~
August feels like a very ‘green’ month; especially here in coastal Virginia where we are totally surrounded by green trees, vines, lush green lawns, billowing green Crepe Myrtles and other rampant growth.
From Lamas in early August, to Labor Day weekend in early September, our world remains vibrant and green!
~
Early evening, yesterday, from the Colonial Parkway.
~
You can watch some plants literally grow hour to hour and day to day, given enough water. If you ever wondered what it would feel like to live in a hot-house or conservatory, welcome to a Virginia August! This is the time of year when we seek the cool, green shade of large trees and vine covered trellises to help us through the relentless heat.
~
Herbs in our August garden. Our swallowtail butterflies love the chive flowers. This clump remains one of their favorite stops to feed.
~
And so it feels appropriate to cut cool green stems from the garden today. I’ve cut an assortment of herbs for their fragrant leaves. The burgundy basil flowers and white garlic chives serve only as grace notes to the beautifully shaped, textured and frosted leaves.
Much of this arrangement is edible.
~
~
Except for the ivy vines, a little Artemesia and a stem of Coleus; you could brew some lovely herbal tea or garnish a plate from the rest of our vase today. There are two different scented Pelargoniums here, including P. ‘Grey Lady Plymouth’, and African Blue Basil.
~
~
To make this arrangement feel even cooler, it sits in a cobalt blue vase from our local Shelton glass works on a sea-green glass tray. A moonstone frog rests nearby.
~
The vase was made locally by John Shelton of Shelton Glass Works here in Williamsburg.
~
Today’s vase is so fragrant that my partner commented as soon as the stems came into the room. It is a spicy blend of rose scented Geraniums and sharp Basil, with an undertone of garlic from the chive flowers. It makes puts me in the mood to mix up a little ‘Boursin Cheese’ with fresh herbs from the garden, and serve it garnished with a few chive blossoms!
~
~
Appreciation, always, to Cathy of ‘Rambling In the Garden” for hosting ‘In A Vase On Monday’ each week. I admire the dedication of flower gardeners all over the world who faithfully clip, arrange, and photograph their garden’s bounty each Monday. Cathy is in the pink again today, with some beautiful lilies she has grown this summer.
I hope you will click through to Cathy’s post and follow some of the links to enjoy today’s beautiful arrangements.
~
~
Woodland Gnome 2016
~
Near Yorktown on the Parkway, just before sunset last night; the inspiration for today’s vase….
Forest Garden 
The beautiful leaf shapes show up wonderfully against the dark blue of the vase. My nose is itching.
😉 Thank you, Rickii….
So interesting to hear about your local climate – it just helps build up a bigger picture of our blogging frineds and their gardens. Using the herbs and scented pelargonium was an inspired decision and has the desired effect of appearing cool as well as fragrant (and perhaps not as overpowering as my lilies!), whilst the light filtering through the screen behind adds another element. Thanks for sharing
Thank you , Cathy😊 Your Monday vases certainly do help us build understanding of what gardening life feels like in diverse areas of our planet .
I love those green vistas – the surrounding area beyond our irrigated garden tends to be more gold than green this time of year. Your description of the wonderful scents made up by your vase also has me wondering what I could combine with the chive flowers I spotted in my own garden just yesterday.
Thank you 😉 It amazes me how many of our trees continue to manage with the small amount of rain we’ve had this month. Those rooted near a lake definitely fare better! Aren’t chives fun? They seed so easily and just come up in the most wonderful places! I hope you find something pretty to arrange with yours. Thank you for visiting ❤
I bet your house smells like an Italian restaurant today. 🙂 The green glass platter is a perfect accompaniment for your lovely arrangement.
Thank you, Eliza 😉