That ‘inbetween’ time has begun and there are finally a few flowers beginning to open as winter draws to an end and spring knocks on the door. After a couple of mild and sunny days some crocuses and dwarf irises are providing tiny splashes of colour in the otherwise brown and ragged flower beds, and the snowdrops have opened up completely. Just enough for a small vase!
From my small clump of Iris reticulata I picked two deep blue flowers, and one pale ‘Katharine Hodgkin’ which has fascinating markings but in my eyes cannot compete with the gorgeous colour of the blue one. With the help of some artificial light you can perhaps appreciate what I mean…
A few snowdrops were added and I used my tiny pottery vase again, bought at the Christmas market last year. The small rock in the photo is a reminder of a wonderful weekend spent in the mountains a couple of years ago, picked from the dry part of the river bed of the Isar near the Austrian border. 🙂
I am pleased to be back this week, joining Cathy at Rambling in the Garden for her lovely Monday meme, and look forward to visiting many other vases over the next couple of days.
Have a great week!
😀
Words and Herbs 
What a beautiful little vase – you have balanced the whites and blues very well. I really love the delicate beauty of the ‘Katherine Hodgkin’ – it may be more subtle than the blue but just as stunning. My snowdrops are over now. I like your idea of the ‘in-between time’.
Thank you. My snowdrops have now reached their peak after being alternately frozen and thawed or covered in snow!
Those blues give you the promise of great things to come. Don’t we love those first blooms of the year! Happy IAVOM.
Any colour is good – the bolder the better at this time of year! 🙂
Sweeties! ❤
🙂 The don’t last long once cut, but as you say, they are so sweet!
Your irises are so perfect and lovely Cathy. I like the notion of “in-between” time.
There is a strong but mild wind today, so I am hoping the forecast for more frost is wrong! Time spring really made an effort!
I love your vase as it has my fav early bloomers….beautiful! I was hoping to have that inbetween time, but winter is here for the duration with our third storm coming this week….no plants, no flowers, no birds….all in hiding!
Poor you, Donna. But the waiting will pay off. Keep smiling (and walking) and spring will hopefully reach you soon. 🙂
These small bulbs bring us so much pleasure, I love the irises especially.
I always forget they are one of the first flowers – such welcome colour!
So very lovely! In central Maine, there is nary a hint of spring flowers. Last week, a nor’easter dumped a foot of snow on us, and another one is slated to dump a foot more tomorrow. Phew! Spring seems like a distant dream.
Oh dear. You poor thing! I should count my blessings – I always think our winters are long, but yours seem to bring snow later and later each year. Stay warm, and sweet dreams of spring!
Actually, in Maine, March is often snowy at the beginning of the month. Nothing unusual there. But having so many big storms in such a short time is a bit unusual. Good thing I like winter. 😉
Yes, that is a good thing!
I do love the rich blues. They would be my favourite if I had to choose. So glad spring is getting there.
Thanks Alison. I am so glad of just a little colour at last!
Very pretty! I keep forgetting to plant iris reticulata in the fall so this year I gave in and purchased a couple pots in bloom to enjoy. Hopefully they’ll live on in my garden once planted. I’m with you, ‘Katharine Hodgkin’ is a joy to observe up close but the saturated color of the dark ones satisfies the thirst for strong color after a long winter.
Precisely – the paler ones are barely visible from the house, but the bright blue and a few bright yellow crocuses shout out ‘look at me’ every time I look out the window!
I think I’ve said it before, but that blue vase is so gorgeous. I love the glaze and the shape. And I agree; the blue irises do outshine ‘Katharine Hodgkin’, but the combination of all of them is lovely.
Thanks Ali. The vase was a lucky find. 🙂
Such petite beauties – you must be thrilled to have a vase again!
I am indeed, Cathy! And so glad I have this little pottery vase for just the few flowers I can cut so far. By the way, my Mum’s cherry blossom survived the frost and should open this week, she tells me!
Oh that’s good to hear, Cathy
A lovely little “in between vase” Cathy. Here I noticed how well iris reticulata stood up to our recent cold snap and have made a note to plant more this autumn.
They are tough little flowers – the shoots were well advanced before the freeze, but no harm done!
The two types of iris set each other off rather well.
Yes, I was rather taken by ‘Katharine Hodgkin’ when I bought it a couple of years ago, but am so glad I have these drak blue ones and I think I will plant more of them. 🙂
Beautiful irises and vase–especially love the last picture. Thanks for sharing your bit of spring–I’ve got a while to wait for mine!
