In a vase on Monday: little vases

Tags

Anthriscus sylvestris ravenswing, Aquilegia vulgaris var. stellata ‘Greenapples’, Aquilegias, Californian poppy, cerinthe, Erigeron, Eschscholzia, Geum "Mrs Bradshaw", Geum Totally Tangerine, in a vase on Monday, London Pride, persicaria bistorta, riot of colour, Saxifraga x urbium, Thalictrum Black stockings

Aquilegia Greenapples, Erigeron,

Aquilegias are all over the garden in shades of purples and burgundy. A cheery marking of early summer. This is Aquilegia vulgaris var. stellata ‘Greenapples’ Her bonnet is much more considered. Significantly bigger, a warm apple tone to its white. Long elegant spurs out the back of the bonnet.

London Pride
Saxifraga x urbium

Sometimes the smallest things just do it. The tiny flowers of London pride are exquisitely marked. Flicks of pink dots adorn the tiny petals. The stems are a shade of pinky brown. Common as, but a beauty nonetheless.

Then there are the others. A riot of colours. A rainbow of blues and purples, pinks and red, juicy oranges.

In a vase on Monday

There are Aquilegia, Thalictrum, Persicaria bistorta, Anthriscus Ravenswing, Cerinthe, Geum Mrs Bradshaw, she’s the red one and Eschscholzia the orange Californian poppy.

A dazzle of colour so perhaps you can see why I separated out the small but beautiful ones first. They’d be lost in that lot.

All together now

In the sunlight I feel I need my sunglasses on looking at this bunch.

Joining Cathy and bloggers from around the globe. Pick some of your home grown flowers, place in a vessel of any sort and tell us all about it. Share with us and link to Cathy using the link above. Simple fun.

Have a great week wherever you are, thanks for reading. D.

In a vase on Monday: everything but the sink

Tags

Allium Purple Sensation, Anthriscus sylvestris ravenswing, cerinthe major, Geum "Mrs Bradshaw", Geum Totally Tangerine, in a vase on Monday, Iris Sibirica

Everything is here. Cerinthe, Geum Mrs Bradshaw, Geum Torally Tangerine, Iris sibirica, Allium Purple sensation, Anthriscus sylvestris Ravenswing. A mad mix , just like the borders.

Chosen plants but not necessarily where I planted them. Cerinthe is self sown. Anthriscus is self sown. Geums have shrunk and then popped up nearby. I love this about these plants. With this in mind I did not want to arrange them in the vase.

So this as random as they appear in the garden.

That’s it. A collection of flowers from the garden to share with you and Our host, Cathy. Hoping you had an enjoyable Monday. D.

In a vase on Monday: hand held

Tags

Aquilegia vulgaris, columbine, Geum "Mrs Bradshaw", in a vase on Monday, Sparaxis Astrantia Roma

Finally it is raining and even though our gardens really need it, I find myself thinking ‘yuck, enough already’. Wet dog, muddy veg plot equals unruly hair and dirty clothes.   ( probably not smelling too great either).

My vase is full of little flowers today. 

Geum ‘Mrs Bradshaw’ looking a particularly luminous red in this grey, damp day light. Pink and dark purple Aquilegias, pink Astrantia Roma and peachy petals of Spraxis. 

The Spraxis are a mixture of peachy petals with yellow centres edged in black,  or vivid orange petals with the same interior. The orange ones are the colour of traffic cones and I suppose that helps bring the pollinators in.

My thanks to daughter Dorris for lending me her pink jumper as a backdrop and to Cathy for hosting the Monday vase meme. 

Have a good day. D.

In a vase on Monday: jewels

Tags

anthriscus, anthriscus Ravenswing, Geum "Mrs Bradshaw", Geum Totally Tangerine, in a vase on Monday, jewels

• A swift skip around the borders before work gave me this little group of flowers. Picked  for my vase and of course to join Cathy and the rest of you who take part in her weekly meme. 

The colours are jewel like, especially thanks to the orange and red/orange  Geums. These were so successful last year that I would urge anyone with a space to fill to pop some in. Easy to look after, no staking or spraying required, on my heavy clay soil they reward me with flowers from now until October. 

Shorter lived is Persicaria bistorta. Candy pink, fluffy blooms appear in Spring lasting until early Summer,  lifting the look of what, it has to be said, otherwise resembles a dock leaf. 

