In a Vase on Monday: Cuckoo

The cuckoo we have been hearing all spring has changed his tune… maybe you know the rhyme:

The cuckoo comes in April
And sings her song in May
In the middle of June
She changes her tune
And in July she flies away

In my Moon Bed, planted in soft silvery greens, white, cream and blue,  I allowed myself a quirky addition when planting and added this beautiful deep wine red peony ‘Cuckoo’s Nest’. The crinkled golden stamens are especially lovely.

In case you are unfamiliar with this bird, the cuckoo does not build its own nest, but lays its eggs in the nests of other birds. This single red flower stands out in the Moon Bed like a cuckoo would in a blackbird’s nest(!), and the name of this peony was the inspiration to plant it there!

I have cut one, with a little foliage, for my vase today, adding a plume of Stipa gigantea and some pretty Geranium flowers.

This is a Geranium pratense, called ‘Summer Skies’, and is unlike any geranium I have come across before.

It has actually been in the garden for three year now, but has only just decided produce more than one flower. Isn’t it sweet?

As a prop (yes, I managed a prop at last!) I am sharing a little fridge magnet probably picked up on a trip to the mountains some years ago. It is a cuckoo clock that actually worked when first bought.

I should probably see if I could get a new battery for it!

If you would like to see more vases or have one to share yourself, do visit our lovely host Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.

Have a great week,

and Happy Gardening!



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

In a Vase on Monday: Lovely Jubbly!

Image
For readers not familiar with the term ‘Lovely jubbly’, made famous by the lovable Del Boy in ‘Only Fools and Horses’ back in the 80s, it simply means really lovely, fantastic, great! The origins of the phrase go back further apparently (see this article for more details) but I only know the more recent use of it. And that is the best way I can describe the Zinnias, Calendula, Dahlias and Echinacea I used for my vase this week. These colours, all put together, simply make me happy! The zinnias I planted out in the garden have struggled, since I rarely water the flower beds and it has been such a dry summer. But growing them (and dahlias) in containers or pots has worked extremely well; they were put next to my tomato plants which are given a drink daily, so I could not forget to water them too. And this is the reward. Lovely jubbly! The Echinacea (and Calendula) on the other hand are fine in the flower beds and have proved themselves to be extremely drought-proof. In ...
Read more

In a Vase on Monday: “Days of Joy”

Image
Spring has sprung, and we have had some beautiful sunshine and warmth. Crocuses, Primroses, Dwarf Iris and Hellebores are starting to flower, and a few shoots of other early spring bulbs are showing. One of the Hellebores was the inspiration for my vase title, as I join Cathy at Rambling in the Garden for her weekly meme. Hellebore ‘Days of Joy’ (Very apt for this time of year!) After looking up this hellebore, it doesn’t appear to exist, so I wonder if the label on it was just a promotion strategy to sell an unnamed variety… The pointed petals are a dark pink on both the inside and outside – most of my other pink hellebores vary. This makes it quite unique I think. I added another pink Hellebore to my vase (name fails me right now), a couple of Iris reticulata, and some Primulas. Just to show how blue the Iris really are, I photographed them next to the purple crocus outside. The little blue vase was originally intended for snowdrops, but since they won’t grow for me here ...
Read more