A late Monday vase from me to share with you and our host Cathy. An old Dundee Marmalade pot, a frog and a bunch of gentle citrus coloured flowers. Citrus isn’t gentle, I hear you thinking and I know that, but these are shades of yellow orange and lime so work with me! Oh and the frog, in case you are wondering, is not an amphibian.
In the mix are lemons from Rose The Pilgrim, fennel, and limes from alchemilla mollis and Hydrangea Annabelle. Orange is in the form of Rose Lark Ascending and Calendula Oopsy Daisy and Indian Prince.
Yellow The Pilgrim Lime alchemilla and orange Lark AscendingOrange, lemon and lime (Sort of)
The frog? Amphibious but not amphibian.
Ta dah
Have a good week wherever you are and thanks for reading. D.
The day got away from me yesterday and I did not get chance to prepare a vase until last thing. Here it is:
Outside on the table in the summerhouse is my vase full of Alchemilla, Ammi, Nepeta, Digitalis, Penstemon, Rose a Shropshire Lad, a spike of Verbena bonariensis and a couple of poppy seed heads for good measure.
‘Summer house’ sounds a bit la-di-dah. Apologies. It is summer but it’s not a house as it has no windows or doors but it is a shelter and with this weather we are out there all the time.
Cathy is our host for this lovely meme. Take a look at her blog to see some other pretty vases full of flowers. Such a nice thing to look at.
Have a good week wherever you are and thanks for reading. D.
After the deluge the last couple of days I can almost hear the garden sighing in relief. I am joining The Propagator our host for this meme of six things in the garden on a Saturday. Simple. Do join in. Take a look at his blog for details.
Come into the garden with me
Firstly the roses are coming into their own. Rose Gertrude Jekyll smells divine and in early light her colour sings.
Rose Gertrude Jekyll
Another pink ( I did not realise I had chosen as much pink as this, I don’t think of myself as a pinky sort of girl).
Lily the pink the pink the pink
Unscented these supermarket bulbs were popped in a few years ago. Normally I get half a dozen to enjoy . Alas this year, the lily beetle has eaten the rest to a stump.
To counter all the pink I like Alchemilla mollis. As an edging it is delightful and I allow it to seed around. The chartreuse colour is great when against pink.
Alchemilla mollis
Another similar shade of green is from the foliage of the variegated Indian bean tree species Catalpa pulverulentum.
Catalpa pulverulentum
The leaves had started to emerge and then they were hit by the late frost. I won’t lie but I was rather worried that I might have lost it. Thankfully new leaves have emerged and it is looking gorgeous.
Back to more pinks and it seems I really do like them after all. This time Dianthus.
Dianthus Carthusianorum
I love this Dianthus for its tall willowy habit that blends so well with Verbena bonariensis.
Aeonium corner
In the run up to my open garden last year, I received over 30 Aeoniums which had been generously donated. ( Thank you Anthony if you are reading). I sold some entire plants on the day and lots and lots of cuttings. I have overwintered the leftovers in the house and taken cuttings to grow on for further sales. As I have had to cancel my prearranged openings I shall grow them on for another year. Now outside I have created a little collection.
These are my Six for today. I hope you have a good weekend and thanks for reading. D.
It is always interesting to visit someone else’s garden don’t you think? This garden is delightful, loose, free, the epitome, if you like of a cottage garden. Consequently todays vase is the same.
There is an unknown variety of a pink rose and five different hardy geraniums. They are pink ones, white and purples. There are perennial sweet peas in soft pink and a dark pink lychnis. There is Alchemilla and the wild flower known as fox and cubs.
Dark claret buttons of Knautia Macedonica repeat the strength of colour from the lychnis.
The garden planting scheme was created by designer Laura Arison.
The jug is a complimentary green colour is stamped “Mersey” on the base and most likely will have been one of the owners finds. The colour repeats the poppy seed head colour. Pleasing.
These are tiny short stemmed snips today as I try to preserve stems for my first NGS visitors next week.
Rose Gertrude Jekyll
Rose GJ hanging about at head height so I catch her heavenly rose scent.
A small pot of colour thanks to Geum Totally Tangerine, Astrantia major and Astrantia Shaggy and chartreuse froth courtesy of Alchemilla mollis.
Short and sweet. Get thee over to Monday Cathy to see other vases of flowers picked from gardens all over the place and not just the UK. Should you fancy joining in, all you have to do is pick some flowers, insert them in a vessel, photograph and tell us about it, adding a link back to Cathy mentioned above.
