In a Vase on Monday: Summer Patchwork

Cathy

Jul 3

The jewel-like colours of the dahlias were calling me today, but having featured 'brights' in recent vases I decided to go for more pastel shades instead. Although I started with cosmos (not as tall as some years, not a bad thing, and certainly bushy and reasonably floriferous, which they weren't last year), cutting a few stems of each variety, they have largely disappeared amongst the other contents. Having discovered another Double Click variety, I have grown all four this year: DC Cranberries, Snow Puff, Rose Bonbon and Bicolor Rose, the latter being the newest one.

Camaflaguing them in the vase are annuals Larkspur 'White King', clary sage 'Pink Sundae', Antirrhinum 'Potomac Lavender', Zinnia 'Envy', sweet pea 'Gwendoline' and some of the less wishy-washy colours of the 'Heaven Scent mix, and self-seeded Euphorbia oblongata, with perennial back-up from Lychnis coronaria 'Occulata' and Clematis 'Arabella'. Seedhead interest is provided by Nigella 'Mulberry Rose', fluffy bunnytails grass Lagurus ovatus and Silene vulgaris, a fairly new plant for me, spotted at another open garden last year, which produces these attractive pale green seedpods (and possibly numerous offspring!).

The number of stems required a fairly wide-mouthed vase and, without too much thought, I selected a chunky plain glass cubic one, using glass pebbles to support the stems, which were grouped around the single stem of antirrhinum so not an entirely random jumble; the overall effect is pleasing to my eye and perhaps to yours too. Unusually, there was no clear inspiration for a title, and the potential 'Pick and Mix' was rejected in the absence of suitable sweets in the Golfer's câche to serve as a prop. In the end, one of my collection of quilts was brought into service to highlight the summer patchwork of blooms.

It was a real joy to be able to pick so many different blooms for a vase, and to be able to stuff them into a chunky vase; however, I know from many years of IAVOM that even a single stem or twig will also bring joy. Would you like to share the joy of a vase today? If so, please join us by leaving the usual links to and from this post.