Yesterday saw a more than welcome return to summer. After a really miserable couple of weeks with the needle getting stuck on wind, rain and unseasonably cool there was finally movement in the direction of blue skies and warmth. I picked my flowers for 'In A Vase On Monday' late in the day, took a close up photo before it got too gloomy and then saved a longer distance snap for this morning. Guess what it has rained again overnight and one of my clematis flowers had wilted in the night probably because the stem wasn't properly immersed in water. So a clematis flower replaced and a photo taken before the rain kicks in again. In my vase this week are :
- A couple of sprigs of label went a long time ago astrantia. The flowers are past peak perfection now but still have a certain faded elegance about them.
- A little snip of the delicate but dainty pink rose 'The Fairy'. She is a shrub rose which comes into flower late in the season producing an abundance of little pom-pom clusters of clear pink flowers. Sadly she has little in the way of scent but that is her only shortcoming.
- Sprinklings of a couple of annual grasses grown from seed sown in March, namely lagurus ovatus and hordeum jubatum. The former also goes by the most appropriate name of bunny's tail grass whilst the latter is also called squirrel tail grass which is harder for me to fathom. If squirrels had tails like that I might be more well disposed towards them. I'm still seething at the damage one of their number did more than likely did, which I described in a recent 'Wordless Wednesday' post.
- A couple of just opening buddleia snippets which are flushing with colour from the base upwards. The shrub came came as a cutting from my parent's garden.
- Some white button flowers of achillea ptarmica 'The Pearl' an easy going if a rather floppy perennial.
- Last but but not least a couple of flowers of clematis viticella 'Blekitny Aniol', also known as 'Blue Angel'. This was purchased on holiday several years ago now from the Country Market Stall at Tavistock Pannier Market in Devon. If you live in the U.K. Country Markets are an excellent source of very reasonably priced plants and free advice from the sellers. They also sell home produced bread, cakes and pastries, jams and chutneys, eggs and a wide range of handicrafts. Hopefully they will survive and flourish again. My clematis grows in the company of rosa 'Blush Noisette' which is usually between flushes when the clematis comes out but there are usually some rose stragglers so the two can flatter each other.
This week our hostess Cathy over at 'Rambling In The Garden' is singing the praises of some summer beauties which I think that I might just have to try in future. Do go and have a peek. I am off to see if I can do one or two jobs between the intermittent rain that is forecast but look forward to sitting down with a cuppa later and seeing what is shining in other folk's vases this Monday.
That is a really scrumptious vase of flowers! So pretty and gentle. Really summery and lovely! Amanda https://therunningwave.blogspot.com/2020/07/two-summer-vases-on-monday.html
ReplyDeleteThank you for your visit and kind words Amanda 😄
DeleteI recognised your Blue Angel Anna - it's so distinctive, isn't it? So it's Mr Squirrel that the blame is being heaped on...hmm, as you say the grass is not likely to be as destructive. The vase as a whole is full of such soft colours - very gentle and soothing. Thanks for sharing it
ReplyDeleteYes she is most distinctive indeed Cathy. I am 99% sure that the culprit was indeed a squirrel 😒
DeleteA lovely pastel mix! That Clematis is gorgeous. Thus far, I've only succeeded in growing only one small-flowered Clematis but I added another this spring - we shall see. I expect I've complained about my failures with Astrantia before so I won't repeat that. I planted that Achillea ptarmica last year to warnings that it can be invasive but here it died in fairly short order. I have successfully grown Lagurus ovatus, though, and I suspect it'll show up for many years to come.
ReplyDeleteOh good luck with your second clematis addition Kris! I've also read that achillea ptarmica can be invasive but so far so good. The lagurus is going to be a stayer here too 😄
DeleteI love each and every flower in your vase Anna! The Fairy has been planted in a big tub in my yard... we are not rose lovers, both hating prickly plants of all descriptions, but for a pot it is a lovely romantic splash of colour near the barn. �� Astrantias are a favourite of mine, and that little Achillea is something Inhave had on my list for some time. I am sure I will find one some day! The grasses are pretty too. I do hope you get some sunshine the rest of this week Anna!
ReplyDeleteOh thank you Cathy 😘 I avoid prickly plants too but make an exception for roses and fruit bushes. Good luck with tracking down the achillea. We did see sunshine briefly yesterday although at least the weather has been drier until today 😂
DeleteThey match your jug perfectly.
ReplyDeleteThank you Sue - they seemed to go together well 😊
DeleteThat’s such a beautiful clematis, Anna, and you’ve teamed it so well the lovely little pink rose. I’m always reluctant to cut my garden flowers, but seeing your lovely arrangements makes me think that it would be some nice to have some of them in the house.
ReplyDeleteOh thank you Catherine 😄 I used to have the same feelings about cutting my garden flowers but now get great pleasure in doing so. It gives you the chance to continue to enjoy them if the weather isn't good and also sometimes the chance to observe them at closer quarters.
DeleteI agrees with Sue, they do match your vase perfectly Anna. I love the clematis in there. Astrantias I love too, they are one of my garden favs but I like them in vases too.
ReplyDeleteFinally catching up with the posts. This is a delightful vase, and I agree with you about visiting country markets. The one in Tavistock is a great one. We aim to visits these on our holidays.
ReplyDelete