A single smaller tulip is included, sorry I cannot recall which one this is but its rich orange shade caught my eye. Geranium phaeum is included as well as the Anthriscus. A cultivated form of cow parsley, Anthriscus has a doilie like divided leaf accompanying the white froth of flowers. Anthriscus Ravenswing the purple leaf variety favoured at Chelsea, was purchased on sale for £1.50 about two years ago. I do love a cheaply priced plant, and although short lived, it seeds around the border providing plants for elsewhere. 

I hope you have a good week.

Tuesday View: 25/4/17

Tags

Allium Purple Sensation, Allium siculum, apple blossom, euphorbia griffithii Dixter, Geum "Mrs Bradshaw", Narcissus Thalia, Tuesday View

Today the view is still about the apple blossom but as I took this picture, petals were beginning to fall. 

The forecast for later today is a cold wind from the North and possibly even showers of hailstones or sleet. I suspect by tomorrow the blossom will be on the ground, gone for another year. Blossom is so fleeting, perhaps that is why we all love it so.

As one plant ends its show of petals, others are getting ready to bloom. 

Geum ‘Mrs Bradshaw’

Allium siculum 

Allium ‘Purple Sensation’ behind new foliage of Rose Gertrude Jekyll.

Some plants are still blooming such as Narcissus Thalia, showing white in the background and Camellia.

Spring is when Euphorbias are at their best including this Euphorbia griffithii Dixter. I love the strength of colour. This was planted less 18 months ago and it is bulking up nicely. 

Cathy is host of the ‘Tuesday View’ why not join us? Share your view with us linking back to Cathy. It is a really useful record of what is happening in the garden week by week. 
Finally the view

The Ash tree on the right has yet to open. I should take a look at the Oak to see where they are. You know what that might mean? 

“Ash before oak we’ll get a soak” but, “Oak before Ash we’ll get a splash.”  There you have it, fully scientific based predictions. Right I am off to read my horoscopes next. 😉

Tuesday view: 17/1/17

Tags

Asplenium scolopendrium, Carpinus betulus, Geum "Mrs Bradshaw", harts tongue fern, hornbeam hedge, Tuesday View

At this time of year the view can be flat and brown but if you look a little more carefully you can spy a little spot, silently doing its thing and looking good in the process. 

Two year old handsome Hornbeam hedge, holding onto its leaves.

Harts tongue fern, evergreen and eagerly soaking up the sunlight today. 

Frosted leaves of the wonderful Geum Mrs Bradshaw. 

I am joining Cathy at wordsandherbs.com where her Tuesday view is under a white blanket of snow and twinkling sweetly. Do take a look at her lovely blog.  

After the incessant rain and dark grey sky yesterday it has been a delight to see the sunshine today. I hope you were able to enjoy  your day. 

In a vase on Monday: darts and buttons

Tags

Dahlia Arabian Night, Denby Craftsman mug, Geum "Mrs Bradshaw", in a vase on Monday, Persicaria amplexicaulis Firetail, pink Cosmos, Sanguisorba officinalis 'Red Thunder', Verbena bonariensis

It is a beautiful morning here and you can feel the heat building up for a proper Summers day.
My vase today is this

Dark buttons of Sanguisorba officinalis and darts of light showing through the blinds

The dark Dahlia ‘Arabian knight’ is mixed with pink Cosmos, Verbena bonariensis, Geum ‘Mrs Bradshaw’ and for Cathy, my Percy: Persicaria amplexicaulis ‘Firetail’.

mix and match

Placed in a green pint mug I have used many times, it is a Denby 200 year celebration edition which came in a silly Danish Christmas game we played, organised by my lovely Sister-in-law, Helena, a few years ago.

Dorris eye view

Now you have seen my Monday vase, pop over to Cathys blog to see some of the other many vases shared.  If you fancy having a go yourself, be sure to add the link back to https://ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com

Now I shall place it in the shade of the hall to help it last more than a day.

 

Have a great week, wherever you are.

Tuesday View 28 June 16

Tags

Astrantia major, astrantia shaggy, Digitalis purpurea, Eupatorium purpureum, foxgloves, Geum "Mrs Bradshaw", Joe pie weed, molinia Transparent, Rose "Lark Ascending", Thalictrum Elin, Tuesday View

I am linking with Cathy of https://wordsandherbs.wordpress.com to share my view of the the garden as it develops and changes through the seasons.  This Tuesday is a beautiful Summers morning and yet still rain is forecast for later in the day.

