In a Vase on Monday: Pink Dandelions

These pink dandelions are SO pretty – I love them

and don’t you think they look just right with the chartreuse green of Lady’s Mantle

They are the colour of Rose Quartz and shell pink

I am completely in love!

Joining Rambling in the Garden for In a Vase on Monday

and

Cee’s Flower of the Day

 

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In a Vase on Monday

Nigella seed heads sit in a beautiful Green Spode jug, given to me many years ago by my mother-in-law.

It sits on the turquoise crocheted mandala which I have just finished, at last! It has been sitting in the WiPs pile for far too long. I will write another post soon about the edging I made.

I am joining in with In a Vase on Monday, Cathy’s weekly meme, where gardeners from all over the world pop things in a vase for us all to enjoy.

Gardeners are a generous lot and sharing seeds and plants is one of the great joys of gardening.

Cathy, very kindly, sent me some pink dandelions seeds last year. I sowed some in the garden but none came up. This year I sowed them in a Veg Trug, and the first one came into bloom at the weekend

So pretty.

Another gardening triumph this year are these

my friend Anne’s Angels Fishing Rods, grown from seed harvested from her garden at least 6 years ago – this is the first year they have flowered. I am so proud that I have managed to keep them going for 6 years not knowing if they would ever flower or not – it is a minor miracle. They are tall and beautiful, but hard to photograph to show their full splendour, dancing in the breeze.

Friend Andy is represented in my garden in Loganberry form 🙂

I gave him a plant from my garden in about 2004, I moved a couple of times and then, when I moved to this house, he gave me a plant from his.

Then there is the gorgeous Hot Princess! My Flower of the Day, given to me by Nanacathy for my birthday.

She is such a gorgeous rose, all pink perfection with a beautiful delicate scent. She seems very happy here and has given me the confidence to try a few more roses in the border for next year.

I am also joining in with my daughter @newgatenarcissi for her  #gardencollagemonthly

She is just getting into gardening and was so thrilled that a few of you joined in last month. Thank you ❤

I chose all the pinks for my July collage.

It is a great way to feel good about the garden and ignore all the work still to be done.

Happy Gardening!

In a Vase on Monday

I was standing at the kitchen sink wondering what to put in a vase today and saw these 3 right in front of me on my windowsill – odd bits and pieces, picked up at various times as I wander round the garden and a cutting from a succulent house plant.

On the left, in a Chive vase, is a perennial white wallflower, grown from seed harvested from a friend’s garden. The scent at dusk is divine.

My sister and I were amazed and delighted to be photographed for the Chelsea Flower show magazine and website when we were on the Chive Stand in 2016

I didn’t take the name of the photographer, so I can’t credit her, but she took the photo because our colours matched the stand.  🙂

Oh, that was such a special day. A day on which I was so excited to meet Dorris!

The feather is from the guinea fowl who often visit from a neighbour across the field.

One on my roof one frosty morning in March

Strange creatures! Making strange noises ……..

and there is a pigeon nesting in my bay tree, constantly cooing all day

Sparrows are nesting in the cotoneaster and under the tiles on my garage roof, twiitering away …….

I have had to get the tinsel out to stop them from eating my salad leaves

April and May are my favourite months in garden

It is all very sensual and sexy out there!

This year I am missing the Brompton Stocks and wallflowers which provided so much colour last year, but my new long border (see the the beginnings of it here) still gives me huge amounts of pleasure as it wakes up in the warmer weather.

I am joining Cathy and her happy band of gardeners from around the world for this week’s In a Vase on Monday, pop along over there for a mass of floral delights.

Also joining in with Cee’s Flower of the Day with my very favourite scented Iris, smelling so sweetly of pear drops

Stick your nose in here!

Astrantia

A crown for the goddess Astrantia.

With her attending angel.

I have been following Floral Forager on Instagram, she also has a website.

So inspiring! She makes wonderful headdresses and this is where the idea took me.

I sought out the frame after seeing these wonderful creations at the Chelsea Flower Show in 2016. I can’t remember exactly where I got the frame from now, I think it was from an Etsy site –  it might have been this one: Geckomeister.

The angel etched in a glass block – how do they do that??? comes from St David’s Cathedral shop. I bought one for each of my grandchildren as a christening present.

I’m joining Cathy for her IAVOM meme, where we pop something in a vase (ahem) from our gardens and share our arrangements with other gardeneners all over the world.

You can see my more conventional arrangement using Astrantia here.

Yesterday I had the utter joy of going to the Rare Plant Fair at Sculpture by the Lakes

 

I bought 3 plants

An alstroemeria, a trailing snapdragon which sounds almost too good to be true and some quaking grass.

