Cathy has posted a lovely bright arrangement and I am linking in with her blog as she leads this great coming together of gardeners and lovers of flowers and posies. Do go and see what she has cut from her garden. You too may love to join in and share what is going on in your garden with material cut for a posy.
Here is my little arrangement this week. I really thought I would have no flowers at all by the end of October. Whilst the garden is still in a very early development stage, I am still longing after the wide variety of material in my previous garden...but a little time enjoying the low autumn sunshine during a spot of weeding found enough material for this little mauve and white posy.
Earlier this year I found some plants of Verbena rigida at the market.
Herein the vase both flowers and seed heads make an appearance. For a few years, I have seen Verbena rigida in other gardens. It is planted out in a patch of earth and was hiding behind the courgettes, which only last week gave up the ghost. It has been tucked behind the courgettes and edged by parsley, the verbena rigida has been flowering its socks off and providing nectar for the bees and butterflies, and its amazing that there are still a few this late in the season. I do hope it will carry over to next year....
The Fuschias seem to love this garden or maybe the season has suited them. I cut a little spray of the hardy Star Wars Fuschia.
It has made a nice compact plant and has lovely flowers made up of white sepals over a violet corolla, which shine out in the poorer autumn light. I bought it at the Tatton Park show last year...and wonder how large it will grow. It needs to be moved closer to the front edge of the border, I shall have to read up about the best times. I would hate to loose it, and may wait and take cuttings first and get these going before disturbing the plant.
The white begonia is just one of the bedding fibrous rooted ones which I had planted up in a tub with other plants, and I spotted this for the vase when I was moving the tub to be closer to the house to protect it from the frosts which were forecasted last night.
Of course a couple of stems of Red Dragon which is still flowering...well one grows it for the leaves, but with their little white flowers it makes a good back filler.
I have bought V rigida tjis year too and am really pleased with how it has done and the shape of it too. Must check how hardy and long-lived it actually is. Good to see your Red Dragon blooms today, and what an intriguing shade of fuschsia - it seems to have a greenish tinge to it. Will you need to lify it, or is it menat to be hardy?
ReplyDeleteThanks Cathy. The buds are tinged with green which bleach to a pure white when open. It's quite hardy and went through last year in a pot outside, so in the ground and a little larger it will be safe. It's definitely a keeper and next year l will propagate to share.
DeleteI love when I forage....how much I can find, even late in the season, for a vase....this is so lovely!
ReplyDeleteLovely! I'm sure that the Verbena will seed around even if the parent plants don't survive. Or save some seed and start some in a pot or seed tray.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tips Christina
DeleteIt's good tho know you've still got things going on and you've put together a pretty little vase. Isn't it fun learning how to manage different plants?
ReplyDeleteThat Verbena is certainly worth its space in your garden, Noelle, but I'm head-over-heels about that beautiful fuchsia. With too little shade, too much heat, and not much water, I'd given up the fuchsias which were a mainstay in my former shady garden but my husband has committed to build me a lath (shade) house so I'm hoping I can re-introduce them on a small scale here next year.
ReplyDeleteIts strange how some gardeners shun shade...in this garden we have very little and I mourn the lovely cool borders in my last garden. Luckily the sun is not always fierce in this area, and the bed does have some morning shade. I shall have to arrange shady areas on the lee of shrubs for smaller shade loving beauties.
DeleteI love that fuschia Noelle - wish I could grow them here but the summer heat and humidity and then cold winters are not ideal conditions!I had a Verbena rigida for about three years which even seeded itself out a little, but our bitter cold spell last winter must have finished it off as it didn't return this year. I think it is about as hardy as Caryopteris, which I sometimes manage to keep for two or three years. (I love it so much!) I hope your Verbena manages to keep going! :)
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