In a Vase on Monday – A very important visitor!

Sunday was a VERY special day chez Duver Diary, as we welcomed none other than Rambling in the Garden’s Cathy – our very own IaVoM Queen Bee – accompanied by the golfer, for lunch.   (nb That’s ‘my’ golfer in the photo, not hers!)

The outdoor arrangement was meant to be celebratory, but it was also supposed to (vaguely!) match the napkins.  It was made up of a general melee of dahlias (‘Roxy’ and ‘Happy Single Date’), Diascia ‘Green Wicky’, Helenium, Zinnia ‘Queen Red Lime’ and first ever pickings of Anisodontea (I think) ‘El Royo’.  I planted two quite large plants of this towards the back of the Swing Beds and, having now settled in well, they were ready for the chop!

Inside, for the kitchen table, I made a softer arrangement of more Zinnias, together with Rosa ‘Jubilee Celebration,’ Phlomis foliage and some grass heads, which I think are a Pennisetum.  I thought I’d grown them originally from Special Plants seeds, but she no longer seems to have them for sale, so perhaps I’m mistaken.  Anyway, Cathy was rather taken with them, so I dug up a clump for her to take with her, along with a couple of ‘Surcouf’ Perlargoniums.

However, on the plant swap subject, I was definitely ahead!  The purpose of this photo was to capture both the arrangement and the wonderful stash of plant goodies perched on the windowsill outside which Cathy had brought for me – a Gaura, Persicaria, Verbascum AND foxgloves – lucky me!

We had a very jolly lunch and, for those of you who haven’t met her (and I now understand there are more than a dozen bloggers who have!) she’s every bit as lovely as you would expect.

Thanks as ever for hosting Cathy!

In a vase on Monday – A pair of Queens

The key blooms in today’s vase are Zinnia elegans ‘Queeny Lime Red’ and Rosa ‘Jubilee Celebration’ named by David Austin for the Queen’s Golden Jubilee.  (Cathy would have found a couple of playing cards to add as props to the photo, but I’m sorry, I’m just not that organised!)

There are also a few sweet peas – I think this is ‘Painted Lady’ but a bit confused as I thought ‘Painted Lady’ was more obviously bi-coloured but can’t think it’s anything else I planted this year.  And there are also a few stems of Digitalis ‘Polkadot Pippa’, Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ and if you look really closely at the top photo, Erysimum ‘Red Jep’

And just because I’m currently a bit obsessed with the little vases, another array up for inspection.  This time Verbascum chaixii ‘Album’ (grown from seed ages ago and still self seeding around) and Sweet pea ‘Mrs Collier.’ 

With thanks to Cathy who hosts this meme every week and is this week ‘propping’ with Chinese sampans!

In a vase on Monday – Celebration!

I seem to have got rather ‘stuck’ using this glass trough and various pinks and greens – but here we go again….

The title this week relates to the big blousy ‘Jubilee Celebration’ roses – and the Saturday wedding of our neighbours’ lovely daughter – what a fabulous do!

All these ‘Jubilee Celebration’ blooms came from one sumptuous branch and I thought rather than leave them on the bush, I’d bring them inside.

To these roses I added some darker pink flower carpet roses and ‘Prince Edward of York’ sweet peas.

And then for contrast Dianthus ‘Green Wicky’ and Zinnia ‘Benary ‘Giant Lime.

Here’s the other side – very much more of the same.

I don’t suppose it’ll be long before there are petals all over the kitchen table, but in the meantime I’m enjoying both the scent and the scene! 

With thanks to Cathy who hosts all our Monday vases – and has a very impressive array of dahlias to share this week!

In a vase on Monday – Bon bon Bank Holiday!

A very ‘sherberty’ arrangement for the Bank Holiday (and the visit of the Mother in Law).

Like Cathy this week, I used chicken wire as the blooms were so heavy I couldn’t get them to ‘wedge’ in such an open vase, but also like Cathy, I noted that it was none too forgiving when you wanted to rearrange!  However, I’ll definitely forgive it, as I don’t want to use oasis, and even if I did, I couldn’t in a glass vase!

The blooms were arranged on Friday and already by the time I took this picture the ‘St Swithun’ rose (in the centre) was looking a little droopy, and a couple of the Zinnias a little crusty.

Zinnias generally last really well in a vase, and the majority of these ‘Benary Giant Limes’  will be looking good for days, together with the gorgeous rose, ‘Jubilee Celebration’.  I think perhaps the crusty one’s stem had simply missed the water – oops!

