In a vase on Monday – sweet peas two ways

Two vases this week, both made last Thursday evening in honour of the mother-in-law’s visit. The first, above, in the second outing of the new vase, was made for her bedroom and has been a little tweaked this morning to add some fresh sweet peas and roses.

It consists of this lovely geranium (which doesn’t last long in the garden, but has actually done well in the vase).  I haven’t got any G ‘Rozanne’ but perhaps I should, as I understand she flowers for a long time.  Any thoughts on how well she does as a cut flower?

Added to this was the rose (inherited so names less),

some Nepeta ‘Six Hills Giant’ (which has lasted very well)

and of course the ‘Winter Sunshine’ sweet peas – really pumping out now.

The second one is definitely fading so no close ups!

This one has the lovely peony ‘Sarah Bernhardt’ together with non flowering spikes of Euphorbia characias Wulfenii and pink sweet peas, but the real success here is the Diascia personata.  I just love the dusky pink colour and it’s survived really well bearing in mind this one’s been in a hot kitchen for four days.  I think you might be seeing more of this!

With thanks to Cathy who host this lovely meme.  And I’m not even going to talk about the news this week, but instead concentrate on the flaaars.

In a vase on Monday – Repeat (Repeat)

Today’s vase is largely a repeat of last week’s with Erysimum Bowles Mauve, Cerinthe major purpurescens

Winter Sunshine Sweet Peas and, this week, the addition of some Anemone Coronaria.

But oh, what’s also joined the Repeat Repeat jug featured last week?  Two beautiful mugs!

My lovely friend Jo who came to stay this weekend was looking for a gift to bring and, reading my comment last week “they do mugs too, but so far I’ve resisted”,  generously ordered them and they were delivered on Saturday, much to my obvious delight!

So, thanks to Cathy for hosting this lovely meme, but huge thanks too to Jo, for making a little dream come true!

Now, what shall I wish for this week?

End of month view – November 2016

I took these photos in Monday’s gorgeous sunshine and it’s now Friday and I’m only just getting round to posting.  Ooops.

There’s not much colour now, but the late blooming Salvias are really earning their keep and there are even a few annuals, such as the Nicotianas still blooming.

The Grass Bed is being overwhelmed with self seeded Cerinthe and Nasturtium.  The Nasturtiums need to be hauled out and binned, but I’d like to replant some of the Cerinthe elsewhere and hence at the moment I’ve left them where they are.  Funnily enough though, they haven’t stopped growing while I procrastinate, and I’m now in danger of losing the path altogether! 

Near the house, the Flower Carpet roses are still pumping out new buds:

Whereas the Bronze Bed is now in dire need of sorting, with my lovely ‘Happy Single Date’ dahlias now only sad stalks.

A little clearing and planting has been done.  I’ve cleared all the dead Hosta foliage,

in the drive bed I’ve finally planted out some seedlings –  Erysimums and Digitalis and also some new Narcissus ‘Thalia’ bulbs.

And in the troughs I’ve finally chucked out the old leggy Stocks, Matthiola incana, and replanted with new ones grown from cuttings.  I’ve also planted Narcissus ‘Minnow’ here.

In the greenhouse, I’ve brought in some succulents

and tender plants

and also got my ‘Winter Sunshine’ Sweet Peas coming (although sadly not one of the cream ones, weird)

And the final thing in the greenhouse?  Ah yes, a large box of unplanted bulbs.  Roll on the weekend.

With thanks to Helen at the Patient Gardener who hosts EoMV.

In a vase on Monday – more golf flowers

Another golfing event – the Captain’s Dinner – led to another request for flowers.  I have to say a couple of weeks ago I was less than enthusiastic as, to my eyes, the garden was full of dying bulb foliage and not much else, but things have definitely moved on, and in the end there was plenty to choose from.

I only needed to prepare eight table decorations, plus one larger one, so the pressure was off compared to the original set of 20 in October .  The first plant I have copious amounts of currently is Cerinthe purpurescens.  This has self seeded everywhere to the extent that cutting for the arrangements was actually beneficial to clear it away from paths and grass.

For the purple arrangements I started with the Cerinthe and added purple sweet peas (still the Winter Sunshine ones from the greenhouse), Erysimum ‘Bowles Mauve’ and a few springs of lavender.

The pink arrangements contained Madame Gregoire Staechelin roses,  Euphorbia, Erysimum, Daucus Carota ‘Black Knight’ and a sweet pea that has self seeded in a large trough containing an Olive tree.  I think this is Lathyrus tingitanus which I grew two years ago in the greenhouse.  Quite how it’s found its way outside I have no idea, but I love the tendrils and its delightful colouring.  Sadly it has no scent.

The white and green contained more Euphorbia, as well as Matthiola incana, white Winter Sunshine Sweet Peas and a couple of Calendula buds.

