Dahlias – a box of bulbs was anonymously left at my back gate

One of the great pleasures of having a flourishing garden is being able to regularly pick bunches of flowers for inside. It means I can enjoy aspects of the garden just as much when I am in the Convent – but without the guilt of feeling I’ve stripped the garden of its beauty.

Fresh flowers are such a treat and every few days I freshen up a few vases. I’m not quite at the picking baskets of flowers stage, and some of my vases are small, but it still seems a luxury and pleasure.

There are always some roses to pick. These are my signature Good Samaritans

Once the roses are established, they should contribute generously, although I haven’t planted specific cut rose varieties. The dahlia’s are a delight and picking them just encourages more flowers.

The Lisianthas have been a surprise and delight as a change

It also highlights the garden changes during the seasons as I’ve moved from the agapanthas to the Tansy in one bed, now roses and dahlias, with the bulbs providing a totally different opportunity.

One of the side benefits is the excuse to collect some lovely vases for displaying the arrangements (not that I can “arrange”)!

The Cosmos provide many flowers