A quick and simple vase from me again, squeezed into yet another busy day yesterday: one of my many Caithness Glass vases with a selection of pastel coloured aquilegia, from the pleated single and double coloured ones to the curious anemone-flowered ones. Foliage is courtesy of a dicentra (lamprocapnos). All the aquilegia were grown from seed, the greenish-yellow Green Apples and a range of varieties sourced from seed bought from aquilegia specialist Carrie Thomas of Touchwood Aquilegia. To maintain the beauty of the originals, I am now in the habit of removing any substandard seedlings that pop up.
The title of the post is triggered by the aquilegia in the bottom right which always reminds me of the sugary confection called ‘coconut ice’; I have made coconut ice before, but having other more pressing things to do my prop today is instead a box of sugar-free sweets. The Golfer has a very sweet tooth but has been persuaded to try and stick to sugar-free sweets after too many expensive and painful visits to the dentist.
Even if you can’t find time to post about a vase today, do still pick blooms or other material from your garden and pop them into a vase for your own pleasure. Even though the tulips are now brittle and dry, I am still getting pleasure from last week’s vase and have no intention of dismantling it yet. If you are able to share your own vase with our friendly IAVOM community then just leave links to and from this post in the usual way. In the meantime have a lovely week and enjoy your gardens!
Rambling in the Garden 
Pingback: In a Vase on Monday | Wild Daffodil
Pingback: In a vase on Monday – First Dahlia! – Creating my own garden of the Hesperides
Beautiful so fresh! Love that vase.
Thank you for mentioning the Aquilegia specialist – I have always had an abundance of self seeded aquilegias in my garden prior to this year – was it the snow and ice in March that killed them off I wonder – a very meagre show this year.
Here’s my contribution to your delightful weekly garden party: https://daffodilwild.wordpress.com/2018/05/21/in-a-vase-on-monday-3/
You will get carried away if you visit her site, Sandra, so be warned!!
I’m just about to tip-toe in – that’s me gone for a while!
🙂
Lovely AND talented, it seems 😉
The perfect title. Love the pastel shades of your Aquilegias; I used to have some from seed I’d grown but they have disappeared now, too many hot summers I think. I will try some seed again though and plant them in the slightly cooler woodland walk. Here’s my link: https://myhesperidesgarden.wordpress.com/2018/05/21/in-a-vase-on-monday-first-dahlia/
Thanks Christina. There are self seeded aquilegia in the woodland edge border here so they seem to be OK with drier and shadier positions here Would you like me to save you some seed and you might get some surprises?
That would be wonderful, thank you. seed from friends always seems to germinate better than bought seed!
Will do, and of course you are most welcome
These are a delight and, as usual, I now need to go and look at this
link and ooh and ahh over what I could get. They are so delicate with so much detail but usually are tough plants too. Do you find these special ones very reliable? Here is my link: https://ablogaboutcompost.blogspot.com/2018/05/in-my-grannys-tea-cup-on-monday.html
Enjoy the fabulous weather!
Charming tea cup Alison. I tried to leave a comment on your blog but I’m not sure if it got through.
Thank you. I don’t think it did but the thought was there!
Glad you enjoyed it, Alison, despite the rushed presentation. You will be bowled over if you visit the site and it is easy to get carried away 😉 So far these have all proved reliable and this may be their 4th year of flowering perhaps?
What a sweet concoction….those are such delicately shaded blooms. Here is my link:
http://noellemace.blogspot.co.uk/2018/05/in-vase-on-monday-may.html
I love your peonies. I tried to leave a comment on your blog but not sure if it worked.
It didn’t Sandra…but thanks, I think the peonies in my last garden sold the house!
Thanks Noelle – the two tone ones are so pretty, aren’t they?
Cathy, that is just stunning! I’m trying to think what it reminds me of… pastel ribbons in a haberdashery??
Here are my less expertly assembled vases!
https://themindfulgardener.blog/2018/05/21/in-a-vase-on-monday-celebrations/
I know what you mean, but ribbons can be really bright too – these are certainly sugared almond colours though, as I think someone else has mentioned
I’m fascinated by your pastel columbine and their various forms. They make a pretty statement in that Caithness glassware. Thanks for hosting Cathy!
