Wordless Wednesday ~ Dahlia 'Night Silence'

 

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.

The vase was one that my mother had and passed on to me when she stopped using it.

Thanks to Cathy over at 'Rambling In The Garden' who encourages to share our vases every Monday. I'm looking forward to seeing what is  other vases  today and will no doubt be adding more plants to the wish list as I do so. Wishing everyone a happy month ahead!