Monday is here again and time to look for something, from the garden, to put in a vase to join with Cathy at Rambling in the garden.
Over the weekend I was sure that this would be the week when I should put together something with the seed heads I have collected over the last few weeks; but when I went into the greenhouse this morning to check on germination of the seeds sown last week I realised that I really needed to pick some of the Ami majus which is growing like crazy, despite having been cut back and is demanding water as if it were an aquatic plant! As there are 24 9cm pots and I am going to need the pots and the space soon I am debating planting some out, what is there to lose? If 8 die, I’ll still have too many and I have sown more seed too.
Also producing an astonishing amount of flowers are the Salvia ‘Indigo Spires’ cuttings – actually it is stupid to call them cuttings now but they were only taken last autumn.
Ami majus
Iris unguicularis and Ami majus
As I was passing I saw a small perfect bud on Rosa Clair Martin and as I should really begin pruning the roses I thought I would bring this one inside to enjoy.
Rosa Clair Martin
Rosa Clair Martin
As a focus I picked 3 stems of Iris unguicularis, as it is now full of flowers and something is taking nibbles from the petals I thought the garden could spare some.
Iris unguicularis
I chose this pewter jug to reflect the cool colours this week
I may also find out if this plant is really perfumed as I am assured it is by other bloggers but as yet I haven’t been able to detect any perfume at all.
Do visit Cathy to see her beautiful vase today and find links to other’s vases today.
Creating my own garden of the Hesperides 
What a lovely flower collection. I was on the allotment briefly yesterday to pick some flat leaf parsley and broccoli and meant to check that my Ammi majus was surviving. If not I will sow again-you can’t have too much in my view!!!
Do you usually manage to grow Ami through the winter? This is the first time I’ve ever grown it so I’m not sure how hardy it is. I’ve just been picking broccoli too, it is one of my favourite vegetables.
Lovely pastel colours in your arrangement this week Christina – it’s making me long for spring!
Me too!
Oh I love the curves of this jug and how you have the flowers spilling from it…I was overcome with delight when I saw a rose, salvia and oh some irises…be still my heart. The addition of the Ami majus really made it frothy. Simply perfect Christina.
Thank you Donna, it’s lovely to have some fresh flowers in the kitchen this week.
I love this one Christina with its pink accent among the blues. Great choice of vase too, very elegant.
Thanks Susie, it is so hard to be different every week.
Beautiful, I love it. I think it rivals anything you could put together in May!
May is the month when everything flowers here, but thanks for the compliment Frank.
Lovely blues in your vase and such a pretty rosebud. Hurry up spring! We are frozen solid at the moment with snow showers and heavy frosts. Even in the house I am sitting wrapped in a blanket!
Keep warm Annette, it won’t be too long before spring now. The evenings are already becoming lighter.
Yes I am really noticing the difference in the afternoon light. That is it nearly half past four and still light – well lightish!
It’s nearly 5.30 here and even though there is cloud it is still lightish here too.
I love the watercolour painting effect of this Christina – it must be the softness of the colours and the way you have photographed your close ups too. Oh, and I had to laugh at your ammi crisis!
I like the slightly grainy effect of photographing the rose in macro in low light, but wish I had managed to get an image in focus of the Salvia!
and I would like some salvia to get any image of… 🙂
There is that! I’m not complaining but I am very surprised that this batch of cuttings is flowering so prolifically!
The pewter vase is perfect to accompany the soft colors of the flowers, Christina. And I’m impressed by the production volume you’ve got going in your greenhouse!
Neither of the flowers were intended to supply winter flowers; the Ami has grown much more quickly than I imagined it would and I didn’t expect the Salvia to flower until next year in the ground.
How lovely – a rose in January is certainly something to treasure! The vase is perfect for that pale pink and the blues set it off so well. Such a pretty combination. Almost summery!
The Iris don’t last long in a vase, they don’t last on the plant either, they just keep producing new blooms, but it is lovely to have such an airy vase in the kitchen in winter.
Better to bring them in and enjoy them while they last in the cooler months! 🙂
Such a gentle, summery feel, Christina 🙂 I can’t believe you can get that effect in January, even from the greenhouse – but there it is!
The Iris is in the garden it is a winter flowering variety.
Beautiful and elegant Christina.
Thanks Julie.
A most pretty and subtle combination Christina. I imagine that your ammi plants are in your greenhouse. My overwintering ammi visigna seedlings are mere babes in arms in comparison.
I sowed the Ami in September but it was far too early, as I said in the post I will experiment planting some out to see what happens.
That Clair Matin is such a lovely rose, such a soft clear pink.
and it repeat flowers all summer and autumn and there have been a few all winter so far.
Love the jug,love the flowers,so cool and fresh.Here its just fresh,well about -5 outside yesterday. But still there are snowdrops beginning, and some primroses and arum italicum. Spring will come!
I so wish for snow drops, I will have to find some to plant somewhere even if conditions aren’t ideal.
I seem to remember admiring the ‘Clair Matin’ on your blog last summer, Christina. Delightful. But best of all are the wonderful Iris unguicularis. I keep wondering if they’ll manage here (not just survive, but flower, because the plants are as tough as old boots, aren’t they?). It’s been so mild this winter that your lovely arrangement has inspired me to maybe take a chance. We usually get some sort of warmer spell during its normal flowering season. Ammi majus I’m trying this year. Is it difficult to germinate from slightly older seed (ie not one’s own, fresh seed)?
The Iris is tough, I’m sure it would flower for you but you have to be patient it is one of those plants that needs to be quite a large clump before it produces a lot of flowers. I was given a small clump by a good friend and it took at least 3 years before it produced more than the odd flower. I bought the Ami seed from Sarah Raven last summer and sowed on 7th September, they germinated in 6 days; I’ve just sown some more from the same pack, I’ll post about germination times when I next post about the greenhouse or the cuttings garden.
Hi Cathy, I just went to check on my seeds and the Ami have germinated, so that’s 5 days. I use propagating trays and there is bottom heat of about 15°C.
How lovely. Blues are always a favourite with me. I wish the Iris would last longer in a vase. And Ammi is stunning. Have you tried growing Orlaya which is lovely too?
I don’t mind too much about the iris not lasting as it doesn’t really last much longer in the garden, the plant just keeps producing fresh flowers. I haven’t tried Orlaya, I’ll have to look it up, thanks for the recommendation.
The frothy bed of blues is the perfect backdrop for the one perfect rose.
Very elegant in that lovely jug.