I love the vibrant purple of this annual verbena, which doesn’t seem to know it is supposed to be an annual. It grows to about 18″ and is now drifting through the border, peeping out through neighbouring plants.
This piece of sari fabric was bought at the Womad world music festival circa 1998, and I drape it where it catches the light.
Add a Chinese Foxglove (Rehmannia) just coming into flower again, with thyme at the base, and the dragon willow for an oriental twist.
I also just wanted to show you the orchids I have in flower at the moment.
I’m still amazed I have been able to get them to this stage – they are all ‘rescue’ orchids and they do seem very happy on rain water and tomato feed once a week.
Joining in with Cathy’s Vase on Monday
And Cee’s Flower of the Day: Verbena
P.S. I am so thrilled with my autumn fruiting raspberries, now in their second year. I’ve had raspberries on my cereal for breakfast from July (summer fruiting) til now, with still more to come. The freezer has tubs of them to enjoy through the winter. I’ve also added them to cooked apples and pears for delicious puddings.
They are not in a fruit cage, they don’t need much attention and are not attacked by slugs, snails and sparrows, which seem to eat everything else!
I’ve decided that if I could only grow one plant this would be the one – what would your one plant be?
Ravelry
Wild Daffodil 
I love your use of colour. Hot pinks with orange or yellow is most pleasing.
I was interested to read that you use rainwater and tomorite on your orchids.
I shall have to try that.
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So glad you like my hot colour combos Dorris – I do love to play around with colour. For years I was hopeless with house plants but this method seems to work. I keep a watering can of rainwater in the kitchen so that it is room temperature for the orchids. I don’t know if that makes any difference but I don’t want to give their roots a shock. I’d love to hear how you get on.Good luck!
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The curving stem has a lot of character to your vase. Love the punch of the orange and purple.
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It is a good colour combo for impact isn’t it. Thanks for dropping by.
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Lovely arrangements and beautiful orchids! I have just been given an orchid and with my track record for killing them off I am quite nervous. Will follow the tip about feeding them though. I could not possible decide on just one plant…
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Just one plant is not a fair question is it! Do you have a favourite though?
With the orchids (as with all my house plants) I water them once a week – for me it is every Saturday morning. Some plants need a little top up during the week in hot weather, but I don’t think the orchids do. I really soak the orchids and leave them to stand in water for about an hour and then drain them. It seems to work. Good luck!
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Thanks! That info really helps a novice like me! 🙂
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I love plants like your verbena that ignore their classifications (annual) and continue to deliver. Your rescue orchids are doing marvelously!
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Thank you Kris, such a bonus to still have the verbena.
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So creative, apparently simple, but very deep as a concept!Love it!
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Thank you – I love that!
I like how you say ‘apparently simple’, as sometimes it takes as long to find the right blooms and twigs and then to stage it, for a seemingly simple arrangement as one with more flowers in it.
Your comment gives me a wonderful warm feeling. ❤
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I don’t know if I could pick just one plant to grow….I really love these creative vases with the crooked branches.
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Good thing we don’t have to pick just one isn’t it! So glad you like the vases.
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You have a great sense of color and drama in both arrangements. I love the way you used the Verbena making it look quite quirky.
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I love that you see drama and quirkiness Linda, that makes me very happy
😀
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Those orchids look lovely and doing so well! I would love to grow raspberries but in the other house when I had more garden I bought some canes once but they didn’t do anything – just died! 😦
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Oh no! A sad tale indeed! 😦
The orchids are a great source of wonder to me as I have tried so unsuccessfully before – but now By George I’ve got it!
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I love all the different colours in your arrangements and your orchids are just amazing. If I could only grow one vegetable and one fruit it would be asparagus and Autumn raspberries. As you say, no pests, no diseases, easy to harvest and prepare, expensive to buy and both are at their very best eaten within hours of harvest.
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Thank you for your lovely comment. I haven’t tried growing asparagus thinking that the preparation of the ground is so crucial, I’d probably get it wrong – but maybe I’ll look into it – I agree with all your reasons for growing it. I think you might have inspired me to give it a go!
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Such beautiful photos.
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Gosh Cee, really?! Thank you!!!
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Oh I really like the simplicity of this, Sandra – perfect in its uncomplicatedness! I trimmed back my twisted hazel a little this week (doh! just realised you were talking about ‘dragon willow’ whatever that is, and I was thinking it was twisted hazel…), thinking as I did so that I hadn’t used any in vases for an absolute age. I’m with you on the raspberries, but wouldn’t want to risk not having a fruit cage – but I only grow autumn fruiting ones and double crop them so have been picking and breakfasting and freezing for the same period
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So glad you like the simplicity – I don’t have many flowers in the garden so it is a necessity to make the most of what I have – fun too. I was given a twig of the twisted willow a few years ago and now it is a tree about 30′ tall. I was told it was a dragon willow – but maybe it has a different name.
I’m excited to hear about ‘double cropping’ how do you do that?!!
The autumn fruiting raspberries are so much bigger and more flavourful than the earlier ones.
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To ‘double crop’ autumn fruiting raspberries, don’t cut any canes back in autumn and they will produce a summer crop after which you cut out the fruited canes and the autumn crop will grow on the newer canes. Almost all of the varieties Which? tested produced more fruit in total and some by as much again – no brainer not to do it really. And cropping is spread over a longer period too.
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Wow! I’m definitely going to try that! Cathy, thank you so much for letting me know about it. Yum-yum!!!! ❤
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Oh yum yum indeed!
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I love your floral arrangements. I thought to begin with that you had used a pumpkin! Tomatoes would be my one plant!
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Thank you Cathy, so glad you like them – I love doing them and it makes it even more enjoyable to know I can share them here. Now a pumpkin would have been a good idea!
There is nothing like the smell of a freshly picked homegrown tomato is there – mmmmm!
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You really are so artistic Daffy with your creative ideas. Love the way you have arranged everything, The sari fabric is beautiful, and those little flowers are lovely.
Well done for the orchids as well, they are doing brilliantly! 🙂
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Oh thank you so much Eddie! Your comment makes me smile inside and out! xx
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That’s good 🙂
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