The double form of Narcissus ‘Tête-à-tête’ that I mentioned last week, properly named ‘Tête Bouclé’, was still flowering when I came to create my vase yesterday, so all the good-looking blooms were cut for this purpose, reminding me that I ought to be deadheading bulbs that have gone over, a task that has been left for another day.
My original plan was to use a very spring-like vase which has a removable frog as a ‘lid’, with holes to support chosen blooms, but the stems of this narcissus were too big for the holes. Knowing how well blue and yellow combine, I selected a blue bottle vase instead, debating how best to display the blooms. With fairly lengthy stems, I considered bunching the blooms together at the neck to give them a cylindrical profile and stop them from splaying out, so cut a thin stem of red dogwood in the hope it was flexible enough to wrap around the narcissi…it wasn’t, so I cut some contorted hazel Corylus avellana ‘Contorta’ instead and arranged the blooms in its twists and turns. I hadn’t intended that they would be anything other than bunched together, but the contortions of the hazel were such that they would only fit in the vase in certain ways, so I just went along with their whims and am quite pleased with the result.
The prop today is a little pile of tangled ribbons, the sort that come attached to garments to keep them on the hangers in shops, snipped off and kept for unknown occasions when I might need a little bit of ribbon. If you would like to join this happy band of IAVOM contributors today, then please find material from your garden or foraged nearby and share it with us by leaving links to and from this post, vase and props optional.
Rambling in the Garden 
Clever and fun arrangement, Cathy!
Thanks Eliza – I was pleased with how it worked out
Good Morning, Cathy! The hazel gives energy to the already beautiful daffodils and the blue/yellow combination is appealing. Busy here with home duties so I’m not finding much time for blogging recently, but I managed a vase for today using my new vase a friend gave me a couple weeks ago, which I’m happy to share today. Thanks for being here each week. https://pbmgarden.blog/2024/03/25/in-a-vase-on-monday-coral-delight/
Thanks Susie, I hope things have not been too difficult for you at home, but I am pleased you were still able to find time to choose some blooms and join us today, and hope your vase brings you much pleasure
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I do like those contorted hazels and they are clearly useful for propping up flowers in vases. 😃 Tête bouclé is one I have planted out from pots before now and they have come back reliably – the double flowers are lovely close up! Here is my contribution for today Cathy. Many thanks for hosting every week. https://wordsandherbs.wordpress.com/2024/03/25/in-a-vase-on-monday-slips-and-stepmothers/
Yes, there is a variation in colour in the heads of them, aren’t there? I am glad you say they reliably return
Hello Cathy, It’s been a very long time. So long you’ve probably forgotten me. Sadly, life got in the way. It’s good to be back and to see your lovely display today. I love those double flowered Tete’s together with the stems of contorted hazel. I think I need both in my new garden. I’ve cheated this week with tulips that were a gift and not grown in mine or anyone’s garden, but they are lovely – the silverscrapper’s craft space: In A Vase This Monday (silverscrappers.blogspot.com)
Oh hello! I certainly haven’t forgotten you, Elizabeth, but perhaps WordPress had as I have just found this comment in spam and so am very late to see your vase…it’s lovely to know you hadn’t forgotten US, and I hope things have been OK since we last heard from you
I love this one, Cathy. The contrast of sticks and flowers, straight and contorted. I have some grapevines but they don’t have quite the personality of the hazels. Thanks for hosting https://theshrubqueen.com/2024/03/25/in-a-vase-on-monday-sculptural-elements/
Yes, a vine of some sort would have done the trick too…I have plenty f ivt… 😉
Oh the hazel just makes this bouquet sing!
The twisted hazel is such an asset for popping a vase or posy
That is a pretty arrangement, the twigs were an inspired addition. Here is my arrangement: https://noellemace.blogspot.com/2024/03/in-vase-on-monday.html
Thanks Noelle – the hazel is near the back door so it often helps me out when I am stumped for something to boost a vase or posy! 😉
The twisty hazel stems were just the ticket to elevate the arrangement, Cathy! I got caught up in my garden this morning and ran late to link my post but here it is: https://krispgarden.blogspot.com/2024/03/in-vase-on-monday-spring-extravaganza.html
I am glad there is plenty in your garden to keep you amused, Kris!
Oh I’ve never grown a double daffodil Cathy and must try sometime. How tall is ‘Tête Bouclé’? It looks quite substantial in that vase. I love the corkscrew hazel stems which seem to have a life on their own. Rain has stopped play here today – my only ventures out have been into the greenhouse.
The Tete Boucle is about the same size as its half brother or sister, but having been in bloom for 2 or 3 weeks the stems have just kept growing! A damp start here today, but drier later when sadly I had other things to do!
Of course you already know I love blue and yellow. This is perfect.
Thank you Beverley! 😊
I absolutely love how the vase came out…lovely double daffodils too. Here I was able to rescue a few blooms before a foot of snow came and once again buried the poor things. hoping it is truly our last. https://gardenseyeview.com/2024/03/25/in-a-vase-on-monday-winter-hangs-on/
Thanks Donna – I suppose you are used to this uncertainty, but even so seeing emerging blooms disappearing under snow could be a bit disheartening. We know spring will always triumph in the end though!
I love the double tete a tete but seem to have lost all of mine. I found that they hung their heads when planted in pots.
That’s a shame, Jude…
What a clever way to position the daffodils and display the contorta stems at the same time!
I had the opposite size difficulty with my vase, and I had to cut a bit more than I originally planned. Here is my post, The Archduke and the Pixie.
Thanks Amy – and what an intriguing title for your post…I am now very curious!
Your combination of the contorted branches, the flowers, the vase, and the props are delightful and fun!
The contorted twigs worked so well to hold other stems in place – something to remember for another time!
Oh wow, I have seen these, but did not know what they are. Are there other cultivars that they could be confused with?
N Rip Van Winkle perhaps?
Oh, of course. I do remember that one, although I thought that it had such thin floral parts that it looked like dandelion.