different patterning of the Pulmonaria leaves provide contrast and echo the shape of the leaves on the vase. All of these things were planted before I started keeping records, so that’s the best I can do with ID.
I kept it sparse to leave room for the buds to open and reveal their pretty inner workings.
Finally, I added a small votive in a frosted glass container and some match boxes covered with marbleized paper that echoes the colors of my little spring posy (well, winter, technically, but let’s pretend, shall we?)
Mondays are vase days, here and HERE, where Cathy hosts any and all would-be flower arrangers to adopt this habit forming meme. No pressure: drop in when it suits you, or take up the challenge to fill a vase with something from your garden every week, year-round.
It’s so sweet! I love the colors and patterns. Simple but effective.
Evan~I look forward to the days of big, blowsy arrangements, but enforced simplicity has its charms too.
Hi Rikki, I think your little vase is lovely, such a pretty collection of buds and foliage. I wish my hellebores buds had a long enough stem for me to pick but they seem to have been stopped by the extremely cold and frosty weather we’ve been enduring lately. Your covered matchbox is very decorative too.
Elizabeth~This is the first time I have picked any of my Hellebores…forced into it by the dearth of materials (yet another lesson learned of necessity).
Very pretty, I like the miniature scale.
Chloris~I’m on the lookout for more small containers. They do expand the possibilities. Thanks for your comment.
Your vase is very sweet and seasonal and has the added bonus of buds that should give you beautiful flowers in a few days – thank you for sharing.
Julie~It’s already changed quite a bit…fun to watch.
Thanks for your support with this meme, rickii – you always say such positive things about it. I love your slection of contents today – like last week all favourites of mine, so you are on to a winner as far as I am concerned. I like your explanation of how and why you put it together as well – thanks for sharing
Cathy~Like minds, and all that.
I CAN spell ‘selection’…..
Cathy~I knew that!
I liked the way you filled this with moss and used lovely foliage from the spring garden….
Donna~So, you are pretending, with me, that it really is spring?
Beth~Thank you so much. Let me know what you think of the new look, won’t you?
Very handsome. I love those subtle color echoes in the foliage and flowers.
Kris~Thanks. I love subtle…except when I’m loving bold and brassy.
Flower buds just about to open are always charming.
Jason~Yes…all that promise of things to come.
Beautiful arrangement and I LOVE the new look of your blog, very classy!
Loree~Thanks. I was trying to work some CSS magic on the old one, but finally gave up and searched out a theme that does most of what I was after.
I agree with your comment above, I too long for quantities of fresh flowers but look what you found that you might not have enjoyed so much if you hadn’t been participating in this meme. This is the perfect arrangement to brighten a winter’s day.
Christina~Exactly so. I broke down and bought a bunch of daffodils, but they didn’t please me half as much as the DIY posies.
Using moss to stabilise the stems is interesting Ricki and looks a really lovely texture with the Hellebores and Heuchera. Very pretty.
Julie~That basket of moss sitting on the front deck leads to all kinds of uses.
Lovely as always, Rickii! Your props are perfect for this understated but beautiful spring posy. I’m all for pretending!
Peter~Sometimes pretending canmake it so.
WG~Nice thought about the moss illusion and the “power of our desire”. Thanks so much for stopping by and adding your poetic musings.
Your arrangements always have a shi-shi boutiquey look to them. Tres chic! Me likey! But I have a dusty silk orchid in a vase. I know you’re jealous. 😉
TS~Green with envy.