Walking down the lane to our house today I could almost imagine that we were in the country not in a town within a stone's throw of a busy main road. The verges on both sides are afroth with cow parsley and dotted with bluebells. This particular piece of loveliness normally happens in May but is early this year. I usually pick sprigs of cow parsley to put in a vase to decorate my stall at the always held in May garden club plant sale. I also add foliage and additional flowers such as astrantias and aquilegias but as these are only just appearing today's vase also includes some geranium phaeum. The latter does not grow down the lane but in the garden, where it seems to self seed happily and has crossed with other geranium phaeums to produce variations of colour over the years. It is a most easy going plant although the foliage can be subject to mildew. Cut down after flowering it obligingly rewards you with fresh glowing foliage. Another plus point is that it is a magnet for bees.
'In A Vase in Monday' is the brilliant idea of Cathy over at 'Rambling In The Garden' - do go and have a peek to see other seasonal pickings.
A beautifully simple and airy arrangement
ReplyDeleteA delicate and airy looking combination that looks so good Anna!
ReplyDeleteHow lovely to have a simple arrangement of wild flowers. Yours are the lovely English bluebells. My garden has great swathes of the dreaded Spanish ones. They are beautiful but we are not supposed to grow them as they hybridise with our native ones. The trouble is they are impossible to get rid of.
ReplyDeleteProbably best to keep your cow parsley outside if it makes you sneeze. It smells awful too. But it is so pretty.
'Light and airy' does indeed say it all - your vase is like a breath of fresh spring air, although not such a good breath of air if it sets off your hay fever! Anything else you need to avoid? The G phaeum was an inspired addition - I noticed mine were in full flower today too. Thanks for contributing - I am thrilled it is triggering more and more bloggers to bring flowers inside, well, sort of inside ;)
ReplyDeleteThat's so pretty Anna, makes me want to go for walk, but its dark, so maybe not... I really must get g. Phaeum, had one in my old garden and really love it.
ReplyDeleteLove your fresh spring bouquet with cow parsley. The bluebells are pretty and I really like the geranium phaeum. Will have to look for that. susie
ReplyDeleteIt's a fresh, pretty mix - and I wouldn't have thrown out that jar either!
ReplyDeleteFresh and pretty and so airy looking very romantic.
ReplyDeleteThat's such a pretty arrangement, and your vase is charming.
ReplyDeleteLovely arrangement! It reminds me of walks along the countryside here.
ReplyDeleteThere is something very special about country flowers in a pretty jar. I'd far rather have that than shop bought flowers in a posh vase.
ReplyDeleteMmmm, I can just about smell those bluebells from here! Very pretty with the cow parsley. I have lots of G.phaeum too and now I know it looks lovely in a vase I will definitely be cutting some soon - before it takes over!
ReplyDeleteJust my kind of thing, Anna, absolutely delightful, airy and light. I don't like picking flowers in my garden but in the wild when there are lots of them I sometimes give in, no harm I guess. :)
ReplyDeleteI can see we were thinking along the same lines this week Anna! The lane outside my house is looking beautiful with all the cow parsley and hawthorn in flower. I love the additions you have made - it seems odd to have all this beauty so early in the season.
ReplyDeleteThanks for all your kind comments. The contents of the vase lasted for well over a week outdoors so I was most pleased :) Cathy, I've never noticed a scent from bluebells so I'm off to have a sniff of one of the few remaining specimens first thing in the morning.
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