It was the presence of a number of blooms of cosmos that determined the way today’s vase was going: Candy Stripe, Click Cranberries and Fizzy Rose Picotee, all sown at the beginning of March, although two year old Candy Stripe seed germinated poorly and a second sowing was made with new seed. I have yet to successfully save my own cosmos seed so any suggestions would be gratefully received.
Joining the cosmos is Dianthus ‘Sweetness’, a perennial pink grown last year from a free packet of seed and with a typically distinct clove-like fragrance, Astrantia ‘Roma’, palest of pink Allium roseum (which Google tells me is commonly known as rosy garlic and therefore explains why it readily pops up in paths and borders, suggesting regular culling may be appropriate) and foliage interest from Luzula nivea.
Surely I had a little pink vase to pop these pretty pinks into? Unfortunately it wasn’t as easy as that, and despite possessing several Caithness Glass vases in pastel shades, the nearest to pink was this one, which in the photographs has more of a lavender tint, accentuated by the pinkness of the chunky rose quartz point that accompanies it. Sadly, this slight clashing of shades would grate on me during the week, so unlike other weeks the prop has not made it beyond the photo shoot, giving a more acceptable result:
Having an acceptable vase is not a prerequisite for IAVOM as a jam jar or any other receptacle will do – wild and wacky ideas and thinking out of the box are always welcomed – so do see what you can pick from your own garden or forage locally to pop into your chosen container. We love to see what other people are picking so do share it with us by leaving the usual links to and from this post.
ps I shall be at the RHS Chatsworth Flower Show on Wednesday: anyone else?
Rambling in the Garden 
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Hi Cathy! Sweetly pretty your vase today! ‘Roma’ is a very pretty astrantia, isn’t it? How do you stop your cosmos growing too tall? I gave up on them about 2 years ago because they always reached 6 feet before they produced flowers as nice as yours. Do you pinch them – or do they just not behave so badly in your garden?!!! Lovely vase, and nice to be back participating. I’m afraid my vase today is not at all wild or wacky (I wish!!). Here it is: https://gardendreamingatchatillon.wordpress.com/2017/06/05/in-a-vase-on-monday-back-in-the-game/ Have a great week (and must take a look at your lovely roses as well!)
I certainly wouldn’t want 6 feet high cosmos and have grown some ‘dwarf’ ones this year, but yes, I do pinch them out and these ones (which aren’t dwarf) in the cutting beds wouldn’t normally get to more than 3-4 feet
Will try again, and pinch Cathy! I grew one called ‘Sweet Sixteen’ which were very like yours, but they did the 6ft tall trick. Next year – and pinching!
Well, teenagers are supposedly taller these days I believe…! 😉
And it’s great to have you back, of course 🙂
Hello Cathy, I am back again on IAVOM…partly in thanks to your post last week. Loved the cultivation notes and am looking forward to your response to Cathy’s question on growing Cosmos. So it is New Beginnings for me: http://noellemace.blogspot.co.uk/2017/06/in-vase-on-monday-new-beginnings.html Enjoy Chatsworth.
So good that you are joining us again, Noelle, even with an overgrown and weed infested new garden!
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Pretty in Pink, just like the movie and I loved the quartz! I have several pieces myself. How interesting and mysterious about the Cosmos seed. I always had an overabundance when I had them in my garden. Maybe the seeds aren’t dried enough? Here is my vase this Monday:http://theshrubqueen.com/2017/06/05/in-a-vase-on-monday-summer-bouquet
Thanks. I think the cosmos seed collection failure is very likely to do with the dryness, but I am still a novice with seed collection
Well, my mother always saved her Cosmos seed in a plastic bag with a paper towel in it.
