Monday 21 October 2024
Just Blue
Monday 14 October 2024
IAVOM ~ The Northern Lights
This week's vase is really last week's vase - all picked in good time but I got distracted so it was never posted. It was a quick pick and plonk effort. In my vase are :
- Rosa 'Luisa's Daughter' - this is the rose that my lovely sister had named and then sent it on to me for my birthday not long after my mother had died. She is a healthy rose and what could be described as a good doer. She's lightly but pleasantly scented. I'm going to take some cuttings soon as she is too big for the place she occupies in my snowdrop border. I had realised that I hadn't included her in a vase this year so thought that I must remedy that.
- Red foliage from a perennial evergreen that is planted in a big pot at the front of the house. I am trying to remember the name. I know that Cathy from 'Words and Herbs' identified it for me previously.
- Some froth from panicum capillare 'Sparkling Fountain' - a half hardy annual which I grow from seed every year in March. It looks good in containers, sometimes self-seeds but not to nuisance levels like briza maxima.
Monday 30 September 2024
IAVOM ~ 'Pinky But Not Perky'
Again with one eye on the weather today's vase was picked yesterday afternoon. Just as well as the skies opened yesterday afternoon and apart from the odd pause, it's raining again heavily now and is predicted to continue into the early hours of tomorrow morning.
- Rosa 'Gertrude Jekyll' - one of the most bright pink and beautifully scented roses you could wish to come across. Although my sense of smell is impaired I've no problems appreciating 'Gertie's' aroma. These blooms are from a second flush of flowers and there are still a few in bud.
- Anemone huphensis splendens - a late flowering perennial. I've never picked anemone flowers before so am wondering how long their vase life is. Does anybody know?
- A chive flower which you may be able to make out just lurking behind one of the roses. There are two chive flowers in there but I'm not sure where the second is hiding. As I was picking the flowers a bee landed on one of them and was most reluctant to leave.
- Some flowers from begonia grandis subsp. evansiana - a bit of a mouthful for a late flowering rather lovely tuberous perennial. It is always late to show and I always think that it has not come through the winter. I have a pink flowering version to but prefer the white.
- Finally a few whispy showings from erigeron karvinskianus - this must be the longest flowering perennial in my garden, flowering from early spring right through to November. It's the cause of some disharmony with himself declaring it as a pernicious weed. It does seed about prolifically but I've no problems with that.
Monday 23 September 2024
IAVOM ~ "Summer's Lease"
With my eye on the weather forecast and William Shakespeare's words coming to mind I picked the flowers for today's vase on Saturday afternoon. It proved to be a sound move. As 'The Bard' succinctly wrote "summer's lease has all to short a date". It was the day before the autumn equinox and we had enjoyed a wonderful few days of soft and warm September sunshine and glorious blue skies. The imminent equinox was heralded in by some heavy rain later that same Saturday afternoon, which persisted throughout Sunday before finally petering out at lunch time today. There still could be more today - the skies look as if they haven't quite decided. In my vase gathered before the deluge are :
- Helenium 'Sahin's Early Flowerer', a perennial helenium which has been in flower for a good spell. It started life as a division from a plant that I admired in the garden of a cottage where we were on holiday. The owner who had called in answered my query as to it's identity and then most kindly pressed a pot into my hands as we handed the cottage keys back to her on leaving. It seems most easy going only perhaps flagging a bit in dry summers. Not a problem this year!
- Some angelica seedheads which were cut down earlier that afternoon as didn't want them to set seeds. Unfortunately I was too late with one or two which had already turned brown and generously scattered seeds around as I dealt with them. Grrrrrr ....
- A single no name hardy chrysanthemum. I bought it as part of a collection and will have to check whether the stockist still sells the same collection for identification purposes.
- A couple of flowers of dahlia 'Kick Off' which was new to me this year. I like the flower but am puzzled by the name.
