Instead of my usual approach to IaVoM (when I pick a bunch of whatever’s flowering well and a few sprigs of greenery and plonk them in a suitable vase), this week I’d like to show you Ammi visnaga ‘White’ in detail – a study from the flowerhead as it fades and goes to seed. Sorry for the dull lighting in the photos – it’s a grey old day today and the light is low. You can see much brighter pictures of the cut flowerheads used in a vase here.
I grew this hardy annual from seed for the first time this year, sowing in March and planting outside in early July. As you know, we live by the sea and it can get a little breezy; it’s also been an incredibly dry summer. Top marks, then, to this plant which has coped with pretty tough growing conditions and provided loads of lovely, domes and plate-like heads of minute white flowers. I know I’ve extolled the virtues of it before but it really has been wonderful for attracting insects and a magnet for bees and hoverflies. It adds a certain drama to a vase of cut flowers but there’s one thing that slightly lets it down: the smell. It’s meant to be unscented but it does have one – it’s hard to describe but let’s just say it’s bordering on unpleasant. You do have to get close to catch a whiff of it, though, so I do allow it in the house 🙂
I’m joining in as usual with Cathy at Rambling in the Garden where you’ll find some gorgeous colourful blooms and links to many other lovely vases.
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I’ve not had much time for gardening lately but I did get outside yesterday to take some photographs, have a proper look at what’s going on and make a mental to-do list.
Have a good week.
acoastalplot 
How beautiful your garden flowers are looking. You have reminded me that I need to plunge my hands into my pond and reduce my waterlily. Ugh, I am NOT looking forward to that. Love the colour of that nasturtium, absolutely gorgeous. I grew ammi down at the plot this year and it’s done pretty well despite a smidgen of neglect. CJ xx
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I’m very grateful that I don’t now need to sort out the pond. Good luck.
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You have so many lovely things growing in your garden right now. Here it is mostly rudbeckia, and even that is on its way out.
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It’s been so mild here Kristie, but it’s all fading fast. Rudbeckias are lovely.
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I love your photos of all the different stages in the jars. Thanks for inspiring us to look at our flowers in a completely different way. And congrats on having a wonderful sounding mother-in-law. Cleaning the pond out is a big chore.
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Thank you Linda 🙂 Yes, I’m very relieved that I don’t now have to do pond-clearing.
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Is that a wild carrot? We have very similar blooms here at present and our hot lips is also a bit hit-and-miss with the red lips bit! I too need to clear out the water lily which is taking over xx
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The ammi is a cultivated form of carrot and these late flowers look very similar to the wild form. The earlier flowers were much more domed. I love it.
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All umbellifers are beloved by bees and I think ammi is terrific. You are going to have lots of seed for next year.
Isn’ t this a lovely time in the garden? Everything is enjoying the warm weather and the show looks set to go on for a while yet. I love your yellow water lily.
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It’s been such a lovely September, hasn’t it? I must go and collect as much seed as possible before the weather turns.
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Thank you for sharing the other blooms in your garden as well as your vases – it’s good to see what else yu have growing. And what an original idea to show the different stages of ammi – the first time I grew it I found it most intriguing and the dry heads make such a statement too. Must remember to collect seds from mine – and my cosmos too. I was too rigourous in deadheading my cosmos last year!
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I know what you mean about dead-heading – I quite often forget to leave some but I’ve been less rigorous this year and there are loads of seed heads.
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It’s working out a sensible balance of deadheading or not deadheading I suppose
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I love your creative take on the Ammi – it is a new plant to me and I enjoyed seeing the stages.
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I really enjoy seeing the different stages from seedling to flower and back to seed.
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The japanese anemones I planted three years ago are just getting into their stride, not to mention tentatively sizing up their surroundings with a view to expansion. I have a feeling it may be war next year.
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It is full-on war here. The flowers are pretty but they’re absolute thugs when it comes to spreading. They don’t know the meaning of personal space.
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I did enjoy your ammi ‘life cycle’ vases. I haven’t noticed the smell of mine yet … I hardly dare take a closer sniff! Feel free to post me any of your unwanted Japanese anemones ;o)
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I know the J.anemone flowers are pretty but they’re very invasive and would swamp your lovely garden in no time!
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Lovely to see what is in your vase and what is in your garden! xx
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I so enjoyed seeing your photos today Sam, what a great idea for a vase post. I must try again with ammi, I’m afraid I’ve never been able to get it to maturity either here or at the allotment. Your late September garden looks gorgeous too. I keep my white Japanese anemone in check by growing it in the same bed as Cornus Midwinter Fire, which seems to work. Erigeron and V. bonariensis are some of the hardest working plants in my garden and you’ve reminded me to take cuttings from Salvia Nachtvlinder which is currently being smothered by a euphorbia.
