Sunday afternoon was sunny and warm, and I had plenty of time to pick and photograph some flowers for a vase so that I can join Cathy once again for her meme “In a Vase on Monday”.
It is still very dry here, despite showers on Saturday evening, so the big watering cans have already been put to use at times. These two little watering cans found their way into my home years ago – I think the larger one was a gift from my Mum – and have never been put to use, until today, but not for watering!
For the larger can I cut some white Spiraea, which smells lovely. I also cut two pieces of fresh lime green Euphorbia myrsinites and cut off the long twisted stalks. Then I added a single yellow iris, a yellow tulip, and some Lamium…
The iris is Iris reichenbachii, a dwarf bearded variety that often gets overlooked among the other plants, so I will divide it this autumn and put some in a more prominent position. It comes from the mountains of the Balkan region and loves sun and well-drained soil – especially important if it is to survive a cold winter…
The wild tulip, Tulipa sylvestris, is gorgeous and is supposed to spread, but I will definitely plant a few more of them this autumn…
The smaller can contains some wildflowers found dotted around the garden: cowslips (Primula veris), yellow archangel (Lamium galeobdolon), a dandelion…
… and on the other side you can see a wild mustard flower (Sinapis arvensis) and nestled at the bottom two golden strawberry flowers (Waldsteinia fragarioides) …
When I brought the vases indoors the tulip closed up immediately and the Spiraea scent became a little fusty, so I will put it out on the patio again.
Take a look at Cathy’s blog Rambling in the Garden to see what she and other “Monday Vasers” have found in their gardens today. (And congratulate Cathy on her 1,000th post!)
Hope your week is full of sunshine and flowers!
Words and Herbs 
So sweet, Cathy, and I love the green, fresh background of your garden and the yellow shrub (Euonymus?). Well, we certainly don’t have to water here…it’s rather a question of calling for Noah’s ark! Have a splendid week 🙂
Hello Annette. Yes, Euonymus. It glows all year round – a wonderful shrub! We have now had a day of showers but nowhere near enough. Hope you get some sunshine mixed in between your rain!
Using watering cans for flowers is much less hard work than using them for watering! they make the perfect containers for your flowers today. I love the gentle yellow of the Iris, it isn’t one I’ve seen before. Have a great week.
Thanks Christina. Hope you have a lovely week too. Sadly the little yellow iris didn’t last long in the vase, but the tulip still looks good. 🙂
So nice!
🙂 I’m glad I dusted off these watering cans. The real garden ones are not quite as pretty!
I love old and beautiful things-warm heart
So lively, just as spring is! Seems like your flowers are flowering 2-3 weeks earlier than in the North of Germany. Have a nice sunny + rainy week! Uta
We are definitely ahead, Uta. With irises and large peony buds on my early peony almost ready to bloom! We finally got some rain, but barely more than 12 hours of showers…
Beautiful and charming with the sunny yellows and the special watering cans. I like the way you’ve used Spiraea with the tulip and iris and the little collection of wildflowers is so pretty. Great pictures too. Hope you get some helpful rains soon.
Thanks Susie. Yes, we had rain. Not really enough, but helpful nonetheless!
Perfect for spring!
The yellow of cowslips is the epitome of spring, isn’t it!
These are so gorgeous and sing spring to me…all the wonderful yellow blooms from wildflowers….and I was chuckling when I saw the dandelion….have to remember my ‘weeds’.
The dandelion flower was one of the prettier sort…. there are dozens of variations and some are just begging to go in a vase this spring, so you may see another one soon!
Lovely yellow blooms sing out Spring and the Spiraea looks so fresh and pretty with them. I love the Iris, it is new to me.
It’s a shame the iris didn’t last long in the vase, but then the rain we had yesterday (at last!) spoiled the other blooms a bit anyway. Most of the tulips held up well though and look fresher for having had a drink!
I love all the yellow flowers – and that you included a dandelion! The Spiraea is beautiful. It’s another plant I wish I could grow here. The one species suitable to my climate unfortunately requires too much water to survive current conditions. I hope there are more spring rains in your forecast and that your dryness is temporary.
I think we should all put weeds in our vases one week! LOL! I have so many to choose from, but the dandelion and wild mustard are rather pretty right now! We have had some showers, but I am hoping we might get a few more soon as the ground was so dry. It is fairly unusual to have such a dry April.
Very creative bouquets, just perfect for those lovely water cans! Have a wonderful week, Cathy!
Thank you Anca. Hope your week is lovely too! 🙂
This is lovely – cute watering cans 🙂 I really like the combination esp spiraea (I’ve got a pink one about to flower – I didn’t realise it had a scent – thank you I’ll investigate… the dandelion made me laugh.
