My flowers for this week’s Vase on Monday were leisurely collected on Sunday afternoon – a lovely, breezy summer’s day – possibly the last really hot day of the summer. A thunder storm with heavy rain was forecast for last night… no damage done thank goodness, and I hope those of you in the UK and France can say the same as the remains of ex-hurricane Bertha sweep across Europe.
I just couldn’t resist cutting some more Anemones for my vase this week as they lasted so well last time, as did the Golden Rod and Achillea (still looking good!).
I don’t think I have ever noticed the “rim” around the edge of the petals before.
The Japanese Anemones and the Perovskia are really the only plants that run the risk of being flattened by wind and rain, so with the forecasts yesterday threatening the worst I cut some Perovskia too. (It’s looking a bit squashed today, but will hopefully stand up again when it dries!) The Scabiosa ochroleuca looked so pretty in front of the Perovskia, where it had cleverly seeded itself, so some of that went in too.
And Succisella inflexa ‘Frosted Pearls’ added some airiness. This is a great plant for dry ground, but can be invasive if given the right conditions! I love its little pearly globes in the rockery, attracting even more bees.
The deep reddish pink in the vase comes from the Centranthus ruber (Red Valerian) and a single sprig of Persicaria amplexicaulis ‘Firetail’… I believe this is also known as Red Bistort.
A few grasses (unidentified!) for the finishing touch, and placed on the hearth I felt it looked – dare I say it – like the beginnings of autumn! Late summer in any case.
Take a look at “Rambling in the Garden“, where other vases are linked in for Cathy’s meme “In a Vase on Monday”. It has grown extremely popular and we all seem to be addicted, so do join in if you can!
Words and Herbs 
I think your arrangement is lovely and summery, Cathy. Beautiful, delicate colours. I love it. I must try and do a pastel arrangement next week to remind myself that summer is still here.
Thank you Chloris! It’s cooler now, but definitely still summer.
Your creation is a great representation of a summer breeze, Cathy! I love Japanese anemones and hope I get a few this fall, although I can’t say that the plants look very good right now, hunkered down in response to our drought.
Thanks Kris. The anemones were early this year. I hope yours flower nicely for you – mine are pretty drought-proof.
It may have been picked leisurely but it looks romantic and very Cathy! The whispy grasses and anemones go very well together. Happy Monday, my dear 🙂
Thank you Annette! Hope you have a lovely week! 🙂
Your arrangement has such a lovely wild feel Cathy – the essence of an August garden in a vase!
Hi Julie. It really does reflect the summery feeling of that day! 🙂
This is an ethereal, graceful design Cathy. Really like the Anemones and the Perovskia.
Thanks Susie. Some Perovskia will definitely have to be planted in other parts of the garden too!
Cathy what a light, airy fun vase…everything works together well. Love the mix!
Thank you Donna – I wanted pinks and purples after using all yellow last week!
Your flowers are lovely with the varying shades of pinks and purples.
Hi Karen. Pastels seem to reflect lazy summer afternoons don’t they! 😉
Doesn’t your vase look different in the two different locations, Cathy? On the bench the pastel colours are more obvious, but on the hearth the grasses take on another role altogether and the anemones look a completely different shade. That scabiosa is pretty – is it easy to grow? For some reason I seem to struggle with scabious, if that doesn’t sound too defeatist. I am looking forward to using my anemones in a vase soon – I have both white and pink in flower, although I did have young plants of less common varieties last year and perhaps I should inspect to see what they are doing too! Your title is perfect, as this is just what the vase suggests – thanks for sharing 🙂
Yes, you’re right… the grasses really show up more indoors and make it look more autumny. I cannot grow any other Scabiosa but this one, no matter how hard I try, so maybe you could try this one too! It seeds itself profusely and I am constantly weeding out seedlings, but it sometimes chooses the perfect spot! Thanks for your lovely comment Cathy! 🙂
So it’s not just me with scabiosa then?! 😉 No idea why I have no success, but I shall look out for the one you have and try again!
Good luck!
Beautiful, Cathy, I like vases that look airy, I seldom seem to achieve this look. It doesn’t look autumnal at all, very pretty and summery, but several people have mentioned autumn this week which I find a bit scary!
Thank you Christina. Yes, the thought of autumn is a bit scary, although I do love the months of September and October. No denying it though, the heat has gone here now…. thank goodness!
Such a lovely wild-romantic flower arrangement, Cathy! I think, shapes and colours of flowers and grasses are perfectly harmonizing … really like a summer breeze.
Thank you Elisabeth! Lovely to hear from you. Hope you are enjoying the cooler days! 🙂
oh I’d love to join in on the “in a vase on Monday” but I hate cutting my flowers! 🙂 I’m hoping that I’ll eventually have enough to spare a few for making arrangements. Your arrangement is beautiful. I wouldn’t have though to use the Russian Sage ( perovskia), but it is simply lovely in the vase.
Thank you! I thought the same at first – that I couldn’t possibly cut my flowers – but now I’m hooked! I’m constantly amazed at how much I can find out there! 😉
Love your arrangement! Good color scheme for fall transition…most important to me is your floral/grass combination as it has given me some ‘must-have’ ansd plant combination ideas. Thank you so much!
Glad my garden and vase could inspire! 🙂
A most enchanting vase Cathy. I’ve never observed the fuzziness of the perovskia before – it’s most appealing. I read recently that the stems of this plant are attractive in winter. Is that a feature that you’ve noticed?
Thanks Anna. I have to cut the Perovskia back late autumn, as it doesn’t stand up to frosts. I don’t prune it hard until late spring though. I try and leave my sedums and a few other plants standing, but mostly they collapse before winter arrives!
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What a perfect title you came up with for this post and it’s a beautiful arrangement. I’m surprised the amemones lasted, they look so delicate and fleeting.
thanks Frank. Looks can be deceptive and these Japanese Anemones are tough as nails! Yes, they do drop petals and flop if it rains heavily, but they survive any amount of heat and drought and are very hardy. And in a vase the closed buds slowly open too. These ones flower from the end of July until September… real treasures. 🙂
I’m glad you avoided storm damage. Lovely arrangement as always, Cathy. I”m glad you cut your flowers before the storm. I’m in Canada for a week on holiday and enjoyed today’s light, refreshing rain. Still nothing back home.
Have a great holiday Alys! It’s cool and rainy here now… no signs of summer at the moment!
Yes, the last summer vase ~ coming autumn is to feel. The grass in the vase remains on cornfields. The fields have been harvested already and the variety in nature has gone.
It’s almost sad, but I do love autumn so much too.