I completely forgot about Cathy’s ikebana challenge for this week’s Monday vase (oops) and instead went for a soft confection of whites, pinks and purples in a departure from the bold colours of recent weeks. I started with sweet peas ‘Anniversary’ and ‘Windsor’ (sowed in early March) which have started to flower well, despite being completely tray-bound due to me completely neglecting them and late planting out… It is said that sweet peas hate having their roots disturbed but I had to pull each one apart in an attempt to untangle them before planting them in the ground. They seem to have recovered from the indignity and are flowering away happily.
I’m also delighted that all the cosmos plants we finally got into the ground a few weeks ago have settled in, are covered with buds and now flowering well. These had also become very pot-bound and leggy and I cut them back quite hard, snipping off many flower buds in the process, to encourage vigorous growth. This always seems drastic and I hate doing it but it seems to have worked. They should keep flowering until at least October.
Instead of the blue/purple anemone I showed you last week, I’ve picked the delicate white Anemone coronaria ‘The Bride’, which is also looking lovely at the moment. Finally, some lavender (because it smells gorgeous and is at its peak), a couple of stems of an unknown pink penstemon (bought at a plant sale last year; I’ve lost the label) and a few sprigs of pink Linaria purpurea (toadflax) complete the bunch.
Do visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden to see her ikebana arrangement and links to others around the world.
Have a good week.
acoastalplot 
Beautiful flowers. I love the pure white Anemone and the red cosmos.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Another gorgeous bouquet. I love pink and red together and the purple works so well with them. The first time I ever went to a dance with a boy, in high school, he brought me a wrist corsage with pink, red and purple flowers. I’m not even sure what kind they were, but it was the prettiest arrangement. I liked the flowers more than I ended up liking him, actually. 🙂
LikeLike
Lovely that you have the memory of beautiful flowers rather than a disappointing boy!
LikeLike
Your garden must be an explosion of colour Sam! Last week those vivid oranges and purples, and now all these gorgeous strong pastel shades, 🙂 Just wonderful!
LikeLike
Thanks Cathy. We had extremely heavy rain last night and it’s all looking a bit bedraggled this morning, but I am getting a lot of pleasure from all the blooms.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Gorgeous! I’d love to sit in your garden and enjoy the colours, textures and fragrances. x
LikeLike
You’d be most welcome – tea and cake at the ready 🙂 x
LikeLike
A real stunner for a vase…love the colors and the sprigs of lavender are a perfect finish!
LikeLike
Thank you Donna. The lavender is too lovely to leave out at this time of year.
LikeLike
Love the colours! I had never heard the word ‘ikabana’ before, and clicked through to find out more, and decided I much prefer a naturalistic arrangement than the ikabana style, though it is a terrific word! X
LikeLike
I do too, Penny. But it’s an interesting concept.
LikeLike
It’s a pretty combination, Sam. I wonder if it’s too late to get cosmos going in my own garden – it’s a wonderful summer flower. I put in some plugs back in February (when the plants first become available here), only to have them beaten down by an early heatwave and I haven’t attempted another round.
LikeLike
I’d definitely give it a go, Kris, but try to get hold of c.40-cm high plants as they’ll be quite established and ready to get going. Then you’ll have late summer and autumn flowers 🙂
LikeLike
I have never been successful with Sweet Peas. Cosmos, though, I couldn’t live without.
LikeLiked by 1 person
A fantastic combination! The minty green vase is very pretty, too. Do you know the name of the cosmos?
LikeLike
Thank you 🙂 The cosmos is ‘Dazzler’.
LikeLike
I have fallen in love with The Bride! Any chance you could remind me to plant some of those for next year? I am sure to forget!! When would be best to plant them?
LikeLike
It is a lovely flower. Here’s a link to advice about growing them: https://www.sarahraven.com/articles/growing_anemone_coronaria.htm
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you! Great advice there. Looks like it’s time to hit the garden centre (again!!)
LikeLiked by 1 person
The Bride is so stunningly white and perfect – as she should be of course – and the dark pink cosmos is gorgeous. The lavender made the perfect finishing touch too. Thanks for sharing – and wel done for your general maintenance tasks of snipping and the like!
LikeLiked by 1 person
How perfectly summery! Perhaps the weather will soon improve and we shall see these blooms outside at their peak? The shadows on your second image are just lovely.
LikeLike
Thanks Kate. After very heavy rain earlier, it’s glorious outside now. I think it’s meant to be improving for the weekend 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Look forward to visiting every week, Sam. Am sad though that the pictures no longer go large when I click on them — so no scrumptious detail. Have you changed something or is it me?! Thank you, as always. Marta
LikeLike
Thank you Marta. I haven’t done anything different re the photos – it could be a WordPress thing.
LikeLike
I tried The Anxious Gardener for comparison, and the pictures respond to full screen.
Too bad.
LikeLike
I’ve noted down the name of your blue anemone from last Mondays vase. Will grow it next year. I always enjoy your Monday vases and this weeks was equally lovely xx
LikeLike
A most pretty array Sam. Here ‘The Bride’ is looking more shades of brown and gray than white with all the rain we’ve been having. Your penstemon looks familiar 🙂
LikeLike