Wednesday, 29 March 2023
Monday, 13 March 2023
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.
Monday, 6 March 2023
IAVOM ~ 'The Angel Of The Garden'
- 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.
Monday, 27 February 2023
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.Saturday, 18 February 2023
February Musing ~ 2023
Monday, 13 February 2023
IAVOM ~Winter Gems
- 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.
Monday, 30 January 2023
IAVOM - A Gathering Of Snowdrops
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'.
Wednesday, 25 January 2023
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.
Monday, 16 January 2023
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.
Wednesday, 4 January 2023
Monday, 2 January 2023
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.