Wishing you all a fabulous Bank Holiday – with or without bon bons!

With thanks to Cathy who hosts all our Monday vases.

In a vase on Monday – Kitchen sink!

The colour theme of this vase was supposed to be simply orange, with some contrasting purple from the Asters.  However, with the original pickings looking far too mean, I broadened the remit.

One thing led to another, and I’ve ended up with a rather random selection of the original planned Pat Austin roses (already looking a little floppy by the time I took the photo) Euphorbia characias ‘Wulfenii’ and Asters,  then being joined by Zinnias, both ‘Benary Giant Lime’ and ‘Queen Red Lime,’

a single stem of Antirrhinum ‘Orange Wonder,’ seed heads from Arum italicum pictum,

Dahlia ‘Happy Single Date’ and Rosa ‘Jubilee Celebration’

I think it was Constance Spry who said when flower arranging you should ‘allow room for the butterflies’ – I think it’s fair to say by the time I’d finished cramming, there was probably only space for a Small Blue!

Why don’t you pop over to Cathy’s blog to see what others have picked for their vases this Monday?

In a vase on Monday – let’s hear it for the girls!

Friday saw my sister in law arriving for lunch and bringing my mother in law who was staying for the weekend.

Whilst normal people would have spent the previous evening (having arrived home at 8pm after travelling home by train with the dog following a Waterloo handover with the son!) tidying, cleaning and fretting about lunch, I concentrated on bringing some of the amazing pink abundance going on outside, inside.

The vase is a mix of roses – ‘St Swithun’, ‘Jubilee Celebration’ (and a couple of unknown ones), together with Peony ‘Sarah Bernhardt’ and Diascia personata.

I think our guests were much more impressed with the lobster lunch the OH knocked up while I was working, but I liked the flaaaars!

Just before signing off, I though I’d share last week’s similarly hued vase ‘on a desk’.  Those of you who have been following for a while know that I try to take a vase of flowers to the office each week.  Bearing in mind they travel by car, ferry, train and train without water, some arrive in better condition than others, but this one was fabulous.  Beautifully scented and lasted really well.  Almost made the day job bearable!

With thanks to Cathy who corrals all of us crazy IaVoMers.  Thanks Cathy!

In a vase on Monday – rosy posy

I posted a vase of roses here for my 27th Wedding Anniversary, and this one’s for my 31st on Wednesday.

I couldn’t run to the silver bowl used on the previous occasion as it needs a clean and I was running out of time and light!  Instead I’ve used the glass trough, used numerous times before.  However, this time, if you look carefully, you’ll see I’ve put in some chicken wire as otherwise the top heavy blooms would fall straight out!

There are four different varieties roses.  This first one is an inherited one by the steps which sadly I don’t have the name for – it smells divine – 

next, Pat Austin, who also featured in the vase a fortnight ago,

next Korizont

and lastly, the wonderful Jubilee Celebration.

With thanks to Cathy who hosts all out Monday vases.  Why don’t you pop over and see what others have in their vases this week?

In a vase on Monday – Sweet!

Just a quick one today, actually created last Monday from a huge bunch of sweet peas (largely) picked in the greenhouse in the dark!  I added the lovely rose, ‘Jubilee Celebration,’ to heighten the sweet scent and plonked them on the kitchen table for the OH to enjoy while I was up in the smoke.

Sadly it wasn’t looking quite so peachy by the time I returned on Thursday, but I’ve just picked similar blooms again and think I might make them this week’s ‘blooms on a desk’ so that I can enjoy them!

Why don’t you see what others have created this week over at Cathy’s blog, Rambling in the Garden?

Happy Monday!

 

In a vase on Monday – bronze cup?

Having shared one of the lovely Rosa ‘Jubilee Celebration’ blooms in a Wordless Wednesday earlier in the month, I cut three for today’s vase and there were still some left behind.

These were joined by more of the rose hips from Rosa Wedding Day (which I used in the golf dinner flowers) as well as a couple of tawny Nasturtiums.

The final component was the Ceratostigma seed heads

Not only does this plant have these funky, whiskery seed heads at this time of year, but it also has fabulous pinky bronze leaves (and for those of you who don’t know the plant, stunning bright blue flowers in late summer).

Why don’t you go over to Rambling in the Garden to see what Cathy and others have found this week?

Wordless Wednesday – continuing Jubilee Celebrations