Following on from yesterday’s post about various shades in the garden, when I decided to pick some of the variably shaded fritillaries for today’s vase the logical title was ‘More Shades’; by the time I had finished picking, a title relating to the woodland floor would have been more appropriate as this is what the contents came to resemble.
Joining the fritillaries (F meliagris) with their pink and purple checkerboard pattern and the turned-up edges of the paler ones are some wood anemones (A nemerosa); as these are the current staples of the woodland it was but a small step further to recreate the woodland floor by adding a tiny primrose offset, a little sprig of ivy and a handful of empty beech nut cases (from a neighbour’s tree) and their intriguing triangular profiled seeds. The moss grows not in the woodland but at the edge of it, and covers the stainless steel frog that holds the flowers in place.
A different title would have meant a different prop, but ‘More Shades’ necessitated some shades and to save you the trouble of trying to zoom in when you realise there is a reflection in one of the lenses, I have enlarged it for you – I normally avoid identifying myself on this blog, but inadvertantly you now have my reflection and a very clear view of the house and the wisteria.
Last week’s tulips, instead of flopping after a few days as one might have expected, just sat there and faded gracefully, not budging from where they were positioned a week ago; they will be missed, but there will be more tulips to pick soon. What have you picked today to bring pleasure at the start of another week? Do share it with us if you will by leaving the usual links.
Rambling in the Garden 
Pingback: In a Vase on Monday: Greenway House | Wild Daffodil
So delicately beautiful.
I have managed to grow a few snakeshead fritillary from seed – I wonder if I will manage to keep them alive long enough for them to flower!
Here’s my post – another visit to Agatha Christie’s holiday home: https://daffodilwild.wordpress.com/2019/04/08/in-a-vase-on-monday-greenway-house/
They do self-seed readily, but some things that do are fussy when you try to grow them in ‘artificial’ conditions, so you have done well 🙂
Two of my most favourite things in your vase today Cathy! I love fritillaries and have a few just starting to bloom, and wood anemones have always been one of my favourite wild flowers. I always loved another of their names, windflower. So romantic! I have wild flowers today too! Amanda https://therunningwave.blogspot.com/2019/04/april-vases-on-monday.html
Aw, that’s nice to know, Amanda; sadly the wood anemones didn’t take to being cut at all and flopped very quickly. Their stems are so delicate
How lovely to reflect woodland at this time of year, when it is at its most colourful as flowers bloom before there is too much shade! Rather than posting my vases very late last week I have posted them today, you’ll see why in the post. https://myhesperidesgarden.wordpress.com/2019/04/08/in-a-vase-on-monday-truly-it-is-spring/
The anemones haven’t lasted, Christina, but now that I have removed them the fritillaries are complemented by the colour of the Caithness Glass dish they sit in and make a pretty tableau without them
Very delicate and pretty Cathy!
Thanks Cindy – and the fritillaries last quite well when they are cut
What a lovely arrangement, and it really does look like it came right off the forest floor! 🙂 I love the fritillaries…I’ve never seen them in person before but I always admire them in pictures.
And I’m back! 😀 It’s not quite spring here yet. We still have lots of snow and are getting more today, but I have a few little flowers for you. I also recently moved over to a new blog…
http://yeflowerlovers.blogspot.com/2019/04/in-vase-on-monday-i-dont-care-for.html
I am so grateful for the UK climate when I read of you lot still expecting snow in April (but it could still happen here – although rarely does!)!
Love this tender and delicate presentation. Have not grown fritillaries but you’re tempting me! Thanks for hosting Cathy.
Do check whether there is any chance they would cope with your conditions, as they do like it quite cool and prefer shade
Snakesheads are the most beautiful flowers. Have you tried saving seed or do you buy bulbs or let them set seed? They are so pretty and fragile looking but quite tough really. I like the idea of bringing the woodland inside. Here is my link. https://ablogaboutcompost.blogspot.com/2019/04/vegetables-flowers-in-vase-on-monday.html
Thank you as ever.
