It occurred to me recently that there were a number of things in the garden that just got with things without making a fuss – and without ever appearing in a vase on Monday either – and all the contents of today’s vase fall into that category. It was the wood aster Eurybia diverticula and sprawling clematis C jouiniana ‘Praecox’ that triggered these thoughts, so they were my initial choice, their star-like frothiness giving rise to the title, and they were quickly joined by often maligned Alchemilla mollis and ethereal and wispy grass Deschampsia cespitosa.
This clematis is a cross between a herbaceous variety and a more vigorous climbing type, and can be difficult to accommodate as it has a bit of an identity crisis, not knowing whether to sprawl or climb, and not making a success out of either. I once made the mistake of describing the blooms as a dirty lavender colour and was roundly but good naturedly ticked off by fellow bloggers – but I still stand by my description! Blooms of the wood aster somehow give the appearance of being a dirty white, so when I reached for one of my favourite vases with its grey-blue colour to temporarily pop the snippings into until I had time to arrange them later in the day, immediately I felt that they would be at home in it. Not only that, but having literally squashed rather than even plonked the contents into it, when I returned later I decided that they were already arranged as much as they needed to be, with height from the deschampsia and a stem of eurybia artful dangling in the foreground. Even the foliage of the clematis did not look out of place.
For extra frothiness a little whisk was the ideal prop for this very much plonked vase, showing that IAVOM needn’t be more than just picking and plonking and maybe throwing in a random prop for effect. If you would like to pick and plonk with us today, or even create a grand arrangement, just find some blooms or other material from your garden and leave the usual links to and from this post. I guarantee it will bring you pleasure!
Rambling in the Garden 
Frothy is a good description of some of the plants and seed heads this month, I love to see the old man’s beard along the hedgerows.
Strangely, I don’t think I have seen it in our hedgerows, Brian
Pick and plonk – that’s often my method! 😆😆😆 I love the asters, they’re just starting to bloom over here as well.
https://wp.me/p50zvt-2Fy
Technically, this one is no longer an aster, although it’s similar – and easier to grow!
Frothiness is how would describe some of my garden beds right now. I love this combination of less flashy flowers and greenery. You made me laugh with your story about describing the little flowers as dirty lavender. 😆 Many bloggers can be quite passionate. Lol. Have a beautiful day, Cathy! https://abeilleflowerco.com/blog/Little-vases-autumn-hues
Thanks – I am so pleased I thought of using the clematis and wood aster
A very meadowy plonk, and dirty lavendar is a good description. I like the frothy nature of the arrangement and the subtle colors…that sounds like an odd clematis. Here is my vase https://theshrubqueen.com/2022/09/05/in-a-vase-on-monday-flaming-torch-parfait/
It is an odd clematis, and not really in the right place here – but I don’t know what IS the right place!!
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What a pleasing result! These all lend themselves well to the natural look, since they are all slightly wild anyway. I love your prop too! I am back this week with two vases to make up for my absence recently. 😉
Yes, I was really pleased with the combination, Cathy. Good to have you back today 👍
I had to chuckle Cathy as I’m one of those bloggers who castigated you. I still stand by my words 😂 I grow all of the contents of your vase except for the grass and as you say they are such good doers just getting on with it without making any fuss. Unsung stars. Have you noticed any pink in the wood aster petals? My vase is here : https://greentapestry.blogspot.com/2022/09/iavom-damson-days.html
You were indeed Anna! 🤣 Yes, definitely unsung stars, and even the grasses are plants I don’t often think to include in a vase. Haven’t noticed any pink in the wood asters, but will have a closer look at blooms still on the plant
Ha! I can’t tell you how often I think about leaving what I collect from the garden in the glass jar I plonk materials into as I go 😉 Your wispy clematis reminds me of my C. terniflora, to date the only variety in that genus I’ve been able to keep alive. A sizzling heatwave descended upon us at last and my garden is in dire straits now but I cut just about everything I had before it got too badly torched: https://krispgarden.blogspot.com/2022/09/in-vase-on-monday-last-call-for-summer.html
Really?! You surrise me Kris 😉I did look up C terniflora when you mentioned it before, and it is available here too, commonly known as ‘sweet autumn clematis’. Sorry to be herar about the effects of the sizzling heatwave…🙄
I had an older friend years ago who made it her mission to make those who could not afford a “beautiful wedding” to see the beauty in the every day. She would do the flowers for their celebration using only what God had prepared. Might be wild flowers when her garden was no longer showing out. Might be weeds from the roadside and they were always beautiful.
Lovely idea Beverley
Wood aster looks surprisingly similar to the species that is native here, although somewhat more refined. Well, it still looks like a wild sort of wildflower. It just does not look as . . . dirty (?) as ours. The species that is here tends to collect dust, sort of like Silene. What is worse is that it commonly grows from expansion joints in sidewalks in coastal places like San Francisco, where it is exposed to dusty wind. No one really wants to pull it out because we know that the bloom is sort of pretty. We often do though, just because, if it is healthy enough, it can get almost weedy. Around here, it fits nicely with our unrefined gardens, and no one notices if it gets dirty.
And sadly not all the things that grow in such cracks are to be encouraged…
Mexican fan palms are notorious for growing in expansion joints, and then falling over as their trunk expands over the top of the pavement without adequate roots support. Incidentally, there is an exemplary pair of canned camphor trees outside that I pulled out of expansion joints at a job site in San Jose a few years ago.
Thanks for this lovely post Cathy. I love your arrangement. The wood aster is really pretty and the deschampsia is one of my favourite grasses. I also really like the whole idea of the ‘pick and plonk’ approach… I have been struggling with stress recently and your post gave me a much needed light-hearted reminder that sometimes the right approach is to say to oneself “actually, you know, that’ll do!” – without agonising in pursuit of perfection! 😊 As usual, there is a life lesson in the garden for me somewhere! 😊Hope all is well with you.
Oh I am so sorry to hear you have been struggling recently. I daresay the weather won’t have helped, but hoopr that whatever else is going in your life will settle down again soon. I was thinking of you the other day when I was taking plants out of the blue & white border to reinvigorate it, because I lifted the the white centuarea we mentioned before. If you let me have your address I can now send you some – I will email you at the address that’s linked to your comments
Thanks so much for your kind words Cathy, and for thinking of me 😊