And the carnival pink and orange pair had more Cerinthe, Geum ‘Totally Tangerine,’ buds of Rosa ‘Pat Austin’ and Pelargonium ‘Surcouf’

As well as the table decorations I threw together a larger arrangement which was designed around anything I could find that had some stem length.  The foliage was bronze fennel and black cow parsley (both of which seemed to be inclined to droop), with Euphorbia, larger heads of Daucus Carota,  Nectoscordum siculum, Allium ‘Purple Sensation’, Sisyrinchium striatum and Rosa ‘Snow Goose’.

With many thanks to Cathy for hosting this lovely meme.  Why don’t you see what others have in their vases this Bank Holiday?  Now I must get in the garden!

In a vase on Monday – heaven scent

Today’s vase not only has more of my lovely ‘Winter Sunshine’ Sweet Peas, but also Matthiola Incana which has just started flowering in the troughs which sit below the raised decking.  You can see them in the background of this photo.

To the two scented plants I added more Cerinthe major purpurescens and Tulip ‘Queen of the Night‘

I’ve now moved the little jugful onto the kitchen table and it’s doing a very good job of scenting the whole room.  Mmmm.

With thanks to Cathy at Rambling in the Garden for hosting all our Monday vases.  Why don’t you go and see what everyone else has been picking?

Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day – April 2016

A day late with GBBD as it poured with rain yesterday and I only manged to sneak a few photos before heading off to the twin Friday night excitements of Zumba followed by supper with friends.  And then today was largely spent working on the latest assignment for my planting design college course due in on Tuesday – yikes!

I took a few more photos this morning, so there’s now a mix of two very different days.

After the joy of last year’s new bulbs – largely tulips in the Swing Beds – I splashed out last autumn on more bulbs, this time for the two new beds – the MCB above and the Bronze Bed on the other side of the garden.  In addition, I planted up a number of ‘bulb lasagnes’ in pots, and it has been an absolute joy watching all the slow motion fireworks.

In the Mid Century Bed

there are Narcissus ‘Thalia’

together with Tulip ‘Merry Go Round’, which have also been planted in the trough by the front steps.

In the Swing Beds I’m delighted that some of the tulips have returned – these are Tulip ‘Pink Impression,’ in the right hand end of the Swing Bed, looking towards…

…the Grass Bed, which featured in last week’s Wordless Wednesday, with Forget me nots and Narcissus ‘Peeping Jenny’

On the other side of the garden, the Bronze Bed, which was looking rather handsome with the Hamamelis and Narcissus ‘Cragford,’ has now been invaded by both Narcissus ‘Yazz’ and Tulip ‘Jimmy’.  To be honest, I think if’ I’d known how many blooms I get with the ‘Cragfords’ and how long flowering they’d be I don’t think I’d have bothered with the ‘Yazz’.  

In pots I have the beautiful and rather dainty Narcissus ‘Lieke’

contrasting rather strongly with the mad front door pots of Narcissus ‘Jack Snipe,’ Tulip ‘Matrix.’ If you look closely you’ll see Tulip ‘Recreado’ is also joining the party.

And the greenhouse pots are still flowering well with Narcissus ‘Bellsong’ and Tulip ‘Apricot Impression’.

Aside from all the bulbs, I have Matthiola Incana just starting to come into bloom in the troughs,

Plenty of Cerinthe self seeded in the pebbly paths

a few Fritillaria meleagris in the grass

and some brave Pelargoniums, P. Surcouf which have been outside all winter.

Oh and have I mentioned the sweet peas, Owl’s Acre ‘Winter Sunshine’ in the greenhouse?

And lastly, a bit chilly still, but the Diving Lady is contemplating making a splash in a rather purple pool.

With thanks to Carol at May Dreams Gardens who hosts everyone’s GBBD.  Why don’t you go and see what’s making a splash in others’ gardens?

My name’s Jenny and I’m a seedaholic

I’ve always loved growing plants from seed and last year, following an email from Chiltern Seeds announcing that they were offering a 20% discount for November’s Black Friday, I went a little mad on the ordering.

I’ve already sown the majority of the hardy annuals, and they’re starting to appear.  So exciting!

The good news is that the number of different seeds is under 100, but the bad news is it’s definitely well over 60, so I’ve set up a spreasheet to try to keep track of things.

Following another seed sowing session today, I’ve filled in all the sowing dates of everything, and am almost feeling on top of things.

The only thing to worry about now is where on earth they’re all going to go…

Meanwhile here is the latest progress of the ‘Winter Sunshine’ sweet peas  from Owl’s Acre.  They’re supposed to flower in March under glass.  I’m not holding my breath.

What are you growing from seed this year?  And who’s your favourite supplier?

Happy sowing!