Wordless Wednesday ~ Arley Hall, Cheshire, July 2024

 

Wordless Wednesday ~ Dahlia 'Night Silence'

 

IAVOM ~ On The Scent

 

It's Monday again and time for a vase to mark the start of a new week. In today's vase is a pick plonk mix of scented plants, some more pleasantly scented than the others :

• Astrantias - two varieties of this hardy perennial - one unknown and the other the dark red wine flowers of astrantia 'Gill Richardson', which has become a favourite along with astrantia 'Burgundy Manor'. The astrantias have been in flower for a few weeks now and will soon be cut back in anticipation of a second flush of flowers. The smell of the flowers reminds me of a damp face flannel which isn't the most pleasant of aromas so any vase containing them requires careful positioning. 
• Two vivid purple and magenta blobs of dianthus barbatus 'Oeschberg', which I grew from seed a couple of years ago and will be sowing some more in the coming week.  The seed only arrived in the post earlier this afternoon. Their scent is intense. Isobel Bannerman in her book 'Scent Magic' describes it as 'happy and typicallly of cloves and warm baking'. The flowers last for a good while.
• Some philadelphus also known as mock orange blossom. This shrub came to me as a cutting from my parent's garden years ago and I've never known which variety it is. It lurks on the outer edge of the garden looking insignificant for most of the year but bursts into clouds of beautiful white blossom every June. It has now reached about fifteen feet in height and causes himself some grief, as he has to duck under some of the lower branches when mowing our sad excuse for a lawn. The flowers are scented but I find the scent slightly overpowering whilst himself thinks that they smells like honey.

The vase was one that my mother had and passed on to me when she stopped using it.

Thanks to Cathy over at 'Rambling In The Garden' who encourages to share our vases every Monday. I'm looking forward to seeing what is  other vases  today and will no doubt be adding more plants to the wish list as I do so. Wishing everyone a happy month ahead! 

Wordless Wednesday ~ Holehird Gardens, Windermere, Cumbria

 

IAVOM ~ Glow

 

Just a little pot of pansies from me today for this week's Monday vase. These are pansy 'Nature Mulberry Shades' which I think are most aptly named. They were sown last September and overwintered in the greenhouse before moving to the outer world in the spring. I'm also growing pansy 'Nature Antique Shades', a paler mix but they were sown this spring and have yet to flower. It is the first time I've sown pansies in some years usually just picking up plug plants from a garden centres. They took some time to get going but have finally got there. 

Thanks as always to Cathy who blogs over at 'Rambling In The Garden' who kindly gets us together every Monday for a floral shindig.

I have yet to start the Wordpress training course for u3a website editors that I mentioned in my last post as the course I intended to take was already fully booked when I applied. However I have a place on a course later this week. Thanks to all of you who offered me words of encouragement as I get to grips with the intricacies of Wordpress.

In other news the rain and wind continues along with well below average temperatures for the time of year. It is proving to be a great year for the roses though so there is some consolation. I hope to be back soon but if not I will still be popping by to keep up with what everyone is else is enjoying in their gardens. 

 

Wordless Wednesday ~ 'Bathsheba'

 

Wordless Wednesday ~ 'Reach For The Sky'

 

IAVOM ~ 'Here Comes The Rain Again'

 

In this week's vase are the following :

• Ranunculus aconitifolius 'Flore Pleno', commonly known as 'Fair Maids Of France'. I'm not sure what the French connection is but they are lovely little maids indeed. They like some shade and a to have their roots in some moisture. Flowering in May into June they retreat from sight quite early in the year.
• A couple of sprigs of flowers from a dark leaved physocarpus which I think is 'Diablo'.
• A touch of daisy floppiness in the shape of erigeron karvinskianus also known as Mexican fleabane - the flowers morph from white to pink as they age. This would probably win the longest flowering plant competition in my garden, usually throwing out a few flowers in March and then carrying on well into the autumn, sometimes as late as November. It does self- seed vigorously so much so that himself declares it a weed and wages war on it every couple of years but I'm quite happy to let it wander.
• Some lacy cow parsley like pink heads of pimpinella major rosea, another hardy perennial which prefers moist conditions. 

