This time last week I was travelling back from the UK after a wonderful weekend on the North Norfolk coast with my family to celebrate my Mum and Dad’s Diamond Wedding Anniversary. (That is 60 years!) The sky was not quite as stormy as today’s, but a rather strange golden colour, which I later learned was Sahara sand and smoke from forest fires in Portugal, whipped up in the ex-hurricane Ophelia crossing Ireland. But that same storm had sent warm air up the East coast on Saturday and Sunday for us to enjoy views like this…
Aaah, bliss! (With air temperatures above 20°C I even took the plunge – literally – and went for a brief dip in the sea, but the water was coooold!)
Despite grey and showery weather today, I enjoyed returning to my Monday routine of gathering flowers for a vase, albeit from a now very autumnal garden, so that I could join Cathy at Rambling in the Garden for her weekly meme. Cathy is travelling this week, but has still posted a vase full of her lovely Cosmos. I hope to catch up soon on all your wonderful vases from last week as well. 😉
I think the dark skies in the background are a good contrast for some colourful flowers!
And below, photographed from a slightly different angle, you can just make out the colourful hills in the background – on the other side of our valley.
The Cosmos are standing up well to wind and rain, and I have also included the last of my Anemones. But the pinky red Persicaria Firetail is the predominant flower in this vase – it makes the garden glow and is still sending up new buds.
Below, the lovely no-name Aster, given to me by my dear blogging friend Annette , is flowering beautifully. I have paired it with the chocolatey leaves and creamy white flowers of Persicaria Red Dragon, and my “Gold Aster” – Chrysopsis speciosa ‘Sunnyshine’ – to highlight the yellow centres.
Also added were a few white Scabiosa and some of the white annual Verbena…
The delicate Persicaria flowers are embracing my Zebra grass seed head – the first it has ever produced! Another looks like it is about to emerge, so I have cut this one to enjoy indoors.
Thanks once again to Cathy for hosting. 🙂
Have a great week!
Words and Herbs 
Gorgeous colors and such an eye-catching vase too. I’m visiting Norfolk for the first time in June 2018 and am very excited about seeing the gardens there.
Are you visiting other some counties in June, Marian? Any gardens in Dorset on your itinerary?
Ooh, how lovely! Blickling? East Runton? Hope you get lots of sunshine while you are there. It is a beautiful part of the country and a fantastic coast. 🙂
Gorgeous flowers and grasses, and love the vase too – a generous shape and interesting pattern..
Thanks Sandra. I was convinced this vase was intended for a candle, but prefer it as a vase!
It does make a lovely vase.
What a festive vase of autumnal flowers representing your gardens bounty….and I love that vase….an interesting glass mosaic. Welcome back…..I was visiting family the last 2 weeks in sunny California and Arizona. Seems we were both enjoying the beach.
Glad you could enjoy sand and sunshine too Donna, although I suspect the water temperature was somewhat warmer in California! 😉
A trip to the ocean is always soothing to the soul! This week’s vase is so intense, I love all the bright color.
Thanks Deb! Yes, the trip to the seaside was a weekend to remember for us all. 🙂
Your vase looks to be full of sunshine. All of that brilliant color is so cheerful on this rainy, windy Monday here. Happy IAVOM.
Thank you Lisa! We had no sunshine today either, but the flowers reallly cheer up the house. Can’t believe the clocks will change soon and lighting conditions for photos will get trickier!
A lovely bright bouquet to lift the spirits as late autumn approaches. I love the vase too, I don’t remember seeing it before. The photograph of the sea in Norfolk looks more like the Mediterranean! It didn’t look like that even in early July. It is usually brown!
That stretch of the coast has always been blue when I have been there – whatever the weather! And I have seen it dozens of times in various seasons over the years. One of my favourite places on this planet! 😀
Ah those wide, open skies, fab picture. Glad you had a good time and bravo for the dip. Just came in after a late swim. Water’s still so pleasant, can’t believe we’re almost into autumn! Love your vase, so cheerful and somewhat appropriate to kiss the good days good-bye before we dip into winter. Best xx
Thank you Annette! Your aster is living up to expectations and grabbing the limelight now! 🙂
I checked the North Sea water temperature online for that part of the coast… apparently it was 14°C, but it felt colder! The warm air was very pleasant when I came out the water! 🙂 Hope you have more mild weather and can get in lots of dips in your pool before it gets chilly. 😀
So glad it does, Cathy! You know when I opened the pool mid March the water was at 10°C, but I jumped in anyway but didn’t last long. 😉
I was born in Norfolk but now I’m in the west. You were lucky to get good weather and avoid all the gales. You have still found plenty to cut and put in your interesting vase and I can see in the background that you’ve still got plenty going on.
