It is a good thing I had arrangements from a few days ago to show because Saturday was a day of very wet nostalgia. It looked and smelled like England all day in pouring, drenching rain.I don’t remember a day like that in years. It is very unusual for it to rain so steadily and heavily for almost twenty four hours here. Yesterday, Sunday we awoke to that cool, clean and fresh smell of ‘after the rain’. It was more than the petrichor after a storm and a period of drought. The garden became very green overnight but the heaviness of the rain has flattened a lot of the garden totally unused to such weather! It is wonderful though and hopefully will delay the forest fires that now seem to be an annual occurrence. Another stormy downpour of hail on Sunday evening has really put the droop on everything. I cannot be too upset because we so desperately need this rain to fill the reservoirs for summer. Such is the climate. Plants are resilient and will soon perk up.
Peony Identity Crisis
Now that ‘Sarah Barnhardt’ has been identified, the others would love to know who they are! I keep looking at pictures for resemblances but there are so many that look alike!! Any suggestions will be welcomed.
This little rose bowl contains Sweet Cicely, Myrrhis odorata, Mock Orange, Philadelphus and Peonies, Paeonia lactiflora ‘?’



The peony arrangement unfortunately did not last well in the Art Gallery heat so another was in order.
Jelly Beans
Ranunculus and reliable Lady’s Mantle Alchemilla mollis with seed heads of Pennycress, Lepidium sativum in a little thrift store, lidless, hand painted teapot.



…….and because I had one unknown Dahlia that needed to be rescued at the beginning of Saturday’s downpour…….
Plucked in Time

One Sweet William, Dianthus barbatus, Apothecary Rose, Rosa gallica ‘Officinalis’, three secondary Lupin Lupinus blooms, Pennycress Lepidium sativum and Yarrow, Achillea millefolium and an unnamed Dahlia from gifted tuber.
Looking forward to seeing others’ vases, thanks to Cathy of ‘Rambling in the Garden’ who hosts these inspirational posts. Do visit to see what others have created.
https://ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com/2025/06/23/in-a-vase-on-monday-short-changed/
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