About my garden

Monday, 18 September 2017

Hanging on to Summer In a Vase on Monday

There is still plenty going on in the garden but not nearly so much to pick. Partly as many of the flowers are rain damaged. Dahlias are still flowering well but other things are slowing down. It has rained 11 days in a row. Not all day every day, of course and the sun is peeping out today. 

I've managed to fill a vase to bursting, though. I wanted to do that while I still can, to hang on to Summer. 

In the vase:
Wigelia foliage
Artmesia 
Sage
Nicandra seed heads
Echiniacea flower
Pink Nicotiana - from the lime green packet but very pretty
Cosmos - Psyche white (I think)
Leycesteria
Amaranthus
Honeysuckle greenery
Asters
Polemonium
Penstemon 'Sour Grapes'
 I show you this view, not to highlight the rain damage aster, but the lovely black Nicandra seed pods. They dry brown unfortunately but do retain a little black. 
I'm happy with my vase, it's very cheerful. 

 I have an abundance of Amaranthus so I filled a vase. It hasn't made a dent in the crop but looks fabulous on the mantlepiece. 
I've got far too many plants and they are swamping my squash plants. We live and learn. 
I'd like to grow some green ones next year but a few of each will be enough. 


View from the back door. I call this the Kitchen border as we look out on it when washing up. 
This is just before I set about it with trowel and secateurs to give it an Autumn tidy and decided what needs to move around. I found a few things being swamped. 
There is still plenty going on including  LtoR Heliotrope, Pineapple sage, Rudbeckia 'Green Eyes', Feverfew, Osteospermum,  garlic chives, Salvia nemerosa 'Deep Blue', Sedum spectablis, small pink geranium, Cordydalis, Fuchsia. And that is just the flowers. 
Now just the leaves to collect, again!
For plenty of pretty and  poetic vases visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden for In a Vase on Monday. 
Posted by at

14 comments:

  1. Eliza Waters18 September 2017 at 11:22

    Lovely abundance, Alison. I'm desperately hanging on to summer, too, but reality will come round eventually, I suppose. It's a pity Amaranths take up so much room, as I love their bold look. I wonder if breeders have created dwarf varieties? Being smaller would make them better neighbors.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AlisonC19 September 2017 at 08:36

      Perhaps, I haven't seen any many things are available smaller now. The do need a fair bit of space but might work in a large pot?

      Delete
  2. Anonymous18 September 2017 at 12:10

    Luxurious arrangement. Such lovely colors.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous18 September 2017 at 13:12

    Yes, you wouldn't think it was anything other than summer looking at your vase, Alison! Isn't amaranthus amazing?! I have just order seeds of a more upright variety - A paniculata - which I hope will be just as easy to grow

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AlisonC19 September 2017 at 08:37

      I look forward to seeing how it performs. I did try a brown one a few years ago but I wasn't impressed. It looked dried or dead really.

      Delete
  4. Donna@Gardens Eye View18 September 2017 at 20:49

    What a beautiful view and my that is a vase chock full of gorgeous flowers shouting summer is still here.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AlisonC19 September 2017 at 08:38

      Thank you, the sun is out today so I'll be making the most of it.

      Delete
  5. Kris Peterson18 September 2017 at 21:20

    Eleven days of rain! I'm not sure that's ever happened here, although the event referred to as the "March Miracle" in 1991 may have come close - it was a miracle because frequent rain over a single month saved California from a severe drought that year. Your Amaranthus is incredible and I'm definitely going to try growing that in my cutting garden next year. I love the Nicandra seedpods too - I'll have to have a closer look at whether that plant will grow in my climate.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AlisonC19 September 2017 at 08:43

      I don't record the rainfall amount but I take the temp in my polytunnel each day and tick if it has rained. Some days it is only a shower and the rest of the day might but very nice but we have not had many of the warm sunny days we hope for in September. It does keep our land green and lush, though it may be trying at times. The Nicandra have small pretty purple flowers too which last very briefly.

      Delete
  6. Anonymous18 September 2017 at 21:20

    Those Nicandra seed pods look interesting... will have to look them up now. ;-) I think your purple asters look lovely, rained on or not! I like the foliage you have added too. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AlisonC19 September 2017 at 08:44

      Thank you. I'm lucky to have lots of foliage to choose from and I think it makes a great background and holds things in place.

      Delete
  7. outlawgardener19 September 2017 at 02:33

    Oh yes, let's hold on to summer as long as we possibly can! These vases do just that in a wonderful way. Your Amaranthus are fabulous.

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for visiting. I appreciate your thoughts and comments.
I'm sorry if you have trouble with leaving your comment, thank you for persevering.

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)