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A celebratory miniature vase on Monday

Cathy at https://ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com, whose brainchild IAVOM (In A Vase On Monday) it is, has set us a challenge this week, to produce a miniature vase, no bigger than 6"/15cm tall or wide, to celebrate the 6th anniversary of the weekly Monday post.

I have used an eggcup, with egg, to give some scale to my offering this week.  The nasturtiums have survived a couple of frosts and some cold nights, but possibly not for much longer.  I picked the smallest flowers I could find to fit in a tiny porcelain vase, which is almost completely spherical with a circular off-centre opening.  It was made by a friend from long ago, Ingrid Atkinson, who I have not seen for about thirty years.  She used to live and work as a ceramicist in West Meon, in Hampshire.

The flowers may be small, but they still pack a colourful punch!
We also have another tiny porcelain vase made by the late Austrian-born British ceramics artist Lucie Rie.  Today's challenge seemed too good an opportunity to miss, so here is the tiny vase with a few Mexican fleabane.  Shame about the name, but hooray for the flower - I love the way it quietly makes itself at home in crevices and corners of the garden.

Happy INAVOM Birthday Cathy!

Comments

  1. So cute, Amanda, and you will see I have used fleabane too - perfect for a miniature vase. Intriguingly, I didn'y recognise the nasturtium bud in close up. I especially like the vase your friend made - which reminded me that I have a 50p bargain of a similar shape, size and colour with little holes to insert stems

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    1. That dainty little daisy is perfect for this challenge isn't it! It is such an unassuming plant but I love the way it works its way around the garden, furnishing empty spots without a by your leave! It always has my permission!

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  2. The little round vase looks so beautiful. As are the nasturtiums, of course!

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    1. Thanks Chris. It is a perfect, golf ball sized vase. Actually it may be slightly smaller than a golf ball! It was great to have a good excuse to use it today! Hope the snow holds off for you!!

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  3. I've taken to eating nasturtiums both the leaves and flowers, after having them in a posh salad. They are lovely to mix in. With no frost they are still around. I too love the little daisy flower it really is cheerful in a refined way in the garden.

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    1. I agree, nasturtiums are a cracking addition to a salad! Glamorous to look at, peppery to eat. Delicious!

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  4. Both your arrangements are so bright and cheery for this time of year! Are the bright purple flowers Evening Dames Rocket (Hesperis matronalis)? It is one of my favorites (except for it's aggressive self-sowing habits) and a few plants continued to produce a few flowers until this past week. And I agree, Fleabane really ought to have a prettier name. ;)

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    1. Thanks Joanna! The little purple flower is the perennial wallflower, Erysimum Bowles Mauve. Such a lovely plant and it just seems to keep going through thick and thin! Re fleabane, I usually call it Mexican daisy because it is another of its many names, and a much prettier one, but participants in IAVOM always know and use the correct names for their flowers, so I thought I should try!

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  5. I was wondering what the purple flower was - love the Wallflowers and your tiny vases. I think Bowles has a Vinca named after him/or her?! Well done, Amanda.

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  6. The arrangements are charming, Amanda. I love that little cat-faced egg-cup too!

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  7. Such sweet little vases, perfectly designed for this challenge. They're lovely, Amanda!

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    1. Thanks so much Eliza! I am so glad I used the nasturtiums. A few frosts later and the plants are now mush :o( !

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