Although it has been, like April, a largely dry month here, May has seen a lot of cloud cover with hazy rather than endless sunshine and yesterday, when this vase was created, was no different. The vase-making process began with a stem of Allium (Nectaroscordum) siculum, looking especially healthy this year and attracting a regular posse of bees - and which made me think of umbrellas. Most years the blooms seem to get stuck halfway through opening, mummifying in their in-between state, so it makes me happy to see a clump of fully-developed blooms for once.
From here I moved on to pick a stem of a particularly attractive astrantia, with a theme beginning to develop once I realised it was A 'Ruby Cloud'. More clouds were added in the form of furry bunny tails grass, Lagurus ovatus, and umbrellas in the form of another allium, possibly self-seeded A roseum. I have seen clouds not dissimilar to the fluffy pink balls of Phuopsis stylosa towards sunset many times but yesterday could not identify the source of the strange glow in the midst of our neighbours' mature beech tree. Developing seedheads of various aquilegia were also added as much for their attractiveness as anything else, and leaves of an unlabelled heuchera included for contrast. The vase is one of a number we have acquired as trophies in the past from our tenpin bowling league, and cocktail umbrellas returned as the inevitable prop.
Last week's vase with the antirrhinum travelled with us on a short visit to my Mum's last week, tucked into the corner of the boot of the car at the last minute, and I look forward to being able to create more vases with further blooms over the summer as well as sowing early for next year - although with an increasing variety of blooms to choose from as we head towards summer and the first buds opening on my dahlias there may not be an opportunity to share them with you again this year. In the meantime, perhaps you have blooms from your own gardens to share with us on IAVOM.
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