In a Vase on Monday: Remembering my Big Sister

I had hoped to have several long stems of Dahlia ‘Geoffrey Kent’ to place into one of my taller slimmer vases, but it wasn’t to be and instead there are a few stems of varying length with blooms of variable openness, placed into the smallest of my Caithness glass ‘Ebony’ vases with stems of Calamagrostis ‘Karl Foerster’ to add grace and movement.

Red Anthuriums, with their heart-shaped, bold red spathes and dark green foliage, are the epitome of tropical charm. However, coaxing these plants to grow larger and more vibrant isn’t always straightforward. This guide lifts the curtain on some of the lesser-known, specialist techniques used by master gardeners on How to Grow a Big Anthurium Plant!

If you want to Grow Unlimited Supply of Onions in Big Plastic Bottles at Home then we will tell you how with some onion sprouts you already have at your home!

What is purple and where do you draw the line between dark pink and dirty red? How much blue should be included to make a purple plant? Does it really matter anyway?

Dahlias may still be out of fashion in many gardening circles but I am an affectionado and think they are well worth growing.

My perennial Phlox have been a good stalwart flower for cutting and filling a vase this last few weeks. I found the pink colours had more scent but all the Phlox seemed to drink copious amounts of water (I wondered if water and scent were related). The Penstemon in the same vase as the Phlox was not as successful as they had a far shorter life. Another successful long lasting cut flower is the Alstromeria. The Reds performed better than the yellows but both lasted over a week.

Goodnews, I have 3 good sized compost bins. The bad news is I am filling them very quickly which if they rot down soon enough will become more good news.

Here are the Most Beautiful Types of Big Leaf Caladium Varieties that will surely turn a lot of heads with their big, bold, and fantastic foliage!

I nearly shared a photograph of monstrous Rudbeckia ‘Irish Eyes’ on Six on Saturday, but had too many images for it to make the cut. It is a variety I have grown from seed for six or seven years or more, but never has it grown so tall – at least 4 feet or 120cms! Not only that, but the blooms have lasted on the plants for a good month with no deadheading required, although one or two are now just on the turn. If any bloom deserved a shout-out in a Vase on Monday it is this rudbeckia and, accordingly, its blooms make up the majority of the contents of today’s IAVOM.

Most items that are an integral part of our daily routine are made of plastics. Plastic is an incredibly versatile and durable material, which is why it is so popular today. Furniture, containers, appliances, packaging, and even synthetic clothing can lead to the release of tiny plastics called microplastics into our environment and water systems.

…to displaying flowers and foliage in a vase, but that art could be anything from utilising learned floristry techniques to basically plonking them in a receptacle. Perhaps after plonking we might then rearrange them slightly to achieve something we see as more satisfactory, without necessarily recognising why we want to tweak things, or perhaps we might place them a stem at a time to achieve some perceived kind of balance, without having any formal or even informal training in floristry.

Thank you all for your kind words over the last week following the unexpected death of my sister; they were very much appreciated. It has been a strange week and I greatly value the support of our blogging community.