Welcome to ‘In A Vase On Monday’ when I am linking up with Cathy at Rambling In The Garden to share a vase of flowers picked from my garden every Monday.
This week I have spent my Monday shopping in Cambridge with my mother – yet another non gardening day, but lots of fun nonetheless. The storm has passed over without any significant damage to my plants and I woke early this morning to a sunny day. Looking around the garden for something simple to fill my vase with, I was drawn to my hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’ shrubs.
I have been looking for an opportunity to use this duck egg blue glass vase that I bought at a National Trust shop early in the spring. Although I really did not need another vase, there was something about the shape and color that I just could not resist.
Hydrangea Annabelle is probably my favorite of the hydrangeas. The flowers are so bridal with their delicate white bracts. For summer weddings or anniversaries I will often use a piece of old lace to cover a present wrapped in white or cream paper and then add a fresh Annabelle flower to the ribbon in place of a bow.
I have four bushes of Annabelle, which all grow together to create a sea of white and acid green heads. In the winter the flower heads turn brown, but they stand up well to the bad weather and create quite a spectacle throughout the darkest months.
In the early spring I cut the stems back to strong buds and feed the bushes generously with fish, blood and bone. In very dry spells I give the plants a couple of cans of water once a week, but other than that they are trouble free and reward me with these beautiful lacy flower heads from June onwards.
I often add these flower heads to big blowsy arrangements, but this week I wanted something simple for the dining room. I cut four flower heads and then staggered the stem length so that I had three at reducing heights to add to my vase and a very short stem to add to the small glass votive.
Single heads in votives make a lovely summer table decoration and a few vases of taller stems around the room add height and impact. As my plants seem to continue to produce new flowers throughout the summer I do not need to worry about spoiling the winter effect.
Next Monday I may have to miss out on ‘In A Vase On Monday’ again as I will be in Amsterdam. I will, however, try to add a quick flower post if I have wi-fi – I am sure there will some lovely flowers to share with you. Also I am getting very close to an exciting first meeting with a blogging friend from America – Libby from An Eye For Detail is coming over to the UK and is going to spend a couple of days with me! She has been writing about her trip to England in her last few blog posts and I am really looking forward to her arrival. I am making plans now and look forward to sharing our adventures with you in September!
I hope you have enjoyed this weeks vase of flowers and that you will pop over to Cathy’s blog to have a look at what she and the others have made this week.
