Most of my flowers this week are plants which spread themselves around without too much help given a slightly welcoming environment. There are a lot of twisty extending stems, a few herbs which have run wild, and one or two which are weeds.
Wild strawberries, Mint, and Jasmine are everywhere at this time of year. The Jasmine is from the city, as are the Wisteria leaves. Jasmine smells divine and I love it but it can do a lot of damage in the bush.
The poppies are not really wild for us as yet, but they do self seed, and this one grew up beside the sink in the greenhouse.
The blue flowers are called Chinese Forget-me-not here. I adore this colour of blue. They make very prickly seeds which attach to people and dogs and are easily spread. There are several sorts of columbine, the dark ones are called Chocolate Soldier, and the yellow and red are Aquilegia canadensis.
The Foxglove is the first to flower from seed sown around a year ago, this one is called Pam’s Choice. Farmers consider this to be a weed, because it can be poisonous to stock. I have only planted special varieties and I will try to collect the seed or cut down the flowers before they seed.
I planted the Salad Burnet for eating and we don’t use it much, but I like the way it looks. I think I need to harvest it when it’s younger. These are about to go to seed, so I will try to collect the seeds and plant more. My Scilla Natalensis from last week is in there as well.
Thanks to Cathy for hosting ‘In a Vase on Monday’ every week at Rambling in the Garden.
Absent Gardener 
This looks especially pretty against the black background, doesn’t it? Such an interesting and varied selection – I would happily keep going back to it to have another look and see what I have missed! Thanks for sharing
The background is a little wrinkled and could be better maybe if it was not quite black – however it screens out the clutter in the background. It’s amazing how I manage to ignore the clutter until it really sticks out in a photo.
It is lovely watching the columbines open.
Herbs and their seeds bracts and flowers make an attractive addition to any vase, I particularly like Lemon and Lime basil and Thai basil.
Oh, that’s interesting, I’ve never really known what to do with lemon basil. I grew lots of ‘Mrs Burns’ last year and didn’t use it – I’ll have to try it in vases.
Love this wild vase taking in so much growing around you….pretty columbine and oh how I love the scent of jasmine. Wish I could grow it here.
I do absolutely love the scent of Jasmine, it means ‘Spring’ to me, and it’s different from the trachelospermum jasminoides which is ‘approved’ for planting as it’s less likely to go rogue, although I love that too.
The bright red of the strawberries and poppies is wonderful, Cath. The Jasmine flowers must smell fantastic, as well. I was surprised you captured some red tones in the little Salad Burnet blooms, I don’t usually notice that. You remind me to scatter some seeds now so maybe it will grow in other places next year. I used to have lots of it coming up in San Diego but it hasn’t spread here as much.
Thanks Hannah, it hasn’t spread a lot for me either so I will do the same. Most of these flowers are going to seed already, it must be quite a quick process from flower to seed.
Per usual, love your arrangement! I’m not sure what it is that makes your arrangements so unique, perhaps its the abundance or choice of flowers, perhaps both! Love the red strawberries playing off the poppy. The anchusa and the columbines are lovely, too. I just flashed on the art of Marjolein Bastin, do you know her? Maybe that’s why I find your work so appealing. 🙂
Thank you Eliza, you are so kind. I don’t know Marjolein Bastin, I will look her up and see if I can find her work online.
Lovely bouquet of flowers.
Isn’t that a stunning blue on the Chinese forget-me-not? I puzzled over this flower that adopted my garden till I blogged about it and a reader figured it out.
Thanks Cynthia. I just love that blue, it’s so intense. I had to bring this one to my garden by getting the old stalks covered with prickly seeds from a friend. I tried bought seeds but they never came up, so I think it’s one of those seeds that has to be fresh. Now that I have it its easy to keep it going, I think my dog transports a lot of the seed around the garden. 🙂
The seeds are as you describe. Some bird must have traveled with a stalk in it’s mouth – or pooped the seed on my garden bed. I’m happy, either way.
Or a cat or dog? My dog gets covered with them, on his chin, stomach, legs, everywhere. 🙂