- Finally and a bit of a blur a couple of stems of foliage from a shrub the name of which is eluding me. Cathy of 'Words and Herbs' originally kindly identifed it for me some time ago. Cathy if you see this and can make out what it is could you please jog my memory
Wednesday 18 September 2024
Monday 16 September 2024
IAVOM ~ 'Last Of The Summer Wine'
It's good to be back with Cathy and other blogging friends today with a vase on Monday. It's been a few weeks since I last participated. It was a very wet day yesterday, misty and dripping this afternoon but the sky turned blue and the sun made an appearance this afternoon. In my vase this week are ;
- Sweet peas - still hanging on but probably for not much longer. They were sown in the middle of March and planted out at the back end of April. The foliage is now mildewed but the flowers and scent are still coming.
- A couple of sprigs of the dainty flowering perennial aster 'Little Carlow'.
- Some astrantia 'Gill Richardson' which featured in a vase at the start of July. These are from a second flush of flowers and one of my two plants is producing more flowering stems than first time around.
Wednesday 28 August 2024
Wednesday 21 August 2024
Wednesday 14 August 2024
Wednesday 31 July 2024
Monday 29 July 2024
IAVOM ~ Heaven Scent
At long last I have enough sweet peas for a decent sized Monday vase and that in itself is a cause for celebration. I can't describe how much joy picking a vase of sweet peas for the house brings me. It's not just the vibrant colours but the pleasure of the scent that makes me smile. It seemed that it would never happen. My sweet peas were sown in the greenhouse in the middle of March and once planted in the garden made painfully slow progress as our late spring/early summer was so cool and dull. They did have plenty of rain though. As usual I selected seeds from a number of varieties rather than opt for a mixed packet of seeds. This year's varieties included :
- Stalwarts 'Erewhon', 'Eclipse' and 'Gwendoline'.
- On their way to becoming regulars 'Piggy Sue' and 'Black Knight'.
- 'Indigo King' which I've grown for the last couple' of years instead of 'Matucana'
- New to me 'Chocolate Flake' (streaked flower) and 'Kings Ransom' which is initially a salmon pink but changes colour with age. 'Chocolate Flake' is definitely off the menu for next year but I have fallen for 'Kings Ransom'.
Wednesday 10 July 2024
Wednesday 3 July 2024
Monday 1 July 2024
IAVOM ~ On The Scent
It's Monday again and time for a vase to mark the start of a new week. In today's vase is a pick plonk mix of scented plants, some more pleasantly scented than the others :
- Astrantias - two varieties of this hardy perennial - one unknown and the other the dark red wine flowers of astrantia 'Gill Richardson', which has become a favourite along with astrantia 'Burgundy Manor'. The astrantias have been in flower for a few weeks now and will soon be cut back in anticipation of a second flush of flowers. The smell of the flowers reminds me of a damp face flannel which isn't the most pleasant of aromas so any vase containing them requires careful positioning.
- Two vivid purple and magenta blobs of dianthus barbatus 'Oeschberg', which I grew from seed a couple of years ago and will be sowing some more in the coming week. The seed only arrived in the post earlier this afternoon. Their scent is intense. Isobel Bannerman in her book 'Scent Magic' describes it as 'happy and typicallly of cloves and warm baking'. The flowers last for a good while.
- Some philadelphus also known as mock orange blossom. This shrub came to me as a cutting from my parent's garden years ago and I've never known which variety it is. It lurks on the outer edge of the garden looking insignificant for most of the year but bursts into clouds of beautiful white blossom every June. It has now reached about fifteen feet in height and causes himself some grief, as he has to duck under some of the lower branches when mowing our sad excuse for a lawn. The flowers are scented but I find the scent slightly overpowering whilst himself thinks that they smells like honey.
Wednesday 26 June 2024
Monday 10 June 2024
IAVOM ~ Glow
Just a little pot of pansies from me today for this week's Monday vase. These are pansy 'Nature Mulberry Shades' which I think are most aptly named. They were sown last September and overwintered in the greenhouse before moving to the outer world in the spring. I'm also growing pansy 'Nature Antique Shades', a paler mix but they were sown this spring and have yet to flower. It is the first time I've sown pansies in some years usually just picking up plug plants from a garden centres. They took some time to get going but have finally got there.
