I am joining in with Cathy’s weekly vase challenge to fill a vase from my own garden, Ok, its a jug, not a vase but its my first one, please be kind. I haven’t got a cutting garden as this year I filled the space for flowers in my veg garden with potatoes and spinach. And this isn’t easy, my goodness. But it was absorbing and really enjoyable.
Most of the ‘White Pearl’ Sweet Peas have now run to seed, cut back early on they will re – shoot and re – flower, this late in the season and its just tactile seed pods, the flowers for this vase were the very last left to pick. The Cornus will really come into its own once the leaves drop and we are left with the joyous bright red stems.
‘White Pearl’ Seed Pods
When we moved to this house 14 years ago with two young children, a bigger garden and an even bigger mortgage my husband gave me two packets of National Trust seed, a packet of Sweet Peas, Lathyrus latifolius ‘White Pearl’ and a packet of Gaura lindheimeri ‘The Bride’. The dependable Sweet peas have flowered profusely every year since then, the Gaura have been resown as although short-lived are a favourite. ‘White Pearl’ Sweet Peas are scentless and unruly, need a lot of tying in but they remind me of our first year here.
Perennial Sweet Pea Lathyrus latifolius ‘White Pearl’
The Cornus alba ‘Elegantissima is flowering and without enough confidence to experiment, I have just put the two together in the Portmeirion custard jug.
Cornus alba ‘Elegantissima’
My grateful thanks to Cathy for hosting and encouraging this meme, lots of other more accomplished folk join in, please take a look!
Gardening Jules 
I love your ‘simple’ ( I’d say very elegant vase). Pure white flowers together what could be more beautiful?
Thanks Christina, I hope I can achieve the stylish vases you create one day, I really enjoyed how absorbing this is.
Oh my gosh, it’s a sweet pea, can’t believe it, Julie! It’s delightful, looks like an orchid and I want to have it too…must instruct my friends when they come in October. Where did you get the seeds? Lovely bouquet, well done.
Hi Annette, my ‘White Pearl’ seeds were National Trust own seeds, but I see that Mr Fothergills sells them. They are not scented but on the upside are really easy to grow. Glad you like it! 🙂
Lovely design Julie, so nice to see you join in this week. No one would know it’s your first Monday vase. You captured a lovely mood with the vase selection and staging. The sweet pea is gorgeous and I loved reading the connection of your ‘White Pearl’ Sweet Pea to your family and home. That Cornus is nice too–I’m not familiar with it so will have to read about it. Well done. susie
Hi Susie, thanks so much, I rushed this morning and it was only after I uploaded the photos I noticed a couple of munched holes in the Cornus leaves. I am encouraged to have another attempt now. 🙂
I love the simplicity of this vase with the variegated leaves and those amazing sweet peas…they remind me of an orchid.
Thank you Donna, Everlasting Sweet Peas are good run through shrubs and on their own with an obelisk to support them, they do have an Orchid look about them, which I had not considered before.
How lovely is that. I do favour white blooms.Custard jug doing a great job!. D
Inside that jug is a tall glass raspberry jam jar, just in case my family read this and turn there noses up at a shared custard/flower container! I like white too and had a fantasy when we moved here of a white garden…one day!
yep non-gardeners are a bit squeamish in this house too.!
What a wonderful way to start Monday morning…Something beautiful.
Thank you Charlie, you always say something nice, lovely to read your comment after what has been a very long working day. 🙂
Perennial sweet peas! I didn’t even know such a thing existed until I looked them up after seeing your post. I’ll have to look to see if I can find some and if they can manage in my hot, dry garden. Your arrangement and the jug are beautiful.
Thanks, these perennial sweet peas put down a comparatively large clumpy root and my own garden although not as hot as yours is on very sandy soil. I do not ever give any additional water and they always flower well, so maybe they will work in your garden too.
Lovely blue and white combination. I love your jug. I cannot resist jugs, specially blue and white ones.
Thank you, I have a little thing for jugs too, Jugs aren’t rushed or hurried, a jug on the table almost certainly means something shared or if you are on your own something that needs time taking over it.
Beautiful! And so lovely that they have a special meaning too. The foliage is a perfect addition. Love the jug as well Julie… I am getting very envious of everyone’s assortment of vases and will have to go on a shopping spree soon! 😉
There is so much to consider, I have some large vases at home but would need a whopper of an arrangement to go in them, then how would you photograph that? A massive tidy up would be needed. Its made me look with fresh eyes at all sorts of containers. 🙂
LOL! I’ve been doing that too, and any bottle or bucket found around the house is taken into consideration! 😉
Absolutely lovely! Well done, you! Cheers, Ben
Thanks Ben 🙂
As Christina said, very elegant – and because of its simplicity. It looks lovely, and you must be pleased with it and your comments too, now that you have jumped in and joined us – hurrah! I planted 4 perennial sweet peas on the trellis by the clematis colonnade, supposedly 2 white and 2 pink but alas, all turned out to be pink. How far do you cut yours back? It’s not something I have thought of doing – and your mention of not minding the dry makes me think about trying again with a white one at the back of my species snowdrop border, which I keep to white and green…. ps pleased also to read that your garden nurtures your soul – mine does too
Hi Cathy, I currently have seven ‘White Pearl’ in my garden, all from the original sowing. Last year I moved four as we ripped out one complete border and during the process ending up successfully dividing a root ball, which was a surprise. The ones is the hottest part of the garden flower first, I cut back right to the ground and most years following the second lot of growth, there are more flowers albeit fewer. My garden is unforgiving, sandy soil, frost pocket and windy and this plant never gets any additional water and really flourishes. I looked again at Mr Fothergills and its a mixed colour seed, I am not sure if the NT still sell single colour, but if so I would recommend. Thanks for your encouragement. 🙂
Hi Julie – I have found and ordered some from eBay. Thank you for prompting me!
Oh, how beautiful, Julie! I do love green and white – it’s so fresh! And the jug sets it off brilliantly. It’s obviously a vaseful of memories for you too! Lovely! It’s a shame the Lathyrus isn’t scented – that would make it the perfect plant. Hope this isn’t your first and last vase! It is such fun, isn’t it?
Thanks, Yes, I would love everlasting Sweet Peas to be scented too, that would make them even nicer to bring indoors. I had not appreciated until now how much fun this could be.
As someone who favours jugs for flower arrangements, I don’t think you need apologise for using one, especially one as beautiful as yours. It is the perfect container for your very elegant arrangement. Perennial sweet peas are on my wish list for this new garden … we grew the pink form in a previous garden and I loved it and as it doesn’t mind dry conditions I have the ideal place for it. Like you, my garden nurtures my soul and a walk around it always lifts my spirits.
Hello Elizabeth, Thanks so much for your kind comments. I had been admiring everyones vases for a long time and it was really fun to join in.
How elegant. You chose the perfect arrangement for that vase/jug. There’s something fluid about them both.
Thanks Cynthia, I like the sweep of the Sweet Peas in the garden and indoors. 🙂
I loved reading about the history of your white pearl sweet peas. And the arrangement looks fabulous.
Thanks Mary, they are so easy to grow and flower generously. Glad you like it. 🙂
Well, for your first, it is beautiful! (I still want to participate but haven’t yet!) And I must say I LOVE those sweet peas. I was just sitting there envying you that you can grow such beautiful sweet peas. My climate gets hot pretty early in the spring and I have not had a lot of luck with them. They are just gorgeous! I see you said they are unruly but from my perspective they are worth it! 🙂
Hi Andrea, Thank you! This has been a really refreshing thing to take part in, I am looking at my own garden in a new way and thats been uplifting. I hope you do join in. 🙂