I haven't posted for nearly a month, but that does not mean I wasn't bringing material into the house. Mostly I have been cutting seed heads from a number of plants, in order to collect the seed to share. I'll post about the seeds in case you would like some in a week or so. Today's vase includes a number of new to the garden this year flowers. This is post is linked into Cathy's where you may also see and enjoy a number of interesting arrangements from our garden grown plants. Cathy mentions that it is Michaelmas Day today, so I am quite out of sync for not including those today, but I seem to be out of sync with my posts for IAVOM, so maybe it was to be expected, and I hope I am forgiven.
Both the white Dahlia and the pink Dahlia Karma Sangria which doesn't quite live up to the online pictures or description of being floriferous and more apricot in colour, have been somewhat disappointing. On the other hand the lovely white phlox also new to the garden this year, is a pass along from my friend Maggie. It was a plant left in her garden when she bought her house, and has no name, but is really charming. Finally the purple Verbena bonariensis is self seeding over the garden. I am cutting the flowers from the better plants and planting them in a clump.
We are enjoying some fine autumn weather, and have escaped frosts so far. We are yet to need the heating on, but the wool dressing gowns were unpacked yesterday.
The dahlias and Cosmos make great companions. I've recently added a few Cosmos plugs to fill some of the gaps in my cutting garden due to the early demise of the lion's share of my Zinnias. As the Zinnias succumbed to mildew (combined with high winds), that doesn't bode well for the future of the Cosmos but I hope they'll hang around for a little while anyway. I can't imagine them growing to 4 feet, though!
ReplyDeleteI was being conservative regarding height. Some are easily as tall as me, but I do have a small low variety that I sowed straight into the ground, but those are not tall enough for cutting. I look forward to seeing your arrangements which are always gorgeous.
DeleteIsn't it disappointing when the blooms of a plant don't turn out the colour you are expecting (although I suppose sometimes they could be even prettier than one might have expected)? It must be lovely to have some antirrhinum still blooming, and your no ID ones look a really interesting colour. I have failed so far to get verbena to self seed but I have bought some seed and will keep trying. Good to have you back and I hope you and Mr M are both well
ReplyDeleteHello Cathy, sometimes I think it is down to mixed up labels some time along the line before they arrive on the sellers shelves. We are both well, and have been gadding about a lot recently.
DeleteOh bother!! That last comment was mine, Noelle, sorry!
ReplyDeleteA most attractive seasonal vase Noelle and I like the little birds keeping it company. No frosts here yet although there have been some in the south of Cheshire - here we're very near to the Mersey estuary which warms things up. As you suggest it's nice to enjoy the unexpected but it's disappointing when the expected doesn't deliver 😢 Email from me en route soon.
ReplyDeleteThanks Anna, things going wrong can sometimes ground me, and realise that I am not totally in control!
DeleteThis is so very pretty Noelle and I especially love the way your birds are inspecting the flowers. Only a minute ago I was watching some great tits and a redstart inspecting my pots in a similar fashion! The pink dahlia is a beauty, even if not what expected. (I find dahlias rarely live up to their expectations). And the cosmos, phlox and snapdragons are simply lovely.
ReplyDeleteThanks Cathy, those little birds have a magnet in the bottom and usually they sit on the canopy to our electric fire, but they often flit around to land somewhere else for a week or so!
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