In a Vase on Monday - 13 July 2026

I am staying calm even if I am in a pickle!  That is what posting on IAVOM can do to be. It was Cathy's great invention and I say many thanks for this weekly habit, my contribution this week may be described as 'snippets'. It was a delight a couple of days ago to pick some lovely calendula and therein lies one of  the sources of my worries.

Accompanying the lovely pale cream calendulas in this week's vase is the grass Phalaris arundinacea var. picta which I love to call Gardener's garters.  The elephant also thinks it is too hot!

The seed was a gift received in the post from a blogging friend.  This year I was grateful to received seed from three friends. After sowing the seed, I must have discarded the envelope, what it you Cathy? If so, let me know, and would like to say thanks to you.  

Close up of Calendula from gifted seed

What is not to like about receiving seed and growing something that has been hand harvested and then sown again?  

These little violas/pansies are the smallest but still cute flowers from a garden cross seed which just found a little place to grow, either moved by the ants in the garden or just ejected to lie dormant in the soil. They were all from the same plant. I recently picked up this heavy cut glass vase from a local charity shop, and the watering can is a crystal miniature which once belonged to my mother, and I use it as a prop to indicate that we are in a drought situation and some plants need to be rescued with a little water.  I don't bother watering the violas as I now feel confident there is an abundant seed bank in the soil, and they will re-emerge as new plants when the conditions are right. They are all naturally pollinated so none will be similar

What a week we have had: it has been very hot and very dry, and today we awoke to strong winds and scorching sun by mid morning, which meant when opening windows early to try and cool the house we have a layer of dessicated pieces of grass and other plant material settle on everything in the rooms  at the back of the house!  I had to do shopping and go out to Knit and Natter, but Monday is Mr S's cleaning day, and I returned to a home put back in order: all ship shape.

I'm currently reading Mr & Mrs Disraeli: A strange Romance by Daisy Hay. I am pleased I picked this book following our visit to Hughenden back in May this year.  I thought I would read one of Disraeli's novels which are put into context in Hay's book as being the way Disraeli put into writing thinly veiled observations of his day and also trying to portray his own social and political thoughts and observations. I may yet choose one.  I am part way through this novel and it gives a good overview of society at that time.