I’ve just realised that I never cut any flowers for myself. They are always for friends and relatives, all the pleasure being in the giving. It’s nice to have something home-grown to give away. However, I’ve been ill for a few weeks and stuck indoors. How frustrating it’s been looking out from my bed while the sun shone on the garden. I made lists of all the jobs needed doing, which didn’t help at all. But when I felt a bit better, I wobbled outdoors and cut these flowers for my bedside table.
The star of my little bouquet is this highly-scented rose from a new home-florists’ range. Timeless Purple has long stems with very few thorns. Flowers have an ‘old rose’ appearance and wonderful myrrh- scent. Modern breeding means it repeat flowers and is disease resistant. Flowers stand up to the weather. Old roses tend to ‘ball’ in the rain, where buds fail to open and drop off. Such a disappointment if you’ve eagerly waited for the rose buds to open, to see them going mouldy and wilting. These flowers shrug off the raindrops, and flowers aren’t marked by the weather.
The heatwave and drought meant there were virtually no flowers in my garden all summer, but autumn has brought a bonanza. Plants seem determined to make up for lost time. The argyranthemums grown from seed by my Mum have come into flower mid-October. Who doesn’t love a daisy? The cheerful white flowers go so well with the roses and salvias.
Dahlias also suffered in the summer heat, but are coming into flower now. The first frost will finish the display, but for now, I’m just enjoying this unexpected bounty.
It’s not easy to photograph salvias. Their colours are so vibrant they tend to blur with an ordinary camera phone. This is one of the many salvias that came from https://middletonnurseries.co.uk/
I wrote about my trial growing salvias here: https://bramblegarden.com/2021/06/18/new-plants-on-trial-salvias-from-middleton-nurseries/
Their jewel-like colours are very welcome at this time of the year, and look so wonderful set against golden autumn foliage. Stems have a delicious blackcurrant scent.
Talking of foliage, I picked some stems of my dogwood, Cornus Westonbirt. Leaves are turning a lovely plum colour, and the bright red stems will provide interest all winter, especially when the sun shines through them. These are such easy shrubs to grow, they simply need a prune to the ground each spring as the most colourful stems are produced on new growth.
My grey foliage plants came from Coton Manor nursery in Northampton. Annoyingly, I can’t remember the name, but I have the label in the greenhouse and will just edit the name in tomorrow. I’m still suffering from terrible brain fog after being ill.
Fuchsias, also from Coton Manor, have decided to flower a month later than usual. They are growing in huge pots and I’ll just lift them into the greenhouse to protect them from frost. They flower till Christmas, given some protection.
Cosmos Psyche White has also decided to put on a show now. This is my favourite cosmos. It’s a messy double white with long stems and good repeat flowering. It lasts a fortnight in a vase. I’ve tried some of the new apricot cosmos, but they didn’t do well for me here, so I won’t bother with them again. I need tried and tested varieties that won’t let me down.
In the greenhouse I found this lovely pink Passion flower which was in keeping with my colour-theme posy, so I picked it an added it to the jam jar. I grow this in a 10” pot which is carried outside for the summer and brought in again before the first frosts. Usually there are one or two flowers right through winter.
I wrote about the Timeless florists’ range here: https://bramblegarden.com/2021/11/01/diary-for-garden-news-magazine/
Join in with Cathy for her In a Vase on Monday here : https://ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com/category/gardens/in-a-vase-on-monday/
Well, I hope this little posy of flowers has given you some inspiration for what to grow to have something to pick in late October. I try to have something to pick every day of the year. Sometimes there’s more foliage than flowers, but it’s lovely to bring the garden indoors, so to speak.
After being stuck in my room for so long, it did me the world of good to wander about outdoors picking a few flowers. For once, they are just for me, and I’m thoroughly enjoying them. Have a great weekend. Keep safe and well and enjoy your gardening.
Bramble Garden 
Karen, your first trip to the garden while you were sick with Covid – I’m very sorry, I wish you a quick recovery without sequelae – after having cut a magnificent and divine bouquet of flowers for you, the best thing you’ve done is sit under one of your beeches with Monty on his knees in the sun on a splendid day and enjoy reading a gardening book.
I love all the flowers in your bouquet. I love the Timeless Purple rose. The white daisies, dahlias and salvias are divine. Dogwood foliage with such wonderful color is fabulous. The gray foliage, senecio viravira, is fantastic. Of the fuchsias I love in contrast of colors. The double white cosmos are a beauty. The pink passion flower is extraordinary. A divine bouquet full of life. It’s about time you gave yourself bouquets.
