I had something quite different in mind when I went out this morning to cut flowers. There were so many dainty spring flowers that really need to come into the house to be appreciated. I remembered having eight of these little Mexican glass shot glasses, and found that I could almost cover the color wheel with my findings.
Let’s start at the blue end of my bouquets on parade. Ceanothus ‘Blue Jeans’ is just coming into flower. I wonder if these tight buds will open. If so, these two little vases will get better as time goes by. A couple of sprigs of Stachyrus praecox new leaves set off the Muscari in the second vase.
The color doesn’t read as well shot from the other side, but the light shining through the leaves is nice.
Shades of purple and lilac show up in Fritillarea maleagris and Epimedium ‘Roseum’.
Arcostaphylos densiflora ‘Harmony’ has pale pink flowers, while the native Ribes, planted here by the birds, shades from medium pink to almost red.
My favorite of the Epimediums is E.x warleyense, with these delicate wands of orange flowers. I added a stem of Berberis replicata that has streaks of orange mixed with deep yellow.
I thought you needed a close-up to appreciate these flowers. See why they need to come inside?
For pure yellow, you can’t beat Forsythia, and I let one stem of the barberry migrate into this vase to add interest.
The yellow-green Hellebores are a bit coarser than the other posies in the group, but I did want to use all eight glasses, and they met the color requirements.
To complete the spectrum, here’s white Clematis armandii. But I couldn’t stop there…
The rains had beaten down some of the Narcissi ‘Thalia’, giving me a good excuse to pick them. A couple of long-lasting leaves from past bouquets make a dramatic background for the pristine, lightly fragrant, flowers. So there you have it. Now do click through to Rambling in the Garden to hook up with a growing number of budding flower arrangers.
Love this collection. Each one stands on its own but together they say spring, spring, spring! The shot glasses are perfect–never seen anything like them. susie
Susie~The shot glasses got used only once for their intended purpose: chilled vodka with caviar and paté. Now I’m glad I held on to them. My pack rat ways do pay off occasionally.
They’re so pretty Ricki. I agree that these little ephemerals need to come inside to be enjoyed up close. Especially now with the rain and hail, they deserve a cozy indoor spot. That Epimedium is really special!
Grace~Hail? Oh, dear…I’m sorry. The rain has been enough to beat down some of the more delicate blooms. On the bright side, it takes away all guilt about depleting the outdoor display.
They all are absolutely delectable! What a wonderful way to display these delicate flowers so they all shine, none overpowered. Looks to me like you have the rainbow covered, Ricki 😉 It is impossible for me to choose a favorite, though I remain partial to N. ‘Thalia.’ I looked for your Monday post earlier to add to the list of ‘must visit’ sites on mine today, and am heading back to add the link now. Now, to throw a party since your table is already festive 😉 <3 WG
Elizabeth~Every day is a party when the table is adorned with flowers. Wish you could join us.
Wonderful bouquets and terrific vases. I am going to remember that idea when I have more blooming in my garden
Linda~They kind of canceled one another out when gathered into one big bunch. This way each one gets its due. Welcome to Sprig to Twig.
I really enjoyed your collection of spring vases and blooms. ‘Thalia’ is quite lovely. And I really like the orange flowers of those Epimediums.
Jason~I’m soaking up your appreciation…thanks.
Now that is stunning! I love, love this line-up of tiny vases with delicate spring flowers. Gorgeous! I have that ‘Warleyense’ Epimedium. It’s relatively new to my garden, and I fell in love with the pretty orange blooms. Thanks for the idea of picking the blooms for display.
Beth~I do so love orange flowers. It’s a fairly brash color, but can easily be overlooked in the woodland garden. My clump is growing larger, if slowly. One stem of blossoms last year…this year, five.
I like the idea of your spectrum of tiny lovelies brought inside to appreciate up close! The drama of your last arrangement is stunning!
Peter~What is it about afterthoughts? They often steal the scene.
I love your rainbow parade of spring flowers! And the fact that you used matching shot glasses for them – even better. Thanks for sharing your tastes of spring.
Rebecca~Thanks for adding your voice. Now I’m off to check you out.
I think I’d get stuck on the purpley part of your floral rainbow: Oh how I love fritillareas, in the wilds, in the garden, in a vase. I like how yours is on display so you can fully appreciate its reptilian beauty!
James~I’m now thinking I’d like the checkered lily combined with the orange Epimedium. Hope they hang on long enough to try that. I’ve been waiting and waiting for the frits to multiply, but instead they are showing up in new parts of the garden…go figure.
What a wonderful selection of spring flowers. My Epimedium are just beginning to show, I think it will be a few more weeks before I can pick any.
Helen~The eps are so dainty that it’s easy to miss them…one more reason to appreciate the in-a-vase thing.
Oh Yes! I love your table decoration, repetition but not quite, really clever. I may just have to copy that for a lunch party I have coming up next week, thank you. Of course I’ll have to explain the’ Richard of York gave battle in vane’ rhyme.
Christina~Isn’t it fun how we all borrow from one another to increase our repertoires?
Of course inquiring minds are wondering just how you came to own 8 Mexican shot glasses. Do you and R hold regular tequila tasting parties?
I love the dainty tabletop color wheel, having the opportunity to enjoy potentially overlooked garden treasures is the best part about bringing cut stems inside.
Loree~See my reply to Susie and all will be revealed. Sorry to disillusion you about our party animal ways, but wine is more our speed these days and getting guests snockered before the main course really didn’t work out that well.
What fun. That table does look ready for a party. I love how mini flower arrangements help a person to really focus on the beauty of a flower. The details. And every one of those flowers is exquisite.
Debra~Thanks…and thanks for stopping by Sprig to Twig.
I thought you were going to give us a poem too when I saw your title, rickii! What a lovely idea this was, and brilliantly executed. You must have a lovely collection of spring blooms in your garden. The epimedium leaves work in the same way as my aquilegia leaves do – and how easy it is to overlook the epimedium flowers. That’s another tip for the future! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Cathy~I enjoy others’ poetry, but most of my odes are going to be visual (and largely horticultural).
Such fun. Every vase is perfect. Especially love Thalia; I had it in a previous (sunny) garden and it’s hard to beat. Your foliage combo does a spectacular job of showcasing its white blooms.
Marian~Thalia is my favorite of all the daffys. Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting, so that I can find you.
A lovely collection and how lucky to have all of them flowering already. I use shot glasses for flowers too, most recently for snow drops, they worked really well.
Rona~I may even look for some more of them for this very purpose. So many early things benefit from working in miniature.
Oh, I love a parade! This is a beautiful way to display your pretty collection of flowers, giving each its due but also allowing the mix to give it impact. Beautiful!
Kris~High praise. Thanks.
What a fun idea, Rickii – I love it! You have many of my faves represented in your line-up – the Fritillaria for one. And it’s hard to beat an orange Epimedium – very cool! And I too have a soft spot for both Thalia and green Hellebores. Nice! 🙂
Anna~That’s right…we share the green flower fan club. Seems kinda odd, when everything else is shades of green.