Once again we find ourselves on Monday, time to join Cathy at Rambling in the Garden in selecting things in our gardens to show In a Vase on Monday. With almost no flowering material available in the garden still, I proposed to my Arranger that we try some of the plants that have developed a large supply of buds, just waiting for the warm weather to pop them open.
The buds displayed are from a coral bark maple Acer palmatum ‘Sangokaku,’ Pieris japonica ‘Red Mill,’ and Camellia japonica ‘Governor Mouton.’ The slender blue vase, obtained when we lived in Tokyo, continues the Japanese theme of the arrangement. The accent buds are from a white Cornus kousa dogwood.
Please join Cathy at Rambling in the Garden to see what she and others have selected for inclusion In a Vase on Monday.
A Walk in the Garden 
John I love the sleek blue vase and the anticipation of this vase as it will eventually have fattened buds and flower. I was just thinking I wanted to cut a few more branches for forcing and now we are socked in with a huge storm…so maybe midweek I’ll venture out.
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Thanks, Donna. Please be careful in your challenging weather.
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I love your blue vase; it would be wonderful even empty. The branches waiting for their buds to open are the perfect material. Do you think the camellia buds will open in the vase or are they one of those flowers that only open when they are growing? They work as buds anyway so it won’t matter if they don’t open.
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Thanks, Christina. I have never tried forcing camellias but will see what happens to these. Perhaps you have suggested an opportunity. I have had success in the past forcing quince and dogwood.
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That would be something if the camellias open, you may be onto something! The buds by themselves look great, what a good idea and nice the two of you can work on it together.
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Thanks. I will most certainly report if they do indeed open.
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Your arrangement does look very Japanese. I love the vase. .I shall be interested to hear whether your camellias open, because if they do, it would be nice to have an arrangement of them before they open in the garden.
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Thanks, Chloris. As noted above, I will report if the camellias open.
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Lovely, John. I see we are thinking alike in using the lovely Camellia today even though their buds remain tightly closed. What a peaceful composition 😉 Best wishes, WG
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Thanks, WG. Is it true what they say about “like minds?”
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Could be… you seem to be a bit more optimistic than am I about those buds ever opening, though 😉
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The vase/gilded tray is a stunning combo — even without flowers I am sure. Too snowy here to venture out to the garden so I had to improvise for my “vase”. I am jealous that you have Camellia buds to spare for indoors. Not a plant I can even grow so I can barely imagine being able to cut a stem or two for a vase!
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Thank you, Linda. We are quite fortunate to be able to grow camellias. They are the stables of our Zone 7 cool season gardens. Your vase today is quite imaginative…especially for a snowy day.
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The influence of your time in Japan has been evident from many of your vases John – sleek and simple and pared back. Very elegant – even down to the twig ‘carelessly’ lying on the table. Thanks to both of you for sharing this.
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Thank you, Cathy. Availabibily is leading to simplicity.
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Sorry for the spelling error: Availability is leading to simplicity.
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A very elegant way to use winter materials John and I love the vase – thank you to with you & your Arranger for sharing and I am looking forward to hearing (or seeing) what happens to the camellia buds.
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Thanks, Julie. We never selected the camellia buds with the idea they might open. Perhaps we are about to see serendipity.
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I love your blue vase on the gold tray! Do you think the Camellias will open? My mum tried bringing some of hers indoors recently when some cold nights were forecast, but they mostly dropped off. Maybe the shock of a warm house!
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Thank you, Cathy. We shall see about the camellias.
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A lovely vase John. I’m amazed by how imaginative all you ‘in a vase on Monday’ people are. And you must have a really marvellous Cornus kousa to sacrifice buds like that! Wish I could see it. Later on your blog, perhaps?
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Thanks, Cathy. The Cornus kousa has more buds on it than I ever. It seems every branch and twig has a fat bud. You can be sure that it will appear in future posts.
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We’ll look forward to a picture later!
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