I started gathering blooms for today’s vase, cutting several stems of Dahlia ‘Geoffrey Kent’ and a few from D ‘Bishop of Llandaff’, before heading off to look for some grasses to include and being sidetracked by Persicaria ‘Fat Domino’, before realising that I seemed to be inadvertantly picking elements of the vase created by blogging friend Dorris last week. With the grasses in one hand, I couldn’t resist cutting several stems of an adjacent Persicaria ‘Blackfield’, its flowering spikes not as big and fat as ‘Fats Domino’, but a strikingly dark shade of red. Adding them to the grasses, it occurred to me that sometimes less is more, and that they made a pleasing combination in themselves without the addition of any dahlias, so I can no longer be accused of vase plagiarism!
Instead of stuffing a vase with dahlias, we therefore have several stems of P ‘Blackfield’, flowering grass Miscanthus ‘Ferner Osten’, and a single bloom of ‘Geoffrey Kent’. LIke the calamagrostis that Dorris used in her vase, the miscanthus has a slight rosy tint to it and always reminds me of string when you have separated it into its individual strands. The remaining blooms were not wasted, but were tied into a posy and taken with me to the centre where I do weekly voluntary work.
The black gates of today’s prop are part of my childhood collection of Britains ‘Floral Miniature Garden’, a collection sadly mutilated by my children and their friends at some stage, with items broken, mixed-up and lost – I blame the friends!! On top of the gateposts I inserted what were classed as ‘rock plants’, although the foliage I included probably belonged to something else.
That’s my Monday vase for today, and it would be lovely if some of you could join us with your own vase, garnered with material from your garden or foraged nearby. Please leave the usual links to and from this post.
Rambling in the Garden 
Think homage rather than plagiarism Cathy! I admire your restrained, refined presentation that lets the main ingredients shine. Love the rich reds of your vase and posy. Hope you have a great week and as always, thanks for hosting.
Life here is busy. I continue to provide care for my husband who now is back home and continuing to receive rehab. Flowers have been a joy to us both.
https://pbmgarden.blog/2020/10/19/in-a-vase-on-monday-dahlias-in-a-silver-bowl/
I am glad to have had the opportunity to dismiss the full-on dahlias for the simpler vase – it was a useful exercise in restraint, Susie. Glad to hear your husband is home so less travelling for you but now you have the hands-on care…does he need specific nursing care too?
Yes, getting lots of care for next few weeks. It’s nice to have him home. Covid-19 has made things much more difficult to manage but we are getting by. Thanks.
That is so good to know, especially that he has got so far despite Covid
This is a wistful vase, for me. The muted reds perfect for autumn yet, with the dahlia, reminiscent of the fiery hot summer we just had. Kind of soothing….
https://countygardening.wordpress.com/2020/10/19/in-a-vase-on-monday-stems-and-flowers/
Yes, I see what you mean, especiallywith the leaves of te miscanthus beginning to change colour
Grasses add to the artistic look. and the little fence…love it.
Vase plagiarism, ha! I would have thought along the lines of ‘imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.’ I imagine Dorris would have been happy with that thought. 🙂
Your P. ‘Fats Domino’ are wonderful. Great combo!