Hmm, interesting
Hi Cathy, I know I stored my cosmos seed in a plastic container, which you are not supposed to do, since I still have the container with ‘cosmos’ written on it. I think it was more about planting in the right weather and time – they germinated best in the rich soil around the orange tree, and didn’t grow at all in my ‘meadow’ garden. I envy your astrantias – as yet I have had no luck with them. Here is my vase.
https://absentgardener.com/2017/06/05/in-a-vase-on-monday-in-the-rain/
Love this Cathy. My vase is http://pbmgarden.blog/2017/06/05/in-a-vase-on-monday-apricot-and-plum/
Thanks Susie 🙂
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Ooh, Cosmos in flower already! We are still behind you, despite the heat, and my cosmos are just growing tall and spindly as usual. Love the array of shades of pink, and the vase is lovely, even if it isn’t quite the colour you were looking for. Here is my contribution this week, with a summery theme. Thanks Cathy!
https://wordsandherbs.com/2017/06/05/in-a-vase-on-monday-a-seaside-vignette/
I checked back and last year some of my cosmos was flowering at the end of May, but some not till July, all sown early March!
Mine are always later than I expect them to be!
That’s really pretty Cathy. Your Cosmos are doing well; I didn’t sow any this year as I’ve not been all that happy with them but there is a huge patch of self seeded ones where they were last year which I have left. I nearly used a couple of their flowers myself today but in the end went for a more rustic second vase. Here’s my link: https://myhesperidesgarden.wordpress.com/2017/06/05/in-a-vase-on-monday-too-hot-to-think/
Thanks for hosting.
Thanks Christina – I am really pleased with the cosmos and picked my first posy of them last week for a friend
I think my self down ines will do better than my plants have in previous years; I wonder why that is!!!
It seems to often be the case with self seeded plants – I suppose they germinate when the conditions are perfect for them, instead of being artificially stimulated by us to suit our timescales and equipment
So hot here that it’s making the flowers come on too fast. Hope you will tell us about the Chatsworth event. My vase is here: http://eachlittleworld.typepad.com/each_little_world/2017/06/in-a-vase-on-monday.html
Will try and make time to post about Chatsworth – I think it is forecast to be dry but not too warm so that sounds good for an outdoor event 🙂
The pinks surely have it this week in your vase. You even have a pink rock to place beside the blooms. Happy IAVOM.
Thanks Lisa – I do try to do my bext with props!! 🙂
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Beautiful pinks, Cathy. Have a lovely time at Chatsworth – I look forward to hearing what you think. It’s too far for me to go, sadly. Here’s my vase: https://acoastalplot.wordpress.com/2017/06/05/in-a-vase-on-monday-brave/
Thank you, as ever, for hosting.
Thanks Sam, I am anticipating a most enjoyable day 🙂
I love all your pinks this week Cathy. It paid off sowing your cosmos early, mine is nowhere near to blooming.I have joined in this week but I have tagged my vase at the end of rather a long post. I haven’t posted for ages so I had a lot of catching up to do. But I couldn’t resist adding my vase of sweet peas at the end so you know I am still enjoying a vase on Monday, even if I haven’t been posting for a while. https://thebloominggarden.wordpress.com/2017/06/05/june-is-bustin-out-all-over/
Thanks Chloris – I know you have been busy but it is good to hear from you and I look forward to seeing your busty garden
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Hi Cathy, lovely pinks this week. I’m impressed you’ve got Cosmos flowering enough to pick!
I have two arrangements this week (important weekend visitor!) – one pink but the other blue.
Both perhaps a little past their prime – I’m feeling much the same myself 😉
Enjoy Chatsworth!
https://duverdiary.wordpress.com/2017/06/05/in-a-vase-on-monday-sweet-peas-two-ways/
Thanks, Jen. Last year there were only one or two at a time for the first few weeks, but I pinched them out quite early one this year and perhaps ths has helped. Important visitor…? Sorry to hear you are feeling past your best – what will perk you up, I wonder?
Very pretty! I love Cosmos but haven’t grown them in several years. They always remind me of the scene in the movie “The Color Purple” where the characters are surrounded by a seemingly endless field of these sweet flowers. Have fun at the flower show! My vase this week is simply a bunch of euphorbias making a stop inside on their way to the compost heap.
My goodness – I haven’t seen the Color Purple for years – it was the first video I ever watched, way back in the late 80s, I suppose, and I am afraid I can’t remember any cosmos!! I giggled at the idea of a vase as a diversion for the euphorbias 😉
Cosmos, so nice to see as I associate it with summer and that rosy garlic is pretty, but your note on its self-sowing tendency makes me wary. Love all the pink!
