In a Vase on Monday: Golden

As always, I am pleased to join Cathy at Rambling in the Garden for her lovely meme. Sharing a vase each Monday is a wonderful way to start the week!

Within the last two days our temperatures have dropped tremendously and this morning it is overcast and a chilly 14°C. Brrrr!  So this vase, which I prepared on Saturday while it was still blazing hot, was actually photographed in glorious sunshine.

Look at that blue sky!

I wonder what word comes to mind…. ‘autumn’ perhaps?

The Golden Rod has been opening for a week or two and is now at its peak – perfect for a vase as its flowers heads offer support to other stems. Such as Rudbeckia ‘Goldsturm’, Sunflowers, Helenium ‘Sahin’s Early Flowerer’ and various Miscanthus.

I cut some coneflower seedheads and removed any traces of the browning petals. A few sprigs of the dark red Persicaria ‘Blackfield’, some deep red Physocarpus foliage and a single Gaillardia also provide a bit of darker contrast. And then, just for the fun of it, I put a white Japanese Anemone ‘Honorine Jobert’ in the middle. (Especially for Tony who loves white flowers! )

Hidden in there somewhere are a few Iris sibirica seedheads too, which will be saved for winter vases. It is lovely to have such a big vase/jug of flowers in the house, and the Golden Rod – although a it messy with its pollen – is a must for at least one vase each year!

Not only the Golden Rod, but also the misty mornings and ripening apples are making me think of autumn too. But summer has a little more to give and more heat is on the way this week.

I hope you are all getting some late summer sunshine, or some good gardening weather at least.

Have a great week!