Posted on by Donna

In A Vase On Monday-Summer’s Bounty Begins

DSCN4892“A garden to walk in and immensity to dream in-what more could he ask?  A few flowers at his feet and above him the stars.”  ~Victor Hugo

 

 

With so much rain and daytime temps hovering between 75-80 degrees, the flowers are putting on a show.  And the peonies especially are lovely this year, although you have to grab them before the torrential rains make mush out of them.

So instead of doing my Seasonal Celebrations wrap up today, I am postponing it until Wednesday so I can highlight many of the vases I have made the past couple of days.  The summer solstice has heralded the start of summer, but it really seems to have been in full swing in many areas for a while already.

 

 

 

peonies vase

There were so many buds on the peonies, that when I cut flowers, I had to take some buds too, but we will see if they open inside eventually.  None of my peonies have labels, but these are fragrant except for the single pink peony at the top of the arrangement.  I used allium, Knautia macedonica, and the foliage from Houttuynia a lovely groundcover, but a mistake where I planted it.  So if I am pulling it why not use it.  And it has a wonderful burgundy edge to complement the deep rose-pink peonies.

 

 

 

peonies vase

Another peony vase was a bit tricky to put together.  This wooden vase is a favorite for dried or silk flowers, but I wanted to try fresh picked flowers in it.  I could not find my square vase (until after I made the arrangement of course), so I used 2 jars that did not sit flat in the wooden vase.  

I cut more of the fragrant peonies to fill the jars.  Then I filled in the rest of the arrangement with Sweet William,  white Bellflowers (Campanula alliariifolia), pink astilbe and the yellow flowers of a “weed”, Birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus),  that has taken over a section of my garden.  I have trouble pulling it because it is so lovely, but it is too aggressive so it is coming out.  It indicates low fertile soil so we will add some compost to the area once we pull the Trefoil.

 

 

 

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In this next vase is a pink, unscented peony with a beautiful long-lasting flower. 

 

 

 

pink peonies

My Arancus dioicus or Goatsbeard is in full bloom, and I thought it would make a great backdrop to the peonies.  Much like a feather boa, I love this plant in flower.  And I wanted to add Lady’s Mantle, Alchemilla mollis, which is flowering now as the lime green makes a beautiful bed for the pink flowers.

 

 

 

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This was a surprise vase because I had not expected to find another bearded iris blooming.  I love the color of this iris, but it doesn’t flower much because it needs to be weeded and moved.  But I didn’t want to miss this bloom so cutting it, and bringing it in was the ticket.  

I added one fragrant cream and shell pink peony, Knautia arvensis, Penstemon digitalis ‘Husker Red’, a wonderful plum-colored sage and more of the Lady’s Mantle.  I have to keep an eye on Lady’s Mantle as it likes to dominate some shade areas.  I really think this turned out to be a stunning vase.

 

 

 

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And finally, this little vase features new blooms now starting:  Astrantia major and lavender flowers.  The little yellow flowers are unidentified so far.  They are not love-lived when picked but such a beautiful pastel yellow.

Roses are beginning to bloom along with other clematis and hydrangeas so these will find their way into a vase soon.

I am joining in with a few memes this week as I prepare these vases:  Cathy@Rambling in the Garden for her wonderful meme, In a Vase on Monday, Today’s Flowers hosted by Denise@An English Girl Rambles and Judith@Lavender Cottage who hosts Mosaic Monday.

 

 

Please join me for Seasonal Celebrations, a way to celebrate the new season.  I welcome those Down Under who will be celebrating the coming of winter to join in too.  

You have until June 23rd to write a post telling me how you are celebrating the new season.  Then leave a comment on this post with your link so I can include your link in my summary post on June 24th.  

 
 
 
And please join in with Beth@Plant Postings for her Lessons Learned meme.  What lessons have you learned this past season of spring here in the Northern Hemisphere and autumn in the Southern Hemisphere.  Write a separate post or combine your lessons with your Celebrations for one post.

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Next up on the blog:  

Wednesday will be the wrap up of the Seasonal Celebrations posts linked in by bloggers from around the world celebrating the changing of the seasons.  There is still time to join in.

I am linking in with Michelle for her Nature Notes meme at her blog Rambling Woods.  It is a great way to see what is happening in nature around the world every week. 

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I am also joining in I Heart Macro with Laura@Shine The Divine that happens every Saturday.

All original content is copyrighted and the sole property of Donna Donabella @ Gardens Eye View, 2010-2015.  Any reprints or use of content or photos is by permission only. 

88 Replies to “In A Vase On Monday-Summer’s Bounty Begins”

  2. All your vases are beautiful, Donna. I love the green one with iris and green Alchemilla. Have a nice week!

  3. I like the heart-shaped leaves of the Hot Tuna with the peonies, and the pouffy pink peonies with the goats beard is fabulous! I like to use Lady’s Mantle as a filler in arrangements too, it is so airy.

  4. Hello Donna, all your flowers and arrangements are beautiful. The peonies are gorgeous blooms. Lovely post and images. Enjoy your day and the new week ahead!

    1. Thanks Eileen…peonies are such a magnificent bloom…if there wasn’t so much rain, there would be more of them to put in vases.

  7. What an amazing array of stunning blooms and beautiful vases, your peonies are so beautiful, especially the pink.
    Happy MM.