My vase this week: http://wp.me/p3O3z4-1NJ
Yes, and as it is the first in the cutting beds to flower it definitely feels as if summer is on the way. The rosy garlic does not self seed excessively though, but seems to prefer cracks in paving where it is harder to pull them out!
I never realized there were so many varieties of Cosmos available – more reason to try growing them from seed rather than relying on plugs from the garden center! I seriously considered leaving my own flowers in the jam jars into which I dropped them when collecting flowers in the garden yesterday but I can never stop myself from fussing with them so I dug out proper vases. Enjoy this week’s garden show! Here’s my post: https://krispgarden.blogspot.com/2017/06/in-vase-on-monday-sour-grapes.html
Yes, lots of varieties are available from seed, although so far these three varieties don’t look very different. I nearly swapped my vase for a jam jar after I saw the photographs, but in the end just removed the quartz instead 😉
I love those shades of pink, thanks for sharing! My vase: http://timpingradina.blogspot.ro/2017/06/in-vase-on-monday-bells.html
Thanks Anca – I thought they worked well too 🙂
I adore dianthus in all forms and this one is gorgeous, especially with all the other pink gems. I’m sure I used to have one similar in a previous life. Now I’m building up my collection again and they do grow easily from seed. . Perhaps you need to shop for a pink vase? Here is mine: http://ablogaboutcompost.blogspot.co.uk/2017/06/sunshine-in-vase-on-monday.html
Don’t encourage me to buy more vases, please, Alison – although if I do see a little Caithness Glass one in pink at a boot sale I wil probably indulge, if I remember at the time that i don’t have a pink one!! 😉
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It’s a lovely pink collection Cathy, there’s nothing quite like that scent from dianthus. We had a few as wedding flowers, so for me it’s a very evocative aroma – which reminds me our anniversary is coming up soon!
My collection for this week is roses in a basket https://doingtheplan.com/2017/06/05/roses-in-a-basket-on-monday/
Thanks as always for hosting this lovely meme, and have a splendid time at Chatsworth this week 🙂
Thanks Jen – I am not sure that I have had dianthus like these before but I had a feeling they were meant to smell of cloves so was thrilled when I tentatively sniffed and it really is a distinctive clove fragrance! Happy anniversary – perhaps recreate your wedding flowers…? 😉
Cathy the Cosmos is beautiful and her color is very beautiful. The Astrantia is cute. The bouquet is beautiful. I love the quartz detail next to the vase. Have a very good week. Greetings from Margarita.
Thank you Maragarita – hope all is well with you
I’m not going to Chatsworth but now I wish I was – it looks so beautiful. I’ll have to get my fix on GW next Friday.
I assume it is going to be regular feature in the RHS show calendar, Julie. I was interested to hear Monty talking about the freeform show gardens and look forward to seeing them
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Oh all most pretty in pink Cathy. I do like the look of that little allium. Relentless almost non-stop rain here all day so sadly I didn’t get into the garden. Still a good time to catch up on housework. I will be at Chatsworth the day after you 😦
Thanks Anna. The self seeded allium does seem to take a few years to reach flowering stage, but I have to say that seeing it in flower partially redeems its slight promiscuity – if it only it wouldn’t pop up in cracks and crevices 😉 Nothng like as wayward as wild garlic though – and not as smelly! Shame you are not at Chatsworth till the day after – hope you enjoy your day though
Your cosmos in a vase remind me of days long gone…beautiful photography .
Thanks Patsi
i love a pink explosion! Just gorgeous! A couple of years ago I tried a black cosmos! The flower itself was small, but the color was a true black. It wasn’t so pleasing that I wanted to continue with it, but it was certainly different. Enjoy your flower show. I’m sure it will be special.
Gosh, I don’t think I have come across that one before…!
A lovely grouping of pinks! For some unknown reason I have never grown Cosmos – clearly I need to set that to rights! And your Dianthus is beautiful… from seed too, which always does intimidate me, for no apparent reason…!
The weather is getting quite warm here, and so is my vase this time, but at least there is a rose: https://www.smallsunnygarden.com/2017/06/06/in-a-vase-warm-and-sunny/
Thanks Amy. I am more confident with perennials from seed now, although they are not always as straightforward as annuals
Well pink and cosmos are one of my favorites combinations, this your looks wonderful1
Thanks Lula