Today’s vase is barefacedly plain and simple, reminiscent of the dimpled skin of a new born baby – hence the title. Numerous blooms of Antirrhinum ‘Twinny Pink’, new star of the cutting beds, not a tall variety in the first place, were cut short to avoid losing new blooms on emergent side stems and placed in a charity shop footed rose bowl with a separate plastic ‘frog’ insert. To this were added stems of Briza maxima (aka dangly green woodlice) – and that was it.
The baby faced prop is a tiny vintage cellulose doll, blushing from the public exposure, her modesty partially covered by a couple of fallen snapdragon blooms. Ammi visnaga heads and white cornflowers, rejected for inclusion in the main vase, were joined by tangled Briza heads in a green crocus vase so were not wasted. Together with regular sweet pea pickings there is always a vase somewhere around the house!
Sweet and simple or elaborately complex, plonked or arranged – what will be in your vase this week? Do share it with us by leaving links to and from this post – we would love to see what you have found in your garden or foraged nearby to bring you pleasure over the next few days.
Rambling in the Garden 
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Oh so soft and fresh and pretty, as you say, just like a baby! – I think that is the grass we call whim-whams, and I love those antirrhinums. A beautiful combination. Here is my vase this week, linking with great-grandmothers! https://daffodilwild.wordpress.com/2015/07/06/in-a-spode-vase-on-monday/
Thanks – the proper ‘common’ name of the grass is Greater Quaking grass, but they really are like little green woodlice, aren’t they?!
They do, but I don’t like woodlice cos I keep finding them in in the house and garden eating things I don’t want them to eat, and i love that grass. xx
😉
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Hi Cathy, love these Antirrhinums, they really are such a good cut flower, mine are blooming again after picking them all before I went away. I was so looking forward to joining in again this week, I so appreciate you hosting. Here’s my link: https://myhesperidesgarden.wordpress.com/2015/07/06/in-a-vase-on-monday-sunshine-orange/
Hurrah – welcome back! You must have been really itching to get your next vase posted! I am so pleased with the antirrhinums – I have yellow and white as well but they are nowhere near as pretty. I like the fact they are short too and will definitely grow them again. I am glad yours are blooming again – I wasn’t sure what to expect with mine but they do all have several quite tiny side shoots that should produce more flowers.
I love the woodlice grass, so pretty with the Antirrhinums. My efforts are at http://lifeinawelshgarden.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/in-vase-monday.html
Not really woodlice grass – just my pet name for it!! It does indeed seem perfect with the pale pink and I am glad I didn’t add anything else
Nice soft shade of pink, the Antirrhinums look so fresh. Thanks for hosting Cathy. My contribution is a simple one today: https://pbmgarden.wordpress.com/2015/07/06/in-a-vase-on-monday-hydrangeas/
Thanks Susie – I am really pleased with them, as well as the achievement in growing them. I also have some tall red ones, which were sown last year but didn’t flower until this year – but these pink ones are much prettier!
Beautiful, and I learned something because I had to google for further information because I wasn’t familiar with this beautiful little flower. 🙂
Thanks Judy – it seems to be an unusually short variety of antirrhinum (snapdragon) and the petals are frillier. I really like this variety and will grow it again.
Plain and simple, that is what I like, and your vase is a perfect example. I also have to dig further as I am not familiar with Antirrhinums. Thanks for sharing and have an excellent week, Cathy! This is my vase:http://gradinameasialtefermecatorii.blogspot.ro/2015/07/in-vase-on-monday-second-bloom.html
Oh thanks Anca – and I am surprised that antirrhinums are not as well known as I would have expected them to be.
Well, I did not know they are also called antirrhinums and probably because of that great colour of the ones in your vase I did not realise they were snapdragons. I grow them in my garden, too.
Ahah – that explains it, Anca. Do look out for this variety – I bought the seeds through eBay.
I just love how you come up with the names of your vases Cathy…makes me think a bit more now…and of course then the props flow easily with the vase. Lovely Snapdragons….hoping mine will bounce back and bloom.
Here is my post although a bit combined and long…..
Thanks Donna – I knew I was going to use those blooms several days ago and they instantly suggested the title as they were so pink and fresh faced. Hope you do get more blooms from yours
Your cutting garden must be magnificent! I love snapdragons but they’re hard to grow here as they attract rust like magnets. In contrast, yours are beautiful and, as you say, fresh as a baby’s face. I cheated a bit this week and photographed vases prepared on Saturday for our 4th of July celebration: http://krispgarden.blogspot.com/2015/07/in-vase-on-monday-fireworks-more.html
Thanks Kris – I already have firm ideas on what has worked and what hasn’t worked in the cutting beds, but I am really pleased with how well these snapdragons have grown and will definitely sow them again.
Looks like this was a good Monday for babies. Great snapdragons.
Mine: https://johnsviccellio.wordpress.com/2015/07/06/in-a-vase-on-monday-celebration/
Ahah – you are celebrating a baby with your vase? 😉
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I love these pink, open-faced blossoms – such a soft, lovely color! At first I thought they were roses. 🙂
Here’s my vase this week: http://wp.me/p3O3z4-IV Many thanks, Cathy!
