There is no patriotic intent in today’s post, but the colour of the blooms instantly reminded me of the Union Jack flag and it just so happened I had these tiny flags purloined from celebrations of some royal event, probably the wedding of William and Kate in 2011. This was in my still-working, pre-blogging and definitely pre-IAVOM days so there were no thoughts in my mind at the time about using the flags as a prop, but the fact that I kept them clearly says something about my mild (?) squirreling habits.
The red, white and blooms that shouted “Pick me!” this week were some stylish species tulips, Tulipa praestans, Narcissi ‘Erlicheer’ and a hyacinth spike from a bulb replanted in the garden after indoor forcing one year. I had all but given up replanting these previously forced bulbs to avoid the danger of the garden being overrun by recycled hyacinths but having seen this and a lovely group of the beetroot red ‘Woodstock’ variety flowering this year I may well restart the habit.
The blooms demanded a simple, slim and shortish vase, and this deep heather glass vase wasn’t quite the right colour but otherwise fitted the bill. Reluctant to restrict the vase to these bright beauties however, I created a second equally bright and patriotic looking vase 
using white and blue Anemone blanda and the first few blooms of some of the red Anemone coronaria that were used for Younger Daughter’s wedding last year. Now that buds are forming, I was pleased also to see that at least one of the blue ‘Mr Fokker’ anemones has survived for another year – hurrah! The smaller blooms were popped into a slightly larger version of the miniature jug that holds the flags, both probably tradesman’s samples of nearby Bretby Pottery.
I have given away posies of Anenome blanda to a couple of friends in recent weeks who tell me they have lasted a week, and the A coronaria ‘Sylphide’ from last week’s vase lasted a whole week too, along with the bergenia stem, so that’s useful to know. Sharing this sort of information has proved really useful amongst IAVOM fans, which is why we look forward to sharing each other’s vases every week. Do consider joining us this week if you haven’t already done so – see what you can find in your garden or forage locally to pop in a vase or other container and share it with us by leaving links to and from this post. Thinking ‘out of the box’ is always encouraged!
Rambling in the Garden 
Pingback: In a vase on Monday – End of March – Creating my own garden of the Hesperides
Very patriotic indeed Cathy. I also find the Anemone coronaria last well in a vase, if picked when just opened they will last 10 days for me, one of the longest lasting flowers I have. Tulips will usually last about 7 days as long as you enjoy the process of watching their slowly dying which I do. Here’s my link: https://myhesperidesgarden.wordpress.com/2017/03/27/in-a-vase-on-monday-end-of-march/
Thanks for hosting
10 days is good going – I think mine were mostly still in bud last week and I have a kept a couple of them that are dying gracefully, like your tulips do
the tricolor is alwats phototgenic. and now also a sign of solidarity.
great vase-ful from you this morning
http://dispraise2.blogspot.com/2017/03/in-vase-03.html
Thank you – it was an easy vase to put together of course, but all the more striking because of this, I think
I find I am unable to access your blog (Google says ‘permission denied’) – is it something in your settings, do you think?
I fixed it at least I hope I did. My computer brain has had one too many diagnostic or therapeutic exposure to radiation I reckon and typoes and errors are now the norm. Sorry.
Yes, the link works now and I have been able to visit your blog and see your vases
Pingback: In a Vase on Monday – Anemones with other pastels – Absent Gardener
I have Anemones this week too, but they are the Autumn Japanese Anemones. I don’t think that they last as well in the vase from memory but I will report back. I love your species tulips, and imagine having the garden overrun by hyacinths – if only! I have just managed to squash a big box filled with tulips, hyacinths, and new anemone coronaria and ranunculus bulbs into our quite small fridge. Lucky for me the cook is so tolerant. 🙂
https://absentgardener.com/2017/03/27/in-a-vase-on-monday-anemones-with-other-pastels/
Oh I am smiling at the thought of all those bulbs in the fridge, Cath – been there, done that, and will no doubt do it again!! 🙂 I like the central bosses on Japaneses anemones after the petals have gone anyway – in the early days I had a vase of those – see: https://ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com/2014/01/06/in-a-vase-on-monday-spike/
Your green background sets off the colors beautifully and makes all very cheerful.
Thanks Marian – I was hoping to use some dark blue felt as the background but realise that it was in the loft and not with my stack of other colours I use as backdrops. As you say, the green works well enough though
Pingback: In A Vase on Monday, 27 March: Brucie Forsythia – Doing The Plan
Another lovely bunch of vases this week
https://doingtheplan.com/2017/03/27/in-a-vase-on-monday-27-march-brucie-forsythia/
Oops! Posted too soon. Damn mittens and unheated garden room!
