Wordless Wednesday - ‘The March Hare’, Llandudno, Wales.

IAVOM ~ The Post With No Name

 It is amazing just how quickly Mondays come around and of course time for a vase. A trio of flowers picked yesterday ahead yesterday afternoon in anticipation a busy morning and also of the unpleasant weather forecast for today of wet and windy. They are :

• A sprig of pulmonaria - I think that this one is 'Victorian Brooch'.
• Some cardamine quinquefolia - this is a hardy perennial which comes into leaf and then flower in February and looks most attractive as an underskirt for snowdrops and hellebores. I bought this plant in a small pot, almost ten years ago this April. I remember it well as it was the day that our compost toilet at the allotment site was formally open. I had to be there to greet the M.P. who did the honours but before the event himself and I managed to squeeze in a plant sale. The small pot that came home with me is now a veritable lilac pool. It disappears ww
• The double pink hellebore, variety unknown, grows amidst the lilac pool but it is becoming too engulfed so some remedial action is required.

The vase was a relatively recent purchase from the florist a few doors away from my hairdressers. My first venture into the shop resulted in the discovery of a treasure trove of glasses vases in a rainbow of colours. I will return in due course. 

The weather forecast was unfortunately accurate and it seem's that yesterday's foretaste of spring was just a teasing glimpse. It had been the first time this year that I had ventured out to garden for a good spell without being hampered by the need to wear a coat or gloves. Still there must be more days like that just round the corner. Thanks to Cathy over at 'Rambling In The Garden' for enabling us to share our floral pickings each Monday. 

IAVOM ~ 'The Angel Of The Garden'

Rain has stopped played today so my vase has retreated indoors under cover. Fortunately I picked the flowers yesterday. They are :

• Two varieties of iris reticulata - namely 'Purple Hill' and 'Clairette'. Although the flowers never seem to last for long, their subtle markings are always so fascinating to view especially at close quarters.
• One of the last remaining snowdrops in flower - plicatus 'Augustus' with it's distinctive seersucker petals. 

Keeking  a protective watch over my teeny tiny vase is 'An Angel Of The Garden' figurine, whose purchase was prompted by seeing her some time ago feature in Cathy's 'Words and Herbs' blog. Thank you Cathy for putting temptation in my way 😂

Thanks also to Cathy over at 'Rambling In The Garden', who so gently encourages us to share our vases each and every Monday, whatever the season and weather is throwing at us. The forecast for the rest of the week here is decidedly wintry in nature with cold overnight temperatures and possibly some snow on Thursday. Winter has not run it's course yet so seed sowing plans in the greenhouse are on hold. I did sow some larkspur at the weekend though as I thought that they would appreciate the chill. No signs of any germination yet from my September sown seeds. Hope that everyone has a good week ahead whatever they are up to.

IAVOM - When Is A Vase Not A Vase?

 

Sometime in December my one and only hippeastrum or amaryllis bulb for the season arrived in the post - it's name 'Green Valley'. It had been bought at a sales price and was already sprouting on receipt. It arrived in that bitterly cold spell we experienced in December .The glass jar that I was going to plant it in was lurking outside, so for the time being or that was the intention I removed the bulb and placed it on the kitchen window sill. It was still in it's original wrapping paper. I knew that the jar, complete with layer of gravel at the base would need a wash under our outside tap before I could use it. When it eventually warmed up enough to take the bubble wrap off to use the tap without risking frostbite what did I find? Sadly the low temperatures had resulted in my jar being shattered into smithereens. I could have cried but didn't. I didn't have another container fit for purpose and with Christmas creeping upon us and other distracting events going on getting a replacement went out of my mind. 

Fast forward to January and the first stem opened and flowered happily - magic considering that it's roots had not made contact with either compost or water. This is the second flowering stem albeit much shorter than the first. I will be shopping sooner or later for a replacement bottle as I don't want to repeat the experience but it was most interesting to witness. I have also made a note to try the same variety again as it is a most subtle beauty.

With thanks as always to Cathy over at 'Rambling In The Garden', for providing fellow bloggers with the opportunity to share our 'vases' and their contents each and every Monday.

February Musing ~ 2023

 

" For days on end the steel grip of the frost holds the land.The plough lies half covered with snow; the robin hops in at the farm kitchen window. And all the time, under the coverlet of snow, the vivid green wheat grows in the field. Soon the thaw will come, and as the dark earth is visible again in the farmhouse garden, it shall be spotted with snowdrops and the pale gold of frilled aconites".

Words by Claire Leighton from 'The Farmer's Year', A Calendar Of English Husbandry, 1933.

Illustration by Edith Holden from 'The Country Diary of An Edwardian Lady', published 1906.

IAVOM ~Winter Gems

 

A grey and chilly start to the day spoke very much of winter but once the sun came out later this morning it bought a definite hint of spring with it. Maybe time to see the first bee of the year make an appearance. In my vase this Monday are :

• A few snowdrops - these were picked from a pot. There is no label to identify them but from the distinctive long pedicel or stem I'm fairly sure that they are 'Magnet'.
• A couple of stems of sarcococca confusa - the scent of which packs a real punch into most delicate little white flowers
• Some cheerful yellow from the early flowering narcissus 'Cedric Morris'. The first flower to open did so before Christmas and is just going over now. I grow mine in a pot so I can see them easily from the house. 
• A snippet of hamamelis or witch hazel 'Ruby Glow'. I must admit that I can't smell the fragrance it allegedly emits but then it more than makes up for that in terms of colour.

