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.