Spring arrived dead on time this year, just around the equinox. Milder daytime temperatures and spring sunshine mixed with plentiful showers have stimulated a sudden burst of growth and it is looking green and lush out there! So, as I join Cathy at Rambling in the Garden for a Monday vase again, the primulas are being celebrated. Perhaps you saw my post yesterday (here) with a few photos of them. They have been wonderful and are spreading nicely, so I had no qualms about picking some for indoors.
These cowslips and primroses are sitting in my frilly vase with some Tansy leaves around them.
But not only the primulas have been flowering… Before I continue, let me explain the title! The slips are the cowslips. I love that name for them. And the little pewter box pictured above has a Shakespeare quote engraved on it:
I must go seek some dewdrops here,
And hang a pearl in every cowslip’s ear’
And the stepmothers are the Violas, commonly known as ‘Stiefmütterchen’ in German. (Apparently, the two lower petals are the ‘stepmother’, covering the two ‘daughter’ petals on the sides which cover the two ‘stepdaughters’ above 🤔)
This row of tiny connected vases is ideal for showing off some of the small and short-stemmed spring flowers such as violas. Roughly speaking, from left to right: Glory of the Snow in blue and white, Scillas, Muscari, Pulmonaria, Cowslips…
… Violas, Primulas, a Narcissus and a Hellebore. All lined up and taking a bow!
It has been a bonanza week for flowers indoors as I have rearranged some flowers from previous vases…
The Hellebores pictured above are still looking good and the Forsythia is now standing in my Forsythia vase.
I hope you all have lots of sunshine this week, be it spring or autumn in your part of the world!
And Happy Gardening!
Words and Herbs 