On the subject of witch hazels and scents I really listened to an interesting conversation on the topic here :

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-scent-of-winter/id1660466910?i=1000597091029

The 'Rich Pickings' podcast' is a most enjoyable listen, full of lively and humorous conversation between two women, Jo Thompson, garden designer and her friend fellow designer Nina Baxter. They chat about all all sorts not just about gardening and plants. It is chuckle aloud content. Has anybody else caught this?

Thanks as always to the lovely Cathy over at 'Rambling In The Garden' who invites bloggers to get together each and every Monday to share our vases.

IAVOM - A Gathering Of Snowdrops

 

It has been dry but quite windy today so I bought my vase inside so that the galanthus or snowdrop skirts would stop swirling around. Sadly though the light wasn't that brilliant indoors so back out again it has hurtled now the wind has died down and before the light disappears. Finally a not too grainy photo even though I chopped the end of the vase off and some of the varieties are not distinct. I will not write the full name of each variety down but if you would like any more details please just let me know in the comments and I will reply. 

Front row from left to right is 'Lapwing', ' Fieldgate Prelude' unknown specimen and 'Trumps'.

Back row from left to right is 'Wendy's Gold', 'Sprite' 'Rosemary Burnham' and 'Sutton Courteney'.

I will try to take a better photo tomorrow morning and post it as soon as possible. I had hoped that some somebody might have an inkling of as to what the unamed variety might be but this photo doesn't do it or its companions justice. My fingers were too frozen to try again today.

The ceramic vase or perhaps I should say vases is a new one having arrived only last week as a birthday gift from my sister. What an inspired choice on her behalf as I will have great fun playing with it. I've been wondering today what collective noun you might use for your vases. I keep mine in a cupboard but there is now overspill on to a shelf and I imagine them chattering together at night -  a company of vases maybe or a convention of vases. I'm sure other ideas will follow. Any suggestions would be welcome.

Thanks as always to the lovely Cathy whose baby 'In A Vase On Monday' is. You can see what she and others have created to celebrate this Monday with over at 'Rambling In The Garden'.

Quirky Cutlery

Himself and I  had a quick lunch at a small local garden centre earlier this week - the indoor premises were uncomfortably crowded so despite the artic temperatures we sat in a covered 'pod' with an overhead heater. We shared a delicious bacon, lettuce and tomato toastie. I had a hot chocolate and he a cup of tea. We were amused by the cutlery which accompanied our liquid refreshment. I was convinced that I could put such cutlery to good use in my greenhouse so must see if I can find a source.

IAVOM ~ Thereby Hangs A Tale

 This week's vase is still a work in progress - as you can see the flowers are still to fully open. I don't often buy flowers these days but this week after seemingly days and days of relentless rain, wind and grim grey I felt in dire need of some instant sunshine. Ordering an online grocery delivery I was tempted to order two bunches of daffodils although perhaps three would have filled the vase.  

I would usually greet the delivery driver and then unpack the shopping but couldn't this Saturday afternoon so delegated the task to himself and presumed that he had executed his duties efficiently. It was only later in the evening when I remembered that I had ordered the daffs. I searched high and low expecting to come across them hopefully in water somewhere about the house but to no avail. I then asked himself if the delivery had contained two bunches of daffodils. The reply was a firm no. Puzzled I wondered whether I had simply forgotten or whether my flowers had gone astray in the delivery van. I checked the order and yes I had indeed ordered the daffodils. 

By then I was thinking that I should contact the company to enquire about the missing items but decided to check with himself again. This time I asked whether there was anything in the delivery that wasn't in some sort of packet or tin or other form of containment . Well he said and after some consideration came up with a head of broccoli, a red pepper and a bunch of spring onions. "Are you sure there were spring onions?" I replied having no recollection of ordering spring onions. The reply was in the affirmative and he informed me that they were in the fridge salad draw. I went into the kitchen, opened the fridge, pulled out the salad draw and there were the bunches of daffodils staring me in the face! They were very tightly in bud without as much as a peek of yellow showing but they were definitely not spring onions! Needless to say I laughed loud and long and so did he when he realised the error of his ways. 

The vase was part of a Christmas or birthday present of one of those bulb kits - containing coir discs and muscari. The muscari not surprisingly didn't flourish but I hung on to the vase.

Thanks as always to Cathy who blogs at 'Rambling In The Garden' for her excellent hosting skills each weeek.

Wordless Wednesday, Jigsaw Days

 

IAVOM ~ Burning Embers

 

My first ' In A Vase On Monday' in 2023 is very much a pick and plonk effort, with not much in common other than both the occupants are very much last year's flowers from different seasons.

• The chrysanthemums are a mix of chrysanthemum 'Spider Bronze' and 'Bigoudi Red'. The latter  started off as deep red almost burgundy colour before developing warm shades of orange. I raided the plants in the greenhouse for the flowers. The plants were moved there before the bitterly cold snap in December as they are described as tender. Despite a small heater being left on overnight and once or twice throughout the day, the temperature in the greenhouse still dropped to well below freezing more than once. We had fitted a device to advise us just how much the heater costs to run and have decided that it's too expensive in view of rising energy bills. Since then himself has unearthed an antique paraffin stove which my Dad used in his greenhouse but there has no been  occasion to use it yet. 
• The second occupant of the vase are a couple of stems of dried lunaria seed pods were flowers last spring. They were loosely woven in my festive wreath hanging from the front door but I noticed this morning that they had fallen out so I thought that I would make use of them in the vase.

With thanks to Cathy over at 'Rambling In The Garden' who hosts this excellent weekly meme with considerable aplomb and a most Happy New Year to everyone!