Thanks Susie – I was hoping to have this style of vase in a pink combination, but I don’t seem to have one, the small pink ones I do have having narrow necks so no good for today
Sometimes simple is the best, and this is so very pretty!! Those columbines do really look good enough to eat! 🙂 I have a little something different this week…I apologize it’s not in a vase, though! Will try to find time to arrange something next week. 🙂 http://heirloomcottagegarden.weebly.com/blog/in-a-vase-on-monday-strange-but-wonderful
Thanks Joanna – and it doesn’t have to be an actual ‘vase’ anyway
Your Aquilegia are so delicate! Should have a box of sugar almonds by the side though as they are the same colours 😀
Yes, I am with you on that, Jude – I should really be more on the ball with my props and have planned in advance and bought some!! 😉
😀
Happy Monday! Columbines are such a beautiful and unusual flower. I am always looking for unusual ones but have not tried growing them from seed. Sounds like that is what I need to do! My offering is here: http://www.lindabrazill.com/each_little_world/2018/05/in-a-vase-on-monday-paeonia-japonica.html
Thanks Linda. They are slow to germinate but from an autumn sowing mine were full size and flowering within 18 months or so
A perfect name for this lovely vase of columbines…..I have many that seed themselves so do not need to grow them from seed. I just cultivate the babies and then move them when they are big enough. Mine are getting close to flowering so I can’t wait to make my own sugary confection as I love these flowers.
For now I have one lone surprise flower and a bunch of native wildflowers for my post and vase….
Thanks Donna – they can be quite profligate here, so I don’t keep all the new plants that appear! Hope you get the pleasure of your soon
Pingback: In a Vase on Monday: distraction | acoastalplot
These aquilegia are so pretty, Cathy. They bring to mind floaty Edwardian dresses and croquet on the lawn! All the aquilegia here are common-or-garden ones. I’ve managed a hasty vase this week, too: https://acoastalplot.com/2018/05/21/in-a-vase-on-monday-distraction/
Thanks, as always, for hosting. Have a great week. Sam x
Oh yes, that’s a good analogy! These are certainly a step up from common-or-garden ones, aren’t they? Hope you survive your week with all the family’s activities
Wow, those are gorgeous and I thought they were Fritillarias. I have never seen Aquilegia like that, outstanding. Poor Golfer, sugar free candy. Oh well. Here is my vase from soggy Florida http://theshrubqueen.com/2018/05/21/in-a-vase-on-monday-fire-and-rain
Pingback: In a Vase on Monday: A Meadow in May | Words and Herbs
Those aquilegias really are gorgeous colours Cathy, and remind me of the boxes of Edinburgh rock we were sometimes given when I was a child! The shapes are also very pretty. I am removing a lot of the deep purple ones in my garden this year as they seem to be taking over and I do like the paler colours better. Here are my flowers for this week. https://wordsandherbs.com/2018/05/21/in-a-vase-on-monday-a-meadow-in-may/
Thanks Cathy!
Oh yes, Edinburgh Rock – which as well as the similar colours is fluted just the same way as some of the aquilegia! 🙂 Interesting to read you are culling some of your less interesting ones too
Very sweet (and sugar-free) aquilegias, Cathy. I love the way they seed around, creating new hybrids each year. My vase is here: https://outlawgarden.blogspot.com/2018/05/in-vase-on-monday_21.html
I will keep my eye open for any new hybrids worth keeping – or even naming… that would be fun!
Pingback: In A Vase On Monday: Self Seeders – Carrots and Calendula
Your aquilegias are a wonderful sugary confection of pastels. They remind me of baby clothes.
We all seem to be so short of time at the moment. Here is my quickie vase:
https://carrotsandcalendula.co.uk/2018/05/21/in-a-vase-on-monday-self-seeders/
Oh gosh, that’s an intriguing analogy – and what a range of analogies people have come up with! Glad I am not the only one satisfied with just a quickie today 😉
Love the soft colors. ps .Sugar free usually means it has something in it that is way worse than sugar.
I know intake of some sugar free sweets needs to be limited to prevent too frequent visits to the loo… 😉
Artificial sweetners are a nurotoxic mess.
Oh what welcome cool colours on a hot day Cathy. They are reminiscent of love hearts. Hope that The Golfer continues to stick to sugar free. Carrie had some fabulous flowers and it was so sad that disease struck and forced her to close down her national collection. At least their offspring are alive and thriving in other people’s gardens. Aquilegias feature in my vase too this week : https://greentapestry.blogspot.co.uk/2018/05/in-vase-on-monday-tangled-up-in-blue.html
And yet another analogy – it has been such fun hearing what they remind people of 🙂 I had a quick look at Carrie’s website to get the link for the post and the home page no longer seemed to be mentioning the disease, so I am hoping she is now able to build her collection u again. She must have been devastated 😦
Sometimes, this meme is the only reason I like Mondays. Thanks.
Aw, that’s nice to know – although I am sorry that Monday’s are not otherwise a good day for you…
The flowers do indeed look like confections. Aquilegia is another plant that struggles to survive, much less bloom, in my part of the world, and I can’t even imagine rampant self-seeding. Thanks for hosting, Cathy, busy as your are! Here’s my post: https://krispgarden.blogspot.com/2018/05/in-vase-on-monday-wild-loose.html
It has been dry and hot here for a couple of weeks, Kris, so regularly having to water things, especially those young plants, just adds to the workload… Slow and steady will win the race though…
Pingback: In a vase on Monday – Pat’s back! | Duver Diary
What a fabulous collection of Aquilegias – and from seed too – you clever thing!