I meant to say lovely things about your display before posting my own link. The anemones are just delicious, and I like the cute little flags that pick up the colours.
I’m on a forsythia and tendrils tip this week. https://doingtheplan.com/2017/03/27/in-a-vase-on-monday-27-march-brucie-forsythia/
Excuse the abrupt first message, and thanks again Cathy for hosting this lovely meme 🙂
Yes, if I am responding on my tablet rather than the laptop I have to be careful to check what I have actuallt typed 😉 Thanks for your kind comments, anyway, and hope you were not TOO cold in your unheated garden room!
Love your Union Jack arrangement, I’m always inspired by your In a Vase Monday. This is my contribution for this week https://hurtledto60.com/2017/03/27/in-a-vase-on-monday-a-spring-posy/
Thanks Ronnie – the blooms were such solid colours, weren’t they?
Pingback: Site Title
I absolutely love anemones of all sorts and appreciate your squirrelling!
Thanks Sandra 🙂
Pingback: In a vase on Monday: warm weekend – enclos*ure
My flag would be yellow and white (Vatican City?) I have wood anemones and primroses today: https://enclosuretakerefuge.com/2017/03/27/in-a-vase-on-monday-warm-weekend/
Wood anemones and primroses sound gorgeous – well, and they are indeed gorgeous in my own little woodland!
I love your Anemones and how wonderful they last for a week! I share the squirrely gardening habits, having replanted Christmas poinsettias in my garden when I should have thrown them out or composted them, the experiment was irresistible. I don’t think there is a flag for my mad color scheme this week. http://theshrubqueen.com/2017/03/27/in-a-vase-on-monday-striking
Thank you – and I can tell you that replanting poinsettias is definitely not on my radar and I am relieved when I can consign them to the compost heap!! 🙂
Weird and weirder yet they are still flowering.
Bright and beautiful with matching flags. It’s good to have a colour theme. I would not have put anemone blanda in a vase as I didn’t think they’d last so that is interesting to know. I too have quite a few hyacinths from potted bulbs, I find them coming up all over but I always pop them in somewhere. I am not overrun yet… Here is my vase: http://ablogaboutcompost.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/in-my-new-blue-jug-on-monday.html
Oh do try the A blanda in a vase – I was certainly surpised at their longevity too. Amongst the hyacinths popping up are some VERY sugary pink ones which I know I would have not chosen, so must have come as a gift – perhaps they will make it to a vase soon!
Very pretty and patriotic! It’s a delight that flowers grown for your daughter’s wedding have come back as a reminder of the happy day. Isn’t it nice to have a less hectic spring this year?
P.S. my vase is here: http://outlawgarden.blogspot.com/2017/03/in-vase-on-monday-rain-rain-go-away.html
Thanks Peter, and yes, it is good to have some of the wedding blooms returning but I wouldn’t say it was any less hectic – probably more so because of the garden opening in June 😉
Pingback: In a vase on Monday – | Duver Diary
Hi Cathy, what a lovely, positive vase after a challenging week in Blighty!
Here’s mine, not a vase but a pot. Hope I’m forgiven!
https://duverdiary.wordpress.com/2017/03/27/in-a-vase-on-monday/
Pot – jam jar – vase – teapot – ANY container (or none at all) is fine, so yes, you are forgiven 🙂
Pingback: In a Vase on Monday: spring forward | acoastalplot
Not one, but two gorgeous red, white and blue vases! I, too, love A.coronaria; they’re such lovely flowers and I have A.c.’Mr Fokker’ in my vase today: https://acoastalplot.wordpress.com/2017/03/27/in-a-vase-on-monday-spring-forward/
Many thanks as always, Cathy. Sam x
Yes, I couldn’t resist including the second one too!
