April Showers, April Flowers

for In a Vase on Monday

The rain we’ve received has been more than mere showers. Over the last two days, it has varied between the odd sprinkle and the downright downpour. All very much appreciated by the garden, of course, and I’ve managed to stock back quite a bit of extra rainwater now.

The flowers for today’s vase were cut during one of the lighter sprinkles and then photographed during an odd burst of sunshine.

In the vase there is lots of Encelia farinosa, which is blooming madly right now, in the garden and out.

There are the quiet greens of Nicotiana obtusa, whose stiff stems supplied much of the framework for the bouquet.

Both are joined by the buoyant little blooms of Narcissus “Scarlet Gem”, staying more yellow than scarlet or even orange, but a delight nevertheless.

And there are two luxuriant blooms from rose “Safrano”, which thankfully were undamaged by the rain.

Safrano is an antique tea rose, raised in France in 1837. True to its class, its blooms have a strong tendency to nod on their stems, and these blooms are no exception, looking shyly out over the edge of the vase.

But there is plenty of exuberance to go around in any case.

This has been another fine spring for wildflowers, and both the brittlebrush (Encelia farinosa) and the desert tobacco (Nicotiana obtusa) were gathered from wild-growing plants inside and outside the garden proper.

The vase is one of my hand-thrown stoneware pieces. It makes me very happy to finally have enough flowers to fill it.

Many thanks to Cathy for hosting In a Vase on Monday at Rambling in the Garden each week. Do check the other participants to see what is filling vases in other gardens this first of April!

Happy Monday!

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