Back in the spring I was really taken by a picture of a container filled with a mixture of Dianthus ‘Green Trick’ and Erigeron karvinskianus ‘Sea of Blossom’ that appears on the Sarah Raven website, so I ordered plug plants to recreate the look. But I have found that the Green Trick is reaching for the skies and so I needed to cut some of the spikes down to make the plants bush out more. They have provided some lovely cutting material for a vase, so I am joining in with Cathy’s Monday challenge to pick materials to bring into the house.
Each year I grow some sweet peas and usually I mess this up some how, usually by failing to plant out in the garden in time. However, this year I was organised enough to plant three varieties over the arches in the vegetable garden and they are now producing sufficient flowers to pick regularly. The varieties are ‘Beaujolais’, ‘Twilight’ and ‘Cupani’ and those dark colours really appeal to me. They are also gloriously scented and combine wonderfully with the Dianthus ‘Green Trick’.
To the sweet peas and dianthus I have added some dark buddleia spikes (possibly ‘Dark Knight’, but since I took cuttings from my Dad’s bush I am not sure) and a couple of blue anemone coronaria flowers (from a mixed pack of De Caen bulbs).
Buddleia davidii
Anemone coronaria
For foliage I have added some asparagus and some twigs of Pyrus salicifolia ‘Pendula’, which also needed pruning.
The vase is a jug from the Arts and Crafts gallery in London and was a present. I use it all the time for flowers, but never for food or drink! It is such a nice shape and size.
To enjoy some other vases of freshly picked beauty do head over to Cathy’s blog.
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Lovely! I love the contrast of the purples with the green.
Thanks
Nice combination, Allison. ‘Green Trick’ is so vibrant! It contrasts nicely with the purples and magenta. I like the pottery jug. I, too, use jugs for vases more often than as a beverage holder. 🙂
Thanks. I am definitely growing ‘Green Trick’ again. The moss-like heads are bigger than I expected and just wonderful.
I saw some at the botanical gardens I visited last week and thought of your post. They seemed smaller (??) and had a different cultivar name. Either it was a US/UK difference or perhaps it’s a different hybrid altogether. LSS, they are a striking plant!
What a stunning display – I would love to have it right here! Well done.
Thanks. Sarah Raven has a great eye for combinations. I hope that it last through to November as she claims!
What a dramatic vase with rich colors and that marvelous green dianthus.
Thanks. I love my sweet peas especially this year, but the dianthus is the star of the show.
There is so much to love in that vase Allison! The green dianthus is gorgeous, adding a zingy focus, and buddleia in a vase is new to me but why not! I have really grown to love these dark shade buddleias after growing the paler ones for years.
The buddleia lasted surprisingly well in the vase, so I might use it again. I prefer the dark coloured ones in the garden, but the butterflies invariably seem to home in on the pale standard kind.
Now I know why you suggested beaujolais! I am growing the Twilight mix for Which? Gardening but will definitely be going for some darker ones next year. I love the shades in your vase and the buddleia spikes are the perfect finishing touch. By the way, my Green Trick is leggy too and has never produced more than one stem 😦
Interesting about your Green Trick too. The pruning does finally seem to be causing side shoots at the bottom of the spikes, but it is a slow process.
I nearly took mine out as they never really performed, but perhaps I shall hang on and keep pruning…
What a gorgeous vase, it really suits the beautiful selection of flowers. That dianthus is fabulous! Sarah Raven has a keen eye for a choice plant.
Thanks. Yes she certainly does, also for combinations. For instance I planted Ammi major with Larkspur this year (as shown in her catalogue) and I can’t get over how wonderful it looks.
I must admire your growing ability, the flowers are beautiful. The purples and green together are so right..rich but bright, and beautifully photographed in your garden.
Thank you! I am so pleased to be able to pick bunches of sweet peas this year (I usually fail with them) and I am very happy with the colours.
I’m utterly in love with that Dianthus! I’ve never seen it in the garden centers here.
Nor I. You can get it as seed or plug though. It is wonderful though.
Lovely mix of colours, you’ve made me add to my seed order ‘Green Trick’ looks brilliant. Do tell us how long it lasts in the vase.
Well, one week on it is still bright green and rigid. Fresh as day one in fact. 🙂
Excellent, I’m sold, it’s on my seed list!
I am going to do it from seed as well next year … to the get more plants
I can’t get plugs of flowering plants only vegetables so it has to be seeds.
Beautiful !!!
Love the anemones! So pretty! I have planted some myself, hope they come up soon and look as good as this one!