This time of year the garden is galloping along, yes galloping. I took a couple of days away last week to see the Flower Show and then a couple of days in Bath to visit family and walking around the garden today so much has happened. Alchemilla mollis has begun to open its frothy lime flowers, edging the driveway they will soften the hard lines and give me arms full of flowers to add to roses once they begin to open. (The roses are in bud and beginning to open but I am saving them for June.)
The other froth is from the Anthriscus Ravenswing and Sweet Cicely. Ravenswing has deeply divided leaves in a dark, or raven colour whilst its soft flowers are white tinged very slightly with a hint of raven; possibly this could make a good name for those rather wonderful colours made by Farrow and Ball. Sweet Cicely also offers a froth of flowers above deeply divided leaves but these are a purer white with green leaves.
alchemilla and sweet cicely
Last time I looked, the Astrantias were forming mounds of green foliage, now they are full of pin cushion flowers which will bloom all Summer long. I have picked Roma and Shaggy for this posy.
Astrantia Roma and Anthriscus Ravenswing, left, Sweet Cicely, right.
I have some daisy looking chrysanthemums and strawberry flowers which are actually a perennial called ho hum, I cannot remember. Must be that Bank Holiday brain. Anyway it likes heavier soil, flowers from late Spring to early Summer before disappearing. It is fresh as a daisy and I do like its tiny flowers.
When I recall the name I shall update this post. In the meantime I need to wish you all a good day and encourage you to take a look at other vases hosted by Cathy. Do take a look.
The heat is building up over the next couple of days and already the dog is flaked out on the cool flagstone floor.
I grabbed a few of the last roses, this one is The Pilgrim from David Austin. A buttery yellow old style rose with a strong rose fragrance I do like it but find that the weight of the blooms cause it to flop over. A chop to shorten the stem ensures the heads are supported by the sides of the glass. To the rose I have added yellow/ lime coloured Alchemilla mollis and Achillea which fades from dark to pale pink.
In a turquoise glass jug I have put the strong pink coloured Cosmos with more of the Alchemilla mollis and Achillea. I have also added the seed heads of a few poppies.
More Alchemilla has been added to the small Dahlia mignon. This overwintered in the cutting bed which I am very pleased about. Finally I have a few of the tiniest Dahlia which I chose because I do love the look of a daisy.
So there you have it folks my vases for Monday. Do take a look at Cathys lovely blog https://ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com to see some more Monday vases, certainly more cheerful than world news.
Where is the heat to this Summer? The weather pattern is unsettled but to me it seems to be very settled, settled into a routine of much rain followed by a few warm hours each day. The weeds are growing well, not unlike Jacks beanstalk.
Today is more of the same so to join Cathys ‘in a vase’ and Sandra ’52 week photo challenge’ of last week, my vase is full of hot colours.
The vase is an old earthenware pickle pot, and this arrangement is in a bit of a pickle with stuff all over the place.
I like it like this with lots of movement and hot colour. No real reds but plenty of oranges and hot pinks.
Take a minute to have a look at other entries they are usually diverse and always lovely.
Have a great week.
Wimbledon has started today so that usually means more mixed weather. I shall be keeping my fingers crossed for wild card entry Katie Swan on Tuesday. Ranked 437 she won for GB in the Fed cup in Israel earlier this year and is the youngest British player to have won a Fed Cup game. Swan will play Timea Babos (44).
Let’s cheer her on, go Katie!
Greetings, to you this Monday.
I am joining Cathy at Ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com/2015/10/12/in-a-vase-on-monday-
The weather forecast I heard is for colder, dry weather, with a risk of frost overnight. As I looked at the flowers in my garden I decided to pick some of my roses. Once the frost touches them, their soft delicate petals will turn brown as if bruised and they will fail to open. Not wishing to waste them, I decided to bring them indoors.
Once cut and arranged I realised quite how brilliant it is to have roses, right here, right now, in mid October.
The colours of the roses, unashamedly pink, mixed with a sprig of fresh lime Alchemilla mollis is so summery. They smell of summer too.
So whilst the shops and magazines are full of tweeds, woollens and long boots, the garden is holding on to Summer. Bonkers, not conkers.
I love this combination of the dark purple/black Sambucus Nigra under-planted with the lime tones of the leaves of Alchemilla mollis/ Lady’s mantle. Not only are the colours a pleasing combination, to my mind, the downy leaves of the Alchemilla contrast fabulously with the deeply cut leaves of the elder. I am easily pleased.
There is Alchemilla and the wild flower known as fox and cubs. 
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