My daughter chose alstroemerias as the main flower to decorate the marquee for her wedding reception so they have a special place in my heart – I hope I can grow them – any tips?

Also joining

Cee’s FOTD

North Dorset

On Wednesdays, after school,  I take my granddaughter Miss E to her Gym Class. In the winter I am happy to sit for the two hours with crochet and a flask of tea, listening to podcasts on my iPad, but yesterday was such a lovely evening, I dropped her off and drove on for about 10 minutes and went for a walk.

 

Is this a Six Spot Burnet moth?

Joining Cee’s Flower of the Day.

In a Vase on Monday

Spring!

These lovely narcissi smell of spring. My daughter’s new home was once a Market Garden and the house sits amidst a field of these gorgeously uplifting bright blooms.

She is currently looking at how she might sell some of the flowers and/or the bulbs, so any hints and tips you might have would be gratefully received.

I have put them with cerinthe from my own garden, which seeded itself last year and survived the winter.

They sit in a metal jug which was made in Yugoslavia and bought for me by my Mum from a market stall. The crocheted pansy doily was made by my step-grandmother who I adored – she taught me many handicrafts including Hardanger embroidery. You can see the culmination of a wonderful Sew-Along over on Kathy’s blog – so pretty.

I am joining in with Rambling in the Garden’s ‘In a Vase on Monday’ meme.

Also joining Cee’s Flower of the Day.

Edit:

I just had to add this from my garden just now

Amelanchier against a blue sky – Sprinnnnggggggg!

In a Nest on Monday

Hellebore and Hebe in a Lost Garden.

This little hebe is the star of the show in my garden at the moment, I just love it’s pink tips.

The hellebore sits in one of last year’s blackbird’s nest found in the loganberry which is trained against a wooden fence.

The crochet mandala is a pattern by Helen Shrimpton, called Lost Garden and inspired by the Lost Gardens of Helligan. It will be a blanket.

I had a play with the photo to create a more vintage look

Which do you prefer?

Do you think either would make a good greetings card?

Pop along over to Cathy’s Garden blog and see what gardeners all over the world are putting in a Vase this Monday.

Edit:

I’m adding a close up for Cee’s Flower of the Day

In a Vase in December

Brigthening up the grey December days, these are flowers from the pelargoniums I brought in from the garden at the end of October. They are flowering again.

They sit colourfully in the vase with Euonymous.

The backdrop is my current crochet work-in-progress. The Amanzi throw by Jen Tyler.

Worked in Stylecraft Special DK and a 4.5mm hook.

Joining in with Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.

and Cee’s FOTD

 

Wordless Wednesday: Dark Beauty

In a Frida Vase on Monday

My son-in-law was helping with a house clearance this week and he rescued this vase for me, isn’t that lovely of him!!! And my daughter said – “a Vase for Monday!”

I immediately thought the vase had a Kahloesque look about it. You might already know I am a big fan of Frida!

An opportunity to get those candles out again.

Does anyone know what the mauve flowers are – they seed themselves freely around the garden?

I am thoroughy enjoying the heady scented mix of honeysuckle and philadelphus.

And philadelphus is my entry for Cee’s Flower of the Day.

There is a Frida Kahlo exhibition on at the V and A at the moment – I hope to go and see it, but it is hard to think of getting on a train and travelling to London whilst we are enjoying such glorious sunny weather.

Do you have anything to pop in a vase this Monday – if so do join in with Cathy over at Rambling in the Garden – such a fun gathering of gardeners.

I must just share another beauty of a sunset we had last night

Venus

Mystery Flower and Vase on Monday

The mystery flower from this month’s Monthly Meet-Up Photo Challenge is a Cactus flower. I have no idea of the name of the cactus – do you know?

It is not too late to enter the challenge – just add your flower photos to the comments in the post. You can see each Month’s prompt word here.

I am delighted with the flowers as for years this gifted cactus sat forlornly on a shelf sulking – then I discovered that it needed watering more often than I had been doing, feeding, and it needed a period of drought in the winter. Ta dah! Beautiful pink flowers!

Joining Cathy’s crew for In a Vase on Monday

Follow the link to see lots of beautiful vases from gardeners all over the world.

The giraffe with the fancy pink hardo of antirrhinum is a vase from Chive.

The Zebra, carrying forget-me-nots on its back is a little coffee cup I found in a charity shop.

The antirrihnum has been sitting in bud for months, waiting for the sunshine, in this south facing Veg Trug

and now it has burst forth into luscious blooms

Don’t you just love the complicated design of this playful snapdragon, it  intrigues me and delights the children. They love to squeeze it’s cheeks so that it opens its dragony mouth and then snap it shut again.

