Apr 7, 2008

Filling, not minding, the gaps...

The sun was shining and it was warm enough to take some layers off while working.  Mark and I got to replant crocus bulbs in the meadow.  These bulbs were displayed in pots by the front door and once they started to go dormant they were put in places where Fergus wanted the crocus display to be a little more dense.  
These bulbs consisted of Crocus ancyrensis, Crocus 'Snow Bunting' and Crocus 'Firefly'. We used a bulb planter to remove a plug of soil, placed the bulb in the bottom of the hole and placed the soil plug on top.  A fun job, especially since the weather was so nice, and the view, well.... it wasn't too bad. 


 While collecting some more stinging nettles for tea, I looked up and saw the catkins of Salix caprea above my head.  Most people don't notice this stage of bud growth so I thought i needed to do an arrangement with it.   The silvery blue hairs are such an interesting color that i took my pieces around the garden to see what was in bloom to pair it with.

Deep purple tulips seemed the right choice to anchor the airy branches.
A wonderfully colored vase to help bring out the colors of the hairy buds.
My first arrangement for the Great Hall on display for people to see. The purple helps break up the monotony of color while grounding the airy branches. It will be interesting to see the chane as the emerging leaves unfold and the tulips open underneath.