    1. I hope to transplant some in fall to ensure blooms finally come from a few plants….glad you enjoyed the vases Mary!

  9. Oh such beauty! I have major peony envy this year. I think I have figured out a spot for a couple of peonies. You have an incredible collection it seems. I love the goatsbeard! Mine has finished blooming but WOW the bees those blooms attracted. Such wonderful arrangements Donna – yes, you do have a talent!

    1. Thanks so much Kathy! The goatsbeard has been blooming like crazy….I had to cut some back so of course it ended up in the vase.

  13. Your vases are beautiful Donna. Gorgeous arrangements to have in your home. I’m sure every room must be smelling wonderful. Have a great week.

  15. Your garden is a flower factory, Donna – and it’s running double-time! All your vases are wonderful. As I’ve probably said before, I love (and covet) peonies and you’ve got a great collection. Astrantia is another flower I love and can’t grow so the last vase also won a deep sigh from me this morning.

    1. Oh Kris that is so sweet….I think we both love flowers in each others gardens…ones we can’t grow…how wonderful this meme to help us have a virtual vase we can’t have otherwise.

  16. These vases are all beautiful and I’m learning to see plant matter that might otherwise gone straight into the compost as potential vase material. I am truly inspired by you and other devotees of this meme, your vases are stunning.

  17. Gorgeous! I really adore that combination of goat’s beard and peonies in particular. Your garden must be such a picture right now, Donna! 🙂 The Astrantia is beautiful too.

    1. Cathy it is beginning to bloom big now and once the weeds are gone it will look stunning. That goatsbeard is so beautiful it just calls to be in a vase doesn’t it.

  18. All your beautiful vases show us that your garden is the paradise of flowers at the moment – “a garden to walk in and immensity to dream in”. Thanks for sharing, Donna!

  20. I saw several goatsbeards lighting up shady areas in a recent garden tour. Now I see how they can light up a vase as well. Hope mine will one day bloom and multiply.

    1. That’s what I thought Diana…it grows wild around my garden but not any weed I can identify so perhaps a wildflower.

  27. You have good skill in floral design, Donna – have you taken classes? You also have such lovely flowers to work with. The peonies are amazingly soft and feminine and beautiful! Mine are done for the year already. Sorry for that, but there are lots of other things coming on strong now. I just love your vases, and your gardens!

    1. What a nice thing to say and no I am self taught Beth…just using my creative eye…maybe class someday would be fun! I love when the garden starts turning to the summer flowers now! Happy Summer!

  28. I’ve had trouble keeping astrantia going and look how pretty it is in a vase. It’s so much nicer with the blooms coming fresh from the garden.
    Thanks for linking to Mosaic Monday Donna.

    1. I grow it in moist sun Judith and it seems to like that best….it is a beautiful flower in the vase, so I must add more to my garden.

  29. What a pretty arrangement! I love your “eye” for these things. As Beth wrote, my peonies are finished also and I so miss them. I also wish we had your rain! It has been so hot here so soon and many of my flowers are looking it. This is our August weather and we are having it in June….and NO rain. You would never guess this is the Pacific Northwest.

    1. It has been raining almost every day and I am grateful for all of it as I have had seasons that are too dry….I hope you can get some needed rain soon Susan.

  30. I need to link up to this fun party! You have outdone yourself with these vases Donna! I am completely smitten with your sprigs of goatsbeard in your bouquets!!! Each one is so unique and beautiful in its own way! Happy gardening this week! Nicole xo

    1. Oh how kind of you to say so nicole and yes you should join in…you have such a bountiful garden and such a creative flair. Have a great week.

  31. What lovely arrangements, Donna! Peonies by themselves are such gorgeous flowers; even I couldn’t resist bringing some inside when mine were blooming. But all the extra touches you have added really make these arrangements complete. Love the goatsbeard as an accent!
    Sorry I didn’t add some seasonal celebrations to my Lessons post, but I was focused on just one idea and hadn’t taken many photos. Maybe I’ll join in later–all my lilies are starting to open up along with the coneflowers, so it’s an explosion of color in my garden right now.

  33. What a wonderful explosion of color you’re experiencing in your garden. The first photo is especially lovely.

    1. Its amazing Jason how some of these vases just come together…this is one of those vases. Grabbed the peonies and the rest just followed.

  35. The Arrangements you make in the vases and the arrangements you make of them in your mosaics are all simply stunning. I loved seeing the peonies and the lone Iris, as I’m sure they’ll all be gone when we get back to Oregon next week.

  36. I am amazed you still have peonies. Long gone in my area. Pretty arrangements. I have been using a lot of the tall flowers downed by that horrid wind storm for the last day.

    1. I was lucky many of my tall flowers are not grown enough to be blown down yet but boy was it windy here too Donna. I still have peonies actually right now as they growing in part shade…it seems to help them bloom a bit later and last a bit longer.

  42. Abundance indeed Donna – what a box of delights every vase is! I couldn’t say which was my favourite but it is fantastic to see how different combinations work out. I am beginning to add simple vases during the week too, particularly with sweet peas as i want to ensure they keep flowering

    1. Sounds delightful Cathy….and why not keep creating vases during the week to keep the abundance close at hand especially sweet peas.

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