Thanks as always to Cathy who blogs over at 'Rambling In The Garden' who kindly gets us together every Monday for a floral shindig.
I have yet to start the Wordpress training course for u3a website editors that I mentioned in my last post as the course I intended to take was already fully booked when I applied. However I have a place on a course later this week. Thanks to all of you who offered me words of encouragement as I get to grips with the intricacies of Wordpress.
In other news the rain and wind continues along with well below average temperatures for the time of year. It is proving to be a great year for the roses though so there is some consolation. I hope to be back soon but if not I will still be popping by to keep up with what everyone is else is enjoying in their gardens.
Wednesday 5 June 2024
Wednesday 29 May 2024
Monday 27 May 2024
IAVOM ~ 'Here Comes The Rain Again'
In this week's vase are the following :
- Ranunculus aconitifolius 'Flore Pleno', commonly known as 'Fair Maids Of France'. I'm not sure what the French connection is but they are lovely little maids indeed. They like some shade and a to have their roots in some moisture. Flowering in May into June they retreat from sight quite early in the year.
- A couple of sprigs of flowers from a dark leaved physocarpus which I think is 'Diablo'.
- A touch of daisy floppiness in the shape of erigeron karvinskianus also known as Mexican fleabane - the flowers morph from white to pink as they age. This would probably win the longest flowering plant competition in my garden, usually throwing out a few flowers in March and then carrying on well into the autumn, sometimes as late as November. It does self- seed vigorously so much so that himself declares it a weed and wages war on it every couple of years but I'm quite happy to let it wander.
- Some lacy cow parsley like pink heads of pimpinella major rosea, another hardy perennial which prefers moist conditions.
In other news I might drop off the radar for a while. I am the website administrator for our local u3a branch and will have a training session later this week as the website's publishing platform is about to change to Wordpress. I have used Wordpress in the past to run sites for a local gardening club and for my allotment association. However it was a good many years ago and I'm sure that things have changed. It will be a steep learning curve and I'm quaking at the very thought of mastering 'Plug-ins' as well as other challenges before our present site can eventually migrate to the new platform. I'm certainly not a techie so I'm slightly apprehensive that it might be beyond me. Maybe some of you Wordpress users can reassure me. It's certainly going to be a time consuming process. Oh well I will just have to see how it goes 😂
Wednesday 22 May 2024
Monday 20 May 2024
IAVOM ~ Hazy
This Monday's vase has unfortunately become more than a little bit submerged by the willowy background and was perhaps taken at not quite the best distance. If you screw up your eyes you might hopefully be able to make out the individual contents which are :
- Briza maxima also known as greater quaking grass. It could just as well be called once sown, never without. This year's dotted about progeny seem to be taller and more vigorous than usual. I'm putting it down to all that rain.
- The orange flowers of the perennial geum 'Totally Tangerine' now in it's fourth year since planting and well established. Not only does it start flowering quite early but with deadheading goes on well into the year. It is a sterile variety so no little seedlings.
- A vague shimmer of pink from chaerophyllum hirsutum 'Roseum' also known as the hairy chervil. A relative of cow parsley it naturally prefers damp meadows or light woodland, so a dampish spot in full sun, or part shade suits it well. The foliage has an apple scent.
- Some blue from polemonium caeruleum - grown many moons ago from seed obtained via the Cottage Garden Society which has self-seeded in a considerate manner over many years.
- Lastly a stem of the hardy annual white orlaya grandiflora which I sowed either in late August or early September last year.
Monday 13 May 2024
IAVOM ~ Wooooosh!
- Aquilegia - the majority of aquilegias in my garden are blue. They are descendants from seed obtained from The Cottage Garden Society seed exchange many moons ago - possibly aquilegia 'Hensol Harebell'.
