Monday 27 July 2015

In a Vase on Monday - Between a rock and hard place

I have been thinking over several days about different issues, many leaving me between a rock and a hard place.  On the gardening theme, it is when to ditch succulents and start again.  When I say start again it means cutting the plant down for propagation, but at a time of the year when the plant is probably starting to flower.  The plants have usually outgrown their pots, have probably been left a year too long, are growing too big to spend winter in the conservatory or the house.....

And since they are succulents and I imagine that they grow amongst rocks in the wild, the idiom Between a rock and a hard place popped up in my thoughts again.   I love Idioms.

Rock...stone...stoneware...so my little container/vase this week is a cute little hand made stoneware jam pot.  The contents are the remnants of my weekend succulent propagation efforts.  I also love rocks, and have a few around the place.





Pale foliage: Echeveria Elegans; large flower from my Cotyledon Orbiculata, 



purple rosettes from Aeonium Zwartkop, and the smaller flower from an unnamed Echeveria.

I don't really feel comfortable in a 'hard place', and by nature normally veer towards the softer option, so I offer this vase with more clematis.  


This pretty small Caithness Vase has a good heavy bottom.  I picked it up in an 'antique' shop when on holiday in Alnwick.  Flower and foliage:  Clematis Viticella Purpurea Plena Elegans, foliage Rhammus Alaternus Argenteovariegata, and a few leaves from Carex Oshimensis Everest.  

I think my camera is starting to show its age, and does not seem to be behaving...and if you think I can spout the names without looking them up in my garden book...maybe it would be 'Wordless In a Vase on Monday'.  However I do so much enjoy reading about the plants and flowers other followers of Cathy's Meme, that it would be selfish not to make the effort!


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10 comments:

  1. Christina27 July 2015 at 16:38

    Just love the colours of your second vase.

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  2. Hannah27 July 2015 at 17:52

    I love your name, especially since it is my daughter's name as well. The stoneware jar looks wonderful with the succulents and I like the peach/green rocks too. The Zwartkop purple is great with the peach and pink flowers, too. That is such a full and substantial Clematis, and makes a great arrangement!

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  3. Donna@Gardens Eye View27 July 2015 at 18:45

    Two very beautiful vases...the dark plum is so pretty and the succulent one is very artsy and creative...

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    1. Stasher28 July 2015 at 09:49

      I have left the succulent one in the conservatory, as I think it can take the heat. There is a good article in the current RHS magazines on Viticella Clematis, and as it flowers well in the rose gap, I may look out for more!

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  4. Kris Peterson27 July 2015 at 18:58

    Your succulent container is lovely. I've used succulent flowers here are there in my vases but never so effectively as you have here. One day this summer, when all my less substantial blooms are gone, I plant to try a succulent arrangement myself.

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  5. Anonymous27 July 2015 at 19:47

    Two very different but successful vases. The clematis is amazing.

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  6. Gina28 July 2015 at 08:17

    Beautiful vases this week. I'm the same of you, I have to look up most of the names of what's in my garden

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  7. Anonymous29 July 2015 at 16:30

    I have tried again to comment using Internet Explorer instead of Firefox and for some reason that is OK and yet I have been using Firefox for a couple of years... hey ho! This is what I was trying to say : ' I love the thinking behind your vases Noelle - both are lovely in their very different ways. I planted this clematis just this year but she has not flowered yet - when did yours start flowering? I know the viticellas can be a little later'.

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    1. Stasher30 July 2015 at 13:41

      It is just a perfect plant, and starts in early July. It is in a sheltered sunny corner.

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  8. Stasher30 July 2015 at 13:40

    It started in bloom at the beginning of July. By dead heading, and 'picking flowers', it just continues till the first frosts. It is an old established plant which I moved about eight year ago to climb through a shrub. I am going to try propagating it this week!

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