Thank you all for your kind words over the last week following the unexpected death of my sister; they were very much appreciated. It has been a strange week and I greatly value the support of our blogging community.
I realised when putting another vase away in my ‘vase wardrobe’ that I hadn’t yet used this ‘moon’ vase this season. I like to use it for tulips because of the way the blooms splay themselves out, as if relaxing on a squishy sofa, reflecting the comfortable roundness of the vase. We seem to be reaching the end of tulip season here but I knew I could still gather enough of these frilly ‘Victoria’s Secret’ parrot tulips to do the vase justice. Victoria’s Secret is the only tulip other than species varieties that I have planted in the garden itself recently: having planted a batch some years ago I found them reliably returning year after year, so took the plunge and ordered more two years ago. These too have now returned for a second season, so I shall add even more to 2023’s bulb order when I make it. Apart from their reliability, I love their beetroot plummy purple tones, which sit comfortably in both main and bold borders – and their frills, which always make me think of silk underwear, probably the origin of their name, which is the same as a well-known UK lingerie outlet.
Sharing the vase with the tulips and adding a touch of dark greenery to accentuate the arching profile of the blooms are sprigs of Trachelospermum asiaticum, working perfectly and reminding me of its usefulness in vases. There are probably a dozen or so more of these blooms in the garden, but they are all a little flustered and past their best, and soon there will be no secrets left – the cat is clearly out of the bag and hence the prop, a teeny three piece jigsaw.
If you would like to join the IAVOM community with your own vase, why not find material from your garden or garnered nearby and share it with us by leaving the usual links to and from this post.
Rambling in the Garden 
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I love that colour, purple is my favourite.
It is a glorious colour, I agree – the very best shade of purple
Hi Cathy. It’s a lovely tulip. So rich and silky. Like you say, just like the silk underwear the shop sold. (Is it still around?) I remember getting a camisole in a sale there to go under my graduation blouse…. so many years ago! LOL! Love your moon vase as well. And your prop was very cleverly linked to the tulip! 👍
Wishing you some peaceful gardening time this week Cathy.
Here’s my vase, celebrating aquilegias:
I had to Google to check it was still around, but it seems to be – and meant to say that the vase is very ‘flat’, as I don’t think it shows up on he photos. I was struggling a little for a prop (and have no silk underwear!!) and then remembered the little cat jigsaw, so was relieved that I could find where I kept it!
The vase sets the flowers off so well. x
Thank you, it’s a brilliant vase for tulips as it is very ‘flat’ and supports them well
Stunning! The tulips are a lovely color and you found the perfect vase to display their grace and dignity. Wishing you peace in the weeks ahead. ❤️❤️❤️
Thanks Susie – I am really thrilled with the ovearll effect of it and pleased that they are hanging on to their petals, as they had been fully open outside for some time
Absolutely gorgeous tulips in color and frilly form…they do work perfectly in your ‘moon’ vase. Holding you tight and wishing you peace and comfort this week. https://gardenseyeview.com/2023/05/15/all-are-home/
Thank you Donna, such kind words
A perfect vase to hold those precious and beautiful tulips Cathy. Instead of throwing away the Parrot Tulip bulbs I shall find a corner of the garden to plant them out in for next year. My thoughts are with you, hold on tight to all the loving memories. Here is my vase this week: https://noellemace.blogspot.com/2023/05/in-vase-on-monday-parrots-and-wisdom.html
Thanks Noelle, as always. The vase is brilliant for supporting the tulips because of it wide but very narrow neck – another car boot find, of course!
I think purple can be difficult to use in the garden, this one is a wonderful color and I love your description. I am surprised to see that Asiatic Jasmine grows in your garden, it is used as a highly maintained groundcover here. It makes a great accent for the tulips in the moon vase.
I lost my oldest brother in a similar fashion several years ago. I am not sure the shock ever quite leaves, though I still feel his presence. Wishing you peace and quiet in the garden.
Here is my vase: https://theshrubqueen.com/2023/05/15/in-a-vase-on-monday-sage-indians/
It’s certainly a very distinctive shade of purple but certainly makes a statement in a spring garden because there is still far more green than any other colour. Trachelospermum can bekilled by very cold nights although this one os growing against a wall and is quite sheltered – I lost a T jasminoides to the cold some years ago and coincidentally this current plant was given to me by the sister I have just lost, and I was always a little disappointed it wasn’t another jasminoides! The garden is great therapy…
Some of the purples are so dark you can’t see them. That one is great. I would fear the Trachelospermums getting away from me here. I am very slowly reclaiming my garden, it is good therapy.
Indeed, it is always good therapy
The color is just beautiful. thank you for sharing.
You are welcome Beverly – it’s such a lovely tulip
Oh such a striking tulip Cathy and it’s always a positive to track one down that comes back. I don’t think that I’ve ever had the figure to wear the aforesaid lingerie but I’ve heard of the company 😂 My mixed assortment is here :
https://greentapestry.blogspot.com/2023/05/iavom-bits-and-pieces.html
I hope that you are able to fit in some quiet time in your garden this week. Take care xxx
Yes, I don’t know why these ones always seem to return, especially as I don’t always remember to plant them deep enough – not helped by trying to squeeze them in amongst other things. I might have been in one of VS’s shops once, Anna, but didn’t see anything I liked. It’s certainly good to be out in the garden, and the generally lovely weather of the last few days has really helped me to get on, as of course the weeks are counting down… 😉
That’s a spectacular tulip, Cathy. I’m tempted to try growing it next year, although there’s no guarantee that we’ll have another cold-ish, wet winter again. I love the moon vase too. It’s relatively flat in terms of width, isn’t it?
Thanks for hosting, especially when you have so much else occupying your mind. I hope you’re doing well. Here’s my post: https://krispgarden.blogspot.com/2023/05/in-vase-on-monday-luminous.html
Yes, the vase is really flat, with the depth of the opening only about half an inch, so it’s great for supporting stems like tulips. It’s good to have the distraction of gardening and IAVOM, Kris – what would we do without a garden?
Beautiful coloured tulips in a lovely vase.
Victoria’s Secret is a wonderful dark plummy colour. I like it. On the list for next year. Take care Cathy, hoping you manage some quiet time in the garden this week.
Thanks Jude, that’s kind of you. Victoria’s Secret seems to hold its blooms well too and some in the garden still look as good as ever
My tulips were wrecked by the damp we had in late April and early May. They looked like the ones in Monty’s garden, as if they had a virus. I will be composting those bulbs this year.
That’s a shame – do you know how much rain Cornwall has had in April/May? I would have been happy of you could have shared some of it! 😉
Thoughts are with you, Cathy. Those Tulips are stunning. ❤
Thank you, I really like these tulips and all the more because of their reliability
The colors are lovely, Cathy. I’m impressed that you’re able to track what vase you used and when throughout the weeks and months. This post made me realize that we have several loves in common: flowers, the color purple, cats., puzzles, and order/organization. Thinking of you.
I suppose the moon vase is only appropritae for certain blooms, but the WordPress search facility can be quite helpful for tracking down when I posted certain things. Oh, and do take cats out of the list of loves we have in common, as they are definitely far from being my favourite creatures – as I said to my grandson when he asked me if I didn’t like cats, it’s not that I don’t like them but I don’t like how the nemerous neighbouring cats prowl through the garden leaving their mess, flatteneing plants and breaking stems, not to mention acting as if they own the place… grrr!
I’m sorry to hear about the damage from maurading cats. It sounds like you have several visitors.
Those certainly are purple. It is gratifying to see others enjoying colors that I would have difficulty selecting. (I get someone else to select most colors.)