- Some heads of allium schoenoprasum or chives - not only good to look at but edible too.
- Some stems of millium effusum 'Aureum' also known as 'Bowles Golden Grass'. This grass prefers a touch of shade as too much sun can scorch the leaves. It seeds about but never to nuisance proportions.
- A stem of thalictrum 'Black Stockings' with a fizz of flowers and delicious dark purple stems. To my eye the flowers are more purple than my photo suggests.
A big thank you as always to Cathy who blogs over at 'Rambling In The Garden' and whose vase this week includes her beautiful wisteria.
Himself has just told me that it has started to rain which might bring today's filling the green bin to the brim activities to an abrupt stop. Rain is forecast for tomorrow but then the remainder of week although cooler looks quite promising. There are sweet peas to be planted, weeding to be done and then the last of the annuals in the shape of zinnias to sow and last but not least I need to sow some climbing French beans. Wishing my fellow gardening bloggers a good week.
Monday 6 May 2024
IAVOM ~ Darling Buds Of May
It's time for the once or twice a year vase to have it's annual jolly - in fact it was clamouring to escape from the cupboard from which it has been confined to for almost twelve months. If vases could smile it would have a big smile on it's face. May just has to be my favourite month of the year when all is fresh, green and oh so promising. This month's flowers even eclipse the magic of those early beloved snowdrops. In my vase this week are three of my favourite May flowers namely :
- Convallaria majalis or lily of the valley. Mine have spread over the years in a line directly under our living room window. The original pips came from my parent's garden many moons ago. I remember them there making a substantial patch in a dry sunny spot in front of their garage whereas mine are in a shady position, Such dainty little flowers and sweet smelling too although sadly since my nose woes I can no longer detect the scent.
- Geranium phaeum - usually the first flowers open towards the end of April and then continue into May. They are beloved by bees, easy going and seed gently about. The flowers in my vase come from a seedling of some description. The only named variety nearby has flowers which are much deeper in colour.
- Lunaria annua 'Chedglow' also known as honesty - this variety has dark stems and seed pods too. I have found that in my garden it doesn't seed about with the same abandon as the variegated white honesty that I included in my vase a couple of weeks ago. These have come from seed sown last June but this year I am tempted to sow the seeds at the back end of May with the hope of producing more substantial plants.
Monday 29 April 2024
IAVOM ~ 'Dancing In The Moonlight'
In my vase this Monday are three narcissus stems. I dallied as usual but finally placed my spring bulb order at the beginning of September last year. My order included a twenty bulbs of narcissus 'Moonlight Sensation', new to me and which just have to be the floriferous narcissus that you could ever wish to encounter. I'm delighted with them. There are just three stems in my vase. There are up to seven pale cream lightly scented flowers per flowering stem. I'm still making my mind up about the scent. She has a sister called 'Sunlight Sensation' which I might be tempted by later on this year. As the name suggests it is more of a bright yellow in colour than 'Moonlight Sensation'.
The cool April weather we have experienced has extended the flowering life not only of this beauty but other early spring flowers as well. It is allegedly warming up this week so we might finally enjoy some real spring weather. I certainly have had problems with germination in the greenhouse this year with slow, erratic and in some cases no germination at all of some seeds. I'm about to make second sowings of amaranthus caudatus, phlox 'Cherry Caramel' and rudbeckia 'Sahara'. The latter I would be most upset to be without but so far have only four seedlings. I don't think it's down to the compost but down to the low light levels and below average temperatures. Has anybody else experienced problems?
Thanks as always to the lovely Cathy who blogs over at 'Rambling In The Garden' and provides us with the opportunity to share our vases each Monday, whatever the vagaries of the season.
