Another Monday means another vase - and my usual link up with Cathy at Rambling In The Garden to join in with her challenge to find something from the garden to put in a vase every week of the year.
I usually expect this challenge to get easier in the summer months, but I was almost defeated today - the weather has been so appalling that most of my summer blooms are lying wet and broken on the soggy ground. All was well until Saturday afternoon when the heavens opened and we were treated to a downpour of epic proportions - the rain has carried on since then - not quite as heavy as it was during that first hour, but enough to wreak havoc on my newly flowering roses, peonies and bearded iris.
My fall back today was the bountiful sweet peas blooming in the greenhouse. Whilst I rely on the greenhouse for many winter flowers however, I feel somewhat cheated at this time of year if my only choice comes from inside. Then I remembered the beautiful Gentle Hermione. This stunning David Austin rose copes very well with the rain and sure enough the newly flowering bush had a few perfect blooms to spare.
This beautiful pale pink rose flowers profusely at this time of year and then repeats very well until late in the season.
This is one of David Austin's English Roses, which have all been bred to combine the flower form and scent of the Old Roses with the disease resistant and repeat flowering habit of modern roses.
I grow Gentle Hermione in a group of three roses planted closely together (as recommended by David Austin) in the border that wraps around the south and west facing terraces that surround the house. Growing in a south facing position this rose copes very well with full sun all day, as well as continuing to look good in rainy weather - the perfect English Rose!!
The flowers are fully double and very large - often up to 4 inches across and have a delicious rose scent. The bush grows to about 4 feet in height and supports the heavy flowers very well.
The name comes from Hermione, the faithful wife of Leontes King of Sicilia and mother to Perdita in Shakespeare's 'The Winter's Tale'.
My jug this week was a birthday present this year and is a lovely pattern from Susie Watson called Apple Blossom. I was also given the matching teapot. I have long been a fan of Susie Watson pottery and pick up odd pieces whenever I can.
I will be back this week with Wedding Wednesday, although having planned to practice an urn arrangement the sorry state of my flowers may well mean I will concentrate on button holes this week. Sadly my day at Glenham Hall was cancelled so I have no photos of the rose garden to share, but I am going to Ascot on Wednesday and am very excited to see the flowers this year - Ascot always manages something different and it is always spectacular so I will be sharing that over the weekend. Next week I am incredibly excited to be going on a Wedding Flowers Intensive course which is a joint venture between Green & Gorgeous and The Garden Gate Flower Company. Expect plenty of photos of this two day experience!!
Thank you as ever to Cathy for her dedication to this lovely meme - it really gets the week of to a positive start! Do pop over to her blog to see what she and the others have found in their, hopefully less wet, gardens this week.