Australia · garden flowers · in my garden · roses · subtropical weather · summer

In A Vase On Monday ~ Pastels

Joanne

When I went outside to collect flowers for a vase yesterday afternoon for Cathy’s In a Vase on Monday meme at Rambling in the Garden, I was swarmed by a thousand mosquitoes! Okay, maybe not a thousand, but when you have your hands full of roses and can’t easily swat flying insects that are after your blood, it feels like thousands. 😉

So it was a matter of cut and run. I had waited for the showers of rain to ease before going outside, which is undoubtedly why there were so many active mozzies in the garden. Once in the vase, I decided to wait until today to take photos as the house seemed so dark with the overcast weather. I shouldn’t have waited: we have drizzling rain again today and the house is once again dark.

Last week, the pink Gerberas had only spent flowers, but this week I was able to cut several to bring indoors. There are also plenty of buds opening, so I may even bring in more to add to the vase later in the week. You may also notice some lilac-coloured Society Garlic blooms behind the Gerberas.

There are plenty of pale pink blooms on my Souvenir de la Malmaison rose bush. I wish I’d had longer to choose some to bring indoors, but by the time I reached that part of the garden, I’m sure the mozzies had told their family and friends I was there!

I love the delicate combination of Lavender and pink Gerberas together. When the weather improves, I would like to bring in more of the two for another vase. 🙂

Roald Dahl roses have a weeping habit, as is evident in the way they droop down the vase. By the smile on his face, they seem to be keeping my little duck ornament happy. 🙂 The Roald Dahl rose bush is also covered in blooms but again, I needed to try to outrun those mozzies!

From my kitchen window this morning I spotted a newly opened Hibiscus flower, so I zoomed in on it and caught a photo early. The rain will probably make the flower droop by tomorrow if this weather continues!

I do believe that as much as I enjoy all flowers, pastel colours are my favourites. 🙂

Thanks again, Cathy, for hosting In a Vase on Monday. 🙂

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Published by Joanne

33 thoughts on “In A Vase On Monday ~ Pastels”

  1. I love the Gerberas, Joanne. A lovely group of pastels, and the Hibiscus is gorgeous.
    I have that little duck too or a very similar one! It’s raining and miserable here as well.

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    1. Thank you, Robin.
      I can’t imagine anything making our mozzies less vicious when they are out in full force! I think it was Barbara who said they call them squitoes, which is the other end of the full name, which I thought funny too. 🙂

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    1. The Souvenir de la Malmaison rose bush is just a lovely as the roses, I think. It grows in a beautiful, low ball covered in these gorgeous pinks blooms. Roald Dahl is another variety that grows a very neat bush too. 🙂

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  6. The gerberas are such a pretty shade, and thank you for featuring more of your roses too, especially Souvenir de la Malmaison. Sorry to hear about the mosquito problem – is it seasonal? I suspect it is something the UK will face too f temperatures keep rising

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    1. Our mozzie problem is something that happens mostly after rain, and as summer is our rainy season, we are stuck with the dreaded things! They are about all year ’round although usually only at dusk, then they vanish again.
      I hope to have enough intact miniature roses for an upcoming IAVOM post, Cathy. 🙂

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  8. Thank you for braving an onslaught of mosquitoes to collect those lovely flowers, Jo. I complain about mosquitoes here in the summer months but I can’t say ours ever swarm like that – I guess there are advantages to our dry summers! I admire the Gerberas, which I’ve never had much success with. The smiling duck is a nice touch too.

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    1. Thank you, Kris. 🙂
      The mozzies have been worse this year, but we also heard that our local council, who used to spray for mozzies, hasn’t done so this year.
      It’s a shame you can’t grow Gerberas. It’s surprising, because mine seem to survive through all weather, so I am glad they are so pretty, lol. 🙂

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  9. I love pastels as well, the roses are so delicate and I love the thinner petals on the Gerbera daisies. The ones I see in the stores here are fat-petalled hybrids. I hope you didn’t lose too much blood getting those flowers!

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    1. Haha, I didn’t get overly itchy skin, so that’s a good sign that those dratted mozzies missed out. 😉
      I have seen several varieties of Gerberas, including an orange one that I have added to vases before, but the fine petalled variety are my preferred option too. 🙂

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  10. I like those colours together Joanne. Gerbera is a flower I sometimes see sold as a summer container plant or houseplant, but they don’t last long either way. They look so pretty next to the lavender. I hope the mosquito problem subsides soon. We get them in summer too, mainly in the evenings, but not to the extent you describe.

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    1. Thank you, Cathy. 🙂
      A few people have said they can’t grow Gerberas, which I find interesting as mine grow well in all weather. Even during the hottest, driest, summer days, they still survive. I’m not sure why it’s so different between the two hemispheres, yet other plants grow equally as well in both places.

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  12. Your post sings of summer days so you must be somewhere warm and in summer mode. I would like to grow society garlic although I think it may not be hardy here. It goes so nicely in your vase with the roses and gerbera. Mossies – the thought of one just makes me quiver 😱

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    1. We are now in the final month of summer – thankfully! I am in Australia, in the far north of New South Wales where we have a subtropical climate. Some plants survive the summer heat well, while others shrivel in the heat – I am a shriveler myself! I am definitely looking forward to cooler weather. 🙂

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  13. Oh, they all look lovely together. The Gerbera’s are especially popping, like firecrackers! I hope those nasty mosquitos die down.

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