In a Vase on Monday: We’ll Gather Lilacs

Although you’re far away
And life is sad and grey
I have a scheme, a dream to try
I’m thinking, dear, of you
And all I meant to do
When we’re together, you and I
We’ll soon forget our care and pain
And find such lovely things to share again

The song ‘We’ll gather lilacs in the spring’ is an evocative song from the late ’50s*, invoking the belief that a time will come when things will be back to how they were before, a situation that all of us may be looking forward to during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Not that we can expect things to be exactly the same as before, but we can at least hope that there will be positives to come out of the unprecedented experience alongside the mental and emotional impact, and the huge financial burden that nations and ultimately the public will inevitably be left to bear.

*my apologies, as the source of this information was incorrect and the song, by Ivor Novello, was in fact written for the troops in the second world war and included in the musical ‘Perchance to Dream’ in 1945

For me, one small positive that has already come out of it is a more intimate knowledge of the local countryside, and a daily walk has been one of the highlights. Once a return to more structured exercise is possible I will go back to my regular swimming and exercise classes, so these walks will become a less frequent treat but looked forward to with great anticipation.

There has been much to discover over the last seven weeks, and the white lilac garden escapee is just one of them. Having promised I would pick some for a Monday vase, here it finally is, along with cow parsley from a nearby verge and a clutch of the remaining tulips from the garden.

The final result, in the Caithness Glass ‘Ebony’ vase I used a few weeks ago, actually looks better in the flesh than the photographs suggest, the result of not taking the photograph from the same level as the vase – perhaps I need to get down on my knees in future! It’s not often I manage to create such a substantial and chunky display on a Monday so it’s always a pleasure to use of my larger vases that don’t see the light of day very often. This one smells good too!

Will you be able to create a relatively chunky vase with pickings from your garden today, or will it be a more modest grouping of stems and foliage? Both will bring pleasure, I am sure, to you and those you choose to share it with. If you choose to share it with the IAVOM community too, please leave the usual links to and from this post.

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