I laughed out loud when I saw the tiny flags but they are the perfect complement to your red, white and blue vases. I love that red tulip – it sent me into another paroxysm of tulip envy. I admire the anemones too. Despite all our rain this year, my own ‘Mr. Fokker’ elected not to return this year – perhaps our weather is just too warm for them to be treated as anything but annuals now. Thanks for hosting, Cathy! Here’s my post: https://krispgarden.blogspot.com/2017/03/in-vase-on-monday-spring-bloomfest.html
Thanks Kris – the flags are on little sticks and I think were probably meant to stick on plates of sandwiches 😉 The shape of this tulip with its little points is indeed lovely, I agree. There seem to be quite a few of these anemones that have survived here, and I would be thrilled if they kept going from year to year, but we shall see… Shame about yours 😦
A most patriotic and lovely arrangement, well displayed in front of the green background. I could almost claim a bit of red-white-blue patriotism as well but your mini flags show your true colors ( or should I say colours). https://johnsviccellio.com/2017/03/27/in-a-vase-on-monday-happy/
You always raise a smile from me John – thank you 🙂
Lovely as usual, especially since it is still too cold and wet for much to be happening in my garden. Looking forward soon to be able to cut flowers again!
Thank you Linda – I hope you are not turning green with envy seeing everyone’s vases when you are not able to create one of your own 😉
I especially love that last shot, a beautiful arrangement from above! My IAVOM post this week starts off on a different topic but ends with a couple of vases.
http://www.thedangergarden.com/2017/03/making-tough-choicesoh-ya-and-putting.html
Thanks Loree – I always try to get an overhead shot if I can and sometimes they show features that even I might have missed when plonking them in the vase
Cathy, it’s always a treat to see your Monday offering. You had much more luck with your hyacinth than I this week. Looks great with the anemones and tulips. Thanks for hosting and have a great week.
http://wp.me/p1hk5P-2WG
Thanks Susie – several hyacinths just seem to have appeared this week, probably camouflagued by new allium foliage until they started blooming. Hope you have a good week too and that your husband continues to progress
Two great patriotic arrangements, Cathy! I love the red tulips. You’ve done well with your replanted hyacinths. I have a blue one struggling for survival but all others have disappeared. Tulips feature in my arrangement this week too: http://silverscrappers.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/in-vase-on-monday-its-tulip-time-plus.html
I was teally surprised that the hyacinths rebloomed – I think I probably planted them out as soon as they had finished flowering inside so perhaps that helped
Pingback: In a Vase on Monday – Daffodils – The Patient Gardener
So creative, as usual! This is mine: http://timpingradina.blogspot.ro/2017/03/in-vase-on-monday-back-home-one.html
Thanks Anca
Read, white and blue always makes for a really striking colour arrangement Cathy. I like both your vases although I think that I prefer the second which is less formal. I often wonder what you haven’t got in that magical props cupboard of yours 🙂 My vase is a little late this week after returning this afternoon from a relaxing weekend away and finding an unexpected surprise in the garden :
https://greentapestry.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/in-vase-on-monday-stealth.html
I know what you mean about the second one, Anna – I like the density of the blooms as the colours contrast even better that way (if you see what I mean!)
Pingback: Monday Flowers – Beautiful Blossom! – Peonies & Posies
You have so many props Cathy – I am in awe – and you must be quite organised when you store them as you always seem to find what you need. Spring is certainly springing where you are – I have plenty of hyacinths but am waiting for anemones and tulips. I was a bit sniffy about hyacinths in the garden until a few years ago but I transplant all of mine now and love to see them flowering in the borders – they have such a short season and die back quickly so I make the most of them these days.
My vase is at: http://peoniesandposies.com/2017/03/27/monday-flowers-beautiful-blossom/
Oh no, no organisation whatoever of my props – and I had only recently come across these flags again,randomly tucked away in my sewing drawer! I will be all right as long as my memory holds up 😉 . I realise that I too must have been ‘sniffy’ about hyacinths in borders – but looking at them now they look fine if there is other foliage around them. And it’s good to have then there for picking too, as my indoor hyacinths have been rubbish this year 🙂
Hyacinths were short-lived even in my first garden, so I can only imagine I would be planting them out everywhere if I found they came back nicely 😉 I do love your Tulipa praestans; the species tulips are so special though I have nothing against the big border types either… And of course I love your little jugs 🙂
The garden here is shifting ever so slightly into late spring with the arrival of flowers from Penstemon pseudospectabilis…: https://www.smallsunnygarden.com/2017/03/27/in-a-vase-at-twilight/
I have a number of different species tulips, but these are probably my favourite – they are multi-headed too, which adds to the attraction of course.
The anemones get my vote. although the red tulips are very dashing.
Not really thinking outside-the- box so a modest contribution of a bunch of daffs https://croftgarden.wordpress.com/2017/03/26/in-a-vase-for-monday-a-bunch-of-daffs/
Yes, and I like the scale of this little one with the anemones too.
Another great vase Cathy. Love your red white blue. My duckies were with you https://digwithdorris.wordpress.com
Quack quack 🙂