Meet George In a Vase on Monday

Meet George

Here is looking out of the window.

I discovered this Chrysanthemum flower (Anastasia Green) on a plant which I'm saving for cuttings in the green house. 
I popped it into the vase from which I'd just removed the snowdrops then couldn't resist adding the googly eyes.

If you've found something fun or fancy to put in a vase this week join in with Cathy at Rambling in the Garden - In a Vase on Monday. 

Seasonal colours In a vase on Monday

When it's bleak outside it means even more to bring greenery in to cheer the house. People have been doing that for centuries at this time of year and it's a wonderful tradition to follow. 
This is still the only Christmassy thing I have around but there is plenty of time and I do realise it's only tentatively Christmas looking. 
We have recently decorated our sitting room and someone removed my mantelpiece when I was outside for half an hour. We had discussed changing it but I didn't expect it to just disappear! The room does look better without it but I don't know where to put my Christmas Ivy and I often have a vase up there. The room still looks rather bare as we haven't accumulated much clutter yet (it's only a matter of time) so this vase is some welcome colour and exuberance. 

I wasn't very sure about it when I put it together but it looks fabulous from my usual seat which is a different viewing angle. I struggled to get a picture in the bad light. I should have taken it outside this morning. 

I've used Laurel. We have quite a few of these plants and my son has campaigned for their removal. I'm not a fan but they do provide much needed shelter and, of course, they are evergreen. 
Bay - sprigs with buds
Rose hips - so lovely to have the colour.
Chrysanthemum - I think these are Anastasia Green. These are growing under cover. 

For plenty of vibrant vases visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden for In a vase on Monday and join in the fun with whatever you can find to enhance your home. 

More Chrysanthemums In a Vase on Monday

As usual I'm joining in with In a Vase on Monday hosted by Cathy from Rambling in the Garden. It is getting more challenging but thanks to my Chrysanthemums I have lots to show. 

Anyone who is tired of me and my Chrysanthemums should look away now. If you did though, you'd miss this:

Chrysanthemum 'Porto Purple'

These are not the same as last week, these are darker  and less frilly. 

I cut a few stems of Cotoneaster to go with them but they don't show much here and I think are going to drop their leaves very quickly. 
Here is a posy I took to my mother in law, I thought I'd share the joy as I have lots of flowers even in December. 

Chrysanthemum 'Sheer Purple' and 'Shamrock Green' with nameless container plant. 

They immediately went into an elegant, square, cream coloured vase with a slight mother-of-pearl colouring to it. (Envious? Me?) They looked lovely on the hearth, even if I do say so myself. I've got some in a vase and the red and green are great together and these green ones will open up more. 
Porto is growing in my poly tunnel having been moved inside about 6 weeks ago. Shamrock is also inside but the purple one is growing outside with 'Saratov Lilac', from last week, and seem perfectly happy. I think I will move them in soon. 
I decided to see if I could find out how much I'd paid for them. After a bit of research I found I'd paid £17 for 10 rooted cuttings. (Sarah Raven - Abundant and Sea Urchin collections). I've currently got three vases of them at home and have given one away this week. There are more I could pick outside and,of course, with careful overwintering, I should be able to keep the plants and/or take cuttings for next year. 
I'm happy with that extravagance!

Surprise In a Vase on Monday.

This was going to be my vase this week. 

This is pineapple sage which grows just outside my back door. The flowers really are this stinging red/pink colour and I've been eyeing them up for a vase. Of course, I've left it a bit late and they would have been better a couple of weeks ago! 

Photographed on a frosty morning.

It's not really hardy but I've decided to leave it in and take cuttings. This plant is now 3 years old and is quite large so difficult to dig up and move. I've kept it in every winter but this year it will have to take it's chance. Cuttings root very easily just in water. 

I was just coming in when I saw these flowering away unseen:

 I know it's hard to believe I didn't know they were flowering. My two Chrysanthemum plants turned out to be three. The buds look the same and one plant is growing into another. 
This is 'Saratov Lilac' and it's an absolute stunner. Worth the wait and the wondering if it was going to flower. The petals are quilled. 

Even the backs of the flowers are lovely. 

I bought all these Chrysanthemums as rooted cuttings from Sarah Raven. I've grown them badly, they are probably too close together and not staked well but are producing the most wonderful blooms. 
I'm carrying the vase around with me so I can appreciate them wherever I am. 

Finally a bit of autumn colour:

Cotoneaster glowing in the winter sunshine. 

For plenty of fun and fabulous vases visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden - In a vase on Monday. 

Hotchpotch In a Vase on Monday

What a day of chasing my tail. I think I've managed to do all I had to do but then had to drive home in the dark and wet. 

When I took this photo of my vase the light was very bad and it's blurred but I can't do any better now. I'll try tomorrow.

Sometimes things just don't go to plan. 

After a few light frost this month we had one which was more severe and that has finished off the Dahlias and reduced the Nasturtiums to a soggy mess. We knew it was coming and I've been lucky that I've been able to cut dahlias right to mid November. There were very few and the larger types just became a wet mess of petals. 
Surprisingly I did find 2 or 3 flowers even after the frost and they are in my vase.

I've used:
Dahlia - a couple of Karma Naomi, one Classic Rosamund and a couple of Labyrinth buds. They won't open and don't like the rain. 
a few cosmos - very small and the last of these too.
Mahonia leaves
Weigela leaves
Dill flowers - I have no idea why this is flowering
Abelia
Chrysanthemum - Sheer purple
Persicaria - red dragon 

I'm very happy still to have so much colour but the garden really doesn't look like this.

The end of the dahlias. I'm going to dig most of them up but I will try leaving a few of the larger tubers in the ground. 

The crazy Chrysanthemums. There is one plant going off the left here and one to the right. As I said before, I have no idea why they are so tall but I do know I didn't give them proper support. 

This one has plenty of buds which are now breaking.

Thanks for visiting and do go over to Rambling in the Garden where Cathy encourages us to find what we can to put In a Vase on Monday. There are plenty if ideas to inspire you. 

November blooms In a Vase on Monday

I think I mentioned that I have some Chrysanthemum plants. They should be blooming and filling vases for this late end of the year but in fact they have grown very tall (about 5ft) and have been contentedly sitting there in tight bud for weeks.
This vase was to celebrate the two which have tried to open. I cut them and walked around to see what would compliment them and found plenty of things still flowering at this late stage. 
We have had a few light frosts but not enough so far to destroy anything. The dahlias and nasturtiums are still going but probably not for long. It actually stopped raining for five minutes and the week has been beautifully sunny which does lift the spirit. 

In the vase:
Chrysanthemum Shamrock Green
Chrysanthemum Sheer Purple ( I think, though it's not purple)
Passalong Persicaria which is establishing very well and making it's first appearance here in a vase. Red Dragon from Cathy via Noelle. I thought it and the green Chrysanthemum would sing together.  

Penstemon 'Sour Grapes'
Nameless pink rose
Feverfew flowers

Pittosporum foliage
Artemisia 'Powis castle'
Astrantia ?
Potentilla nepalensis 'Miss Wilmott' - an absolute star! This has been flowering pretty much for the two years since I bought it and, to cap it all, is now surrounded by dozens of seedlings.

What a happy vase for November.
The vase is plain grey and egg shaped. Old and cheap but a good shape and colour. 

Many thanks to Cathy at Rambling in the Garden for hosting and inspiring - In a Vase on Monday.