Thank you to Cathy over at 'Rambling In The Garden' for her excellent hostessing skills each week. As you might be able to guess the rain is back. On Wednesday into Thursday we had an amber weather warning. It rained from the time I got up on Wednesday until I went to bed and then again on the Thursday until early afternoon 😱 Yesterday we had a yellow weather warning for thunderstorms and late afternoon the thunder arrived complete with a dramatic volley of hail before the rain set in. More rain this morning and yet more forecast for tomorrow. I don't know how much rainfall there was but it was a lot. I hope to squeeze some gardening in this week between the wet. Some of the plants have not enjoyed being flattened and there were one or two casualties. Fortunately nothing more serious than broken stems as far as I can see.

In other news I might drop off the radar for a while. I am the website administrator for our local u3a branch and will have a training session later this week as the website's publishing platform is about to change to Wordpress. I have used Wordpress in the past to run sites for a local gardening club and for my allotment association. However it was a good many years ago and I'm sure that things have changed. It will be a steep learning curve and I'm quaking at the very thought of mastering 'Plug-ins' as well as other challenges before our present site can eventually migrate to the new platform. I'm certainly not a techie so I'm slightly apprehensive that it might be beyond me. Maybe some of you Wordpress users can reassure me. It's certainly going to be a time consuming process. Oh well I will just have to see how it goes 😂

Wordless Wednesday - 'Purple Sensation'

 

IAVOM ~ Hazy

 

This Monday's vase has unfortunately become more than a little bit submerged by the willowy background and was perhaps taken at not quite the best distance. If you screw up your eyes you might hopefully be able to make out the individual contents which are :

• Briza maxima also known as greater quaking grass. It could just as well be called once sown, never without. This year's dotted about progeny seem to be taller and more vigorous than usual. I'm putting it down to all that rain.
• The orange flowers of the perennial geum 'Totally Tangerine' now in it's fourth year since planting and well established. Not only does it start flowering quite early but with deadheading goes on well into the year. It is a sterile variety so no little seedlings.
• A vague shimmer of pink from chaerophyllum hirsutum 'Roseum' also known as the hairy chervil. A relative of cow parsley it naturally prefers damp meadows or light woodland, so a dampish spot in full sun, or part shade suits it well. The foliage has an apple scent. 
• Some blue from polemonium caeruleum - grown many moons ago from seed obtained via the Cottage Garden Society which has self-seeded in a considerate manner over many years. 
• Lastly a stem of the hardy annual white orlaya grandiflora which I sowed either in late August or early September last year.

A big shout out as always to Cathy who blogs over at 'Rambling In The Garden' and who kindly invites us to share our vases on a Monday. Here we have had a week of most pleasant weather with yesterday being particularly beautiful and warm for the time of year. A week of many first flowers. The sweet peas have been planted and French beans and zinnias were sown as planned last week. This week's tasks remain in my head at the moment but they will make an appearance on paper before the end of the day. There will be some 'Chelsea Chopping' in the mix but for now I'm going to head out and enjoy a cuppa sitting in the garden.

IAVOM ~ Wooooosh!

It's that wooooosh time of year when suddenly everything in the garden has taken off, growing whenever my back is turned. A spell of a gloriously dry week and above average temperatures has resulted in various openings. In my Monday vase this week are :

• Aquilegia - the majority of aquilegias in my garden are blue. They are descendants from seed obtained from The Cottage Garden Society seed exchange many moons ago - possibly aquilegia 'Hensol Harebell'.
• Some heads of allium schoenoprasum or chives - not only good to look at but edible too.
• Some stems of millium effusum 'Aureum' also known as 'Bowles Golden Grass'. This grass prefers a touch of shade as too much sun can scorch the leaves. It seeds about but never to nuisance proportions.
• A stem of thalictrum 'Black Stockings' with a fizz of flowers and delicious dark purple stems. To my eye the flowers are more purple than my photo suggests.

The above are all tough as boots hardy perennials which don't require much intervention and are generally trouble free. My favourite sort of plants.

A big thank you as always to Cathy who blogs over at 'Rambling In The Garden' and whose vase this week includes her beautiful wisteria.

Himself has just told me that it has started to rain which might bring today's filling the green bin to the brim activities to an abrupt stop. Rain is forecast for tomorrow but then the remainder of week although cooler looks quite promising. There are sweet peas to be planted, weeding to be done and then the last of the annuals in the shape of zinnias to sow and last but not least I need to sow some climbing French beans. Wishing my fellow gardening bloggers a good week.

