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Although this could very well be a picture of me finding a new treasure at a favorite nursery, it's actually an illustration by David Catrow for a children's book called Plantzilla.

Monday, July 31, 2017

In A Vase On Monday

It's been another fun week in the garden, interrupted by attending a two-day class for work that was an hour commute away.  On the bright side, the class was held in proximity to Washington Pottery, a wholesaler of all sorts of outdoor and some indoor pots.  The large warehouse has floor to ceiling shelves of pots which are only available through retailers.  However, pots that aren't perfect or those that are being discontinued are offered to the public at discounts from seventy to ninety percent below retail prices.  It's interesting how a car handles differently when it's weighted down with cargo...

Since my garden open for the Northwest Perennial Alliance last weekend, a few groups have called and set up appointments to visit. See my pal Alison's post here.  It's a good thing as it causes me to sweep up bamboo litter, pick up tools, roll hoses, and get the nearly always present plastic buckets cleared from the paths.  Also, flowers that are flopping into walkways need to be tied back or cut.  Today's vase is a group of blooms that got the latter treatment as a bit of tidying was done on Sunday to prepare for a Monday morning visit.

This fragrant mystery rose mislabeled 'Playboy' glows and is quickly becoming a favorite. 

Last year, I got a few dahlia tubers, started them in pots in the greenhouse, and never planted them in the ground.  The pots sat out all winter and one survived.  Above that is a Regal or Martha Washington Pelargonium.

Begonia  boliviensis dangles over the side while a bit of Polygonatum odoratum and Bracken fern that pops up everywhere in my garden bring in a bit of green.

Not the most thought-out vase I've ever thrown together and the color combination may be a bit jarring to some but the fragrance of the roses and the color clashes will make me smile this week.


What's more, they won't trip today's visitors. 

In A Vase On Monday is hosted by Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.  Click here to see what others have tossed in containers to enjoy this week.

29 comments:

  1. IF they make you smile that's all that matters! Have fun with your visitors, and I hope we eventually get to see your pottery haul!

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    1. Just for you and Linda, tomorrow's post is all about the pottery haul(s.)

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  2. The way that Begonia picks up the color on the edges of the Geranium is gorgeous. Not easy colors to combine but I think this is a winner.

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    1. Thanks Linda. It was fortuitous that these were the flowers that were in the way.

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  3. Not jarring at all. These are the hot colors of summer and are very fabulous. Have a good tour!

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    1. Thanks chavliness! This group were all photographers and seemed to have a good time taking pictures.

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  4. The geranium and the begonia are beautiful but those apricot roses are the scene stealers here!

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    1. It is a beautiful rose and smells as good as it looks!

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  5. It sounds like a very full weekend and potentially the start of a busy week but I'm glad to see that you assembled your rescues and took the time to show them off. The scented rose that thought it was 'Playboy' is gorgeous so, whatever it is, it was a lucky acquisition.

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    1. It was, indeed, a lucky acquisition as I'd have never bought that rose from the picture or description neither of which matched the rose itself. Both the nursery staff and I thought the grower must have mixed up the labels. You've got 'Loverboy' and I've got 'Playboy.' Who came up with those names?

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  6. That is one vibrant vase! Wish I had some sort of blooms like that in my garden right now...

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    1. Who needs blooms when you live in a lush jungle like yours?

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  7. Oh I hope your visitors enjoy the garden and appreciate the efforts you have made - as you say, opening a garden is a good incentive to get those little jobs done and things tidied sooner than hey might otherwise be! I know what you mean about jarring, but they are all beautiful in their own right so I don't think it matters :)

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    1. The groups visiting for the last couple of weeks have been delightful folks who seemed to have fun in my garden. As you know from your own recent experience, it's enjoyable to share your garden with others.

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  8. I think it's worth having visitors regularly to encourage the tidying up. You do see things through new eyes. That rose really glows and looks great with the purples, striking rather than jarring, I think!

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    1. Yes, having visitors encouraged me to get things in order but also made me decide not to do a lot of digging projects until afterward or even next year. (like digging trenches around my running bamboo and being more aggressive with rhizome pruning which make a mess of things.)

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  9. Shelves and shelves of pots, I'd go crazy...what to buy what to buy. Never seen roses like that before. Beautiful! And loving the colorful arrangement.

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    1. Seems like there's always space for a few more pots.

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  10. Ooh, I'd be tempted to haul away a lot of pottery, too. Yes, cars do drive differently with a big load! ;D
    Bright colors work - I call it 'Mexican style' - where all sorts of colors are put together, it's fun and lively!

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    1. I'm rather fond of bright colors thrown together, especially in the summer. I forgot to mention that the car also still had several bags of steer manure that I hadn't unloaded and spread yet but still...

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  11. My garden would be full of that pottery if I had access. Fun...
    Your bouquets this week are such rich color and lovely textures. Happy IAVOM.

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    1. It's easy to resist high-priced pots but when they're free or really inexpensive, they somehow jump into my car.

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  12. More pottery, Peter? Where will you put it? Of course, I want to see it all!
    I'm still working on the 340 photos I took in your garden. just about ready for my first post. tTre will be several. I'm still amazed.

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    1. Believe it or not, it's mostly planted and placed already. Okay, some pots just have plastic pots inside of them waiting to actually be planted but they're all from the pot ghetto (and a little visit to Watson's to spend my reward dollars.) I'll post about them tomorrow.

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  13. Peter: You always work magic with your vases! I would never think to put those flowers/colors together, but they work--so well! Bravo!

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  14. A car does handle very differently when loaded down with treasures, in our case, rocks. :-) And I do know how having visitors come to view the garden keeps me on my toes. The big downside is we are constantly putting off doing remodeling on the house. One of these years we're going to have to just say no to tours and fix the abode.

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  15. Bright look at me arrangement...'not available' from a high street florist. Full of character and worth of an outlaw.

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  16. Fabulous hot colors, reminiscent of 'An American in Paris'.

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Thanks so much for taking the time to comment! I love to hear your thoughts.