In A Vase On Monday ~ 'Not Fade Away'

Today's opportunity to pick flowers and take photographs for 'In A Vase On Monday' was a race against time. Once again the weather gods have decided on rain to celebrate a bank holiday with rain. They were considerate enough to throw a dry interlude in this afternoon, although there is the promise of more wet stuff on the cards before the day is done.

In this week's vase are :

• Sprays from an inherited honeysuckle which was picked and bought home yesterday from the allotment. 
• Astrantia which are now at their peak. There are two varieties in the vase, names long forgotten.

• Some wispiness in the shape of flowers from a grass that I think is some sort of sedge.
• Fading out now but still retaining a paler shade of their true colour are the pink flowers from what I think is viburnum plicatum 'Pink Beauty'. I really should have cut some of these last Monday. A big confession and a source of hang my head in shame, is that I bought the viburnum home some years ago and plonked it down at the side of the side of the cold frame whilst I decided where to plant it. Well procrastination got the better of me. It is still there, taller than me and rooted firmly into the ground. I think that an attempt to move it now might well prove fatal. I'm planning to take some cuttings this year and if they strike the progency will be allocated a more deserving spot. 

Thanks as always to our hostess the lovely Cathy who is coming up with roses today over at 'Rambling In The Garden'. I'm wondering what will be starring in other vases today as spring is now well as summer is slowly nudging spring out of the way.

In A Vase On Monday ~ Chive Talking

We've officially marked the end of winter when it comes to our Sunday evening meals. I persuaded himself yesterday, not without difficulty, that it was time to move on from traditional roast dinners to salads. A visit to the allotment in the morning provided me with the chance to pick some chive leaves to garnish new potatoes and the flowers shouted out at me to pick them for a 'In A Vase On Monday'. I also did this in the knowledge that removing the flower stems is beneficial for the vigour of the plant, so there were no pangs of guilt when I cut the flowers off.

Chives along with thyme must have been the first herbs that I ever grew, initially in the garden before I had an allotment. Their flowers have always given both me and the bees great pleasure. As you probably know the petals of the flowers are edible too but they are too hot and strong for my taste buds. I once had a very pretty white flowering chive plant sadly long since gone to that big plant compost heap in the sky. I must seek out a replacement.

Thanks as always to Cathy over at 'Rambling In The Garden' for hosting.

In A Vase On Monday ~ The Twilight Zone

This week's 'In A Vase On Monday' was picked and photographed late yesterday evening prompting the title of the post. It was a rush to get there before the sun went down. The weather forecast for today suggested that we might have rain throughout the day, so I thought that I would assemble my vase in advance. As it has turned out so far today a wet start has given way to a substantial dry interlude. However hopefully we will have more of the wet stuff later. The garden is already looking happier for what has already come down, after what has been a prolonged dry spell. It's not often that the watering can comes out in April and May but that has happened this spring. In my vase are :

• Aquilegias - over the years the original aquilegias I introduced into the garden have morphed into an annual lucky dip of different colours, shades and forms. Occasionally mucky shades emerge but they are easily dealt with by snapping their heads off. Each year usually brings the unexpected - this year in the shape of pompoms of pink and also a pale blue which I could not bring myself to snip.
• The fluffy pink spikes are persicaria bistorta 'superba' which used to be called by the more memorable name of polygonum bistortum 'Superbum'.
• A couple of stems of convallaria majalis also known as lily-of- the-valley. 
• The white daisies are erigeron mucronatus - yet another plant that has had a change of name over the years. I think that it would be hard to beat this plant for sheer length of flowering, from very early spring until the frost gets to them.
• Lastly the pink cow parsley like pimpinella major rosea - well at least I think that is what it is. I also grow chaerophyllum hirsutum, which has similar flowers but in a different shade of pink and every year I struggle to remember which is which. Whatever name it answers to it's one of my favourite late spring flowering perennials, being easy to grow and seemingly pest free.

Well whatever is happening out there it's time for me to get back outside to the shelter of the greenhouse where urgent potting on awaits. You know that sense of mounting pressure that an explosion might be imminent unless you act!

Thanks as always to Cathy over at 'Rambling In The Garden' for hosting. A quick peek reveals that her vase this week is a pretty vision in shades of pink, white and green. I will vase hop later with pen and paper by my side as usual.

Wordless Wednesday ~ 'Spring'

In A Vase On Monday ~ "As I Roved Out One Fine May Morning"

So here we are in the month of May already - the fairest month of the year. I would like to say that it dawned fair here but it was rather grey and damp earlier on. However it is definitely brightening up now so I will be heading out into the greenhouse and garden very soon. In my vase celebrating the arrival of May are anthriscus sylvestris or cow parsley, geranium phaeum, narcissus 'Thalia' (there are some advantages to a late planting) and a double flowered tulip by the name of 'Antraciet'. The tulip is a first time round experience which will definitely be repeated. Sadly most of my bulb order didn't get planted last autumn but this one did and I'm delighted with it

Thanks as always to Cathy over at 'Rambling In The Garden' ,who is the ever constant inspiration behind 'In A Vase On Monday', such a pleasant way to kick-start the week.