Still taking advantage of indoor flowering bulbs, today’s vase was almost inevitably going to be a mixed bag, so I thought I may as well as pop the blooms into a bag* and use it as an integrated prop. The mixed bag consisted of stems of Narcissus ‘Erlicheer’ and ‘Grand Soleil d’Or’, planted up in the middle of October, and bargain blue hyacinths from Aldi. Each with their own distinctive fragrance, the equally powerful smell of sarcococca was added to the mix for a bit of greenery and to push our olfactory nerves to their limit. So far we are still breathing!
I know indoor bulbs must seem like easy pickings compared to searching the garden for vase potential, particularly when the latter seems a long way off to those bloggers still in what seems like the midst of winter. Over the years of IAVOM I have learned to appreciate and value all the more both indoor bulbs and plants that bloom or otherwise bring colour in the leaner months. Whether it is a solitary bloom or twig or otherwise plant or garden related it is appropriate for us on IAVOM and hopefully will bring you pleasure during the week, so feel free to think out of the box and be as creative as you like. Just leave the usual links to and from this post if you would like to share it with us too.
* not literally – they were popped into a jam jar and the jar was then popped into the bag (just in case anyone thought otherwise!)
Rambling in the Garden 
This cheers me up big time, Cathy, as I’ve been so sick this past while. The weather being grey and wet a lot of the time doesn’t contribute to my convalenscence. But your posy does a tiny bit…telling me along with other small signs that spring is not too far now, here’s hoping! Have a good week xx
Oh Annette, I am so sorry to hear you have not been well – have you got one of the flus that are ‘going round’? I hope it doesn’t knock you back for quite as long as it has done some people. I am glad that my posy made a teeny bit of difference and hope that you are up and about again very soon. Take care x
yes, that must be it and I don’t seem as resistant as I used to be, old age, haha…I’m due to fly to Rügen on Saturday, so here’s hoping I’ll be fine by then xx
I hope you feel better soon Annette; the weather doesn’t help at all does it? Take care.
you’re so kind, thank you, I’ve started taking antibiotics as it’s that bad and I’m due to travel in 2 days, fingers crossed xx
Oh, yes, fingers crossed
I do hope you are up to it Annette – is this travelling for work?
I’m going to have a break, Cathy, just myself and the camera exploring nature and solitude. Not quite up to it yet but I’ll hopefully feel better once there and away from it all, fingers crossed. xx
Oh Annette, it really has been a tough time for you; it seems as if Monsieur was right… I do hope it provides you with the uplift you need and that you come back and refreshed and empowered
Very smelly indeed, I’m sure. My vase will be late, maybe even tomorrow as I’m away at Carnevale in Viareggio. Saw the forecast for the UK. Keep warm.
I had to Google to see what/where it was you were at – sounds fun! Hope you have a good time. It is meant to be fairly chilly here but I think we may miss the snow here – it seems to be hitting the east coast at the moment
It was fun, we’re back home but the vase will have to wait until tomorrow.
Here we are: https://myhesperidesgarden.wordpress.com/2018/02/06/in-a-vase-on-mon-tuesday/
I should be making notes to plant bulbs inside next year. It’s really worth doing when just a few can be so cheerful. Your house must smell amazing. I love the bag, you are always so inventive. Thanks for sharing and encouraging. Here is my link -http://ablogaboutcompost.blogspot.co.uk/2018/02/meet-george-in-vase-on-monday.html
That’s what I did – when I came across something on someone else’s blog I mde a note and usually kept it with last year’s bulb/plant/seed catalogue to remind me. It has certainly helped. The fragrance is sweetly lovely, and not overpowering like Paperwhites can be (to me, that is)
Flowers are always welcome, especially at this time of year! Love the bag!
Glad you like the flowers and the bag, Jenanita! 🙂
You made me smile when I saw the title of the post and then the vase in the bag…..fabulous and what a scent it must be giving off. My indoor bulbs were planted late so now we are getting in the thick of things with blooms to offer. We are definitely in the midst of winter with about 6 inches of snow yesterday and at least 9 feet overall this winter. It will be a cold and snowy February so I am glad for my indoor bulbs until we thaw. And on a side note, I even used this week’s vase for a backdrop on my latest poem this week on my poetry blog, LivingFromHappiness.com. Stay warm and enjoy those spring smells.
