I was waiting for more than just one bloom on Dahlia ‘David Howard’ before I used it in a vase: there is a small handful today so here he is and definitely glowing in a marmaladey sort of way. He is such a distinctive dahlia and after putting off adding him to my collection for a season or two I finally succumbed and know the decision will not be regretted.
Being a very manly sort of dahlia, he definitely did not want any froth or fuss to accompany him, but choosing more severe companions was not as easy as you might think. The hart’s tongue fern Asplenium scolopendrium certainly fitted the bill, and a dried piece of twisted hazel Corylus avellana ‘Contorta’ found under the tree wouldn’t go amiss either, but the final element was harder to choose. A few rejects later, a sprig of unripe crab apples, Malus ‘Evereste’, joined the others in a shallow dish, supported by a metal frog which was hidden under a layer of washed pebbles. Backing up the ensemble was a vintage Davy lamp, a safety lamp invented by Sir Humphrey Davy in 1815 for use in flammable atmospheres like coal mines.
I always look forward to creating my Monday vase, and to the pleasure I know it will bring being able to view it at close quarters during the coming week; I look forward as well to the banter and community spirit of IAVOM, as many of you pop in to comment or with vases of your own. Please do join us and leave links to and from this post if you have a vase to share.
Rambling in the Garden 
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Your vase is warming me up today, whereas a few days ago, I needed to cool down: https://daffodilwild.wordpress.com/2020/06/29/in-a-vase-on-monday-cool/
That’s UK summers for you!
I love marmalade and I do love your trio of marmalady dahlias Cathy! They do have a warm glow to them, and actually, although your Davy lamp is a completely different shape, the outline of your arrangement as a whole brings to my mind the shape of Aladdin’s lamp! Maybe a genie will pop out some later today! My vase is a bit rambling today! Have a good week, and thank you for masterminding this weekly opportunity to showcase the beauty of our flowers – wild and tamed! Amanda https://therunningwave.blogspot.com/2020/06/an-art-inspired-vase-on-monday.html
I will let you know if a genie appears – and perhpas I better have a wish ready, just in case!
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Your vase is lovely and is set off nicely by the dark background. A lovely collection of designs, colors, shapes, and textures. It is very professional looking!
Professional? That’s high praise, Cindy – thank you 🙂
Hurrah for the ‘Daves’. A lovely balanced arrangement. Each element is so well balanced, and the overhead shot shows off the twisted hazel nicely. I do hope you will show the plant in situ in your garden Cathy, as it is one I would love to grow, but another year of course. I’ve gone dark: http://noellemace.blogspot.com/2020/06/in-vase-on-monday-threes.html
Thanks, Noelle, what kind comments. If you watch the videos of my garden the hazel is on the left right at the start. I shall be doing another video tomorrow as it’s the end of June – how can that be?! Is Mr S a Dave, I wonder…?
It was the Dahlia that I was asking about. They come in many sizes, both the blooms and the actual plants. Mr S is indeed a D but with 2ds. Will go and search videos of your garden, hope I find them.
🙂
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Your dahlia is very handsome Cathy. I am surprised how early dahlias flower in the UK. The ones I planted up for a friend don‘t even have buds yet! The crab apples are a great eye-catching companion. Here is my vase for today. Thank as always! https://wordsandherbs.wordpress.com/2020/06/29/in-a-vase-on-monday-fizzy-lemonade/
Thanks Cathy. I do start my dahlias off early, although DH is actually the only one that was new this year, arriving as a rooted cutting in March, but it has caught up with the others. MIne were planted out in May which others might not risk, and this year they did get caught out by that late frost we had, with a few blackened leaves. They will now flower till the first frost which probably means about 5 months of blooms – isn’t that amazing?
Wonderful!
Happy Monday Cathy! When I saw your vase I said to myself, “Well isn’t that gorgeous!” Such a good arrangement of elements–the crabapples and the hazel are inspired additions. Love David Howard. Thanks for hosting IAVOM.
Aw thanks Susie – it might eveb have been an improvement if the crab apples were ripe though, as they are the peachy ones
That is SUCH a cool arrangement – so very manly! I love it and I hope you;re having a great start to the week!
As a man, I am glad you feel it is indeed manly, Chris! Yes, all good here and so much to keep me occupied in the garden (when time permits, as the days still fly past, lockdown or no lockdown!)
Lovely Dahlias Cathy. I grew up in a mining community where men were the gardeners and grew manly flowers like dahlias and chrysanths. Your vase brought me right back.
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Thank you – it has taken a long time for dahlias to become popular with a range of gardeners, and chrysanths are still lagging behind. I certainly wouldn’t have contemplated dahlias ten years ago and I am only just beginning to toy with chrysanths.
I know. Memories of bunches of big brown chrysanths coming home from the allotment…..not the most beautiful or cheerful of flowers….