I am very happy that your garden, after a summer almost without flowers due to the drought, is now in full bloom: I love it, enjoy it. It will be your best source of health and recovery. Karen good health, strength, encouragement, patience, hope, positive thoughts and lots of love for your whole family, Mr B and especially for you. I wish you a speedy recovery with love. Take care of yourself. Very loving greetings from Margarita xxx 😘🙏❤
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Thank you Margarita, I appreciate every word you’ve written. Yes, it’s about time I cut flowers for myself. I’m starting a new habit! Currently every room in the house has a little jam jar of something; flowers, crab apples, glowing autumn foliage, dogwood twigs in red, black and green. Some days are still difficult and I have to rest quite a bit, but at least I feel like I’m not missing out. I’ve brought the garden indoors with my little jam jar flowers! I hope you are having a great week. Sending positive through and lots of love your way too. Take care. Loving greetings from us all xxx
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I am so sorry to hear that you have been poorly, Karen, and confined to your bed – but hope you are allowing yourself time to heal and not worrying about anyone other than yourself. The effort of getting up and choosing flowers for your very own posy was certainly worth it in terms of the end result and of the joy it has brought you – perhaps you will allow yourself to make more personal posies in the future? That rose is glorious and deserves to be more widely known -and good to know it has a fragrance despite having been developed particularly for florists! Wonderful photos throughout too 👍😊
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Thank you Cathy. As soon as I’ve made the posies I feel I should be giving them to someone. However, I’ve filled the house with jam jars of colour and it’s lovely. I will do it more often! I was just so pleased to find anything in flower after the dry summer we’ve had. Everything seems determined to flower right until the very last moment. Thanks for your kind words. Much appreciated. Have a great week. Karen Xx
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I am glad you are enjoying them and perhaps you will pick more for yourself in the future. Hope your health continues to improve
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I hope you are feeling better. Your flowers have the ability to cheer through their photographs. Amelia
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Thank you Amelia. That’s lovely of you to say so. Yes, I’m making good progress. Sat outside in the sunshine today and read my books. Monty cat on my knee. The sunny weather makes all the difference. Have a lovely weekend. And thanks for your kind comments which have cheered me. Karen x
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I’ve come back to your post Karen, as I have been looking at the Timeless Collection of Roses. You recommended Tmeless Purple and Cream. Did you try the other two colours in the range? If you did what did you think of those ones?
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Hope you start to feel better, which if you can get up and write a little and enjoy your garden for even the shortest of time, is in the right direction. Thank you for your recommendation on the roses.
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I’m sorry to learn of your illness but am pleased you could get out and do this. I wish you well
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Thank you Derrick. It’s a beautiful day again today so I’m sitting under our huge beech tree, enjoying the sunshine. Lots to be grateful for. Enjoy your weekend, and thank you for your kind words. Much appreciated. Karen x
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Thank you, Karen, for the communication. (And I hope you can read this because only the tops of the letters are visible to me in this window.) What particularly makes me look forward to your posts is the generous sharing of mundane – therefore vitally important – details of what grows well, or not so well, in your garden, how you grow it, where you’ve sourced plants, that sort of thing. ‘This is how I’ve done it’ is somehow more approachable than the tradition expert’s view which says ‘This is how you should do it’! Your posts are certainly appreciated.
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Thank you very much Peter, for your encouraging words. I used to wonder if anyone actually read the blog. It’s such a comfort to know that my notes about the garden actually help fellow gardeners. We are all in this together, trying to get the best out of our plots. Thanks for reading my blog and sending such a lovely message. It’s much appreciated. Enjoy your weekend. All the best. Karen.
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Lovely photos and descriptions, as always, Karen. So good to hear you’re well enough to venture out into your therapeutic garden. Is the grey foliage a piece of artemisia? I remember discovering that Artemisia was also a respected and talented 17th century Italian painter, at a time when women were rarely accepted into and by the profession!
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Thank you Mary, I’m sitting under the beech tree with Monty on my knee. What a lovely day. I’ve sown a few sweet peas and taken salvia cuttings, and now feel exhausted. Taking things slowly. I didn’t know that about Artemisia. I’m just going to look in the greenhouse for the label. I think the second part of the name is viravira. Enjoy your weekend. Just checked. It’s senecio viravira. Also known as dusty miller. Very good for cut flowers. My favourite grey-leaved plant. Xx
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A wonderful abundance of blooms Karen, and you really should pick some for yourself more often. I have flowers in the house all year round! Sorry to hear you’ve been ill. Wishing you a speedy recovery! 🤗
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Do you know Cathy, I’m going to do just that. I just feel I should be giving them to someone though. There’s this nagging little feeling. However, stuck at home, so can’t give them away and therefore I’m just going to enjoy them myself. Thanks for your kind comments. Have a wonderful weekend. Xx
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I’d never have guessed you were ill by the gorgeous photos. Hope you feel on top of the world very soon.
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Thank you Anne, the weather is glorious today, so I’m sitting reading under our mature beech trees. Such a golden light. Thanks for your kind words. Much appreciated. Enjoy your weekend! Karen xx
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That’s marvelous that you could sit outside to read. May you always have golden light! I’ll pray for healing and patience for you. xx
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Thank you Anne, that’s so kind. Xx 😘
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A lovely bouquet, Karen. I don’t know how you can do without something on the table for your own pleasure. 🙂 For me, it is a must. Maybe you’ll start a new habit, you deserve to see your efforts up close to enjoy! Hope you are well on the mend!
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Thank you Eliza. You are right! This could be a new habit. I’ve even put jam jars of flowers in the bathroom! Very cheerful indeed with such beautiful rich dark colours from the dahlias and salvias at this time of the year. Thanks for your kind comments. Have a super weekend. Karen xx
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