Joining in with Cee’s Flower of the Day.

Snow and Vase on Monday

I could only light the candle once inside, the wind is fierce today.

Happy Sixth Blogging Anniversary Cathy!!

This is where the hellebores came from this morning

and the hebe

Other flowers had snowy hats on too

The hyacinth above is my entry into Cee’s Flower of the Day.

Not exactly Easter Island weather

and this dear little pot seems to have a white fluffy stole on to keep warm

Pop over to Cathy’s and see what others have found to pop in a vase this Monday.

Purple Loosestrife

One of my Welsh second cousins came to stay and I put some flowers in her bedroom:

Self sown Purple Loosestrife and Honeysuckle, grown from a cutting, in a small ceramic cube vase from Chive.

Joining Cathy at Rambling in the Garden

and

Cee’s Flower of the Day

The vase sits next to a little Cathedral Window patchwork sampler that I made about 30 years ago. If you want to know how it is done here is a You Tube tutorial.

The tablecloth is a charity shop find that I’ve had for about the same length of time.

I wanted to take my cousin on my favourite walk and as it was a glorious day we joined my daughter and her children. If you remember Little Miss M recently said that she wanted to walk 500 miles with me, we decided to make a start:

 

Little Miss M had brought along the walking stick she had made when I took the 3 of them to Kingston Lacy and they did a woodworking workshop there.

 

We contemplated the walk ahead.

We all set off singing the Proclaimers Song at the tops of our voices

Currently one of Little Miss M’s favourite songs.

A wonderful walk ….

stopping at St Catherine’s Chapel for a snack and to enjoy the view

and then walking across the top of the hill to look back at where we had come from

We walked back down to cafe near the beach for some lunch and then to the beach for some pebble decorating. After that, a bit more walking along the beach to a huge drainage pipe that the children love running up and down inside, splashing in the water and hearing the echo of their voices.

When we got back to the car, according to the App on my daughter’s phone we had walked 4.7 miles …….. it’s a start!

Related Posts:

In a Vase on Monday in Japan

Magenta with a dash of Lime

Beach Clean with another cube vase

Thrift

Photos taken at Sculpture by the Lakes in May 2014 of this bronze sculpture surrounded by thrift.

joining Cee’s Flower of the Day

and look, it’s the same colour as my handbag

If you ever get a chance to go to these gardens, go – it is the most stunningly beautiful, peaceful spot with spectacular sculpture and superb garden design all to the highest quality.

On the subject of ‘thrift’ does mending count? bringing me right back down to earth …….

…the pile of mending and alterations that sit on the end of my sofa waiting for me to be in the right mood to tackle it. Bimbo’s ear and a couple of his seams need attention and the doll needs her foot. The rest of it (mostly for grandhchildren) is much less appealing!

Thank you for all the entires to this week’s  Photo Challenge, I’m a little late to the party this week, but managed to squeak in. Leave a link in the comments to be included in the monthly round-up.

Fox and Cubs in a Giraffe on Monday

The vases are from Chive.com

Hawkweed or Fox and Cubs  have seeded themselves in my gravel garden, I love the rich colour

However, apparently I should not be encouraging it in the garden as it can be a rampant weed.  So disappointing. For now I’m going to enjoy it, just as the insects are.

Teaming it with this gorgeous achillea – oof! I LOVE that colour combo.

Add in the lavender and I’m a happy colour-loving bunny. All three plants are  much loved by the insects – there’s a whole lot of buzzing going on!

Joining Cathy at Rambling in the Garden for her fun Monday get together of gardeners all over the world.

and

Cee’s Flower of the Day

In a Vase on Monday: Pulmonaria

 

Just back from a wonderfully exotic and quite crazy 2 weeks on the island of Nevis, in the Caribbean. I was on a Ben Waters ‘Rock n Roll holiday’ , he was playing at the Nevis Blues Festival – more to come on all of that!

Driving home from Gatwick airport on Thursday I was struck by how beautiful England is – cherry trees and others full of blossom… and bluebells – so early! I’m trying not to be concerned about that and enjoy their beauty.

Before I even went through my front door, I checked round my garden to see how everyone had been doing in the two weeks I had been away. Aquilegia already flowering and so many Spring bulbs needing dead-heading. The Pulmonaria was past its best and flopped over from the middle, so I grabbed handfuls and cut it back. There were still some pink blossoms to enjoy so I plonked them all in a couple of white jugs.

I nestled them amongst some exotic blooms that greeted me inside the house

I’m delighted with this one on a cactus and am entering it in Cee’s Flower of the Day

The red Amaryllis weren’t planted until January, but they don’t seem to have minded their late planting. The one still in bud is one from last year, flowering again – the first time I have had one flower a second year – I’m thrilled.

