About my garden

Monday 7 August 2017

In a vase on Monday

Don't Mondays come around quickly? There is plenty to do in the garden. Mainly I seem to be battling grass and weeds. There is so much to look at and wandering round to see what is flowering is a real pleasure.
One think I need to do is make a list of things to move before next spring. And then actually move them! Many things are being smothered, I always forget how big things will grow by this time of year. I did take pictures last year but I need to find them and look at them...

Here are some flowers I gave to my sister in law for her birthday at the weekend.

My asters have got going beautifully now and I was able to cut enough newly opened flowers to make a decent bunch. I added some Atriplex, Wigelia foliage, feverfew and scabious. 
The feverfew is back for a second flowering after I cut the first spent stems off. I love the little scabious buds and am so glad I spent that half hour in the rain one day moving them. They nearly died but a lucky rainy day saved them. I must sow more for next year. 

Everything is slightly blurred this week.

I enjoyed the asters for a few hours before I gave them away but I have these cosmos to keep - and, of course, more asters coming.
With more atriplex and cosmos foliage. I still have lots of lush greenery and not as many flowers as I would like. The plants were very spindly when I planted them out so I thought that would mean they would send up flowers rather than lush leaves. Perhaps the ground is too rich. 
 This white flower caught my eye one evening, so pretty. The seeds were Cosmos Allsorts Mixed. 
All very pink here today. I look forward to seeing what everyone else has found to put In a Vase on Monday. 
Thanks Cathy for inspiring and encouraging us. x

12 comments:

  1. Both your vases are wonderful, Alison. I've no doubt your sister-in-law appreciated her bouquet. What I wouldn't give to be able to grow asters like those! That double cosmos is scrumptious too and has me regretting that, once again, I failed to grow any Cosmos this year.

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    1. Yes, I think she did, she's not a gardener and can't grow her own. It's funny how we all fancy what other people are growing!

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  2. Oh I am glad it is not just me who is planning to move things - and all my recent additions are just placed in their pots and will be planted once I have thinned out unruly clumps later in the year. The posy for your sister is lovely with those asters - mine are just beginning to bloom now and I do have an odd one that had a damaged stem in a vase with a similar casulaty of Hydrangea Annabelle - don't think it was weather damage though, just too close to the paths. I have made a point of pinching out most of my annuals this year which has helped them to be bushier, less tall and produce more flowers - do you pinch yours out? I still feel there is plenty of summer to come so I am sure you will many more blooms in due course. Thanks for sharing today

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    1. Oh not, not just you, I'm always moving things around. Things grow bigger than expected and smother other things and then sometimes the colour or situation is just not right. That's half the fun of it though isn't it, it will be better next year!
      I do pinch out but may not have kept on top of it all this year. I'm sure we have plenty of summer left and will not focus on the darkening evenings. The hens are going in a whole hour earlier now. I'll probably have fantastic cosmos in October! That is one of the joys of these late summer bloomers.

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  3. Lovely birthday gift. The cosmos are wonderful too.

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  4. Had I read your entry before my visit this morning, I probably would not have brought Asters. Yours are lovely. I have very little else worthy of bringing. Thanks for your lovely hospitality this morning. Your garden is packed with special plants and I admire the way you are developing your new garden. I also now have an inkling of what will be in future vases. That wigelia really helps the pinks to sing in your birthday bouquet.

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    1. It was lovely to show you round and absorb some of your plant knowledge. It's great to share with someone who is really interested.

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  5. What a lovely birthday bouquet Alison and so much more special than a shop bought one. I have that variegated weigela too which has a second flush of flowers at the moment. :)

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    1. Thank you. I chose the asters as I think they will last well. I hate it when an expensive bouquet only lasts a few days.

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  6. Your SIL must have loved that pretty bouquet of asters. Much better than anything you get at the florists. :)
    Your white cosmos really is eye-catching. Mine self-sowed this year and have grown quite tall!

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  7. The asters are lovely - I don't have any summer flowering ones but see they would be a real eye-catcher. Love that scabious and am glad you managed to save them. I have also got quite a lot of cosmos foliage but the flowers are now finally getting going. That white one is pretty. :)

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  8. Your sister must have loved this beautiful combination of flowers - the variegated leaves set them off perfectly.

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