There has been a few dry days recently, with temperature reaching the low to mid twenties – my garden is so happy, and so am I! The garden is a bit of a mess in some areas with weeds overtaking any available soil space, so the first chore I have is weeding.
For my contribution to Cathy at Rambling in the Garden’s Monday vase, I picked any flowers that looked like they had survived the wet weather, and thrived since their petals dried.
Recently, another Cathy, this one at Words and Herbs, displayed her vase on a crocheted pansy doily. It reminded me of one my mother made, many years ago. I took my doily out today and I can see the main pattern is not the same as Cathy’s, but the edge is decorated by pansies. My Mum told me she didn’t have the patience to crochet the pansies, so I made those and she completed the rest. So to show Cathy my version on the doily I am adding it as today’s prop. 🙂
A few daisies are beginning to bloom again, and this week I found a single Souvenir de la Malmaison rose that was in rather good condition to add to my vase.
The red rose bush (with a forgotten name) also had a very blousy single red rose.
And I picked a few Olivia Rose Austin roses to add to the vase as well.
The man of the house complained that all the roses droop over the sides of the vase! I rather like the informality of roses with a drooping habit myself.
I feel certain that the couple of Verbena Polaris I picked are the last for this season, although I think I may have said that a couple of times recently, lol. They just keep on booming. 🙂
Likewise, I keep thinking I have seen the end of my Gerberas for a while, yet here they are again!
Although I hadn’t expected to add a second prop to my post today, Bowie had other ideas … see him there, lurking behind the flowers?
He quickly got the drift when I shooed him away. I thought he might knock over the vase – he’s a big kitty-cat!
I highly recommend a visit to both Cathy’s blogs to admire their spring flowers. So many plants are in bloom now in the Northern Hemisphere and I so enjoy seeing the varieties of plants and flowers that flourish in cooler climates. I am behind on catching up with everyone myself! But slowly, I am beginning to make my way around to each of my friends to see what they have been doing, while I have been taking advantage of the cooler weather here in Australia and catching up on chores around the house and garden. 🙂
In My World 
I rather like the kitty floral accessory. ;) And what special memories your doiley holds!
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I’m pleased to hear you like Bowie’s unexpected gate crashing session, Dawn. 😅
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Beautiful colors…and the roses. Boy I envy you!
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Thank you, Donna. I am lucky to be able to grow roses here, but there are challenges – the heat which scorches the leaves and wilts the flowers, they get black spotting mold on them from the moist, humid air, and sometimes they grow tall and lanky due to too much heat and rain! They are definitely worth the effort though. 🙂
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You’ve had more roses in your posts than I imagine I’ll get in an entire year, Jo. I love seeing Bowie but I’m glad you kept him from knocking your vase over. My relatively tiny elderly cat managed to knock over one of my smaller vases yesterday, luckily while I was there and could quickly clean things up before the water damaged the wood surface. Amazingly, she didn’t break the vase itself so I’ve forgiven her (and I moved the vase).
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I ended up moving the vase too, Kris, for the same reasons you needed to move yours! I’ve had a very long season with roses this time, and I am sure it is because I am now cutting them so often to bring indoors. 🙂
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Beautiful Roses, Daisies, and other elements. Your crocheted doily is so special, too. Bowie sure is a cutie-pie. Sounds like he’s a pretty good kitty. ❤
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Thank you, Beth. Bowie is a good boy. He’s 11 years old now and we’ve had him for five years – he belonged to my inlaws, but when they had to go into aged care, we inherited him. He quickly made himself right at home here and gets on great with our two dogs too. 🙂
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Looks like a big kitty! I like the roses draping the vase, too. Pretty colors today. I don’t have the patience to crochet a doily at all, though I think I have some from my mother .. I like the pansy edging on yours, well done.
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Thank you, Amelia. 🙂
I have more patience knitting than with crochet, but I feel a touch inspired lately to have a go at crocheting some different doilies to put under my vases, just for a change.
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I look forward to seeing your new crochet works.
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And for us in the northern hemisphere it is equally intriguing seeing what is growing for you! Currently, it certainly makes me look forward to my own roses, probably by mid May – your lingering examples are lovely, especially alongside the pretty gerberas
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Thank you! 🙂 I am really looking forward to seeing the different varieties of roses you grow in your garden, Cathy. 💕
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I have a bud with a hint of colour already…very early!
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That’s exciting!
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It’s nice that your garden keeps on providing new flowers for IAVOM vases. 🙂 I really like those gerberas. Bowie is a big, handsome boy!
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I hope I can continue to find new flowers throughout our winter months, Eliza! I am noticing a few buds beginning on plants here and there around the garden, so it will be interesting to see what I can bring in for vases! 😉
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Gorgeous flowers, despite the rain Joanne! I love seeing your Gerberas, and that Verbena is so pretty. And of course I love the doily too! 💕 I can’t believe your Mum had the patience to make the doily but then not the flowers…. but I know how fiddly they are and I viewed it as a kind of therapy/meditation when I did mine! LOL! Glad you got it out to use again. 😃
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Thank you, Cathy. 🙂
Since seeing your more pastel coloured pansies on your doily, I feel inspired to try making a new doily myself. I keep thinking about yours, and how pretty it is, lol. I have all of my mum’s old crochet pattern books, so I will look through them and see what I feel confident attempting to make. Although she taught me how to crochet when I was a teenager, crochet was always my mum’s “thing”, so I haven’t done a lot myself. Now I say that to you, it sounds quite silly, so I MUST have a go! 😉
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Give it a try Joanne! I find crocheting quite addictive and always have something on the go. 😃
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I had a look through my mum’s old books last night and found a couple of patterns of interest. I also found a crochet book that I’d bought and forgotten about! I think I’ll make one out of my newer book, for something different. 🙂
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Have fun! 😃🧶
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What a delightful story of your helping your mother to finish off the doily and nice that you are cherishing this joint work. The gerberas in your vase are a lovely shade and complement the roses and other flowers nicely.
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Thank you, Noelle. 🙂
When my mum became sick (over 30 years ago now) she had half-made a doily. I brought it home after she passed away, saying I would finish it, but it was 20 years before I did! I probably should use it one Monday under a vase, because that the one doily in particular that has the deepest significance. 💕
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Oh, I love a big gray boy – Bowie is fantastic! The gerberas are so great.
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Thank you, Tracy – he is fantastic! He has a huge personality too and I really adore him. 💕
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I like the contrast between the drooping roses and the perky gerberas. The pansy doily is so pretty and has a lovely memory to go with it. I guess Bowie doesn’t want the flowers to get all of your attention!
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Thank you, Barbara. 🙂 You are so right, Bowie does love attention!
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Beautiful roses and Gerberas …and pussycat! My Mum used to crochet delicate milk jug covers. That doily is amazing! 😘🌸🌼💞
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