A couple of Vases from my holiday:

This one greeted us as we arrived at our luxury home up on the mountain

and I put these few blooms from the garden in a wine glass on the last day, with IAVOM in mind

leaving it as a little thank you to the house.

It is taking a while to get back in the swing of things and I know you have had glorious weather in England whilst I have been away as my garden needs watering.

As much as it is fabulous to experience foreign climes, other cultures and meet some wonderful people – it is so good to be home, especially at this time of year.

Pop across to Cathy to see all the April wonders of ‘In a Vase on Monday’.

October Birthday Blooms

It was my daughter’s birthday yesterday, so I picked what my garden had to offer. A rather strange mix of colours, but definitely autumnal.

They sit in a metal jug that has ‘Made in Yugoslavia’ printed on the base – a bit of European history as Yugoslavia no longer exists. What a complicated story that piece of the world has.

I have included leaves of Liquid Amber and the berries of this shrub

Can anyone tell me what it is? Cathy?

Joining Cathy’s garden party over on Rambling in the Garden which a such a wonderful celebration of flowers in bloom all over the world

I included Pheasant berries

Lusciousness!

And self-sown asters

which are a-buzz with flies and bees at this time of year

I’m hoping someone can identify this bee

Murtagh’s Meadow will know, I’m sure.

I’ve learnt from her website that many bees are identified by their bums! – so here it is..

The butterflies love it too

And at night I see little pale moths flitting around it. My front garden is a mess by my neighbour’s standards but it really is a wildlife haven and I love it.

I had to include one of my favourites, Schizostylis – has this got a prettier common name?

It’s fairy’s skirt of a flower deserves a better name. I love the twist of the bud

and the tint and pattern of the stalk carrying the waiting blooms.

Today she is dancing in to Cee’s Flower of the Day.

 

~

 

Summer

washed through with bright hope

looking up at Summer skies

drinking in the rays

Cee’s Flower of the Day

Ronovan’s Haiku Challenge, prompt words: HOPE and UP

Our Weekly Photo Challenge: SUMMER

I was wondering which photo to choose to represent Summer and walked out of my front door to be greeted by the first Stargazer Lily to open this year – mmmmm that scent – mmmm those colours – says Summer to me.

What would your SUMMER photo be – to join in, leave a link in the comments.

Click here to see the prompts for the coming weeks

Next week’s Photo Challenge Prompt

STREET

IaVoM

Several of the components in this vase have seeded themselves: buddleia, golden marjoram, pink mallow, and the unknown umbellifer. But my garden, this year is strangely lacking in self-sown foxgloves. I usually have masses. So I have sown some perennial ‘Snowy Mountain’, which I bought at Chelsea. Should I wait to sow the others, the biennial ones, in the Spring or get on with it now?

 

The red lobelia was on offer at the end of last summer and is doing well, I’ve even grown more from flowers that I picked – they rooted in the vase. They are growing next to the monbretia and the Gardener’s Gaiters in the front border and I do love the combination.

The Peace Pole was added because it was right where I have put the vase on display in the house, and with all the terrible things happening in the world, one can always do with a Peace Pole.

It has ‘May Peace Prevail on Earth’ written in a different language on each of the four sides. You can read more about Peace Poles by clicking on the link:

Peace Poles

Joining Cathy’s fabulous floral garden party at Rambling in the Garden.

And for Cee’s Flower of the Day, here is a closer look at the buddleia.

No wonder butterflies love them.

Beach Clean Vase on Monday

Still a little obsessed with my latest project – Beach Clean Art, I have set this oh-so-cute square vase filled with monbretia in front of one of my in-progress paintings and surrounded it with bits and pieces I have collected from the beach whilst doing my bit for the 2 Minute Beach Clean.

and

using these beach clean pieces for a backdrop again, this time complete with beach clean ‘Cleopatra’

and Tate Modern brooch

Tate Modern is selling these as a fund raiser to celebrate the new extension – exciting times, I hope to visit soon.

I have been developing the background canvases I showed you in this post, with a bit of stamping

A very roughly drawn ammonite (with a pencil) on the back of a polystryrene pizza packing disc has created some pretty good stamps I think.

I’ve been playing with bits of beach-clean to see which will make the finished piece.

These pieces are just laid on with no fixings whilst I decide – fixing everything securely is what takes the time – that is the work – all else is play.

 

I like the idea of fixing the smaller canvas to the larger, creating a little shelf – ooo i am having fun!

What do you think – does it work?

Joining in with Cathy’s inspired international garden flowers meme

and

Cee’s Flower of the Day.

Monbretia with morning dew.