Welcome to this weeks ‘In A Vase On Monday’ when I am linking up with Cathy at Rambling In The Garden to join in her challenge to find something from the garden to put in a vase every week.
Today is a Red (or rather pink) Letter Day – the first of my tulips are ready to be displayed in a vase! Any readers who were here last April will remember how much I love tulips and how many different varieties I grow! Todays beauties are tulip Angelique and are fresh from the greenhouse – it will be a week or two before I have any garden tulips to show.
These lovelies were planted in the greenhouse border towards the end of December when I realised I was running out of time to plant them outside. I am so glad I made this decision – it is such a treat to have a pretty pink tulip in time to use with my first blossom.
As with shop bought forced tulips the flowers are not quite as big as they would be if grown outside, but I have plenty planted in the garden to look forward to in late April or early May. When picking tulips it is best to cut them just as the bud starts to show colour, but before it has opened. That way they will have the longest vase life – they quickly open once brought inside. I picked these as closed buds yesterday.
I mentioned my first blossom – this comes from my flowering plum tree (prunus cerasifera), which has been in flower for just over a week now. I noticed this morning that it has been joined by my apricot tree and the peaches are not far behind, so the blossom season is finally here.
As easter is rapidly approaching I spent a little time today rounding up my easter decorations. I have made an easter tree with the twigs which have been adorning my hall table since January and I have added a few bits and pieces to my dining room shelves. In the photo below you can see an egg wreath and a glass jar filled with blown eggs.
I purchased two of these egg wreaths a few years ago and every easter they decorate the shelf above the Aga.
Blowing eggs and decorating them is one of my favorite easter activities. I am no artist, but this is not to be taken seriously – just a little fun with paint to enhance the beautiful eggs. This Darlington crystal cookie jar was a wedding present which I kept safely behind glass for a long time. These days I am more of the mind that you should use your treasures, so I often fill it with something seasonal and place it where it can be enjoyed. It has never been used for cookies though – those are best for an unbreakable tin!
The light was lovely in the kitchen today, tempting me to play a little longer with my camera. The two shots below show the difference in moving your point of focus. In the first I had the camera focusing on the blossom and in the second on the tulips. I love the effect of the blurry blossom in the second photo.
Whilst I was digging through my easter things I came across these paper decorations that were unused last year. I loved Cathy’s fancy little cakes on Words and Herbs last week and I have bought some marzipan with the intention of making them for the easter weekend – I think these little decorations will look perfect on top of the cakes.
Finally this week I have to announce the winner of my Cutting Garden Giveaway! Thank you to everyone who left a comment and the name out of the flowerpot this month was Christine from My Hesperides Garden! If you email me your address Christine I will get your copy of Slow Flowers into the post for you.
I hope to be back before the weekend with a few more easter images to share with you. I have a whole window ledge to decorate in our local church on Saturday morning and plan to take some photos of the goings on as the flower ladies put together their creations. I am not a regular flower lady at church, so am honoured to have been asked to contribute flowers to such a special occasion in the church calendar! Easter Sunday itself sees 14 around the table for lunch and all the bedrooms full for the long weekend, so I will be taking a break from the garden and putting my pinny on (thats an apron to those of you from across the waters!). Before that I have a birthday to celebrate, so all in all a very busy week ahead!
I hope you will all pop over to Cathy’s blog to see what she and the others have made from their gardens this week.