I love the simplicity of your floral design – something I’m still working on! http://lifeonalondonplot.com/2020/06/29/in-a-vase-on-monday-all-sorts/
Thanks Sharon – if you look at any of the other vases people have posted you will see how different they are, sometimes simple, sometimes abundant, and all pleasing in their own way
David is a lovely man and I have been admiring him in Susie’s garden. I like the use of Crabapples with the orangey Dahlia. I have never thought about arrangements being manly, hmmm. Here is mine http://theshrubqueen.com/2020/06/29/in-a-vase-on-monday-red-hot-fourth/
I had to ramble round the garden 2 or 3 times before I chose the crab apples as it needed to be somethng structural but that wouldn’t detract from the dahlias
I love some fruit and chartruese in vases…
I love everything about this arrangement, and for some reason I am just really liking the hazel twig. Gives it a beautiful texture. Our garden has finally started blooming, and unlike you more manly arrangment, as you mentioned above, mine is all about girliness. 🙂 https://angiebaer.com/blog/milkglass-and-pastels
Thank you for hosting, Cathy!
Thanks so much Angie, and I am glad you found the hazel twig an integral part of the vase. June seems so late for a garden to start blooming but we all get used to our own conditions, I suppose
I’ve no doubt David would be proud of your lovely presentation. Your cache of props never ceases to amaze me. Almost all my dahlias are strutting foliage at last but I think I’m still weeks away from flowers so I was back to scouting my larger garden for blooms and bloom substitutes this week. Here’s my post: https://krispgarden.blogspot.com/2020/06/in-vase-on-monday-picking-flowers-in.html
Thanks Kris. It can seem an age waiting for a dahlia bud to swell and open, but then once they start there is no stopping them!
Cathy I am so sorry I didn’t write earlier. I’ve had a bad arm and right hand for a long time. When I am cured I have gone with my mother to the beach, with my brother and his wife to the house they have there to spend a few days. Cathy I love your Ikebana arrangement. I love the “David Howard” Dahlias, they are wonderful. I really like crab apples. It is a magnificent, wonderful flower arrangement, I love it. The vintage Davy lamp as a complement I love. It is a very special set. I hope you and the golfer are fine. I wish you the best. Very affectionate greetings from Margarita x
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A simple pairing that enhances the beauty of the dahlia– very nice, Cathy! It’s good to see dahlias coming into bloom again.
My vase this week: https://wp.me/p3O3z4-2w7
Thanks Eliza – it was tempting to have a motley collection of dahlias this week, but I was very restrained!
Gorgeous! I always get excited when the first dahlias appear and we will have fabulous colour until the first frosts. David Howard is a beauty.I am endlessly fascinated by the props you come up with.
I was going to use dahlias today but your wonderful sweet peas were singing at me.
in-a-vase-on-monday-sweet-peas. I hope this link works I am still baffled by this new all singing all dancing WordPress.
Me too, and this excitement nearly tempted me into using a range of my new dahlia blooms, but I will save that for another day! I have been standing gazing at the beds they are growing in a lot these days! Good to know your sweet peas are flowering and I look forward to seeing the results. I am still using the old WP editor (the one before the last one) and haven’t even looked at (and won’t bother) the new all singing all dancing one ;). There wasn’t a link here but I will find you and add one
Goodness, I didn’t choose to use the new version, it just appeared and the old one was no longer there. It drives me mad, it takes me twice as long to do anything.
Do you write your posts on a PC or tablet? If you want any guidance on how to readily access the ‘old’ (user friendly!) version, just let me know and I will guide you through it.
I write on my PC. That is really kind of you but after much anguish and irritation I think I have sussed it out now.
Shame that anguish and irritation should be expended on a blog though…
Thank you Cathy. I think I might have sussed it out. Do you mind if I try it out and see if it works. https://wp.me/p3dx4o-3PA .
It works – hurrah!
How pretty. Dahlias just know what they are doing…don’t they.
They do indeed – and then just give and go on giving…
Can the fruit of ‘Evereste’ flowering crabapple be used to make jelly like that of the fruiting types of crabapple?
Yes, you can do, but it looks so pretty I like to leave them – depends how big a crop there is I suppose, as I do like jelly with many meat dishes, particularly roasts.
Oh, of course. There is a ‘Prairie Fire’ flowering crabapple that I prune that makes quite a bit of tempting fruit, but because it is in a public landscape, I leave the fruit late on the trees. It is rather pretty. By the time I would take it, the birds are already enjoying it, and I do not want to deprive them.
Yes, mustn’t forget the birds
I could forget them, but others in the landscapes appreciate them.
If I could only grow one Dahlia it would be this one.
It was in your garden that I first encountered it, Brian, but resisted adding it to my ‘collection’ till now and certainly won’t regret finally including it. Thank you 🙂
I had not realised that, isn’t it wonderful how visiting gardens and reading blogs can be such a wonderful source of inspiration to us all in the gardening community.
Oh yes indeed – my knowledge has expanded exponentially through blogging, aided and abetted by visiting gardens and talking to other gardeners
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Glorious arrangement! Dahlia season is upon us and I, for one, could not be happier.
http://sprig2twig.com/archives/6198
Thank you and yes, months of dahlia blooms ahead!
‘David Howard’ is a fine looking chap Cathy. I’ve often eyed him up. Maybe next year 😄
I eyed him up for several years, Anna – he is a patient man though…