This post is my attempt to chip in with Cathy's weekly 'In a Vase on Monday' at Rambling in the Garden. I've looked at it for a long time, but never joined in. Do go and enjoy her own garden and the links to other people's 'vases on Monday'. Perhaps you could contribute yourself? You can use flowers from the garden or the surrounding countryside.On Saturday I noticed that many of my roses were producing what are probably their last blooms for the year - and probably their best year so far in my garden. I adore roses. I could drown in them and their catalogues without even caring, and it's been a shock that I've struggled with them for the first couple of years here. But now I think maybe we are coming out the other side. And I have learnt so much!
I've searched the internet to find a rose bowl like my grandfather used to have sitting in the middle of the dining room table for his Hybrid Teas when I was young. It had special glass holes to take the rose stems. Eventually I realised (silly me) that I could use any low container and a little bit of chicken wire to keep the roses upright. I did once ask for oasis in a florist's shop here, but was met with a blank stare - maybe my French?
My vase is not really a grand flower arrangement, but I wanted record a few of my friends before they go, as well as their happy friendship with Verbena bonariensis this summer. So it's a 2014 'goodbye' posie. My little stars are ...
Abraham Darby, one of the newest in the garden. The purchase was inspired by Holley at 'Roses & Other Gardening Joys' (see blog links to the right, can't do a link on a photo caption!). A David Austin rose, named for the man who built the first iron bridge in the world, in England, close to the Austin nurseries. Still a bit shy with me in his first year. 
Abraham Darby again, to the left of the photo. He was my 2013 love affair, keeping me awake at night. 
Rosy white 'Madame Alfred Carrière', a Bourbonne climber (with deeper pink 'Heritage' to the left) ... she looks a bit mysterious, but actually she's frighteningly vigorous! 
'Ghislaine de Feligonde', a pretty little multiflora rambler. She's quite small in stature and our walls here are quite low, comparatively speaking, so I thought she'd suit. So far she's just quarreling with me and wants to grow out, not back, no matter how much I tie her in! 
David Austin's 'Heritage'. Another new rose for this year. Doing well here, even in spite of the wet August and her reputation for 'shattering' in rain. She's very pretty, now that I look at her properly, but we haven't really bonded yet, because she's been hidden behind some nicotiana for much of the summer 
This is a real love affair now. Climbing Bourbon 'Souvenir de la Malmaison'. When she was good, she was very, very good. And when she was bad she was ... horrid! 
Couldn't resist another picture of Souvenir, with supporting cast 
This is where it gets difficult. I knew when I was picking them I'd be confused! I think that the largest rose to the right is David Austin's 'Munstead Wood' and the two smaller flowers to the left are his rose 'William Shakespeare'. But could be wrong. 'William Shakespeare' is new here, so 2015 will allow me to differentiate (I hope). Both are a difficult color to photograph! 
Sitting on their heads in orangey pink is David Austin' Benjamin Britten. This is a lovely rose, although this particular flower is a bit 'balled' by all the rain we've had. Tall growing and pretty healthy. I said goodbye to the Albas and the only two Damasks in my garden ('Fantin-Latour' and 'Madame Hardy') a long time ago. Bourbonne rose 'Mme Isaac Pereire' has buds at the moment, but so late they are in danger of 'balling'. I'm already looking forward to next year's roses. I just need to try and keep my hands off the catalogues this winter ... 
And I can understand why those old Dutch masters (and 19th century French painter, Fantin-Latour) just couldn't stop ...
