In a vase on Monday - First tulips

Yes at last! I've been admiring tulips in other people's posts, and even bought a few (I know you're shocked), but now I have my own ones flowering. 

One day they were in tight bud and suddenly there was the colour. 

I've collected some honeysuckle foliage. It's just the bits hanging down waiting to catch my face as I pass by to a water tank. 
Also some Euphorbia shoots. I'm not sure what variety they are. They have seeded from somewhere. I always use gloves when cutting so I don't get the sap on me. I strip the lower leaves then hold the stems in a jug of just boiled water for 20 seconds. This seals them and they last very well in a vase.
The tulips are Darwin Hybrid mixed which were free with a bulb order. I put them in my cutting patch so I'd be happy to chop them.  The red ones have come out first with a couple of salmon popped in here too. It's very organised of them to come out one colour at a time.

I wanted to tuck the flowers into foliage as I know they'll open and flop around. Also they are quite bright so this tones them down a little. 
They have opened quite a lot in a day and are very bright.  


We have had a beautiful weekend, weatherwise. We gave ourselves the day off on Sunday and visited Hestercombe. A beautiful garden, developed over 300 years, in Somerset.  Trees, shrubs, walks, bulbs in full flower, cafe, shop...

It was warm and sunny, a perfect day out. It's that time of year when it can look like summer but the trees are still bare. 
Then today we have woken to a ground frost. It pays never to be complacent when you are a gardener. 

For interesting and colourful vases from around the world visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden - In a vase on Monday.