I wonder if the pink Spiraea also smells nice, as I know that pink elder flowers have only a slight fragrance compared with the white. The dandelions look lovely right now, and I just ignore the fact that they will be spreading seeds everywhere in a week or two! LOL!
Two fresh and pretty arrangements, Cathy, and fabulous photos … the locations sets them off beautifully. The watering cans make perfect containers too. Including a dandelion is a great touch – only yesterday I was noticing how pretty they are looking growing on the roadside verges and thinking it was such a shame that they are considered such weeds!
Hello Elizabeth. Yes, dandelions are actually very pretty flowers…. we have a whole field of them beyond our garden gate, which is lovely to look at, so I have learnt to love them in the garden too!
I am so pleased to see that you used a dandelion Cathy – I think they are really underrated!! I love the way that you have used the two sizes of watering cans and all your lovely flowers.
I have used other weeds in vases in the past, so it was time to use a dandelion now they are flowering so nicely! The ground elder has lovely flowers later in the year and the bugle and toadflax too!
Your watering cans are really snazzy and I love the wildflowers you have used, really good fun and guaranteed to bring a smile.
I love cowslips and finally have enough to cut a few… they have seeded themselves in a tiny patch of the lawn so the lawnmower has to carefully mow around them! 🙂
Oh those arrangements certainly sing of spring Cathy. You have reminded me that I have a little ceramic watering can which I’ve never thought about using as a vase 🙂 Hurrah for the dandy lion!
I hope you will use your watering can for a vase then too. I am becoming quite relaxed about what I put flowers in these days! 🙂
I love these dear little watering cans! Perfect for spring. I’m liking the yellow lamium and wild tulip. I love these posts as I get to see plants that might like to make a home in my garden!
Lamium spreads very well… I have to pull it out in the rockery but elsewhere it has free rein. I am hoping this wild tulip will spread… apparently it loves poor chalky soil and sun, so it has perfect conditions here!
I love the watering cans, especially the larger one. The Spirea is really lovely, so fresh and delicate.
The Spiraea surprise me with its lovely fragrance every year. But after flowering it is a very insignificant looking bush…
I used to have some ‘Bridalwreath’ Spirea and I know what you mean.
What charming watering cans. I’ve always been a fan. You’ve pressed them into service in the most delightful way. Your sunshine-yellow blooms invoke warm summer days. I’m delighted to see a dandelion among the bunch, too. Nicely done, Cathy.
We have indeed had summery weather Alys… around 25° C on Monday. But thankfully followed by rain, or all these flowers would just wilt… Glad you liked my dandelion! 😉
It’s nice living in a place with a bit of rain here and there. I miss that about Canada. Here we rarely get rain past March. It can be almost completely dry for six months.
Beautiful as always and so creative. You always make me think about what I might have around the house that would make my meager flower arrangements so much more interesting.
Hi Stephi. Cathy’s meme for a Monday vase has got me hunting the house for various pots etc too! And I’m sure your flowers never look ‘meagre’… one single flower can look lovely too! 😉
What lovely flowers! Pictures are so nice! I can smell them! 😀
😉 The cowslips smell nicest!
I can imagine!
The watering cans make a very special focal point! I love the white and yellow! And I love the Spiraea. I am going to do a little research to see if it possibly grows in California. I’m not familiar with it but I’m quite taken with it’s showy presentation! I love your round photos, as well. SUch a pretty post. 🙂
It would be lovely if you could grow Spiraea… there are many different ones, although not all as fragrant as each other. It does make quite a show in spring! Thanks Debra, and have a nice week!
Just lovely! I can’t help admiring the daintiness of the larger arrangement with the spirea, while the smaller one is just right with the chunkier little cowslips, etc….! I’m also glad to see your picture of T. sylvestris since it is on my “perhaps” list (said not to require winter chill). Also love that iris… 🙂
Hi Amy. You’ll love the sylvestris. It is so pretty and grows quite tall, nodding in the breeze and lapping up the sunshine! It does well with dry positions, but I noticed it wilting in the heat we had last weekend, so if I plant some more I will choose a spot that gets a little shade for part of the day and that might help it last longer.
I do not really like yellow in the garden but those watering cans look fabulous….I need to rethink!
Yellow is such a cheerful colour Dorris, it doesn’t have to be bold and showy as the cowsllips prove! 😉
Beautiful spring arrangements Cathy, The watering cans make attractive containers.
Thanks Brian. I should love a large can planted up for summer, but it seems a shame to put a drainage hole in the bottom of one!
Oh such sweet little arrangements – perfect for spring! The watering cans are absolutely delightful.
I must use them more often! 😉