In defence of wallflowers In a Vase on Monday
I agree with Cathy that wallflowers can be difficult. They are messy plants and sometimes the colours are dreadful. However, I do usually grow some from seed. This year half are in my cutting patch and some are in a border. The seed was a mix of colours and I think in future I'll seek out one colour or colour blends.
Here I've used a dark red and pale lemon yellow wallflower with whitebells, Ballerina tulips and Spirea and Wigela foliage.
My exciting news is that I have been on a floristry course for the past two weeks. One of the many things I learnt was how to make a proper hand tied bouquet. You can see the spiral here.
This is one reason I have not been much in evidence for the last few weeks, I found it difficult to keep all the plates spinning. I hope to reveal the reason for doing the course in the next few weeks. As if one needed a reason to be surrounded by beautiful flowers every day! Hopefully I'll get time to post some of my creations.
Here are the wallflowers and tulips. I'm less keen on the bright yellow and orange.
I saved this plant from last year as it's so pretty but the plant does not look great.
As usual I'm joining in with Cathy from Rambling in the Garden for In a Vase on Monday.
What a beautiful, professional looking bouquet! I will clearly have to grow more Ballerina tulips next year as I can't bear to sacrifice the few I have, but they make great cut flowers.
ReplyDeleteThank you. I know, I am torn about cutting them and don't often cut tulips. The answer must be to grow more!
DeleteThat such a delightful arrangement...love the foliage as usual. The whitebells work so well with the weigelia. My wallflowers too are doing rather well...all neat and pale lemon yellow. I liked the way the plants added some greenery over the winter to the front border.
ReplyDeleteThanks, the weigelia making the first of many appearances this year. It's definitely good to have some green over winter and pinching out the plants can make a real difference to the neatness.
DeleteWhat a delicious blend of material, and as Noelle suggests the foliage really enhances the blooms and the bouquet really does look professional. Well done for taking the bull by the horns and doing the floristry course which will now leave us all guessing of course!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you think so. It was a brilliant course though eye wateringly expensive. You know how to keep people guessing yourself!
DeleteNever had wallflowers, wondering how long they last. Very pretty arraignments !
ReplyDeleteThey last a long time in the garden and are a welcome splash of early colour. They don't do so well in a vase and do drop petals . I'll try and remember to count the days. Cutting them early before all the flowers are open will help.
DeleteBoth your arrangement and news about taking a floristry course are exciting. The warm colors are a balm for winter-weary eyes! Looking forward to hearing the rest of the story regarding the reason for the course!
ReplyDeleteThank you, I love the colours though the look somewhat autumnal.
DeleteI'm surprised that wallflowers seem to have an unfavorable reputation among many gardeners in the UK. I think they're charming but then they're not all that common here. Like our Agapanthus, maybe familiarity breeds contempt? In any case, your arrangement is absolutely lovely and well-balanced. It looks as though your garden contains lots of splendid floral material too. I look forward to hearing what you're up to with the floristry course.
ReplyDeleteThey are charming but can be very messy plants and often found in garish orange. They smell sweet though and, as I said, add early colour. Perhaps snobbery plays a part and they are out of favour...
DeleteHow wonderful to see these beautiful flowers.....and I am excited to see why you took the course....sounds exciting.
ReplyDeleteThanks and it is..
DeleteI am now very curious Alison! The arrrangement is lovely and will hopefully redeem wallflowers in the eyes of some who are sceptical! I have always seen them as flowers that grow where they want, not where the gardener wants, so perhaps trying to put them in a garden is the mistake? Anyway, they are unfortunately not hardy enough here unless you have a very sheltered spot. They look lovel with your cream tulips in the garden as well as with Ballerina. :)
ReplyDeleteI find many things will do what they want better than what I want and we need to learn to live with that. The wall flowers add a great splash of colour.
DeleteBeautiful! I can't imagine the dexterity that must go into the spiral of properly hand-tied bouquet.--Terri, tssoutherngarden.com
ReplyDeleteI don't find it too difficult but you can't put it down so you need to have everything ready or go and collect more with one hand!
DeleteCongratulations on the floral class--sounds wonderful. I'd never heard of hand tied bouquets before joining IAVOM--yours turned out great. Beautiful combination of materials. I bought wallflower plants fall 2016 for the first time and a couple have survived (used some in my vase today). They seem to bloom a long time in the garden, but are not very showy.
ReplyDeleteThank you, they do last well in the garden but I find it best to sow new each year and they don't get to ungainly. But then I do want to keep the prettiest ones.
DeleteI think Kris is right - now that I can't grow them easily any more, I long for them (even the bright colours!!!). Your vase is lovely and your technique clearly moving towards professional. Wish I could learn too! The wallflowers look almost exotic with your 'Ballerina' tulips.
ReplyDeleteWe all want what we can't have. I'd miss them if I didn't have them. Perhaps you will have the chance to learn. I never thought I would.
DeleteOh I think that any leaning towards untidiness when it comes to wallflowers can be forgiven as their scent is one of my favourites. I think that Chiltern Seeds sell a number of single colour seed packets. I've not had much luck growing them from seed so tend to buy plants in the autumn. Your hand tied bouquet is a treat to the eyes Alison. "Curiouser and curiouser" as Alice said - I wonder what you could be up to :)
ReplyDeleteThe scent is gorgeous, one of my favourites too. I'll have a look at the single colours, thanks. I hope to reveal all soon...
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