There are plenty of flowers in the garden to make a pretty spring bunch for a Monday vase – loads of daffodils, grape hyacinths, pulmonaria, anemones, primroses, etc – but I decided to leave them where they are and instead snip a twig of the Chaenomeles (ornamental quince; not sure which species/variety it is) which arches over our top path.
It has more blossom on it this year than I’ve seen before, possibly because we thinned it out last summer and cut back it’s pushy neighbour, the lilac, letting in more light and air. That’s not saying much, though, because it is not nearly as floriferous as many other Chaenomeles I’ve seen. Maybe we should cut it back harder for more flowers next year. Ornamental quinces produce small, hard, knobbly fruit in the autumn which make a deliciously fragrant jelly with the most beautiful colour. You do need a load of fruit to make a relatively small amount of jelly, though, and our bush has never produced many. That might be a good enough reason to prune it harder this year.
Or perhaps not, as I’m not a fan of this flower colour – it’s an odd ‘salmon’ pink which I don’t usually go for, partly because it doesn’t go with anything (and it’s an incredibly difficult colour to photograph). But I do like the minimal nature of this sprig with its few flowers and buds in this blue spotty jug. I’ve added a couple of apple and pear sticks pruned from the young trees in our mini orchard.
In a Vase on Monday is hosted by Cathy at Rambling in the Garden. Do click on the link to see what she and other bloggers from all over the world have found to put in a vase today.
Have a good week.
acoastalplot 
Simply lovely. That color is a bit of a solo player and you’re wise to use it in this way as the result is very nice.
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I know what you mean about the colour – but as a simple twig like this it is most effective. MIne never performed well and I hoiked it out earlier in the year and replaced it with another rose which I am sure will flower much better!! Do the appple and pear sticks have any buds that might opne in your jug?
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I love bringing twigs into the house to watch the blossom opening up inside . It is so pretty.
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Although I seem to be incapable of such minimalism myself, I appreciate its beauty.
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That is so pretty – beautifully photographed Sam! Hope you have a good week too. 🙂
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I thin that is an excellent color for flowering quince, just because it is the most traditional. It is the common cultivar that comes up in new homes where old homes were demolished. It does not die easily.
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I really love the flowers of the ornamental quince, they look so pretty on the bare stems. We had some when I was little. My dad would make wine from them, then my mum would make quince jelly using the leftover pulp. Fantastic and tangy.
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The simplicity of the flower against the darker paint looks amazing. So stylish and almost Japanese.
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A case of less being more Sam 🙂 I’ve lost a couple of quinces which is rather careless of me so maybe time to plant another. They offer a different colour to the usual late winter colours of blue, yellow, white and cream.
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I agree about the color, but somehow it is still a lovely flower.
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