Horrors, it seems that the last time I posted anything on my blog I was focused on daffodils and tulips! How time flies for this lazy gardener.
I vow to make it short and sweet from now on – so that I post more, instead of just thinking about it.
This is my contribution to Cathy’s lovely meme at Rambling in the Garden. I picked more than two vases yesterday – four in all. The dahlias, zinnias and everything else are really getting up some steam now, in spite of the hot weather.
Last night, sitting eating my supper, I couldn’t stop looking at the zinnias, ‘Purple Prince’ and ‘Benary’s Giant Lime’. If you’d asked me 10 years ago if I could ever love something as ‘in your face’ as a zinnia, I’d have denied it. Can you notice in the pictures how ‘Purple Prince’ shows quite a lot of interesting variation. (Or maybe I just forgot I also sowed something else?!)
Today the Ammi visagna that I put in to partner them is wilting. But then, everything is wilting at the moment.
Fortunately the snapdragons, ‘White Giant’, ‘Crimson F1’ and ‘Appleblossom’ are heat-resistant, both in the house and in the garden.
I can never thank Christina at Creating My Own Garden of the Hesperides enough for turning me on to them (although she doesn’t like them herself – what a twist!).
Because everything is so scorched and miserable, I think I’m loving my second vase more. The larkspur ‘Giant Imperial Mixed’ look nothing special against the parched earth, but in a vase with the red and white snappers, they are truly lush.
Go on over and see everyone else’s vases – and I hope you come back here soon for a little update on my long-coveted greenhouse … which has not let me down this year, unlike the sweet peas!
Good to hear from you, Cathy – you will soon see that many of us are enjoying zinnias this year! ‘Benary’s Giant Lime’ is gorgeous and I will try that next year as I have moved on from when I failed miserably with a green one before. Lovely antirrhinum and delphinium too, and it’s great to know that your greenhouse is doing the business – I look forward to reading your update in due course
Benary’s Lime is definitely worth trying although the flowers are not consistently gorgeous. I am really taking a huge amount of pleasure in the zinnias – how fabulous to be part of a trend! Need to get ‘out’ and observe it!
I love the color mixes in both vases, Cathy. And snapdragons and zinnias blooming at the same time – remarkable! I was late in getting my zinnias (and my dahlias) planted this year and I’m kicking myself over that – you can’t beat zinnias for summer blooms, especially when you’ve got sizzling heat.
I didn’t know it was remarkable that they would bloom together! I sow the snapdragons early in late March/ early April, the zinnias in May. The snapdragons bloom first, but still manage to keep going well into the autumn. Thanks for the visit – must get over to yours!
Those rich colors and well grown plants really don’t say scorched and miserable to me! Beautiful vases.
Fortunately the cut flowers are graced with a bit of water every few days, otherwise they would all be dead by now!
I was wondering what was happening to you. Good to hear that you are enjoying your garden. Is it hotter than usual for you? Like in England?
Not really hotter than usual Christina – 2016 was desperate. At least the temperatures are sinking nicely below 20 in the evening. I think I’m finding it harder this year because I’ve become aware that the endless watering regime every summer is part of my future here! Oh for some nice light soil so that I can grow the lovely greys! The grasses and perovskia still look good here, so I think I need to work on cuttings and adding different grasses …
Those zinnias are very beautiful. I haven’t had anything to do with zinnias for years and don’t remember them being as attractive as yours. It’s true, you haven’t posted for a long time. Last time I read your blog, you were worrying about your open garden. Did it go well?
I got turned on by seeing the purples and greens – the dark colours. I also love the colour variation in one flower. The open days went splendidly, thank you! So much fun, I highly recommend it. Although exhausting! I hope I will find the mojo to do it again next year. It was nice for the village as well, since we had a little bit of coverage in the local papers.
Lovely rich colours in your second vase. I love snapdragons. We are all growing zinnias now, they are wonderful for picking.
I need to get out ‘virtually’ more, Chloris and see that I am part of a trend! Thanks for commenting!
Lovely arrangement, Cathy. Nice to see your post!
Thanks Eliza – I’m getting so bad at it!
Are daffodils and tulips that horrible? So you missed a few weeks . . . or months. At least you do it, which is more than I can do. I do not have the patience to assemble floral design with my meager pickings.
I only do it SOMETIMES, Tony – maybe I should be more content with my efforts all round! Thanks for your comment, which gives me pause for thought!
It’s good to see a post from you Cathy. Hope that your open garden went well. I’m new to zinnias this year having failed with them previously and am so far besotted 🙂 Maybe my success this year has something to do with the weather and a distinct lack of molluscs. I like your snapdragons too. The pink is an attractive warm shade. A most striking vase of flowers.