The giant Thalictrum Elin

Against a rare blue sky this morning

Thalictrum Elin is a fabulous addition to my border, reaching up to 2.3meters.  The top of the flowers can be seen clearly above the fence line on the roadside.  That may not seem very interesting but to me, where there previously has been no garden at all, this is exciting. I actually prefer the plant at this bud stage before the flowers pop open as its colour changes to a creamy yellow.

The Joe-pie weed Eupatorium purpureum is the large leaf perennial in the foreground of the first picture.  It too will grow tall, up to 2.5m generating pink fluffly flowers on stout stems.  I chose it for its height and its suitability for a wildlife friendly garden.

Even the common old fox gloves  Digitalis purpurea are tall this year.

Behind the tall outer plants, Astrantia Shaggy and Astrantia major are flowering their socks off and have been for about a month.  The grasses are looking ethereal, this is ‘Transparent’ mixing in with the Astrantias creating a haze through which you can see the wonderful rose ‘Lark Ascending.’

The stronger orange on the corner of the bed is the so called ‘rascally’ Geum ‘Mrs Bradshaw’ (so called by Cathy at ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com after seeing it yesterday in my vase on Monday).

The garden is full and some of the plants are reaching their peak.  Roses, grasses, foxgloves, astrantia are wonderful right now.  What is looking great in your garden? If you would like to join in with sharing your Tuesday view, do join Cathy at wordsandherbs.wordpress.com and be sure to make a link back to her page.

Happy gardening

In a vase on Monday and 52 week photo challenge: Heat

Tags

52 Week Photo Challenge, Alchemilla mollis, Cosmos, Dahlia mignon.mixed, Geranium 'Ann folkard', Geum "Mrs Bradshaw", Geum Totally Tangerine, heat, in a vase on Monday, Katie Swan, Lily, Rose "Lark Ascending", Rose Morning Mist, Verbena bonariensis, wibledon championship, wildcard

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.

So two birds with one stone today. Last weeks late entry to https://daffodilwild.wordpress.com and Mondays vase to https://ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com

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!

In a vase on Monday: darker

Tags

Allium Purple Sensation, amandes ameres, Anthriscus sylvestris ravenswing, apothecary bottle, Aquilegia vulgaris, Astrantia 'Roma', Bistort officinalis, bitter almond, Geum "Mrs Bradshaw", in a vase on Monday, Meadow rue, Myrrhis odorata, Persicaria bistort, Sweet cicely, Thalictrum Elin

Early Summer blooms

Oh my it is Monday and I very nearly missed joining Cathy at https://ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com

Cathy’s meme to collect flowers from the garden to display in the house is a delight.  If you feel you might like to join in then be sure to post a link to her blog with your pictures.

flowers in an old apothcary jar

The dark astrantia is ‘Roma’ with ‘Black barlow’ aquilegia.  There is one Allium ‘Purple Sensation’ mixed amongst Geum ‘Mrs Bradshaw’ and Anthriscus sylvestris ‘Ravenswing’  Ravenswing is a must have in the garden for me as its foliage is dark browny black and deeply divided  with umbels of frothy cow parsley like flowers.  It is beginning to seed around and I am delighted.

Anthriscus Ravenswing

The other umbelifiyer I am enjoying at the moment is Myrrhis odorata or Sweet Cicely. Also resembling Cow Parsley, Cicely has fern like leaves and white flowers scented rather like aniseed.

Anthriscus sylvestris Ravenswing with backgound colour of astrantia Roma and Sparaxis elegans

There are pink fingers of Bisorta officinalis, rather like a persicaria and often referred to as Persicaria bisorta, this is an early flowering persicaria type in marshmallow pink.  There is also a sprig of Thalictrum Elin.  This is the sprig of tiny dark purple bobbles in the first picture.  The bobbles will and are about to open to a colour not unlike the Purple Sensation, and have leaves like an aquilegia.

A snap shot of the flowers in my garden

One final note the jar was for bitter almonds which I understand are the non cyanide containing almonds used for flavouring foods.  That’s good then.

Have a good week.

ps. I garden on heavy clay soil which is water logged in areas over Winter ( for those who are interested in such things, like me!)