Garden Blog - Blog Post

Spring Vase

5 comments

Valentine’s day was around a fortnight ago and what I find irritating about it is the fact that it comes at a time of year when there’s very little in flower. Even the most talented gardener is going to struggle to put together a bunch of roses for this day without the help of a florist, supermarket or petrol forecourt. Certainly for me, there’s nothing that I can pick from the garden and tie together into a posy and not be embarrassed by it.

To counter this I have an agreement with the other half that the spring bouquet is the compensation for the lack of flowers on Valentine’s day. I normally get round to putting together a spring vase in late March when there are a few things to choose from but as the winter has been so mild I’ve been able to do this up to a month earlier than I normally would.

As with all my attempts at flower arranging, it’s bright, bold and lacks subtlety and finesse. I dub my style as “anti-ikebana”. I’m not at all bothered by its garishness as I’m still feeling very smug from being able to put together a vase of flowers like this in February.

Spring Vase

In this spring collection we have (roughly top to bottom):

  • Dried out Iris Sibirica stems with seed heads that rattle
  • Black Bamboo
  • Daffodils
  • Bergenias
  • Ivy
  • Orchids
  • Fatsia Japonica

The vase is crammed full, quite lovely, smells gorgeous and didn’t cost me anything.

I didn’t put this arrangement together in one go, it actually started off with just a small handful of daffodils a few days ago but today I decided to take a break from the never-ending packing and go all out, no holds barred with it.

Despite the cheeriness of the flowers, there’s also a sad side. One of the best rewards of gardening for me is being able to go outside and pick a bunch of flowers. Unfortunately, despite the new garden being so much bigger, it is so devoid of plants apart from grass that it will be a few years before I’ll be able to create anything like this again. The feeling of putting together this arrangement will have to last me a long time.

On the upside, I believe there’s some chocolate left over from Valentine’s day that I can help myself to while sniffing the flowers.

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Sunil Patel

I'm Sunil Patel, this is me. I created the Garden at 13 Broom Acres and I open it to visitors. I also bake and write blog posts giving a "behind the scenes" look into what it's like to maintain such a garden.

Visit the blog, then come and visit the garden. We can have a good sit-down, a jolly chinwag and a relaxing cup of tea with a sinfully generous slice of home made cake.

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5 comments

susan maclean 24/02/2014 - 4:48 pm

I had to laugh at you, Sunil with this – “On the upside, I believe there’s some chocolate left over from Valentine’s day that I can help myself to while sniffing the flowers.” But, if you have time, there is no reason at all that you should not dig up some stuff and put into large pots. A friend of mine dug up her entire garden when she left a small terraced house some years ago….. the buyers owned up to being “not bothered”, so she took it all, and it all stayed in pots whilst she lived somewhere else for 3 years – until now, with the dream garden being planted up to her style and the pots being emptied into the garden. Go on, you know you want to!

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Sunil 24/02/2014 - 8:30 pm

Hi Mrs. Mac, don’t worry, there are quite a few plants that will be making the move with us and the patio is gradually filling up with temporary pots. I just hope the removals people will take them all. It might be some time before I can really get stuck into the new garden and find a place for them all so they’re going to be staying in temporary accommodation (holey buckets) until then.

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lynngator 26/02/2014 - 8:06 pm

At least you have this photo Sunil, although it isn’t scratch and sniff! I am arrangement challenged so I admire you for putting this collection together. And yes, chocolate does cure all ills 🙂

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casa mariposa 27/02/2014 - 12:04 am

We don’t even celebrate Valentine’s Day at our house but if a bouquet that heartfelt and locally grown could be sourced, I might be tempted to change my mind. Very pretty! 🙂

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Emily @ gardening through a lens 04/03/2014 - 9:04 pm

Lovely bouquet! And it will be a lovely memory from your old garden. As others here (and elsewhere) have suggested, there’s very little chocolate doesn’t cure or at least ease. I’m still excited for your move!

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