Blue Monday - 'Blue magic'

As I'm such a fan of blue I'm participating in 'Blue Monday' this week watched over by Smiling Sally.

 

'Blue Magic' is the name of these sweetly scented grape hyacinths that are currently blooming on my window sill. I suppose I should call them by their official name which is 'muscari' but I think grape hyacinth sounds so much prettier and old fashioned and my granny always used it.

Such a delicate little flower, but just look at those sturdy stems!

Each flower head is made from dozens of tiny bells. This particular variety has frilly white edges. After years of cross breeding grape hyacinths can now be found in numerous colours and sizes. You can see a selection below (taken from an old catalogue).

 
  
   

Here in England they bloom from mid March through to mid May and are perfect for naturalising in woodland or grassy areas. Best of all I like to see them along the front edges of flower borders (just like my granny had them) or as companions for pot grown daffodils and tulips.

This autumn I should like to plant a variety of muscari bulbs around the garden and so will have a great time pouring over catalogues making my choices. Here in Britain the perfect place to discover new varieties of any plant is at one of the RHS Flower Shows held around the country. I should one day like to visit the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in London but it is many hundreds of miles from my home in the Lake District and so I shall content myself with the excellent TV coverage of the event. Closer to home (but still a 200 mile round trip) I have the RHS Tatton Park Show in Cheshire (21st - 25th July). The thrill and excitement of seeing so many different plants, and the opportunity to buy a selection for the garden, is a very exciting prospect. There are several RHS Shows every year held in a variety of venues around the country. For more information visit the RHS website.

If presented with a huge selection of blooms I wonder if I would favour blues above all other colours? Yes I probably would!

Blue is a colour I love and if you are familiar with my blog you will know that I've been an avid collector of blue and white china for many years. It could have quickly found its way into every room but I try to limit it's spread.

This is the dining room dresser and you can see from the reflection in the mirror that blue and white has spread to the mantel. 

Viewed from another angle you can see even more blue and white on the wall.  If you are a lover of blue and white china then you must pop over to Rhondi's blog Rose Colored Glasses. Her home is overflowing with the lovely stuff and I confess I could quite happily steal it all from her! Wonder if she'd notice!

Today it seems is a blue day. This is the view from my window. The lake is reflecting the clear azure sky and even the dusting of snow we had yesterday seems to have adopted a blue hue.... Blue indoors and out...just the way I like it!

Until next time,

Eli

Comments

[missjulep]

LOVE the blues...my favorite color!!

[Rhondi]

Hi Eli
I love this post today. I know everyone would love to see all your beautiful china and the grape hyancinths. It's not too
late to link up with blue Monday. It's only 10:30 AM here.
My china is just junk picked up here and here, nothing of value, but you have some beautiful collectible pieces.
This morning is dull and rainy and it made me think of a typical day in England.
Thanks for stopping by today.
Hugs, Rhondi

[melanie]

I love grape hyacinths, and just today I got a pot with twelve of them in for only 25p from the supermarket, bargain! xxx

[Gabriela]

Gorgeous flowers and beautiful photos for a perfect blue monday.

[Jenn Raley]

Hi. Those are awesome flowers. It's my first Blue Monday - some wonderful blues and views - yours are awesome. Enjoyed my visit. Thanks! Jenn <><

[Marqueta]

Dear Eli,

Blue is such a soothing color, is it not? And blue and white together are like the sky and clouds on a beautiful, perfect day.

I love your sideboard and oh-so-English china :) !

Love and blessings,

Marqueta

[Bellaboo]

That is a lovely collection of blue and white china.When I started collecting...my first piece was from a boot sale I think..I used to go for blue and white,I thought it looked lovely with my pine furniture.Now I collect everything!If it's pretty and flowery or chintzy I can't resist!

Bellaboo :o)

[Rowan]

Lots of beautiful blue things, I love those grape hyacinths. I'm so enjoying reading your archives and keep finding books I've got too, Commoner's Cottage, Cattern Cakes and Lace, all the Brambly Hedge books - the latter I really love, both stories and illustrations. I have lots of enjoyable reading ahead as I'm only at the beginning of 2009 at the moment:) I looked on your Etsy site for the little Father Christmas mouse pattern but it wasn't there. Would it still be possible to buy a copy of it?

[Martha in Kansas (US)]

I love seeing the grape hyacinth! Every spring they appear in my side yard and I try to locate them before the blooms appear. They seem to migrate, so it's quite a game to locate this year's batch. Such a nice surprise!

[Paula]

Dearest Eli,

I enjoyed reading all about the pretty little grape hyacinths (and seeing your pretty photo) and your fond memories of them. They are so sweet! The Chelsea flower show sounds like a wonderful event. I wish it was not so far from you! Your home is so beautiful, Eli, and I love all your pretty blue dishes. You have a wonderful collection! The view from your window is amazing! You live in such a beautiful place. So glad you were enjoying blue skies and sunshine, and just look how blue the lake is.

I enjoyed your beautiful previous posts as well, dear Eli. Your knitted tassel girl is absolutely adorable.

Much love,
Paula

P.S. I do hope you had good luck on ebay looking for rose dishes! :)

[Maggie]

Hi Eli,

I love this informative article and I will use it to find sources for the grape hyacinth - a name by which I have always called this particular flower. I adore them. They are so pretty and sturdy - just like you've said.
I have always seen them at the garden's edge, just as you have.
When I purchased my home in Williamsville, NY, it was so run-down and in need of restoration - and the gardens were miserable, they were so neglected.
But here is what they did have - tons of sweet grape hyacinth peeking up in what was left of the flower beds and then they had also spread themselves to the grass in the front lawn. I enjoyed seeing them there, but when I did some work, I tried to transplant them to the flower beds without much success, wishing I had just let them be!
There were also extensive wild-growing spring violets scattered all throughout the lawn. I was more successful with them, transplanting only some of them in a circle around the base of our Maple tree. They grew very tall and beautiful. I wish I hd some spring violets here!
xxx
Maggie

[Wee Cute Treasures]

Hi Eli,

There is an award waiting from you to pick up on my blog, Carol xox