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That’s interesting about the Cornus, Sarah. I haven’t heard of that before. I love Midwinter Fire (had some in our old garden). I spotted that Salvia on another blog (think it was Chloris’s but could be wrong) and made a note – it’s very pretty. Hope all’s well x
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Your garden is so pretty Sam. I love your study of Ammi visnaga, beautifully displayed and captured. I wonder if this would be available in my part of the world? Many plants that cope with coastal conditions tend to cope with our dry climatic conditions also. Interesting. Happy gardening!
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It’s a form of carrot, Jane, so I’m sure you’ll be able to get hold of it. Ammi majus is also lovely. Good luck.
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I accidentally let some carrots go to seed this summer. I’ve had beautiful white flowers for the house the whole season. I love happy accidents like this.
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Carrot flowers are so pretty. I keep meaning to get hold of some of the pinky-purple one – Daucus carota dara.
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I love the idea of your vase – fading away… I’ve got a couple of stems of an achillea in my vase this week which fades from bright yellow and pink to cream. Ah you’ve got such a lot of plants still flowering – looks glorious – I’ve got two big pink and white geraniums followering away (over wintered three times in soggy Manchester) – and my cosmos are flowering still – and slug munched dahlias… Autumn is on it’s way here… have a lovely week – love bec xx
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Geraniums are such great-value plants, aren’t they? Autumn is definitely on its way.
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Like Karen above, I let some of my purple carrots go to seed and they look remarkably like your Ammis. We have so many carrot-related wild and vegetable plants here, that I don’t need to plant any, but, like you, I love their evolution.
Have you ever pickled nasturtium seeds? I just learned about it, apparently they turn out a bit like capers.
Finally, what’s your advice on Japanese Anemones? Are they too invasive?
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I had heard that all parts of the nasturtium are edible – leaves, flowers and seeds – I’ve eaten the flowers but not the seeds. I may give them a go… Hmm, J. anemones… They’re hugely invasive here and seem to grow in concrete. I’d steer well clear but they are pretty and the pink ones seem less brutish. Perhaps give them a go but keep a careful eye on them?
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That Anemone coronaria is absolutely striking – love the color. Verbena bonariensis has not done well for me for some reason.
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This anemone is ‘Mr Fokker’. It is lovely, isn’t it.
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I love your little collection of Ammi – fascinating!
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Thank you 🙂 Shame about the light, but, hey.
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A lovely botanical sketch of Ammi. Great idea. I do love the way the seeds seem to plait themselves as they ripen. Cheering to see that you’ve got plenty of lovely flowers still.
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There are plenty of flowers but there are also plenty of gaps. Autumn is taking hold.
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A lovely post Sam, jam-packed with flowers! I have never grown Ammi but I love watching Queen Ann’s Lace which curls up in the same way and this is a beautiful way to showcase the flower in all its wonderful stages. Very lovely! 🙂
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Thanks, Cathy 🙂
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I love your botanical photos, it is so interesting to see the transformations.
I have also had success with geraniums, so long as we have a mildish winter they make it through. Sometimes I snip off cuttings and keep them inside in a jam jar and by the spring they have each grown roots ready to be planted outside again. If only other plants were so easy 🙂
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Geraniums are so easy-going, aren’t they?
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I have to share your praise of Ammi visnaga ‘White. I too grew it this year for the first time and it has been wonderful, I hadn’t noticed the smell even though I have been bringing it as a cut flower! I too was amazed how the seed head curled up! Let’s hope we both have lots of plants of it next year. Sarah x
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Yes, I’m sure there’ll be lots of seedlings popping up!
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I love the penstemon and the Anemone coronarias! They’re so pretty.
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Boy, I wish I had thought of In A Vase On Monday. Given I didn’t, I’m glad you did, and I can enjoy it too. Thank you!
Nothing (exc my children) makes me happier than arranging flowers in a vase, especially if I have grown them myself. I recently moved from a home with an enormous garden which I transformed over 12 years from piles of builders’ rubble to my pride and joy. Now I have a tiny North facing plot which had nothing in it at all when I arrived last year but a bald lawn. No flowers to harvest as yet. And most of my many vases had to go when I moved, too…. Still, I am enjoying the work and today went to a garden centre and came back with some ground cover, a couple of climbers and some seeds. Happy day.
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I can’t take credit for the In a Vase on Monday meme – it’s Cathy’s at Rambling in the Garden – but I do love taking part. I know what you mean about vases of flowers. Enjoy your new garden.
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