IAVOM ~ Darling Buds Of May

 

It's time for the once or twice a year vase to have it's annual jolly - in fact it was clamouring to escape from the cupboard from which it has been confined to for almost twelve months. If vases could smile it would have a big smile on it's face. May just has to be my favourite month of the year when all is fresh, green and oh so promising. This month's flowers even eclipse the magic of those early beloved snowdrops. In my vase this week are three of my favourite May flowers namely :

• Convallaria majalis or lily of the valley. Mine have spread over the years in a line directly under our living room window. The original pips came from my parent's garden many moons ago. I remember them there making a substantial patch in a dry sunny spot in front of their garage whereas mine are in a shady position, Such dainty little flowers and sweet smelling too although sadly since my nose woes I can no longer detect the scent.
• Geranium phaeum - usually the first flowers open towards the end of April and then continue into May. They are beloved by bees, easy going and seed gently about. The flowers in my vase come from a seedling of some description. The only named variety nearby has flowers which are much deeper in colour.
• Lunaria annua 'Chedglow' also known as honesty - this variety has dark stems and seed pods too. I have found that in my garden it doesn't seed about with the same abandon as the variegated white honesty that I included in my vase a couple of weeks ago. These have come from seed sown last June but this year I am tempted to sow the seeds at the back end of May with the hope of producing more substantial plants.

I imagine that the honesty and geranium phaeum will be but a fleeting presence in the vase but the lily of the valley should tarry for a few days longer.

With thanks to Cathy over at 'Rambling In The Garden' for hosting. It's a relatively pleasant spring day here. I have just planted some shallots grown from sets in cells. They have adjusted to the great outdoors and were ready to get their feet in the ground. We do have a weather warning though at the moment for thunderstorms and torrential rain until late this evening so I'm not sure what else I will achieve out there today but the forecast for the week ahead is dry, sunny and warm so that's most encouraging indeed.

IAVOM ~ 'Dancing In The Moonlight'

 In my vase this Monday are three narcissus stems. I dallied as usual but finally placed my spring bulb order at the beginning of September last year.  My order included a twenty bulbs of narcissus 'Moonlight Sensation', new to me and which just have to be the floriferous narcissus that you could ever wish to encounter. I'm delighted with them. There are just three stems in my vase. There are up to seven pale cream lightly scented flowers per flowering stem. I'm still making my mind up about the scent. She has a sister called 'Sunlight Sensation' which I might be tempted by later on this year. As the name suggests it is more of a bright yellow in colour than 'Moonlight Sensation'.

The cool April weather we have experienced has extended the flowering life not only of this beauty but other early spring flowers as well. It is allegedly warming up this week so we might finally enjoy some real spring weather. I certainly have had problems with germination in the greenhouse this year with slow, erratic and in some cases no germination at all of some seeds. I'm about to make second sowings of amaranthus caudatus, phlox 'Cherry Caramel' and rudbeckia 'Sahara'. The latter I would be most upset to be without but so far have only four seedlings. I don't think it's down to the compost but down to the low light levels and below average temperatures. Has anybody else experienced problems?

Thanks as always to the lovely Cathy who blogs over at 'Rambling In The Garden' and provides us with the opportunity to share our vases each Monday, whatever the vagaries of the season.

IAVOM ~ Pink Champagne

 

It's another Monday and so a fresh vase is now residing on the kitchen windowsill and will brighten my view when I'm at the kitchen sink. In my vase this week are :

• Ranunculus - I'm improving when it comes to growing ranunculus but still haven't got it right. More stems were wonky than straight and I struggled to find three to stand up nice and straight in a vase. These were planted in a tray back in the autumn and have been grown under cover. I must admit to neglecting them a bit and perhaps should have moved them in to individual pots not long after sprouting so must try to remember this next time. They were bought as ranunculus' Champagne' - a mix of coral, peach and salmon colours but I think that somebody forgot to tell them and they have all produced ruffled pale pink veined flowers. Not a colour I would choose but still pleasant enough.
• Accompanying the ranunculus are a couple of stems of lunaria annua variegata alba, also known a variegated white honesty, which conveniently self-seeds each year. As well as shining in early spring and attracting pollinators, the papery seed-cases make for effective Christmas decorations either in vases or used in seasonal wreaths.

The vase is a relatively cheap and cheerful purchase from the florist just a few doors away from my hairdresser. I'm kicking myself as I forgot to pop in to the shop last week when I had a hair appointment to see if there was any new stock. Oh well I will just have to call next time.

Thanks as always to Cathy who blogs over at 'Rambling In The Garden' for hosting. It's much appreciated and I do look forward to peeking into other vases every week.

