In a Vase on Monday – sunny yarrow, oranges and reds

crocosmia, rose, achillea and hypericum – 10 August 2015

This week the weather has been pretty wet in Manchester, we’ve even had two monsoon rainstorms today.  I decided to pick the brightest flowers in my garden today to help cheer myself up:

• An orange rose – it’s the only rose I have in my garden – it’s been flowering all summer in the front garden and has appeared in another ‘In a vase on Monday’ in early June (Oranges and lemons – 30 June 2015) – I don’t know its name but it has a delicate scent too. And as you can see below, the colour changes dramatically as the flower ages.
• Crocosmia – Lucifer. This is in my front garden and has been flowering for about a month.  We bought them at RHS Tatton Park Flower show four years ago but it’s taken until this year to really get going.
• Crocosmia – montbretia (the one you see in many gardens around the UK as it’s spreads) I’ve got this in the bottom left corner of my garden in a dark, shady corner, but it’s not been flowering much as I think it’s in the wrong place.  I’m going to move it to pots next year.
• Hypericum berries from one of the bushes in the garden when I moved in six years ago. The flowers have appeared in Oranges and Lemons.  The berries go black in the Autumn so the plant gives a lot of all year round interest.
• Achillea millefolium ‘Paprika’ – I got this one a couple of months ago in the local garden centre (Bent’s);  it’s very happy in my sunny, poor soil, front garden.  We bought four more different varieties at Tatton Park flower show a couple of weeks ago, which are settling in well along side my many kinds of lavender.
  Achillea’s common name is Yarrow; it was used in the past  as an astringent for wounds and in a variety of herbal remedies.  Butterflies and bees love it too.

rose bud – 10 August 2015

Rose – full bloom – 10 August 2015

The vase is an unusual triangular lead crystal vase with red panels; it is very heavy. It belonged to my friend S’s mother J.  It would date from the early 1960s and (I’m guessing) a wedding gift to his parents (J and K) in 1964.

I’ve also got a new camera, so I could finally take an indoor shot.

Orange rose, crocosmia, hypericum, achillea – indoor shot- 4 August 2015

I’m slowly getting the hang of my camera so expect a lot more photos of flowers very soon.  The close up detail is brilliant.  I am so pleased with it.

achillea paprika (Yarrow) – close up 10 August 2015

Do have a look at the Link Cathy at ‘Rambling in the Garden’ she has some beautiful white dahlias, hydrangeas  – it is so calm and restful.  I enjoy so much looking at everyone’s vases and flowers.  They give me so many ideas for my garden and they really lift my soul.

I’ve not had much energy for anything much this year ,including gardening.  I’ve spent a lot of time sitting in the garden and visiting the Great Gardens around the UK (mostly owned by the National Trust-hurrah for them). I’ve found it very difficult to write anything too, including on my blog, but things are slowly improving.   Life has got in the way but I’m working through all the practical issues, and getting myself into a better place.  My chap N has been a total legend, looking after me, driving me around and doing even more work than usual in the garden.  My family and friends have been brilliant too but I’d really like to feel more myself soon and no more back ache either too.   I know I’ll get to where I want to be; mindfulness and yoga help too.

We have been eating out in the garden quite alot when it’s been dry and our other seating area is slowly getting sorted out – It’s right by the house and so we have completely different view on our garden.  I hope I can take some photos of it soon to show you all and also explain why I love Pimms so much.

I hope you like the flowers in my vase today, and that you’re enjoying the ‘summer’ or whatever season it is supposed to be wherever you are 🙂

Have you been on a days out?  I’m always looking for new places to go.

Carpe Diem

Love

Bec xx