In a Vase on Monday: Sunny Days in September

September is a month tucked somewhere between summer and autumn, and in the garden there is a similar transition going on. There can be rainy days, there can be sunny days, but whether rainy or sunny there is certainly something special about the quality of light at this time of year – a softer light, a light that imbues all colour with a magical tone. Very lovely.

My vase celebrates the sunnier days of September – the sunrises, the sunsets and the period in between – with blooms still at their sunniest but highlighted by signs that summer is on the wane and the garden will soon be in autumnal decline. So we have a clutch of sunflowers, the ‘Ruby Eclipse’ imposter and ‘Earth Walker’, Rudbeckia ‘Cherry Brandy’ (of course) and ‘Chim Chiminee’ and what I am now wondering might be ‘Rustic Dwarf’ from a previous year’s sowing, Dahlia ‘Bishop of Llandaff’ and a single bloom of Dahlia ‘Procyon’. Supporting the blooms are spent stems of Crocosmia ‘Canary Bird’, hips from climbing rose ‘Parkdirektor Riggers’ and a sprig of ‘Golden Hornet’ crab apples.

The vase was a jug picked up recently at a car boot sale, bought with two other vases from a lady who was downsizing and selling, amongst other things, her collection of vases from when she was actively flower arranging (hmm, I wonder, will this be me several years down the line…? But no, we will still be rattling around here in our dotage…). I love it partly for the colour, a yellow ochre that fades into a gorgeous green and thus perfect for display in our kitchen, but also for its tactile matte finish. Props were appropriate for those sunny days in September, sun lotion and sunglasses.

I had no qualms whatsoever about my choices today, regardless of whether they have been used recently or not, as they summed up this month so well. What represents your garden this Monday morning I wonder? Please share it with us by posting a vase and including links to and from this post – or just enjoy everyone else’s.