 

It is still trying to remember that it is spring here with the weather still trying to find an improving and steady pattern. Still more seeds have been sown, there has been some potting up, my tomato plug plants have arrived and this morning we planted some seed potatoes before the inevitable rain descended. I hope that you enjoy your week and that you are able to spend some of it in the garden.

Wordless Wednesday ~ RHS Harlow Carr

 

IAVOM ~ Here Today, Gone Tomorrow

 

This week's Monday vase is a simple concoction of three flowering stems of amelanchier lamarckii. I snipped these in advance on Friday having seen the weather forecast. Yet another named storm 'Storm Kathleen' battered us over the weekend with gale force winds and more in the way of heavy rain. Surely it must cease soon - this seemingly never ending pattern of grey and rain. I do hope so.

Last week the amelanchier had a spell looking subtly glorious in the limelight with it's starry white flowers and soft coppery foliage. Today it looks somewhat bedraggled and it has definitely lost a substantial amount of blossom. However pear blossom and crabapple 'Red Sentinel' have taken on the baton in the blossom stakes. Apple blossom is not far behind.

My vase is the teeny tiny vase which has featured in vase posts before. It's that small that I'm unable to find the twin vase that I bought at the same time! A search party will be launched shortly.

Thanks to Cathy over at 'Rambling In The Garden' as always for her hosting skills whatever the season or the weather. It's much appreciated. 

IAVOM ~ 'April Come She Will'

 It has been a decidedly spring- like Easter - blue skies, sunshine and warmth here until today. True to form the weather is now in typical bank holiday mode and it's raining. At least we were able to enjoy two consecutive completely dry days. It seems an age since that last happened. Fortunately I picked some flowers in the dry of yesterday to sit on the dining room table namely :

• narcissus - there are two different varieties here but I'm not sure what they are other than one might possibly be 'Tresamble'.
• A nameless white hellebore which has seeded in profusion. I spent some of yesterday afternoon removing the seedlings.
• A single flower of hellebore x hybridus (Ashwood Evolution Group) Yellow Double that himself treated me to this year for my birthday.
• Muscari - again I know not which variety. 
• A couple of the lovely little crocus 'Firefly'. These have flowered late but then they were planted later in the autumn. 
• Finally a couple of stems of the thug that is lamium galaeobdolon variegatum. It does look attractive in it's spring glory but oh what an absolute nuisance. I think that our hostess Cathy over at 'Rambling In The Garden' would use the term 'devil plant' to describe it. Thanks Cathy as always for hosting.

Whilst I was cutting my flowers I noticed that I must have nicked my index finger which was dripping a trail of blood. I had to to stop at that point but later returned and added three stems of pussy willow to give a bit of height to the back of the bowl. I forgot to take another photo at that point. I have to confess that the pussy willow were shop bought especially for Easter.

Here spring has well and truly sprung and all of a sudden that list of jobs to be done both outside and in the greenhouse is lengthening by the day. Seed sowing is in full gear now and this afternoon it's the turn of cosmos and sunflowers to be sown. I am sweating about the so far no sign of germination from the larkspur (despite the seed packet having a spell in the freezer) and disappointed by the appearance of only two snapdragon seedlings. I hope that they have some friends keeping them company in soon. The remaining sowings look promising and no doubt the greenhouse shuffle will ensue before long. I hope that spring is treating you all kindly too or if you're in the southern hemisphere that you are lapping up mellow autumn days.

Postscript - my trip to the greeenhouse this afternoon revealed one emerging larkspur - it was invisible this morning 😂

IAVOM ~ 'It Might As Well Be Spring'

 

It was a beautiful start to the day here - warm and sunny with more than a hint of spring in the air.  After all we're now only two days away from that magical equinox. I headed in the direction of the garden more or less straightaway after breakfast to top up that green waste bin. It's now nestled securely in place waiting collection tomorrow. A spot of shopping after lunch and then time to pick a few snippets for this week's 'In A Vase On Monday'. Another trio this week comprising :

• Muscari 'Valerie Finnis' which is a most delightful baby blue colour.
• Ribes sanguineum 'Elvington's White' - this is a deciduous shrubs with leaves of a slightly dubious scent.
• A spriglet of the delicate looking flowers of Prunus incisa 'Kojo -no- mai' also known as the Fuji cherry - I have two of these plants. One is is in a pot whilst the other in the ground is bigger. It can grow into a small tree up to 2.5 metres (8ft) but mine isn't anywhere near that high.  I think that this could be that it just doesn't get enough sun. It came into flower at least a couple of weeks ago.