Glad you liked it Donna and I am pleased to hear that your indoor bulbs are now delivering. We have wintry weather forecast for this week, but I think where we are will avoid the snow. Will check out your poetry blog as well today
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I love your little bag of delights Cathy. I bet it smells wonderful.
here is my offering; https://thebloominggarden.wordpress.com/2018/02/05/in-a-vase-on-mon…hine-in-february/
It does indeed smell wonderful, Chloris. I think you may have snow today so I am pleased you have still been able to create a vase for your enjoyment
I wish I could say how delightful the scent is, but I’m afraid I seem to have developed a bit of a sniffle. I have noticed my hyacinths emerging in their outdoor pot, so something to look forward to 🙂
Oh, sorry to hear about your sniffl – hope it becomes no more than that. A pot of hyacinths just about to flower but OUTside sounds promising!
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What a cheerful bag and I bet it smells delicious Cathy. As I write I can smell our indoor hyacinths which have finally flowered (well two out of three in a pot so looks a little unbalanced)! Here is my vase, or rather bowl for this week:
https://carrotsandcalendula.co.uk/2018/02/05/in-a-vase-on-monday-a-bowl-of-bores/
Yes, they never seem to simultaneously oblige, do they? I nearly just cut 1 of mine as the other 2 were way behind, but thought no, they will open further in water and cut them all. I am sure you will enjoy yours too
Brightens my day to see these cheerful colors and imagine the fragrances. Lovely Cathy! Noticed a hyacinth pushing through the soil here a couple days ago. Meanwhile, I’m counting on indoor blooms also. Thanks for hosting each week!
I am glad that they are bringing pleasure to thers too, Susie
Wonderful dose of spring in a bag. Bargain hyacinths look like you got a really good deal! Perfume included. Here is my vase http://theshrubqueen.com/2018/02/05/in-a-vase-on-monday-zinnias-veg/
I had regretted not including hyacinths in my bulb order this year, so taking advantage of late bargain ones was an easy decision!
Love Aldi! I think they had Orchids here.
Yes, they do have them but I have not been able to keep them flowering – perhaps I should just buy them to cut the blooms for a vase though!
I should have bought one – I can hang them in trees outside here. Hindsight!
I can almost smell that bag full of scented flowers. Yummm. Happy IAVOM.
I would willingly lend you a bit of the fragrance if I could, Lisa
Looks very much like spring, which would be most welcome. Goodness, I’m tired of freezing weather!
Well, except they are all blooming inside, although there are buds on the little Narcissus Tete a Tete outside…
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I’m sure that your bag of flowers has a heady scent! Lovely and colourful. Here’s my vase this week: https://acoastalplot.com/2018/02/05/in-a-vase-on-monday-not-a-snow-day/
Slightly cheating… It’s too cold to go foraging in the garden! Thanks as ever, Cathy. Sam x
Well, I didn’t exactly go foraging outside either, Sam!!
Thinking outside the box and get out of the box is much needed this time of year.
http://www.pseewald.com/2018/02/in-vase-monday-plus2.html
And I hope to encourage people not to think their ‘vases’ have to include flowers
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How lovely and springy – and it must smell fabulous.
Here’s mine, minimalistic, but also springy!
Certainly looks springy, Jen – and makes me feel springy too! 🙂
What a cheerful bouquet and bag. A lovely combo. And now I don’t feel so bad that my “vase” is spring bulbs as well: http://www.lindabrazill.com/each_little_world/2018/02/a-bright-spot.html
Let’s all bring on the spring bulbs if we have them, Linda!
Oh my, the fragrance in your house must be divine! Love the bag. so full of spring.
https://outlawgarden.blogspot.com/2018/02/in-vase-on-monday-winter-white.html
It is pretty glorious, Peter!
That does sound like a powerful combination of scents, Cathy! The color combination is one of my favorites. Winter seems over and done with here, where it remains MUCH warmer than usual with no rain in sight. Here’s my contribution to IaVoM: https://krispgarden.blogspot.com/2018/02/in-vase-on-monday-no-rain-blues.html
Even though we are in for a coldish week this week it is very much lighter, especially in the afternoons, and that is always a good sign
They hyacinth alone would be overpowering, even without the others! (Does sarcococca stay fragrant long after being cut?)