It was very windy that weekend on Wells beach! (But then it always is windy there!) Yes, the garden is very autumnal now, but there are still plenty of flowers! 🙂
Once again, my eye was immediately drawn to those beautiful anemones; however, I admire the cosmos too. I used to be able to grow the latter without difficulty but my current garden seems inhospitable to the plants, regardless of when I plant them. Perhaps next time I’ll see if they do better growing from seed rather than plugs.
The Cosmos are hard for me to get going as the snails love them so much! Kris, I had problems leaving comments on your blog today, but I loved last week’s arrangement with the pumpkins and the silvery and white accents in your blue vase today were inspiring!
Oh what a special occasion for your family to celebrate Cathy with weather to match (well before Ophelia arrived). You did well to take to the waters in Norfolk in October 🙂 Congratulations to your parents. Such a pretty gift from Annette.
Thank you Anna. We were so lucky with the weather! I tried leaving a comment on your last vase post but it didn’t seem to go through. Your Scutellaria reminded me to look for mine which seems to have disappeared this year…
You chose a wonderfully warm week to come to Norfolk and how lovely to spend time with your family. I love your arrangement, such pretty colours.
Thanks Chloris. I finally got round to using my Red Dragon in a vase before it is too late! 🙂
Glad you had a great vacation – what a beautiful seaside shot.
I love the design on your vase, have you used it before, maybe once a while back? It seems new to me. And your selection of flowers is still impressive, with the cosmos we can pretend it is still summer, though the turning foliage wants us to believe otherwise. 🙂
Yes, I used the vase once before but can’t remember exactly when. Must have a look and see if I can find that post! My cosmos is also looking a bit shabby, but I am very forgiving. 😉
I found that vase post Eliza! https://wordsandherbs.com/2016/10/03/in-a-vase-on-monday-persicaria-et-al/ It was fun looking back over vases for the past year or more! 😉 I should do it more often for inspiration!
Very cool vase, and I particularly like the arrangement with the borrowed foliage of the pale green trees against the sky.
Thank you Helen. I love using that background for my vases in all seasons!
Well done Cathy. This is so lovely.
Thanks Susie! 🙂
So beautiful!
Thanks!
An autumn firecracker of an arrangement Cathy.
Thank you Brian. 🙂
I’m so glad you had a good get-away and what a wonderful reason for a visit. Sixty years of marriage is impressive. They must have amazing stories to share from so many years together. I’m sorry to hear about the fires, the hurricane winds, the sand…good grief. It feels like the world is at war with itself, perhaps telling us we’ve really got to change our ways. Your vases, today and always, are stunning. I’m quite impressed with your zebra grass. What an interesting addition to your vase. My anemones are hanging in there, though not nearly as prolific this season. Perhaps just too much heat early on. It’s fun catching up with your posts, Cathy. xo Alys
The zebra grass has sent up another couple of flowers and I really love them – they are zigzagged and stripey, but I am sure the name comes from the striped leaves. I was so busy yesterday I didn’t get another vase posted for this week, and my Tuesday view will have to wait too. We have two holidays in a row this week – Reformation Day today (an extra day this year only for the 500th anniversary of Luther’s theses) and All Soul’s Day tomorrow! Happy Halloween Alys! 🙂
Happy holidays to you, Cathy. It sounds like a full but fun week. You’ve been incredibly diligent about your weekly vases. It’s really quite impressive. Thank you for your well wishes, Cathy. I enjoyed my crocheted pumpkin this year, sitting in a basket on my table all month long. It’s a lovely reminder of you.
I love the vase this arrangement sits in, Cathy! It’s very special. I was attracted to the title of your arrangement, “Pink and Gold.” It really is a particularly beautiful arrangement this week, my friend. that water looks VERY cold to me. You were brave. 🙂
Thank you Debra! We had a swimming pool in our hotel, but I challenged my sister to swimming in the sea… She didn’t take me up on it and I had to go in alone! 😉 It was refreshing to say the least, but I am so glad I went in. 🙂 (My title could have been ‘pink and Cold’, referring to me after my dip! LOL!)
That’s a wonderful shot from the North Norfolk coast, Cathy. Is this more to the Holkham -Overy side? Love the flower arrangements as well. 🙂
Hi Dina. This was the channel at Wells, after you come out of the pine forest onto the beach. We spent such wonderful holidays on that beach as children! 😀 It has a special place in my heart. 💖 And although the sand and the dunes have changed over the years, the channel is just the same as it always was. (And just as dangerous!)
Great! If you have more time the next you are around, please give us a shout. We’re in Cley. 🙂
I never seem to have time and always pay flying visits! One day I hope we will stay for longer than a couple of days, and I will take you up on the invitation! We are always in Blakeney if we go to Norfolk at all, so just down the road from you. The visit in October was to celebrate my parents’ 60th wedding anniversary, and since it was such a special occasion we stayed at the Blakeney Hotel! 🙂