I just let them seed around but did buy about 3 packs of 25 from Peter Nyssen last year – at £3.75 a pack it was a cheap way to make a greater impact. Where my Mum is in wet west Scotland they seed really freely around the graden in her very shallow and exposed soil
Pingback: In a Vase on Monday: floral perks | acoastalplot
I love snake’s head fritillaries but have never grown them successfully. This is a lovely presentation with the moss and all. Here’s my contribution this week: http://acoastalplot.com/2019/04/08/in-a-vase-on-monday-floral-perks/
Thanks, as always, Cathy. Sam x
Thanks Sam – I wonder why they have not grown for you? It must be fairly dry in my woodland and shady for part of the year, but I don’t do anything special with them
Hi Cathy, your woodland arrangement is delicately beautiful – just as you would expect them to look on the forest floor. I particularly like the fritillaries and so wish that I had more success with them here but not so. I’ve grown them in other gardens and they’ve been fine but so far not in this garden. I’m not giving up though. Ditto the wood anenomes. I have a pot of nemerosa ready to go into the wooded area. As promised, admittedly a fortnight ago, my choice for today’s vase is tulips – here’s the link: https://silverscrappers.blogspot.com/2019/04/in-vase-on-monday-tulip-time.html
Oh do try again, Elizabeth – they thrive at my Mum’s, further north and west than you. Wetter there too, but they do fine here where it isn’t especially wet at all
I just love fritillaries and wood anemones, gorgeous. I have daffodils today and a rant I’m afraid. I’ll try not to make a habit of it. (The rant, not the daffodils.) https://wp.me/p3dx4o-2XE
Glad you enjoyed seeing them, although sadly the anemones have been ousted as they didn’t take kindly to being cut. But a rant…? Just off to find out more…
Ha! I’ve ended up with a few of those unintended selfies myself. Fritillaries are such unusual flowers, and yet another on the list of those I’m unable to grow in my climate. There’s still a lot of Spring flower action here, though: https://krispgarden.blogspot.com/2019/04/in-vase-on-monday-nothing-to-spit-at.html
It’s usually a mirror or window that catches me out 😉 Glad you have got spring flowers as I am guessing you don’t have a distinct spring season
Cathy the Snake Fritillaries I love them because of their shape and their colors. The wooden Anemones are divine. The way you have recreated the forest floor including the small primrose I love it. It is a magnificent vase with a lot of imagination, something that you have left and we see it reflected beautifully in the projects of your garden. Greetings from Margarita.
Thanks Margarita – I am pleased with the result
Such a sweet and delicate arrangement…in the wild they need no shade at all, and grown in large open meadows. THE place to see them en mass are the Cricklade water meadows. They quite took my breath away when I first saw them, and used to take parties round each year to view them. My little contributions by coincidence includes some ‘wild flowers’ though not all native: http://www.floodplainmeadows.org.uk/about-meadows/wildlife/snakeshead-fritillaries
Yes of course, I had forgotten that – silly me! There is an SSSI on a floodplain near to us which is protected because of its fritillaries. Thanks for reminding me
I love those Fritallaries, have never seen one in real life and would have to travel a fair distance to see one. The forest floor must be quite a sight this time of year. Reflections are rather amazing in showing up when you least expect them. Here is my vase this week.http://theshrubqueen.com/2019/04/08/in-a-vase-on-monday-uber-tropical/
Yes, you will have learned what things there is no chance of growing!
Usually the hard way!
Your unintended selfie made me laugh. I was trying to take my photo without getting a reflection in the potting shed window. Your fritillaries and anemones are beautiful. A delicate and pretty arrangement. Here’s mine. Late as usual!!! https://bramblegarden.com/2019/04/08/in-a-vase-on-monday-venetian-shades/
Thanks Karen, yes, it’s an occupational hazard when photographing in the garden!
The fritillaries have such exquisite markings Cathy that really deserve close up inspection. A shame about the anemones wilting but you don’t know what will happen with some flowers until you try cutting them. I wouldn’t have known it was definitely you reflected in your shades until you pointed it out 😄 I hope my reply to your text landed with you. The date is in my diary!
The white fritillaries always look a little washed out compared to the markings on the others! Thanks for the date – I look forward to it!
Pingback: a flowery start to the week |
You have perfectly captured the woodland theme.
http://bannersbyricki.com/archives/6099
Thanks rickii
There is something so special about woodland flowers – I love your little forest floor vignette! And I think you are lucky they will grow so well… 😉 Little F. michailowskyi (I ought to check the spelling – there must be a letter or two amiss somewhere!) grew well for me here once upon a time despite the near-prairie growing conditions, so perhaps I had better get some bulbs come autumn! But of course the fritillaries generally are a good deal less certain here than so many other spring bulbs.
I have an assortment of colors rather than shades – it is all quite sunny here at last: https://www.smallsunnygarden.com/2019/04/08/in-a-vase-colors-of-spring/
Thanks Amy – I was really pleased with how effective the result was. It will be an interesting journey finding out what grows in your new place!
How lovely!
Except for the fritillaria, these look like wildflowers I could have found on the forest floor here. I really must try this meme. I just know how addicting they can be. Well, I must wait at least until May before taking on another obligation.