Here’s mine – rather less subtle!
So beautiful! Aquilegias look great in your vase! Here is my bouquet: https://timpingradina.blogspot.ro/2018/05/in-vase-on-monday-meghans-bouquet-style.html
Thanks Anca – good to hear from you again
Cathy what a wonderful collection of Aquilegias! And its soft and sweet colors I love. They remind me of the pastel shades that my Father brought me when I was little to paint on the blackboard I had hanging in my room. It is a beautiful memory. How beautiful are the colors and shapes of the Aquilegia. I have two Aquilegias: a dwelling and a light rose. And I have seeds to plant white, but this year I could not. I congratulate her for her beautiful Aquilegia. Greetings from Margarita.
Thank you Margarita – they are such pretty colours, aren’t they? Good that they bring back memories for you too.
Pingback: A Jam Jar of Spring – Edinburgh Garden Diary
A whole vase of aquilegias – that is a luxury! Or at least it is to me as I have too few of them to pick enough for vases. They do look beautiful amassed together like this in that lovely Caithness vase. A former colleague of mine used to make coconut ice and bring it in to work. Very moreish! But I haven’t had it for years …. Here’s mine this week: https://edinburghgardendiary.com/2018/05/21/a-jam-jar-of-spring/
Very late in replying, sorry – the garden has the blame, of course! I overdid the seed purchases when I bought from Touchwood Aquilegias but I am reaping the benefits now!
Pingback: In a Vase on Monday: Sweet Gardenias – T's Southern Garden Blog
Beautiful aquilegia! I love the pale blue Caithness Glass vase. My offering is pretty simple simple today, and features the first gardenias of the season. https://tssoutherngarden.com/2018/05/21/in-a-vase-on-monday-sweet-gardenias/
Thanks Terri, and I am behind with comments as I have hardly touched my laptop since prime IAVOM hours on Monday! Sorry
Late to join your gang last night cathy. https://digwithdorris.wordpress.com off to Chelsea today. Are you going, message me if you’re there would be lovely to catch up
And I am late replying, Dorris, with gardening getting in the way as it does at this time of year 🙂 Hope you had a great day at Chelsea, which as you will have guessed I am not visiting (except on iPlayer)
Couple of hours weeding before work is exhausting but necessary before my clay soil reverts to concrete. Mad!
I assume you are not starting work at 8 in the morning although I am sure 6.00am would be a great time for weeding at this time of year! And will today’s rain (assuming you have had some) cause flooded ditches again…?
I do start early as there is stuff to do before work such as walking my dog. The rain is helping me tackle some nasty weeding in an area trying to revert to a field. It had begun to get too hard after the dry spell. Clay is so difficult
Hope your prep is going to plan? Mine is falling behind a bit
I get up even earlier since I finished work! It must be so hard to find a balance with your clay soil, when it’s not too dry nor too wet. As you may have read (or may not have had time to read!) I feel I have caught up again in the last week or two – I so want to have just cakemaking and basic maintenance in the last couple of weeks. We need to get the signs up now, which is a pain to do.. Hope you catch up soon.
I am behind on reading. Hoping to do a bit of WordPress reading this evening. Only thing is by the time dinner is sorted dog walked, emails checked couple of house errands done, it is late and it’s not so good to screen read before sleep. Not enough hours. I need to check your update though.
As for the clay, well the weeding has been huge effort as one of the borders is trying to revert to field. It takes me a couple of hours to do such a small area. But I am getting there and will not be defeated even though I have standing water after the storms this weekend! Your count down is beginning.
Definitely not enough hours, Dorris, abd I often find myself trying to catch up on a week’s worth on a Sunday morning. Sorry to hear about your standing water but pleased that you will not let it get on top of you. Well done you 😊
No time to dwell. There’s planting to be done, seeds to sow, dahlias wAiting to go back in the ground.
Off now to do church flowers as my neighbour is away so I’m covering her shift.
Yes, no dwelling to be done 😉 I am out with various things for much of the day but cutting and tying back are my current priority as not everyone is the same size as me! Good luck with keeping on top of your to do list 😀
And You Cathy
🙂
I love your selection of aquilegias, they are a passion of mine too and like you I grow a few different ones each year. I must investigate Touchwood Aquilegias.
Thanks, Chloris, some of them are especially gorgeous – I have a dark orange and red one just coming unto flower now which always amazes me when I see it. I am surprised you have not come across Touchwood before
I did just what you said, Cathy – I managed a vase (on Monday, no less) but have only just managed to post about it…
I adore your aquilegias: I would say they are surely NOT sugar-free 😉 Love the dicentra foliage too; that is a plant I rather miss here, for the foliage as well as flowers.
Here is my belated offering: https://www.smallsunnygarden.com/2018/05/24/in-a-vase-summer-thoughts/
Glad you have had pleasure of your vase since the Monday, Amy, even if you were not able to share it with us until later 🙂