In a Vase, on Monday – August Annuals

The forecast for the next two weeks is seasonal temperatures (mid to high 20’s) and loads of sunshine, which will be a change from the past two weeks, which have been unseasonably cold and wet. It was so chilly last Friday night that we awoke to the sound of the furnace clicking on – somehow the thermostat hadn’t been turned off a few months ago when nights started to stay above 10 degrees or so. The garden has, of course, been loving the rain, and all the annuals I started from seed back at the end of March are now in glorious full bloom. I started collecting stems for this vase last Wednesday, and it sat on the dining room table for a few days. Then on Saturday I brought it outside again, discarded a few wilting blooms (Calendula doesn’t seem to last that long, in the garden or in a vase…) and, as I puttered around, added this and that to it. As a result, this is one of the fullest vases I’ve had, I think.

Here’s the first version, featuring a purple Echinacea, Zinnias, Calendula, Straw Flowers, Ox Eye Daisies (reblooming after the initial flush of flowers were cut back a month ago), Stock and Keeled Garlic (Allium carinatum):

Then I decided to relocate a large clump of white Echinacea. Before digging it up I cut off the flowers that were blooming and added some to the vase. Here it is now:

And from the other side:

Every Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share a vase highlighting what is growing in our gardens. I hope your gardens are floriferous and you have a great week!