greentapestry : In A Vase On Monday ~ Make Me Smile

Monday 13 August 2018

In A Vase On Monday ~ Make Me Smile


Lower temperatures, leaden grey skies and some rain have been huge make me smile factors over the last few days. Hopefully the weather will continue in the same vein a while longer although today's vase is still very much on the sunny side.


In this week's 'In A Vase on Monday' are :
  • A couple of swirls of humulus lupus aureus or to give it its common name golden hop. This grows over an arch and is one of the banes of himself's life as he has to pass underneath it with the lawnmower. If you've not come close up and personal with this climber before the texture of the leaves is like velcro! The hop has taken off this year and has sprawled higgledy piggledey in all directions lapping up the sunshine. In fact it has now formed an impenetrable thicket so another route to the what passes as a lawn has had to be found. I think that this is its glory year and whilst other plants have been stuttering and gasping its has loved the long hot summer.
  • Some spikes of amaranthus cruentus 'Hot Biscuits'. I included this in a vase last month. I like the colour but am not so struck by the fairly upright tassels so it will not feature on the repeat seed order.
  • On that order though will be zinnia 'Queen Red Lime' which I have been so pleased with this year. Whether my success is down to this particular warm summer remains to be seem but it's a will sow again without any hesitation.
  • Amaranthus caudatus 'Viridis' with those caterpillar like furry green tassels is also on the list doing well in cooler summers too. I think that I sowed the seed in March but can't be sure. Next year I think that I might try direct sowing in May. The foliage is rather nondescript and tends to be nibbled but oh those tassels more than make up for it! 
  • Finally and new to me is rudbeckia hirta 'Sahara' which I grew from seed. I think that these were sown at the back end of February in a heated propagator but must find the label from the seed tray to be check. It is described as having "mostly double, velvety flowers is a blend of dusty rose, milk chocolate, copper, pale lemon and rich merlot". I have planted too few of these - only six so will not have the pleasure of the full colour range. So far I have a predominance of the above golden colour which morphs into a pinky shade with age. I'm still waiting with bated breath for one plant to open, the buds of which look as if they could be the "rich merlot" shade. The plants may overwinter but there is no guarantee. This is already near the top of my new seed list with a note to plant them in quantity! 
Thanks as always to our lovely hostess Cathy who resides over at 'Rambling In The Garden' and who is sharing a veritable explosion of colour in her vase this week. I'm off now into the greenhouse to see if I can find that missing label. Enjoy your Monday whatever you are up to!

12 comments:

  1. Love the Queen Lime zinnia!!! What a beautiful and unique color.

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  2. Oh that's nice, Anna, and it's good to hear your decisions on which to grow again. I still like the Biscuit but have to say I have not used (yet) my upright red amaranthus so perhaps I need to reconsider too. And rudbeckias - what a pain! The annuals are lovely but perennials have never stayed more than a year (nor gaillardia and nor echinacea - is it me? the soil? the weather? who knows!). This uncertainly named one is very pretty and if germination was good is it worth growing just as an annual? Did you sow this year?

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  3. Such a lovely arrangement Anna...I love the whisps of golden hop. My hop decided to pop its clogs this year...and that Rudbekia is absolutely divine.

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  4. Wonderful color combination which works perfectly with the vase. Well done as always!

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  5. Such a beautiful vase of flowers. I love the zinnias and amaranthus. I saw the whole range of queeny zinnias at mr Fothergills last week. A new one is queeny lime orange. Truly beautiful and on my list for next summer.

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  6. Congratulations on the lower temperatures and the rain! I hope both continue. The Rudbeckia makes a beautiful centerpiece but I'm once again drawn to the Amaranthus. The latter add such drama to a vase. I'm going to find seeds to plant next year but in the meantime I've had my eye out to see if there are any plants available locally.

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  7. You have solved a mystery for me. I have wondered what the yellow green tassels were from the pack of mixed dried flower seeds that I sowed. Not sure how to use it as a dried flower though.

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  8. Love your combination of flowers this week. I think the zinnia 'Queen Red Lime' is very stylish and will check if my supplier has it, with that green tinge I imagine it combines well with lots of other colours.

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  9. What a beautiful combo....I really love the color of that amaranthus.

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  10. Gorgeous color combo perfect for late summer and into early Autumn. Your arrangement looks like a painting.

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  11. Thanks for all your kind and encouraging comments. Cathy, in answer to your question the rudbeckia seed was sown this year. I will await with interest to see if they survive this winter. I've never any joy with echinaceas either.

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  12. Lovely vase Anna. I love Hot Biscuits. I have grown Queen Red Lime too, it is a real beauty.

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All your comments are much appreciated and treasured. I wil try to reply to everyone who leaves a comment, but it may take me a few days, especially when I start spending more time in the garden and at the lottie. I know that you will understand :) I am sure that I will also visit your blog if I have not already done so. If you have any specific questions I will either reply to them here or you can email me at : thegreentapestry@gmail.com

Namasté

- Anna.