I nearly shared a photograph of monstrous Rudbeckia ‘Irish Eyes’ on Six on Saturday, but had too many images for it to make the cut. It is a variety I have grown from seed for six or seven years or more, but never has it grown so tall – at least 4 feet or 120cms! Not only that, but the blooms have lasted on the plants for a good month with no deadheading required, although one or two are now just on the turn. If any bloom deserved a shout-out in a Vase on Monday it is this rudbeckia and, accordingly, its blooms make up the majority of the contents of today’s IAVOM.
They are joined by other seed-sown annual rudbeckia, namely ”Cherry Brandy’, ‘Marmalade’ and ‘Sahara’, and a single head of Sunflower ‘Velvet Queen’, my go-to sunflower. Some stems of Irish Eyes had to be cut down from their phenomenally lengthy 28″ or 70cm to sit appropriately in the vase, a pleasing diagonally ribbed green glass vase I had forgotten about. I try to avoid buying vases these days as I have so many, but this must have come from the ‘tip shop’ (a charity shop at our local recycling/waste disposal centre) on a visit earlier this year, when its colour and useful flared shape promoted its potential usefulness. Acting as props are a spent sunflower head and the book that spawned the title, ‘A Thousand Splendid Suns’ by Khaled Hosseini, a worthy read. The title jumped into my head immediately I began cutting the rudbeckia, although ‘a thousand’ is a slight exaggeration…
The not-quite-a-thousand suns are shining radiantly as I write this, bringing the joys of the garden into the house. You could generate a similar joy by finding material in your own garden to pop into a vase and share with us on IAVOM, leaving the usual links to and from this post.
Rambling in the Garden 
I am just trying to imagine the number of seed packets you have and the number of seedlings you are involved in nurturing each year. That is indeed a great vase of sun, and thanks for the book recommendation. My vase this week: https://noellemace.blogspot.com/2023/07/in-vase-on-monday-31-july-2023.html
Does it sound a lot if I say it was 90 from July 22 to June 23… ? I suppose it does! I prick out and then pot on 12 of each (6 for tomoatoes). 6 of each go in the cutting beds, with spares either going in the borders (not always successful) or to a friend. I will usually keep seed packets for 2 or sometimes 3 years so I am not buying that number every year!! I just love the whole process, Noelle, so it is not a chore in any way.
Yes, I like process and also nurturing but have insufficient room to raise so many seedlings. My preferred method at the moment is to grow from cuttings do most deal with hardy plants. I do admire the range you grow and often go off to look on how to grow or where to get the plants from, even if I am not very likely to grow the plants due to constraints of space.
Yes, I realise I am fortunate to have the space both to grow them and plant them out – the cutting beds have 40 different varieties. which make me wonder where all the others have been planted. I suppose there are also the tomatoes, sweet peas and some perennials – and some seeds that don’t come to anything
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Oh, how lovely to have all that sunshine indoors Cathy! Isn’t it amazing that something as impressive as the Rudbeckia can grow from a minute seed in such a short space of time. I love the sunflower too, and have one or two very spindly Velvet Queens this year too (certainly not nice enough for a vase). At least we are getting rain now at last though! I read the book a few years ago and seem to remember it being a fabulous read. My vase is golden too this week. Thanks as always!
Irish Eyes have really big flowers too – although thinking about it now I am sure they are bigger than usual! I must check and see if it was new seed – if it was, perhaps I have an imposter! Germination was poor for my Queens this year, and I have only got 3 plants
That’s such a great book! And a wonderful prop for your sunny vase this week. I have a lot of Rudbeckia as well and they’re always so cheerful. Yours work perfectly in the green glass vase.
I do keep trying with perennial rudbeckia, without success so far, but as annuals they are so easy to grow anyway
Lovely, I think I have that book on a bookshelf somewhere. Unread as of yet.
Thanks Rosie – and I hope it prompts you to find it, take it off the shelf and open it!! 😉
Lovely. Rudbeckias must be bringing lots of pollinators to your garden as well as providing color and charm. That is a great book and appropriate title. Thanks so much for hosting. Have a great week, Cathy. https://pbmgarden.blog/2023/07/31/in-a-vase-on-monday-summer-confection/
Thanks Susie. When I picked these, I carried a bloom on one of them nearly back to the house before it flew off!
You have made me want to buy another packet of seed and read a book. I have had trouble growing Rudbeckia here in the summer and that variety sounds perfect. I like the vase as well. A very sunny farewell to July. Here is my vase: https://theshrubqueen.com/2023/07/31/in-a-vase-on-monday-gee-gardenias/
Haha, and why not – but have you not got enough ‘sunflowers’ as it is?!!
No, I always need more and love Rudbeckias. I have not tried growing them in winter and that may be the trick.
As always, I will be intersted in hearing how you get on
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Beautiful arrangement with a perfect prop, Cathy. I enjoyed the book as well. My vase this week was inspired by Susie’s arrangement last week: https://wp.me/p3O3z4-33u
THanks Eliza 😊 Susie has certainly been an inpiration to many!
I absolutely love this time of year as the bright yellow sunny flowers of rudbeckia and helianthus are blooming. And so many varieties I do miss growing. Nothing better in a vase, and a lovely vase with perfect props. I will have to check out the book too. https://gardenseyeview.com/2023/07/31/my-little-herb-garden/
Here, I find the various perennial ‘daisies’ don’t do well in the garden, but the annual ones in the cutting beds are fine – thankfully, as I have been really enjoying these
And here the opposite. Perennial ones are native here.
Intriguing, isn’t it?
Oh that is such a cheerful display Cathy 🌞 Your rudbeckia ‘Irish Eyes’ sounds such a good doer and you’re certainly getting your pennies’ worth with a month’s worth of flowering time. A book that I must read along with so many others 😂 My vase is here : https://greentapestry.blogspot.com/2023/07/iavom-something-borrowed.html
Thank you Anna – and yes, so many books, so little time to read them (unless I have Covid again… 🤣)
It’s wonderful when a plant exceeds expectations as your ‘Irish Eyes’ have done. I love all that warm color, which so befits the summer season. Rudbeckia performs better than Echinacea for me but only just barely. I planted a 6-pack of ‘Sahara’ plugs this year. They haven’t bloomed yet but one has a promising bud 😉 My garden is most definitely in a summer lull but I managed to dredge up some material anyway: https://krispgarden.blogspot.com/2023/07/in-vase-on-monday-making-most-of-what-i.html
Velvet Queen was supposed to bloom for us this year! Sadly, some unidentified rodent came in and ate the tops off of all the seedlings. Well, at least it is gratifying to know that bloomed nicely in another garden!
Ungrateful beastie!!
Well, yes, but I did sort of did leave it right out where anyone could get to it. Whoever it was may have thought I intended to share.
Beautiful, I love all these daisies at this time of the year. I was going to join you with a vase of sun flowers, but in the end I couldn’t bear to pick them.
Thanks Chloris – it’s good that you have sunflowers to enjoy though!