A Vase on Monday – Magenta

Lynchis coronaria, grown from seed collected from a neighbour’s garden, sitting in a Staffordshire pottery jug that was once part of a washstand set.

I just love the shape of this voluptuous jug and how the light catches the ripples. I bought it at an auction about 40 years ago. I got married in 1972 and we had very little money for furniture so I went to auctions and picked up chairs for £1 and our first TV for £2. I used to buy job lots of various things for £1 and this jug was in one of those job lots with the other bits and pieces of the washstand set.

It sits on a Laura Ashley tablecloth bought as a second from Laura Ashley in Bath at about the same time. The cloth is huge and has been used on tables groaning with food for many large family gatherings over the years.

oooo! that colour!

I swear magenta and turquoise cause a rush of endorphins every time I look at them! And these flowers just sing out in the garden as if they have lights inside them.

I’m also joining in with Cee’s Flower of the Day

The vase is photographed in front of my newly painted north facing garage wall – what a job that was! It took days to cover all the nooks and crannies but well worth it as it now reflects light back into the house. And will be a better backdrop for the painted pots.

(I was going to paint the opposite south facing wall of the bungalow too, but I can’t face it! It would take me weeks and is a horrid job.)

The large plastic pot (75ltr) 65cm diameter, on the left has been painted with turquoise eggshell paint, after a coat of universal primer and I have repotted a seedling clerodendrum, from its 50cm pot.

It is surrounded by lynchis, which looked a bit bedraggled after repotting, so I cut them back and hey presto! I had my flowers for the ‘Vase on Monday’.

I don’t know if this shrub will grow large enough in a pot to flower and produce its extraordinary fruits, but I am going to try. I think it might grow too big for the garden if I planted it out, its parent was huge! But of course I could not resist the gift of this seedling with a colour combo like this!I am also not sure how the paint will last on the plastic pots – another experiment. I’ll keep you posted. It lasts very well on the terracotta pots.

‘In a Vase on Monday’ is wonderfully hosted by Cathy, and there are some beautiful vases to be seen from all over the world if you pop on over to Rambling in the Garden for a peek.

The most exciting idea so far: from Susie at pbm garden