…well, not really, actually a vase of Helleborus ‘Double Aubergine’. With no real aubergines to hand, the flowers and an arum leaf are propped up by a few (shop-bought) sugar snap peas, and displayed in a slim-waisted dark green vase, possibly Caithness Glass.
I have read recently, as I know Susie of pbmgarden blog also has, that plunging hellebore stems in water up to their necks overnight, followed by slitting not their necks but their stems, will extend their vase life; it was also recommended they were picked just as the seed pods started to form but as mine are only just coming into bloom that is not going to happen for a while yet. For experimentation purposes I tried this technique out last week and, sure enough, the stem lasted for a good few days before the blooms began to droop. With some confidence, therefore, I cut stems on Saturday, ready to slit them yesterday morning, but woke up to find three extremely droopy stems waiting for the next step… Hmm, I really need to find that article (in one of my gardening magazines, surely) and establish what went wrong…
Fortunately, the plant the stems were cut from has been generous with her blooms, and I was able to cut more, but the ones you see have received no overnight soaking although the stems have been tentatively slit. How long will they last? Your guess is as good as mine… If you would like to join us today with a vase or jar of your own blooms, vegetables, sticks or anything else you can find in your garden or forage locally, then please do so by leaving the usual links.
Rambling in the Garden 
Lovely deep colour.
Isn’t it just?! It was one of the first to flower this year
I’ve found that if you wait until they have dropped their stamens they will be starting to form seeds and will last 10 days then. Buds and just opened flowers will wilt for some reason. Absolutely gorgeous colour! Love the name. Xx
Yes, I have certainly found that helps, Karen – but I wanted to share them TODAY!!
I don’t blame you. They are gorgeous! Xx
Such a fabulous colour, Cathy… I am getting some of these this year and I will make sure I include this one!
There are so many colours to choose from, and arrangements and shapes of petals too – I love the variation and couldn’t say which one was my favourite as they all bring joy
One of the loveliest hellebores I’ve ever seen. Such a gorgeous color. I gave up trying to condition hellebores because they randomly seem to do as well when I don’t employ the techniques. Not much in bloom here yet.
And this one always flowers really well, Susie
I love the deep purple tones of the hellebores and the vase does a wonderful job of holding the splayed flowers. I used to float hellebores when I had them and they lasted longer that way, I think. I always want your Arum. I need to look into that, probably too warm here. Here is my vase. Happy Valentines week. https://theshrubqueen.com/2024/02/12/in-a-vase-on-monday-valentines-putto/
I love the colour of this vase, whether it is Caithness or not, and it will have been bought for next to nothing at a car boot sale or the tip shop. Yes, the arums are perfectly happy in the dryish shade of woodland with some winter rain, so your climate may well be their worst nighmare – but who am I to say!
I tried the Arum in my more northern garden, the shade was too dry there. It seems most bulbs are best left unpurchased here. The dahlias just succumbed to something.
Doesn’t stop us trying things we know are unlikely to do well though…
That is a gorgeous Helleborus. I finally planted a couple last year so not sure if they will sport a flower or two in early spring. Likely will have to wait until next year and beyond. I left so many at the old garden. Really miss them. Beautiful addition of the Arum leaf. I have a vase with a post about the next leg in my creative journey. Thanks always for the inspiration. Have a great week. https://gardenseyeview.com/2024/02/12/on-a-spiritual-path-to-creating/
Thanks Donna. Sometimes they can take a while to establish, but I moved a couple of seedlings to the woodland last year and I noticed one had a bud, which was a huge surprise, especially as it is the first time I have tried them in the woodland, not wanting to risk the prettiest varieties there
What a beautiful Hellebore, you also set it up nicely and the light reflected off the background shows it off very nicely. Here is my vase for this week: https://noellemace.blogspot.com/2024/02/cyclamen-in-vase-on-monday.html
Thanks Noelle. I always take my vase photos outside and drape a small sheet over two pieces of MDF hinged together for the background. I keep meaning to buy some other colours of fabric to use for variations
Beautiful color. There are so many “tips” that it is hard to remember them all. Keeping a list is impossible.
I tend to very lax in any sort of conditioning of flowers for a vase, but having read that tip recently I thought I would try it out, because otherwise it’s hen a matter of waiting till the seed pods are forming and by then the colour vcan sometimes be fading. Sadly, the blooms in the vase drooped within 24 hours…
Still very pretty.
Gorgeous colour!
I agree, Eliza!
Oh what an absolutely gorgeous hellebore Cathy – the colour looks more plum than aubergine 😂 I will have to track that one down. I think that I may well have read the same magazine article recently but can’t remember where! I’ve still got to try the technique. My vase is here :
https://greentapestry.blogspot.com/2024/02/iavom-just-few-drops.html
Yes, thinking of a Victoria plum thsy are definitely plum coloured – so should be ‘Double Plum’ instead! 🤣 I get so behind with my magazine reading because I refuse to read them until the correct month, but then they get buried under the newer issues… I have just found the Dec issue of The garden, unopened!!
I can’t but echo the comments about the color of those flowers, Cathy – it’s fabulous. Although I slit a lot of woody stems, I haven’t tried that with hellebores, not that those plants are reliable bloomers in my garden to begin with. I’m still fixated on Hippeastrums: https://krispgarden.blogspot.com/2024/02/in-vase-on-monday-soggy-flowers.html
This variety makes a nice dense clump too, and I always look forward to it flowering. Much as I look forward to blooms on even the newest plants, an established mature clump is a thing of real beauty when in flower
Aubergine? I had to look that up. It makes sense now. It certainly is a rich color.
Oh , is it eggplant in the US?
Yes, but I knew that aubergine is something familiar.
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Your title got me puzzled at first, but that colour really is aubergine. 😉 It’s a wonderful flower Cathy. Was that one of the unnamed ones you bought recently? I am still waiting for some of mine to open. In the meantime, this is what I found for today. Thanks Cathy!
Sorry to be late catching up, Cathy – it’s been a busy couple of weeks. The hellebore is a named variety I bought to begin filling the Coop Corner. Here, the hellebor are probably reaching ther peak, although I have a couple that must have suffered last year and foliage is just beginning to emerge, so I am not anticipating blooms this year, but it’s good to know the plants are still alive, especially a lovely double green one
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That’s good to know about how to make Hellebores last longer, Cathy. I heard that adding bi-carb soda helps with the longevity of all cut flowers; have you heard that said?
My arrangement this week is very orange – the colour though, not the fruit! ~~ https://homelifeonlineblog.com/2024/02/12/in-a-vase-on-monday-bird-of-paradise/
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No flowers but twigs and fluff from my garden https://bramblegarden.com/2024/02/12/ghosts-of-the-garden-seeds-and-fluff/
Love the idea of twigs and fluff, Karen!!
Thank you Cathy. I couldn’t face picking the tiny spring flowers when they’ve battled to flower through the rain. Mini daffodils and crocus are out now, if they survive the downpour!
I think we call aubergines “egg plant” here in Australia. It’s a gorgeous colour!
The pingback to my post, I see has arrived, so I won’t repeat it. I’ve had some commenting issues this week, but it looks like it’s sorted now. 😊
Oh WOW, this one is a real stunner, I love the colour, never saw a hellebore like it before.
I noticed today that Harvington Double Red, just coming into bloom, is even darker than the Double Aubergine
What a beautiful hellebore!!
I haven’t come across this beauty yet, but I shall certainly be looking out for it. That little arum is so useful for showing off winter flowers
It is a lovely big clump here, Chloris, at least 12″ across, so there are always lots of blooms