Glad to share, and I hope your winter comes to an end soon! Thanks for visiting. 🙂
Cathy, I’m glad you have a break from good weather. Your blue Irises are gorgeous and “Katharine Hodgkin” is very beautiful. Your open Snowdrops are very beautiful. I love the ceramic vase and it looks perfect with the flowers you have chosen. It is a wonderful, charming arrangement. The small rock next to the vase is from a trip to the mountain. Do you like to pick up rocks from the places you go? I love it, I always bring one. I have a lot and they all have their history. That you also have a happy week. Greetings from Margarita.
Yes, Margarita. I often bring rocks home with me. 😉 I have a large one from a beach on the Scottish island of Skye, and several smooth pebbles from the banks of the River Danube. 🙂
Cathy then we are equal in collecting “souvenirs” stones to the places that we are traveling. hehehehe !!!! It is very fun and difficult to choose the rock that you take because it happens to me that I always end up liking two: and I have to choose one. I only made a change when I was in Switzerland: instead of a rock I brought a piece of tree branch. Happy week and weekend. Greetings from Margarita.
Thanks Margarita – have a lovely Sunday! 🙂
Thanks to you, Cathy. Have a good Sunday too!
I think that last photo really shows the beauty in this sweet arrangement, Cathy. Beautiful purple! I’m happy to hear that spring is peeking out behind the shadows and winter is saying a good-bye. You must feel rejuvenated thinking about getting outdoors in your garden. Lovely!
Yes, Debra. I am hoping for some gardening weather soon, to tidy up all the winter debris! The tall grasses need cutting down and I expect the weeds will start growing soon too! 🙂
such a sweet vase, Cathy, isn’t it great to kiss those drab days good bye!?! my Algerian irises were all killed by frost and this after their first flowering…alas, let’s hope there’s a next time! happy spring days 🙂🌷🌷🌷
Oh yes, so good to have some sunshine and a mild breeze instead of a biting wind! How sad that your irises were finished off by your cold spell. It isn’t always easy balancing the hot summers with cold winters. I am enjoying your book Annette – really useful and written so nicely! I will write a review on amazon once I am through. 🙂
Glad you do, thanks Cathy 🙂
Gorgeous, blue iris are a favorite of mine. Spring is well on its way.
I do hope so. Winter seemed just a little too long for my liking this year!
Sending warm thoughts your way!
Thank you! 🙂
Luscious Irises!
🙂 I need more! Wonder if I can grow them in pots too next year….
The Iris are sweet little things. I hope warmer weather is on its way to you!
Hi Kris. Warmer today, but a few more very cold nights to come before spring can really get a hold.
Very pretty! I’m anxiously awaiting my iris to pop through, but we keep getting more snow – another storm coming tomorrow!
Hope you don’t get too much this time Eliza. Hope the sunshines for you once the snow has fallen. 🙂
It is snowing like mad today, but it sure is pretty!
Love that color. Especially in the garden. Getting excited that Spring is arriving. So lovely today.
You are right Nancy, it is exciting! Thank you!
Hurray for in betweens and almost spring, Cathy. Your tiny vase is charming, and the perfect harbinger for things to come. Hugs.
Thank you Alys! 🙂 I thought I felt spring in the air a couple of days ago, but then the icy wind came back. Not long now though!
It’s so exciting.
I do like tiny little vases for the tiny little flowers around at this time of year. Delightful
This is one of the smallest vases I have, and one of my favourites already. Another small one is my tiny violet jug, which is waiting in the wings patiently for its annual airing! Have a lovely Sunday Dorris!
Thanks Cathy you too. ( I’m hoping snow doesn’t last so flights into London land on time as parents back from 7 weeks in NZ)
7 weeks sounds like a decent holday length. 😉 Hope they can acclimatise back to British weather quickly!
I think they will wish they had stayed out there.
7 weeks is something most of us can only imagine!
Your vase is a beautiful little burst of early spring 🙂 I do see what you mean about the deep blue irises vs. Katherine Hodgkins, though the latter is quite pretty too. Love the little vase!
Thanks Amy. I think the irises looked even bluer in the photo!
The deep blue of the Iris seem to shout out that spring is literally around the corner. Quite lovely.
That iris was fooled into thinking spring was on the way by just a couple of days of slightly milder weather! LOL! Back to snow today… Winter has outstayed its welcome this year!
I remember those winters…happy to be in Florida now. 🙂
I bet! I can remember you writing about clearing the snow in winter!