Monday 22 April 2024
IAVOM ~ Pink Champagne
It's another Monday and so a fresh vase is now residing on the kitchen windowsill and will brighten my view when I'm at the kitchen sink. In my vase this week are :
- Ranunculus - I'm improving when it comes to growing ranunculus but still haven't got it right. More stems were wonky than straight and I struggled to find three to stand up nice and straight in a vase. These were planted in a tray back in the autumn and have been grown under cover. I must admit to neglecting them a bit and perhaps should have moved them in to individual pots not long after sprouting so must try to remember this next time. They were bought as ranunculus' Champagne' - a mix of coral, peach and salmon colours but I think that somebody forgot to tell them and they have all produced ruffled pale pink veined flowers. Not a colour I would choose but still pleasant enough.
- Accompanying the ranunculus are a couple of stems of lunaria annua variegata alba, also known a variegated white honesty, which conveniently self-seeds each year. As well as shining in early spring and attracting pollinators, the papery seed-cases make for effective Christmas decorations either in vases or used in seasonal wreaths.
Wednesday 17 April 2024
Monday 8 April 2024
IAVOM ~ Here Today, Gone Tomorrow
Monday 1 April 2024
IAVOM ~ 'April Come She Will'
It has been a decidedly spring- like Easter - blue skies, sunshine and warmth here until today. True to form the weather is now in typical bank holiday mode and it's raining. At least we were able to enjoy two consecutive completely dry days. It seems an age since that last happened. Fortunately I picked some flowers in the dry of yesterday to sit on the dining room table namely :
- narcissus - there are two different varieties here but I'm not sure what they are other than one might possibly be 'Tresamble'.
- A nameless white hellebore which has seeded in profusion. I spent some of yesterday afternoon removing the seedlings.
- A single flower of hellebore x hybridus (Ashwood Evolution Group) Yellow Double that himself treated me to this year for my birthday.
- Muscari - again I know not which variety.
- A couple of the lovely little crocus 'Firefly'. These have flowered late but then they were planted later in the autumn.
- Finally a couple of stems of the thug that is lamium galaeobdolon variegatum. It does look attractive in it's spring glory but oh what an absolute nuisance. I think that our hostess Cathy over at 'Rambling In The Garden' would use the term 'devil plant' to describe it. Thanks Cathy as always for hosting.
Monday 18 March 2024
IAVOM ~ 'It Might As Well Be Spring'
It was a beautiful start to the day here - warm and sunny with more than a hint of spring in the air. After all we're now only two days away from that magical equinox. I headed in the direction of the garden more or less straightaway after breakfast to top up that green waste bin. It's now nestled securely in place waiting collection tomorrow. A spot of shopping after lunch and then time to pick a few snippets for this week's 'In A Vase On Monday'. Another trio this week comprising :
- Muscari 'Valerie Finnis' which is a most delightful baby blue colour.
- Ribes sanguineum 'Elvington's White' - this is a deciduous shrubs with leaves of a slightly dubious scent.
- A spriglet of the delicate looking flowers of Prunus incisa 'Kojo -no- mai' also known as the Fuji cherry - I have two of these plants. One is is in a pot whilst the other in the ground is bigger. It can grow into a small tree up to 2.5 metres (8ft) but mine isn't anywhere near that high. I think that this could be that it just doesn't get enough sun. It came into flower at least a couple of weeks ago.
Monday 11 March 2024
IAVOM ~ Snippets
Last week's most welcome run of consecutive dry days came to an abrupt end yesterday when it poured down for most of the day. Fortunately I took the weather forecast into account and picked a few flowers for this week's vase on Saturday, otherwise they would have been most bedraggled indeed. In my smallest of small vases are :
- Corydalis 'Purple Bird' - planted as corms last autumn. This variety is new to me and I'm looking forward to seeing it make more growth and hopefully a bigger impact next year. I believe that it quickly goes dormant so I must make sure that I mark the plants with labels.
- Iris reticulata 'Pixie' - this is also a variety that I've not planted before and I have been really pleased with it. Why though do my irises planted on the same day at the same depth refuse to open simaltaneously but emerge in fits and starts? This year I also grew 'Clairette' and 'Kathryn Hodgkins' - all equally lovely. Sadly they rarely survive into a second year in pots for me.