Thanks to our ever stalwart host Cathy who blogs over at 'Rambling In The Garden'. I wonder what is in everyone else's vases this week. No doubt the wish list will grow and we're off to the first plant sale of the year at the weekend too. I can't wait!

IAVOM ~ Snippets

Last week's most welcome run of consecutive dry days came to an abrupt end yesterday when it poured down for most of the day. Fortunately I took the weather forecast into account and picked a few flowers for this week's vase on Saturday, otherwise they would have been most bedraggled indeed. In my smallest of small vases are :

• Corydalis 'Purple Bird' - planted as corms last autumn. This variety is new to me and I'm looking forward to seeing it make more growth and hopefully a bigger impact next year. I believe that it quickly goes dormant so I must make sure that I mark the plants with labels.
• Iris reticulata 'Pixie' - this is also a variety that I've not planted before and I have been really pleased with it. Why though do my irises planted on the same day at the same depth refuse to open simaltaneously but emerge in fits and starts? This year I also grew 'Clairette' and 'Kathryn Hodgkins' - all equally lovely. Sadly they rarely survive into a second year in pots for me.
• Pulmonaria 'Blue Ensign' - the bluest of blues although I believe that there is an even bluer relative newcomer  on the scene by the name of 'Miss Elly - definite shades of 'Dallas' there. I'm on the look out for her and hope that I might come across her at a plant sale that I'm hoping to get to later on this month. 
• Last but not least peeping coyly from behind the iris is a sprig of cardamine quinquefolia. This hardy perennial is going over now and will disappear completely in late spring to emerge again at the back end of January/ early February. After eleven years what was once a small pot has morphed into a veritable pool of colour. It's an excellent companion for snowdrops and hellebores.

Thanks as always to Cathy over at 'Rambling In The Garden' for her steadfast hosting. The forecast for this week is changeable. On the plus side it looks as if the temperatures are going to rise so I'm hoping to fit in some gardening jobs between the showers. There is much to be done. I hope that you enjoy your week.

IAVOM ~ Hellebore Days

 

A trio of hellebores in today's 'In A Vase On Monday' - the names are lost in the mists of time apart from the one with the pink edging on the flower which is Helleborus Gold Collection 'Ice n' Roses' - Picotee'. The arum leaf which you can just about glimpse at the back is from a seedling of arum italicum, which is now self seeding to nuisance proportions. My fault for once commenting to a friend that it had never seeded whilst hers had. Most of the seedlings are being extricated when I spot them but this one escaped. It is different from the parent and I like the markings. 

The vase is also one of a trio which came home with me last summer after a garden visit.

Thanks as always to the lovely Cathy over at 'Rambling In The Garden' for her hosting this weekly meme which is must appreciated. A rare completely dry day so I have been busy pruning and filling the garden waste bin up in readiness for the first grand collection after the winter respite. Then the filling game will start again with only two weeks to the next collection. Looking forward to seeing what is on other vases this week.

IAVOM ~ Just A Few Drops

Dropping into this week's 'In A Vase On Monday' post are a few of my special snowdrops. I wish I knew how to insert text and arrows for identification purposes but such wizardry is beyond me so I will rely on the good old left to right method :

• Galanthus 'Fieldgate Superb' with a distinctive X marking.  There are a number of 'Fieldgate' snowdrops which all arrived as chance seedlings in the garden of the late Colin Mason who lived in Kenilworth. You can read more about them here. I have five 'Fieldgate' varieties and there is definitely room for more.
• 'Galanthus 'Wendy's Gold,' feeling shy on a dull day and refusing to open for the camera, perhaps because she is in a shadier border than the other snowdrops I picked. Her yellow ovary does shine out though. Like most yellow snowdrops she seems to clump up agonisingly slowly.
• Galanthus 'Trimmer' - lurking at the back and third from left. This one hasn't made into the garden yet but grows in a pot, which is overwintering in the greenhouse.
• Galanthus 'Viridapice' - this is the big boy of the group. Although the label has gone missing I'm reasonably sure of the identity. 
• Galanthus 'Hans Guck In De Luft' (which translates as Johnny-Head-In-Air) with such soulful eyes. This is a fairly new arrival has still to make it from pot culture into the garden. The one original bulb has multiplied quickly. I will be planting one potful out this week and have three more pots waiting in the wings. There will soon be spares to share with friends.
• Galanthus 'Lost Label' - hiding behind young 'Hans' is a green tipped unknown variety. I will have to send a photo to my snowdrop friends to see if they know what it might be. Loosing labels doesn't upset me as much as it used to as the flower gives me exactly the same pleasure with or without a name. Still it's nice to know what's what.
• Galanthus 'Sutton Courtenay' - this one has an unmistakeable yellowish lime green ovary and the markings are the same colour.
• Last but not least is the distinctive 'Trumps' which I included in a vase some three weeks ago and which is still going strong. I must divide what is now a large clump.

