IAVOM ~ Festive Faffing

Not a traditional vase as such this week but some green from the garden and dried lunaria seed heads were used to concoct a festive hanging for our front door. A string of fairy lights was threaded through. All held together with the aid of twine and sticky back sellotape. Thanks to the Christmas fairy in the shape of Cathy over at 'Rambling In The Garden' for her hosting of 'In A Vase On Monday', which has been an excellent source of information, inspiration and encouragement throughout 2022 and no doubt will be a source of enjoyment in 2023.

Here it's Boxing Day and whilst himself relish getting back into the usual sports viewing routine normally associated with Saturdays, I'm plunging headfirst into sorting out my seed box and will be making lists and plans for warmer days. I hope that you enjoy your day whatever you are up to.

Wordless Wednesday ~ First Time Visitors

 

A Week Of Flowers, 2022 ~ Day 7

 

It's the here and now in the December garden for day 7, with the last defiant few flowers of geranium 'Rozanne', an absolute star of a hardy perennial, They have been covered with flowers most of the time from late spring onwards - trouble free and such a beautiful colour. It makes excellent ground cover and can be also be grown in containers. I think that this last brave show will sadly be finished off by hard frost as this week unfolds but it more than deserves a winter break.

A special thanks and a virtual bouquet 💐 to the lovely Cathy over at 'Words and Herbs', who came up with this idea of banishing the blues through sharing photos of our flowers. I have enjoyed seeing both familiar flowers, new to me ones and those that I just can't grow but would love to be able to. It has made me realise that I've haven't taken many photos in the garden this year, so a new year aim for me is to get reacquainted with my camera rather than rely on my phone and get out there weekly to capture what is happening. 

A Week In Flowers 2022 ~ Day 6

The summer was well advanced when this photo was snapped during the first week of August. It is an inula but I'm not sure of where I obtained it from. I know that I originally came across an inula on one of Cathy's from 'Rambling In The Garden' open garden events that she holds under the National Open Garden Scheme. The NGS raises considerable amounts of money for charity each year, thanks to the gardens that participate and open their gardens to visitors, usually provide welcome refreshments and often have brilliant plant stalls. I'm not sure whether I actually bought the plant that day or whether it was at another open garden event in Cumbria the following year. Well wherever I got it from its's a ray of sunshine, a bee magnet and opens up it's flowers in a most fascinating manner. Amazingly this year it has had a second wind and has sported a few late in the year flowers. There are still one or two hanging on in there today but I think that they will be finished off by the predicted severe frosts that are heading our way later this week.

A special thanks to Cathy who blogs at 'Words and Herbs' for her steadfast hosting this week.

A Week Of Flowers 2022 ~ Day 5

Fast forwarding to late May, possibly my favourite time of the year and a bulb in the shape of allium siculum also known as Sicilian Honey Garlic. Not only is it loved by the pollinators it has most attractive architectural seedheads too. It apparently has a tendency to self-seed and can become invasive but it has never reached pest levels in my garden ..... yet! It is also is happy in shade so that is a plus for me.

Thanks to Cathy who blogs at 'Words and Herbs' for hosting this week's celebration of flowers.

A Week Of Flowers 2022 ~ Day 4

 

It's back to to the middle of May this year when spring was working her magic and a couple of aquilegias. All my aquilegias have been grown from seed either kindly given to me by friends or obtained via the excellent seed exchanges run by The Cottage Garden Society or The Hardy Plant Society. Over the years they have self seeded and some interesting offspring have arisen.

We woke up to a light frost, blue skies and sunshine this morning and the weather is set to get much colder as the next week unfolds. I'm off outside to do some rearranging over seedlings in the greenhouse and one or two hardy perennials that have been bought under cover for the winter. Then to cut some lengths of fleece for protection on the colder nights. I'm trying to cut down on using the greenhouse heater overnight this winter but it may be switched on when the overnight temperatures are minus. Many thanks to Cathy over at 'Words and Herbs' who came up with the excellent idea of brightening up these back end days with a myriad of flowers. I'm looking forward to peeking at what other bloggers are sharing when I'm back in  the warmth later, coffee in hand and pen and paper in reach.

A Week Of Flowers 2022 ~ Day 3

 

I got distracted yesterday by wedding anniversary celebrations, so here is a retrospective photo for yesterday and one for today. I'm going back to spring again and the months of February and March. The above photo is of some irises growing in a pot. I think that these are iris reticulata 'Katharine Hodgkin'. I could and do spend a long time just gazing at the markings.

My second photo was taken as the year was heading towards the middle of March.  I'm cheating slightly as this is from just outside our garden which is has a a stream as a boundary on one side. Snowdrops have appeared every year in this patch since we arrived and have multiplied without any human intervention. These are all faded by March but there were also originally a few naturalised unknown narcissus that appear to take over the mantle of the snowdrops. Over the years I have done some guerilla gardening and bought cheaper narcissus in the sales and then thrown them over to the other side of the stream in late autumn. They are narcissus 'Téte-à-Téte' in the main have never been properly planted and are just left to get on with things. This is just a section of the other side ( there are well over two dozen clumps now) and as you can see the ducks which return every year in spring are happy just basking in the sun and enjoying the flowers.

Thank you to Cathy over at 'Words and Herbs' for encouraging us to share colour and cheer during these dull days and long dark nights.