The sarcococca does retain its fragrance, Tony
Thy are normally small understory shrubbery here, but I just recently saw some Sarcococca ruscifolia that was quite large in the shade! It was nicely fragrant, with such nice glossy foliage.
Does it have those pretty black berries too, Tony?
There are not many.
Bright and colorful (and smelly) are all excellent thing this time of the year! My IAVOM took a “pink” turn…http://www.thedangergarden.com/2018/02/in-vase-on-monday-refresh.html
Yes, and definitely worth planning for 🙂
Cathy adored the bag and all it contains is beauty and beauty. I love Daffodils. The hyacinths have a beautiful blue and a permufe …. The Sarcacaccora has a lovely smell. They are a magnificent bouquet and full of intoxicating perfume! Has it all. Greetings from Margarita.
Thank you Margarita – it looks so cheery, doesn’t it?
I needed this pop of color today with the snow we are having. So cheerful! Are you as ready as I am for Spring? I cannot take winter anymore. This weekend, even in the snow, we celebrated my MIL 80th birthday and I took on the job of doing the flowers. Let’s just say I am sticking with growing them. But it was fun! https://maria-baer.com/blog/2018/2/5/in-a-vase-monday-my-first-and-last-event-flowers
So glad they brightened up your snowy day, Maria – and I am most intrigued to find out how you coped your floristry task… glad you found it fun even though you imply it was tough going! I am off to have a look now!
Definitely a bag full of scents, Cathy! 😉 I need to take lessons from you in seed starting and forcing bulbs! I’m debating trying snowdrops in pots eventually, and I suppose they would require some extra chilling. (All because I follow so many friendly galanthophiles!)
I went with color more than fragrance for my vase this week…: https://www.smallsunnygarden.com/2018/02/05/in-a-vase-from-the-drylands/
Christina (my Hesperides Garden) would be the person to ask about snowdrops in a hotter climate as she has been trialling a few (in Italy) – the UK climate is so different and I wouldn’t know what to recommend. My seed sowing has certainly been a learning curve working out what works best for me and again climate must make a big difference to sowing practices – but do ask me about it, as it such a rewarding thing to do and I would heartily encourage it 🙂
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Wonderful! I’m very late, sweltering and sweating 😅 in the garden. Spring is the best time for scent I think. Time to start thinking about bulbs I guess, I’m starting to notice the sun is a bit later coming up. https://absentgardener.com/2018/02/06/in-a-vase-on-monday-dahlias/
Sweltering and sweating? Very little of that going on here unless the heating is turned up too high or I’ve just finished a BodyPump class! 😉 And here the sun is getting up a bit earlier of course 🙂
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Oh what a bright and cheerful bag packed full to the brim with colour and scent Cathy. I don’t think that they are easy pickings at all but well deserved reward for the work you did planning and potting up in the autumn.
OK, I take your point – but there was certainly no effort in venturing out into the cold to pick them!! 😉 It is indeed lovely to be sitting here and looking at my mixed bag as I write
I smiled….when I saw you post this week…very cheery…and amusing. Nothing much in the garden or at least I’ve been the uninspired one. Playing with succulents during the last week.
Glad to bring a smile to uour face, Noelle, and hopefully you have been smiling as you play with your succulents too
Such a belated comment … but now with my first set of RHS exams done and dusted I feel I can catch up on all the lovely blog posts I’ve been missing over the last few weeks! I love these spring bulbs in a bag, Cathy – they look like they are about to become a beautiful gift for someone (yourself, perhaps!). I agree with Anna’s comment above. Gardening is all about thinking 6 months ahead, a skill that is often tricky for even the most organised of people. You definitely deserve credit where it’s due for planting up these beautiful bulbs all those months ago.
As for me, I was most surprised to find some blooms in my poor, ill-treated front garden. I know you have already visited my page, but here is my link anyway: https://edinburghgardendiary.com/2018/02/05/the-forgiveness-of-a-garden/
I am so looking forward to seeing how the maze plans have developed – hope you will enlighten us soon!
I certainly will, Cathy. I’m also waiting for a decent spell above freezing so that I can finish the damned thing!
Love your mixed bag – both what’s inside and the fact you used a bad. Fun.
Thanks Lisa