Often now I make arrangements for other people and my own vases are either left overs popped in a vase on the kitchen windowsill or a few bits and pieces jammed in together.
I made this for myself.
I started with the Dahlia ' Apricot Star' and walked round cutting things to go with her.
I chose Sweet Pea 'Heaven Scent', Phlox 'Cherry Caramel', Amaranthus 'Velvet Curtains', Scabious 'Which one is that again?', Perilla, Antirrhinum 'Dark Monarch' and a couple of trails of Love in a Puff.
I'm testing the Perilla - red/green large leaves, as a foliage plant. It has grown huge in my poly tunnel, perhaps to big to use and I think it might flop. Perhaps better outside but I think it would probably get eaten there. Hmm.
I think it's a little tight and squashed in and I should have left more gaps but I love the colours.
10 min to make and 20 min to photograph!
Visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden for In a Vase on Monday to see what everyone has chosen this week.
I've become even more obsessed with the weather and thankfully we have had some rain after 6 weeks with hardly any. Our water tanks were empty and I was battling with hoses. We had a fair amount and we may get more this week along with soaring temperatures. I am not so keen on those. The rain should perk everything up though, it was all looking dry and starting to brown.
Again I have just one thing in my vase this week.
Malope trifida 'Grandiflora Choice Mixed', or so it says on the packet but in fact, so far, they are all this same pink. There should be pale pink and white as well.
I'm trying these flowers to see how well they last in a vase. Some drop but more open higher up the stem. They flowers are very delicate and I'm not sure it's really something I can use for sale but it's nice and showy in the garden. In fact, I've just realised I could move some to a spot where I need a bit more colour.
Has anyone tried it and have any advice?
Thanks for visiting, for more fun and fancy vases visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden for In a vase on Monday.
Even though we are in the season of abundance, I have chosen to make a tiny posy this week.
I saw a mini-bouquet on Instagram here and wanted to have a go.
I posted one on Instagram last week and here is another. Quick to make and, of course, you can use all kinds of tiny things.
I used Achillea ptarmica, Linaria, Briza, Catananche, White lavender, Oregano, NIgella heads, Lemon balm - which incidentally is a great foliage plant for vases.
Thank you to Cathy for hosting In a Vase on Monday. Never ceasing to entertain with her inventiveness.
One more thing I found on Instagram, for people with nothing better to do - have a look at this: One Bouquet Per Day - flowers and vintage dresses!
You can see that our babies are barely ducklings any more and are nearly as big as their parents.
The white patch is the wing feathers growing out. They are mostly feathered now with just a little fluff. 6 weeks old.
They have graduated from the washing up bowls and are now allowed in the paddling pool. I've let them out a few times and to hoover up the slugs.
Just one thing in my vase this week. Ammi majus. It has just started flowering here. It's a little tricky to know when to cut as it can droop if you cut too soon. So far, so good with this lot.
I'd forgotton how much I like them. I gaze at the tiny florets, each is a perfect copy of the full head like little fireworks.
They also drop bits on the table but I forgive them. A cat has just been trying to get her head into the jug so didn't help and I may have to move it. I'd stopped putting flowers on the table when we got kittens in November, I thought maybe I could start again, but perhpas not yet.
Thanks to Cathy at Rambling in the Garden for leading the way and encouraging us to put something, anything, In a Vase on Monday.
Here is a quick look at my dahlia bed.
All planted up now and it's a race to the start to see who will flower first. I think it's going to be Wine Eyed Jill. Most are no-where near but looking OK.
We just need to finish the netting which goes horizontally across all 4 beds for support. Supporting before things fall over is a new thing I'm trying!
I have all colours ranging from whites, cream, pinks, purple, red to orange and yellow. I've tried to plant in colour groups but I have't grown them all before so they may not be as expected.
Some of the ones I'm growing are Wizard of Oz, Gerrie Hoek, Jowey Winnie, Jowey Mirella, Karma Serena, Karma Lagoon, Arbatax, My Love, Nicholas, Jowey Nicky, Rip City, Cafe au Lait, Penhill Autumn Shades, Penhill Dark Monarch... There are plenty of others hopefully I'll be able to show them sometime soon.