Thanks Eliza – I love their pale pink frilliness too 🙂
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“dangly green woodlice” – “whim whams” – aren’t common names (even those we coin ourselves) just the greatest? If cockroaches were that cute, would we detest them so? Your pastel bouquet is cooling to the eye (aaah), unlike my floral fireworks: http://bannersbyricki.com/archives/4714
Oh yes indeed rickii 🙂 I have never met a cockroach face to face so have to say I am ambivalent about them (so far!)… After the heat (all relative, of course) I agree with you about the cooling effect of this vase
Oh those snapdragons are a most pretty pink shade Cathy. I chuckled at the woodlice comparison. There’s more than a passing resemblance. There seem to be a lot of them about this year – woodlice that is not snapdragons.
They must be all in your environs Anna as I have seen very few…. 😉
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Oh that is sweet Cathy, and the pink is so pretty. I’ve had a busy and emotional day saying goodbye to my daughter (she’s 19 years old but it seems like yesterday she was playing with babies!) and I’m so pleased to be joining in again. Here is my link:
htttps://homeslip.wordpress.com/2015/07/06/in-a-vase-on-monday-made-it//
Aw, thanks. I wonder how you are feeling the day after your emotional goodbyes… My Girls are both in their 30s (oops, beg her pardon, one will be 30 this year) but it’s hard to comprehend where all that time has gone…
I’ll just try the link again:
Lovely flowers again Cathy. Well done! It’s amazing how many shades of pink there are isn’t it? I’ve gone for Larkspur today … just one pink one in my bunch though.
Thanks Gillian – yes, I don’t think I have anything else in that shade of pink! I bet your larkspur are more striking than mine – I knew they would be short as they are called ‘Seven Dwarves’ but I think I shall go for something taller next year!!
Hi Cathy, your snapdragons are a lovely shade of pink – they look fabulous massed together like that. The pale shade of green of the Briza is the perfect accompaniment – pink and green is always a pretty colour combination, I can see why you liken the grass heads to woodlice … not my favourite garden creature. Though I’m sure they are pretty harmless nevertheless they make me shudder. Here’s a link to my late submission:
http://silverscrappers.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/in-vase-on-monday-summer-miscellany.html
Thanks Elizabeth – when I saw the number of side shoots I decided I could be generous with the number of blooms I cut
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Hi Cathy! They are absolutely gorgeous! (yes, I suppose I do love anything and everything pink!). I love the baby face connection, too.
Here is my link, albeit late on Monday! https://mominthegarden.wordpress.com/2015/07/06/in-a-vase-on-monday-pink-white-blue/ Dana
Thanks Dana – and these are a softer shade than any other of the pinks in my garden
Those antirrhinums are such a soft shade of pink – lovely! Snapdragons are used as winter bedding annuals here so who knows what you may be inspiring 😉 Love the way the grass stems introduce a second bit of colour without taking over from the pink.
It did seem to be a good time for a simple vase: http://smallsunnygarden.blogspot.com/2015/07/monday-vase-simplicity-in-green-and.html
Thanks Amy – I agree about the grass, whereas the ammi and cornflower detracted from the snapdragons
I continue to be amazed at your themes and props every week. You are so creative and inspirational! I finally feel like I’ve “upped” my vase game this week and incorporated a prop/backdrop into my Patriotic Celebration vase theme. http://rebeccastexasgarden.blogspot.com/2015/07/in-vase-on-monday-patriotic-celebration.html
Aw, thanks Rebecca – it adds to the challenge of the meme sometimes! It has been really interesting to see the various July 4th vases of US bloggers 🙂
Just discovered you lovely blog and looking forward to following. Exquisite arrangement! Can you submit photos after Monday if you want to participate? Meilleur voeux!
Thanks for kind words. Yes of course it is fine to post a day or two later – essentially the vase is for your own pleasure and sharing it is an added bonus!
Many thanks! ☺
Such a pretty Antirrhinums, I think I will look out for it for next year. They are so pretty with the Briza.
Thanks Chloris – the pink germinated and thrived really well, white and yellow considerably less so. I shall grow the pink again definitely – I like its petiteness as well as its colour
A beautiful vase with an Oriental feel for me this week. I was chatting with a friend from the UK today and talking about the blog and how I see flowers on the other side of the world that look nothing like the Antirrhinum’s I have seen or planted myself, I love it!!
Thanks for your kind words – they are quite frilly compared to ‘ordinary’ antirrhinums, probably why they were not instantly recognisable as such
Cathy, your vase took me straight to pictures from my childhood: Snap draggons which I used to poke figures into and have the end nibbled by fairy draggons, and dollies that need mending or dressing. Well I am in detention with my offering this week. http://noellemace.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/in-vase-on-monday-loads-of-excuses.html
Tee hee – more like sticking your finger in a marshmallow with these ones! 🙂 Don’t worry, you don’t need to sit on the naughty step for posting a bit later than some bloggers 😉
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I love your snapdragons – they take me back to my childhood too… I must grow some more for next year 🙂 as usual I’m late with my vase… (too much on at the moment and nackered – oh well)… I hope you like it… definitely need some more blue flowers in my garden though – oops.
Sorry to be picking up your message late – busy here too! I definitely prefer these short antirrhinum to taller ones – and this pink is gorgeous!
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You inspired me to have a go at arranging and I found an old ikebana vase at a thrift shop and the result has brightened up our kitchen. Thank you for your beautiful blog! 🙂
I am so pleased that you have been inspired the blog and especially Monday’s vase meme – I am off to look at your vase now!
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