A week ago yesterday, Alison C and I met up and spent a couple of hours touring the Rare Plants Fair at the Bishop's Palace together. A few plants were parked around us as we sat down together afterwards in the Palace gardens enjoying a cup of coffee. We parted ways agreeing that our visits to each other's gardens ought to start again soon, and I pleased to say Alison may be visiting this week, weather permitting.
I spent the rest of that Sunday gardening, but probably did too much crouching and twisting at the same time, and spent the following few days afterwards feeling a little sorry for myself. I even missed the first meeting of our gardening club. Everything is back to normal now.
As soon as I could walk again, I had to make up a vase, and here it is. The plants were grown from a seed head picked at the same Rare Plants Fair, this time last year, from the Scabiosa columbaria subsp. ochroleuca plant that Alison had bought.
The vase which is a dark blue Victorian chemist's bottle, is tricky to do justice to. On the mantleshelf with side light the arrangement has quite a 'contemporary' feel, in a monochrome way. I think the sun has bleached the 'pale yellow' of the blooms to almost white.
There is something about the form of scabious flowers that charm me. I rather like the dainty flowers on strong wiry stems. Earlier in the year I had decided that its giant cousin Cephalaria gigantea was far too large and took up too much room in the garden and remains as 'despatched' in my spreadsheet. Sections of the large are destined to be planted up by my friend Jean, in large and long border of he Mendip Hospital Cemetery, whose grounds she manages along with a band of volunteers.
and the small seed heads are quite surprising too.
Its time to collect seeds, sow, and propagate, cut back, or maybe just arrange a few items from the garden in a vase. Why not join in?
What a great story for your vase today! And how satisfying that you know the history of the blooms that you're showcasing.
ReplyDeleteIt gives me great pleasure to appreciate small details. I would love to know the origins of this scabious for example it is a wild flower, and where is its homeland.
DeleteThis is striking in its solo presentation. I love the form of scabiosa also but have not been able to keep it happy in my garden. Glad you're feeling better. Have a great visit with A.
ReplyDeleteThanks Susie, I love seeing the wild scabious on the limestone hills around, and have only just started to grow it in the garden.
DeleteScabious in its varied forms is one of my new favourite plants, Noelle, and I love the look of the seedheads in your vase, as you can imagine having put some in my vase too! I have a number of old bottles as well but don't seem to have a blue one amongst them
ReplyDeleteThe little old bottles come in so many forms, and colours. I'm not sure our plastic bottles will become vases in a hundred years or so.
DeleteA most pretty scabious and a delightful jar Noelle. Sorry to hear that you have been suffering but glad to hear that you have now recovered and are back to your normal activities. I hope that you and Alison manage to fit in those garden visits. We are back to restrictions including having no visitors in our house or garden as from tomorrow 😢
ReplyDeleteI guess that when we can have visitors, these will be all the more appreciated and cherished.
DeleteI have to look at the seedheads of my Scabiosa more closely but, off-hand, I don't think they're anywhere as interesting as yours. Then I do tend to deadhead everything more quickly than I should...I'm sorry to hear you paid for overdoing in the garden but I'm glad you're back to yourself again, Noelle.
ReplyDeleteI am with you on the dead-heading Kris. However for plants where I like the form of the seed head, and it is towards the end of the season, leaving some is great for little seedlings. However as soon as it gets damp and mold gets hold, they get cut away.
DeleteNice airiness to your arrangement, Noelle. I love the seed heads especially, very attractive. I bet they dry well, too.
ReplyDeleteI hope they will dry and not shed..time will tell.
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