- Pulmonaria 'Blue Ensign' - the bluest of blues although I believe that there is an even bluer relative newcomer on the scene by the name of 'Miss Elly - definite shades of 'Dallas' there. I'm on the look out for her and hope that I might come across her at a plant sale that I'm hoping to get to later on this month.
- Last but not least peeping coyly from behind the iris is a sprig of cardamine quinquefolia. This hardy perennial is going over now and will disappear completely in late spring to emerge again at the back end of January/ early February. After eleven years what was once a small pot has morphed into a veritable pool of colour. It's an excellent companion for snowdrops and hellebores.
Monday 19 February 2024
IAVOM ~ Hellebore Days
Monday 12 February 2024
IAVOM ~ Just A Few Drops
- Galanthus 'Fieldgate Superb' with a distinctive X marking. There are a number of 'Fieldgate' snowdrops which all arrived as chance seedlings in the garden of the late Colin Mason who lived in Kenilworth. You can read more about them here. I have five 'Fieldgate' varieties and there is definitely room for more.
- 'Galanthus 'Wendy's Gold,' feeling shy on a dull day and refusing to open for the camera, perhaps because she is in a shadier border than the other snowdrops I picked. Her yellow ovary does shine out though. Like most yellow snowdrops she seems to clump up agonisingly slowly.
- Galanthus 'Trimmer' - lurking at the back and third from left. This one hasn't made into the garden yet but grows in a pot, which is overwintering in the greenhouse.
- Galanthus 'Viridapice' - this is the big boy of the group. Although the label has gone missing I'm reasonably sure of the identity.
- Galanthus 'Hans Guck In De Luft' (which translates as Johnny-Head-In-Air) with such soulful eyes. This is a fairly new arrival has still to make it from pot culture into the garden. The one original bulb has multiplied quickly. I will be planting one potful out this week and have three more pots waiting in the wings. There will soon be spares to share with friends.
- Galanthus 'Lost Label' - hiding behind young 'Hans' is a green tipped unknown variety. I will have to send a photo to my snowdrop friends to see if they know what it might be. Loosing labels doesn't upset me as much as it used to as the flower gives me exactly the same pleasure with or without a name. Still it's nice to know what's what.
- Galanthus 'Sutton Courtenay' - this one has an unmistakeable yellowish lime green ovary and the markings are the same colour.
- Last but not least is the distinctive 'Trumps' which I included in a vase some three weeks ago and which is still going strong. I must divide what is now a large clump.
Monday 29 January 2024
IAVOM ~ 'Reeling In The Years'
It's Monday again and I'm joining in with the 'In A Vase On Monday' meme which invites bloggers to share their flowers in a vase or alternative container. A great way to kick-start the new week! A quick pick and plonk from me late yesterday afternoon. In my vase are :
- Iris reticulata - I'm not sure what variety but possibly 'Clairette'. They have popped up over the last week in a pot set aside as I wasn't sure what was in it. No signs of any other occupants so far though.
- Helleborus x hybridus (Ashwood Evolution Group) Yellow Double' - this is a recent arrival and was a gift from himself as I celebrated one of those big birthdays that ends in a 0 last week. It's a beauty and now I need to find the perfect spot for it.
Monday 22 January 2024
IAVOM ~ 'Blowin' In The Wind'
- Stems of cornus sanguinea 'Anny's Winter Orange'.
- Stems of pittisporum' Silver Ball'.
- Flowers from one of my favourite snowdrops with the unfortunate name of 'Trumps'. I think that the snowdrop preceded the politician or certainly his arrival on the world's political stage. It has distinct green markings on the outside, flowers early and has clumped up well in the garden.
Thanks to Cathy over at 'Rambling In The Garden' for inviting us to share our vases little and large, whatever the weather or the season. Here another named winter storm is waiting in the wings for tomorrow but the weather gods are are promising to be more kind at the weekend. I'm looking forward to it!