In the wood behind our garden there are two huge Viburnum Opulus shrubs. They flower their hearts out and this year I was determined to gather a few stems while the flowers were still beautifully green. The little pompoms emerge brilliant lime green and turn pure white as they grow and mature. As the little green heads they make wonderful additions to a flower arrangement so I wanted to take advantage of that.

So I went out the other day and cut some stems. Along with the Viburnum I picked a couple of other foliage plants from the garden.

I set up my table ready to treat the stems of the plants. They were seared in boiling water, hence the mug on the table and then left in deep water overnight.

The following day I scoured the garden for flowers to go in the arrangement but there just wasn’t anything that was right so I had to resort to buying some roses. They were fairtrade so I felt better about it but it isn’t what I want to do. I want to fill the house with home grown blooms. I blame the lure of those Viburnums!

Here is the arrangement before I added the roses.

I actually like it just as it is.

But I added the roses.

Not totally satisfying. It needed many more roses and another flower to give it the wow factor. On reflection I think I should have left it without the roses but at least I got a vase of those Viburnums in the house this year.

It’s been a little quite on the bloom front from an arrangement point of view these last few weeks but in the garden I have been planting like crazy.

It is that most wonderful time of year where the calendar says YES! Get those plants into the ground. Although there is still the risk of frost and with a spring like we have had anything could happen but I can’t wait any longer and out into to the garden they go.

Here are a few I was planting the other week.

So far I’ve planted about 12 Ammi, 6 Cerinthie, 12 Calendula and 8 Salvia.

Also 12 Helianthus, Sweet Peas and 6 Antirrhinum.

And left to go in, when I find more room, are more Helianthus and Cosmos.

The Knautia I sowed last year are doing really well. They are in one of the little raised beds along with a couple of Euphorbia. I’ll grab a photo of it because it is everything I want from a cutting patch. Abundance! I also let two Alchemilla grow in another of the small beds with the idea that they’ll provide foliage for a few weeks then can be cut back to hopefully re-grow for another burst of green later in the summer.

Although I was reluctant to cut all the Erysimums and Honesty there are still the other biennials I sowed last year, Sweet Williams, yet to flower. As you would imagine I await their flowering eagerly.

Oh yes, it is all coming along great.