In A Vase On Monday ~ "My Cup Runneth Over".

The weather gods thwarted plans for today's vase so instead of sweet peas from the allotment so it's been a case of looking closer to hand. The 'vase' is one of several old or some might say vintage floral china cups and saucers I've collected over the years. Cup and saucer do not match in this instance but rather compliment each other.

The occupants are :

• Rose 'Blush Noisette' - this rose can be grown as a shrub or as a small climber. It dates back to about 1814 and is subtly but deliciously scented. It has a had a first flush of flowers but it's now throwing out a second wave.
• Thyme - I'm not sure which one but in the garden for a good few years now. At this time of year it's decorated with small purple flowers which attract the pollinators. It's easy to propagate by division.
• The clematis is without a label but if my memory serves me well the odds are that it's clematis 'Blekitny Aniol', also known as 'Blue Angel'.
• Linaria purpurea 'Canon Went' - a perennial which is most easy to grow and which unlike it's purple sibling does not seed itself about prolifically.
• Achillea ptarmica 'The Pearl' - with it's dainty buttons of double white flowers is a plant that I had many moons ago but lost. It's a hardy perennial which flowers throughout the summer. I've looked for it on and off over the years but have never come across it until last Friday, when I came across a plant which was of course snapped up at once. It was a most happy conclusion to a delightful afternoon spent in the company of none other but Cathy of 'Rambling In The Garden' fame, today's hostess and her husband 'The Golfer' as well as himself. As always it was a pleasure to meet another blogger and as as you can imagine we found plenty to talk about. I think that you would like this plant Cathy, so when it's big enough a division will make its way in your direction.

It's decidedly cool as well as now raining here so time to put the kettle on when I've posted this and then to wander to see what's in everyone else's vases this week. 

In A Vase On Monday ~ Sugar & Spice.

It's back to base for this week's vase which is a mixture of allotment meets garden. Absence from home has seen everything fast forward, so there were lots of surprises on our return from a beautiful and tranquil French beach, where our camper van has been resident for a short time. This week's vase ingredients are :

• Alchemilla mollis or lady's mantle which despite its prolific self seeding habits I would not be without.
• A few sprigs of golden oregano which grows on the plot.
• Antirrhinum 'Black Prince' - grown from seed and planted both on the plot and in the garden. This was obviously camera shy but one stem is visible on the right hand side of the photo. This has most attractive dark foliage and I'm hoping that it might overwinter.
• Helenium 'Sahin's Early Flowerer' - I like the way that each flower of this plant is slightly different in both pattern and colour. A division plant was kindly given to me year's ago when I admired it in the garden of a cottage that we stayed in when visiting the Malvern Show.
• Allium sphaerocephalon - this is a really reliable easy going bulb which flowers after the larger alliums are done and dusted. Its only drawback is that any seedlings can be mistaken for grass when they first come through the soil. 
• Dahlia - I think that this is 'Arabian Night' but the label has gone west. It came through the winter at the allotment but came home to be potted up and receive some tender loving care before returning back to the allotment for the summer. It has really bulked out this year. 
• Dianthus 'Green Trick' which is fabulously frothy. I fell for this when I saw it in Sarah Raven's catalogue and after being initially disappointed when they sold out I was delighted to get an email to tell me that it was back in stock. I ordered three plug plants which I've planted at the allotment. They are just beginning to come good now and the plan is to try and overwinter some cuttings. I don't think it can be grown from seed but would be pleased to find out that it could.

My vase this week is an old golden syrup tin hence the reference to sugar in the title. It normally houses a houseplant which is currently in intensive care. The spice is a reference to the flower colours and there are also spices round the base of the tin, remnants of a winter potpourri which are about to be jettisoned. Finally a stem of humulus lupulus aureus also known as golden hop has wrapped itself round the tin.

Thanks to Cathy from 'Rambling In The Garden' for offering us a platform to share our vases on a Monday. Such a cheerful and colourful start to the week!

In A Vase On Monday ~ Beachcombing.

You might be able to guess where the materials making this week's vase have been collected. Shells, stone, pine cones, sun bleached grasses and the odd strand of an unidentified succulent have been found all within a hundred metres of our campervan. This impromptu arrangement is sitting in an empty chestnut yoghurt jar, the contents of which made for delicious eating last night. 

Thanks as always to Cathy over at 'Rambling In the Garden' for being such a gracious hostess. I'm off to dip my toes in the ocean but will return later to enjoy vases from far and wide.

Wordless Wednesday ~ Sitting Pretty