One shade of pink In a Vase on Monday.

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. 

Scaled down 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. 

Froth In a Vase on Monday

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. 

Snippings In a Vase on Monday

I've got a couple of pictures of vases here. 

 This one has foxgloves (not too huge so fine for vases), a white cornflower, Briza mazima and Atriplex and a calendula I'm testing. I have Atriplex seeding everywhere and I think I can use it for foliage if it lasts well enough at this stage. There is also poppy peeping in. I seared the stem with a flame and it's lasted about 4 days so far. Probably not much longer though. It was an unusual colour. 

This is Phlox drummondii 'Silver Stars'. It's trying to flower at about 10cm tall so I cruelly pinched out the top. I had to save it though. I can't wait for some taller stems. This is a shot glass. 

Do join Cathy at Rambling in the Garden for In a Vase on Monday. 

Here is a new bed half planted. The phlox are at the front. I think they were in trays too long due to me going away at the wrong time. It's very quick to plant as there are no weeds and the compost is loose. 

Not nearly as tidy. Cornflowers, stocks, sweet rocket, straw flowers and Calendula with new plantings of sunflowers and other things. The plastic at the back is to cover the soil until planting to keep the weeds down. 

Finally ducklings:

We've had to add another bowl as they barely fit into one bowl now and they do like water! Apparently their fluffy feathers are not waterproof yet but the water does seem to run off in true duck fashion. Our two ducks did have a paddling pool which was perfect for a pond. It sprang a leak but I'm going to try and seal it today as I think the ducklings are big enough for it now. The they'll have a bit more room. 

In a New Vase on Monday

While wandering round a small town a week or so ago MrC and I found a bric-a-brac shop with boxes outside where everything was 50p. 
I found this:

MrC said 'What is it? A toothbrush holder?' I see what he means but we are clearly not on the same wavelength! I think it looks more like a jelly mould. 

It's not the most beautiful vase but at 50p and including the insert, it was a bargain. 


I collected Sorbaria foliage, Orlaya, Osteospermum, Sweet peas, Elaeagnus 'Quicksilver' and Cerinthe. 

I arranged it all with a vague notion of the shape but didn't have much time to spare. I know sweet peas look best on their own, and they'll only last a few days, but I could whip out any fading flowers and add new ones.  

I've been very busy over the last few weeks. Some Flower Farm work, some not and a week in Cornwall. I entrusted the watering to a stand in and happily came back to find all was well. We have had some rain since then so that is helping my new planting. 
I am now trying to harden everything off and get it planted out. 
Meanwhile there is plenty flowering and lots of buds promising for the next few weeks. Having a continuous supply of flowers is one of the many challenges of flower farming. I'll try and post some pictures next week. 

Finally, would you like to see a picture of our ducklings? Of course you would. 

Ok two. 

These hatched just over a week ago. There are 11 and they are a constant source of entertainment and time wasting. Here they are swimming in a paint roller tray which has a shallow end! Mama always keeping watch. 

I look forward to seeing what everyone else has found to put In a Vase on Monday over at Rambling in the Garden where Cathy encourages us to share. 

Spring posy In a Vase on Monday

We have our internet connection back after two weeks of intermittent problems, plenty of phone calls and three visits by engineers. It was a novelty to be reconnected but we are already beginning to take it for granted again!

This little vase was made for my mother in law. 

It includes anemone, ranunculus, sweet rocket, stocks, cerinthe, flat leaf parsley and Dusty Miller. 
She was very pleased with it and, when we looked around her little garden insisted on giving me some Lily of the Valley. I popped it in a jug with a spare piece of Dusty Miller. 

I think I've mentioned this plant before. It has various names but I am sticking with Cinneraria maritima until corrected. This is 'Cirrus' but I also have 'Silver Dust'. It's been a fabulous plant. Shown below are a couple which have been outside all winter, they looked pretty ropey a few weeks ago but have now put on lovely new grown. To be fair, we did have a mild winter and they may not have fared so well in a very cold one. 

I kept some plants under cover as an insurance and they are also doing well. I have used this fresh, in wreaths and it also dries looking pretty much the same as it does now. It's such a good colour, it goes with everything. 
I'm happy to be sharing my Vase on Monday again, with Cathy at Rambling in the Garden and look forward to being inspired by what everyone shares. First though, another sunny(ish) bank holiday here in the UK and there is lots to do outside. 
Enjoy your day. x

Vegetable flowers In a Vase on Monday.

Never wanting to be predictable, I have Kale flowers in my vase today! 
We really should have eaten these as they are delicious picked when in tight  bud like Purple Sprouting Broccoli. I obviously wasn't paying attention and they went too far. We might get more now that I've cut these off. 
I thought they were very pretty so here they are in a vase. 

You can also see a Tulip which I thought was 'Mount Tacoma' but now I think it's a pale 'Angelique'. I'm sure it should be more pink. 
There is also a pink Ranunculus. It's completely gorgeous, I hope you'll agree. 

The trouble is though, that I ordered pale pink, white, orange and purple Ranunculus and this is none of the above. So far all the pale pink and purple seem to be this bright pink. I will be reporting back to the company when they are all flowering and I am sure. I'm pretty fed up with things not turning out to be what was advertised. Especially as these are a sale crop. A florist looking for pale pink isn't going to want this! I will find a market for them but it's frustrating. 

After two dry weeks we have had a good amount of rain over the last week. The weekend has been dry and even sunny at times which is just how we like it. There is plenty to do at this most exciting time of year so I should go and get on. Especially as I am inspired by a new You Tube channel I just found. 
Byther Farm https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe0Ha5QljsCV5UqIkobBrcQ

I haven't had time to watch much yet but it looks amazing with plenty of good ideas. I found this linked from Huw's Nursery who also has lots of good ideas. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe0Ha5QljsCV5UqIkobBrcQ I might have to give up sleeping to fit everything in. 

Join in with Cathy at Rambling in the Garden for In a Vase on Monday.