In a Vase on Monday: one last hurrah

~ Sam

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Tithonia rotundiflora ‘Torch’ (Mexican sunflower) has been the stand-out annual in our garden this year. When I sowed the seeds back in April I had no idea what orangey gloriousness was in store for us. I planted out about 10
1ft-high plants in June and they took a while to get going but, once they settled down, they romped away – one of them by the back wall grew to over 7ft tall – and they have been flowering profusely since July. The flowers are a most intense satsuma-like orange and the bees and hover flies have absolutely loved them. I’ll definitely sow more next year.

This jugful is the last of the blooms – I cut down and pulled out the plants yesterday. The wind and rain this past week have taken their toll and it was time to say goodbye. I chopped them up and added them to the compost heap but saved these flowers to brighten up the kitchen table and so I could join in with Cathy at Rambling in the Garden. She has been producing lovely vases of flowers every Monday for two years and many bloggers from around the world have joined in. The links to many gorgeous displays are on her blog.

 

32 thoughts on “In a Vase on Monday: one last hurrah”

  8. I also discovered the delights of Tithonia this year – I shall definitely sow more next year and see how they do in the ground here (I had them in large containers but they are such thirsty plants). Your vase is a lovely way to celebrate the last blooms!

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  11. I became fascinated in trying to figure out what the oblong-ish things are on the left side of your cupboards. They caught my eye–whatever they are–because they beautifully echo the intense sunflower colors.

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  12. Your tithonia are amazing, Sam – how do you do it? I have tried the last 2 years but the few plants that got to planting out stage struggled and I only had a couple or so of blooms this year – any tips? A bunch of these in any vase will always look stunning but your soft green jug really sets them off well. Thanks for sharing

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    1. Benign neglect, Cathy! I carefully raised them from seed and planted them out when they were about 1ft tall. After that I left them pretty much to their own devices. Some needed staking, and I watered them when it was dry early on but, with all the rain and warmth, they’ve been very happy. Our soil isn’t fabulously rich and it’s very free-draining. Good luck next time.

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    1. I am tempted but they have rather tatty bottoms, so I think they’d look better growing through some lovely grasses… Ooh, that’s got me thinking!

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