At least once a week I now look forward to collecting flowers from the garden and bringing them inside for us to enjoy in our kitchen. I rarely did this before, because really I love seeing them outside. But being a part of the Rambling in the Garden’s meme “In a Vase on Monday” has brought about my new weekly activity (read: obsession)!
Japanese Anemone
My ten year old daughter helped me this time. It would have been quite a collection of colours if I’d picked all the flowers she wanted! But she was happy enough, instead, to hold the flowers, in a hand held bouquet as we walked through the yard and cut the flowers which I picked out (with her approval, of course).
Potentilla (yellow flower)
I wish I could say that I had it all planned out in my head beforehand. That was not the case, though. It all started with a large sedum flower with a broken stem. It would be such a shame to leave that in the garden to die. So pink became the main colour.
Potentilla with Japanese Anemone (some without their petals)
My potentilla plant has the sweetest yellow flowers. I had to have that colour in the arrangement! I also loved the strange shapes of the Japanese Anemone. They are so interesting looking before they even bloom as well as well after they bloom!
Mallow in front with some lady’s mantle to the right (underneath the Sedum)
My mallow plant grew quite tall this summer and was blown over and badly broken. I thought that was the end of it, at least for this season. But we cut it down to a lower level and sure enough, it is full of all new flowers! I have not been able to really capture the beautiful colour that it is. The light, bright green of the lady’s mantle is one of my favourite colours! It is popping up in all sorts of places around the yard! So I was happy to find some that was still young enough to use.
“wild white plant” in the garden
These lovely white flowers are in my “wild flower garden”. I don’t know their name, but I’d really like to find out because they are so pretty.
Everything arranged and sitting pretty
It all came together fairly quickly and easily. You don’t usually have too much time when a child is involved, anyway! The original vase I was using just wasn’t working for me. I had too many flowers for it. So out came this rather large, glass ice container (or white wine cooler/champagne cooler). I have the marbles on the bottom, as a lot of my stems were too short.
In a Vase on Monday: A Playful gathering of flowers
I really like starting my week like this! I hope you do, too. Stop on over to Rambling in the Garden if you’d like to see some other lovely “In a Vase on Monday” posts! http://ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com
Have a good week!
Dana
Mom in the Garden 
I love the Japanese anemones! I’ve come to enjoy the weekly exercise of collecting flowers for the house, too.
Hi Kris! Isn’t it fun? 🙂 I love all flowers. It is SO hard to pick just ones that will go together nicely together when I (and my daughter) want to pick all of them! hehe! Thanks for stopping by. Dana
Obsessed? Well, that didn’t take long!! 🙂 Great collection of flowers – is that malva an annual or perennial? It’s a gorgeous colour, isn’t it? I really like the Japanese anemones too as they are so versatile – see this vase post from January http://ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com/2014/01/06/in-a-vase-on-monday-spike/
Hi Cathy, I have always loved flower arranging but since moving to Ireland 6 years ago, I just haven’t done much of it all (I used to be a part of a garden club, so there were always reasons to be doing fun things like that!). I’m just delighted to have been inspired to make things from my garden. So thank you very much!!! I think the malva is a perennial. I didn’t plant it, it just appeared last year!
You are right that this is the perfect way to start the week. We were gone for three days and the minute I got home I was in the garden cutting flowers for a vase. Your arrangement is just beautiful and looks great in that “vase” and I like the shot with the hedge as the background.
Thank you for visiting! Isn’t it great to have the meme to look forward to?! Thanks, I like the hedge background too. 🙂 Dana
I adore the beautiful mix in your bouquet…I had not thought about using my potentilla and my Japanese anemone. I also love the bouquets that I don’t plan. They come together the best.
Maybe not your typical flowers, Donna, but I thought they were nice to use. I have to agree, that despite my wanting everything to be planned, sometimes it is nice to just “wing it”! Thanks for stopping by!
How cheerful! I love the dancing flowers in your vase and they make me wish that autumn is still a long way…
It’s gorgeous Dana! I love all that colour together with pink as a main theme. Your photos are full of sunshine too – lovely! I also see that white flower a lot in the meadows near us and think it is a kind of yarrow.
What a lovely collection of flowers you have found in your garden to share this week – I love that it all started with a broken sedum! How nice to have your daughter helping you as well.
Hi Julie, I would hate to cut those beautiful sedum stems! So I can enjoy them in my vase guilt free since I was saving it from simply rotting on the ground 😉 My littlest one is the only one who really still likes to be in the garden with me. (the older two seem to have better things to do!) Thank you for visiting! Dana
A generous bunch from your garden. It looks really cheery in the glass vase. Must be the 10 year olds help.
Thank you Dorris. It was lovely to have my daughter’s help. So nice to keep the kids involved while I can! Thanks for stopping by 🙂 Dana
That is a very pretty bouquet, Dana! I love the combination of colors and textures. I’ve been pondering putting in some potentilla shrubs here; I think they have a fairly long bloom period?
I think your unknown white wildflower looks like yarrow (Achillea millefolium), by the way.