My vase this week harkens back to summer: https://wp.me/p3O3z4-2Cl
Pingback: In A Vase on Monday – Five ‘C’s | Eliza Waters
Blackfield is a rich and opulent colour! A lovely vase, and I am sure your lovely posy will have brought great pleasure to it recipients! I have made no progress with setting up a new blog. WordPress seems to want payment and I can’t get anywhere with it (I am very untechy), so I have posted my vase with summer’s last hurrah on Instagram again this morning. Have a good week. Amanda
But if it is a wordpress.com blog it should be free so there must be a misunderstanding somewhere? hope you get is sorted soon – is there not a techy friend who could help you? Or have you looked on YouTube? There is bound to be someone who has posted a video of how to get started. And WordPress has its own tutorials too, which can be really helpful for basics
I have tried looking at two videos online so far and they both refer to payments. I will keep looking, but just been a bit busy of late with grandchild care, dogs, life!! I will get there, but just feel so angry with Blogger for shutting me out!! The repercussions on my laptop for upgrading my operating system and browser are not just confined to the blog. It’s all very frustrating indeed! Anyway, I can still take part in small measure on Instagram which I know what not your original idea but I am still able to communicate with Kris, Susie, Cindy and one or two others, which is lovely!! A
I wish I could be more active in helping you, Amanda 🙄 Is it possible it wasn’t the official site you used? It could almost be worth closing the new blog down and starting again, making doubly sure it was the official site – when I first started it was an absolute doddle to set up… When life is busy it is easy to see why you you are reluctant to pursue it, especially with the experiences you have had. Glad to know some have caught up with you on Instagram though
What is your IG handle? So many Running Waves on IG…
The grass adds a lively quality to the arrangement. The Persicaria is lovely too, All in all, a great salute to fall. Here’s my contribution: https://krispgarden.blogspot.com/2020/10/in-vase-on-monday-going-crazy.html
I suppose it does have an autumnal look, Kris – I hadn’t particularly thought of that, but I agree
Definitely not a case of vase plagarism but rather that you were suitably inspired Cathy. Love persicarias – they are really what can only be described as good doers although the leaves don’t do it for me. The tips of the miscanthus subtly echo the dark flowers. I know that we’ve discussed the miniature garden sets before now. I really wish that I had managed to hold on to mine after childhood. I wonder if my sister has got it and must ask her 😄 The pond was my favourite and those little dibbers for planting. I’m sure that you noticed at the time but amazingly nothing ever grew. My vase is here : https://greentapestry.blogspot.com/2020/10/iavom-in-pink.html
Hope your sister does prove to have your garden, Anna, although if she does she might be reluctant to let you have it back – I know my youger sister swore blind I had ‘given’ certain things to her…! Did you lookat the link? It was a really interesting article and brought back lots of memories. My Mum has the original lead ones from the 30s…still love to get those out and ‘play’ with them!
Of course I couldn’t resist looking at the link Cathy 😂 Happy memories. I still have to ask my sister the leading question.
What a lovely story and prop this week. I love the grasses. I’m late…and my vase is made up of items I have featured before, but I’ve put up a picture of today’s Bake.https://noellemace.blogspot.com/2020/10/in-vase-on-monday-busy-doing-other.html
Somehow missed your comment yesterday, Noelle – sorry
Pingback: In a Vase on a Monday: Pink Clouds – Annettes Garten / Annette's Garden
This is very sweet, Cathy, gateway to a little paradise, your garden that is. Blackfield is looking stunning in our garden after all the rain. Yours is the perfect match for the gorgeous dahlia and miscanthus. Here’s my therapy vase 😉 : https://personaleden.wordpress.com/2020/10/19/in-a-vase-on-a-monday-pink-clouds-2/ Have a good week xx
Thanks Annette – Blackfield just seems to go on and on, doesn’t it? But then so do most of the other persicarias – such a useful group of plants!
absolutely, especially in water-retaining soil
As I am finding in the streamside border…!
Cathy el arreglo del jarrón es magnÃfico. Las dos Persicarias son divinas y tienen un color rojizo divino, me encanta. La Blackfield es muy especial. Las puertas de entrada a tu jardÃn de niña es encantadora, me encanta. Además tienen mucha historia: tú jugaste con ellas y tus hijos también lo hicieron, es muy especial, maravilloso. Manteneros sanos y seguros el golfista y tú. Que tengas una muy buena semana. Saludos muy cariñosos de Margarita x
I am a bit behind this week Cathy, but lovely to see your vase full of the Persicaria. And your prop is of course ingenious too. 😉 I have finally ordered a Persicaria for the new garden – Firetail, which has performed so well in the old garden and flowers until Christmas sometimes! 😃
Hope all is well with you, Cathy. I have Firetail too, the first I bought apart from Red Dragon – then I found a nursery with several of the varieties and there was no stopping me!
Didn’t British kids have Hot Wheels?
I believe so, but that would have been well after my childhood. My brother had Dinky, Corgi and Matchbox cars