Thanks to Cathy over at 'Rambling In The Garden' for her brilliant hosting each and every Monday. This week her post is featuring the most gorgeous hellebore which I simply must track down! The recent wet weather has not treated the snowdrops or other early flowers such as crocus well. However today the sun has been out on and off with patches of blue sky and spring seems to be that bit nearer. 

IAVOM ~ 'Reeling In The Years'

 It's Monday again and I'm joining in with the 'In A Vase On Monday' meme which invites bloggers to share their flowers in a vase or alternative container. A great way to kick-start the new week! A quick pick and plonk from me late yesterday afternoon. In my vase are :

• Iris reticulata - I'm not sure what variety but possibly 'Clairette'. They have popped up over the last week in a pot set aside as I wasn't sure what was in it. No signs of any other occupants so far though.
• Helleborus x hybridus (Ashwood Evolution Group) Yellow Double' - this is a recent arrival and was a gift from himself as I celebrated one of those big birthdays that ends in a 0 last week. It's a beauty and now I need to find the perfect spot for it.

I have used a favourite vase which was hand painted by my mum. I  can't make my mind up whether the markings are suns or stars. On the subject of the solar system just before darkness fell last night we headed to catch the 'Gaia' exhibition at a local museum, which is based on the site of a former medieval monastery. This art installation is touring the world and gives us an opportunity to see what our planet looks like from the moon. 

Measuring seven metres in diameter and created from 120dpi detailed NASA imagery of the Earth’s surface, 'Gaia' gives us the opportunity to see our planet, floating in three dimensions. In Greek mythology Gaia is the personification of the Earth, hence the name of the installation. We thought that our local museum was perhaps to small to get the best experience of 'Gaia' but imagine that it will look fantastic suspended in Tewkesbury Abbey, where it will be heading off to next week. Do have a look here to find out more and to see whether 'Gaia' might be heading in your direction in the future.

Thanks to Cathy over at 'Rambling In The Garden' for her stellar hosting each and every week. Although it's raining heavily outside at the moment I'm hoping to spend some time in my greenhouse  this week well wrapped up in the heated gilet that my sister has kindly bought for me in deference to my senior years. I hope that you're able to venture out into the garden this week.

IAVOM ~ 'Blowin' In The Wind'

The residents of today's vase were vigorously swirling about in the wind as I took this photo. Last week's snow and ice turned back to wet and windy yesterday with the arrival of storm 'Isha', which caused some considerable havoc across the country especially in Scotland. Today the sun is out and although the wind is brisk it's certainly abated. In my vase are :

• Stems of cornus sanguinea 'Anny's Winter Orange'.
• Stems of pittisporum' Silver Ball'.
• Flowers from one of my favourite snowdrops with the unfortunate name of 'Trumps'. I think that the snowdrop preceded the politician or certainly his arrival on the world's political stage. It has distinct green markings on the outside, flowers early and has clumped up well in the garden.

Thanks to Cathy over at 'Rambling In The Garden' for inviting us to share our vases little and large, whatever the weather or the season. Here another named winter storm is waiting in the wings for tomorrow but the weather gods are are promising to be more kind at the weekend. I'm looking forward to it! 

IAVOM ~ 'Just Picked and Plonked'

 In anticipation of a busy weekend and a weather forecast for frost I ventured out on Friday to snip some bits for this week's vase. It was decidedly cool, grey and extremely soggy so it turned out to be a quick and rather lopsided pick and plonk. I just wanted to get back indoors pronto! In my vase are :

• A sprig of viburnum tinus - I think that it's 'Eve Price'. We tried to remove this evergreen shrub a few years ago. Although the winter flowers are welcome the foliage was always attacked by the viburnum beetle which leaves a trail of unattractive lacy holes in its wake. We must have left a portion still in the ground which has taken off again. Further surgery is required. 
• A rather battered flower from anemone coronaria 'Mr Fokker' which I have never seen flower at this time of the year before now. It's a low growing tuberous perennial which usually flowers in the spring through to early summer and has the deepest most vivid of blue flowers .
  
  
• Last but not least the only dry bloom in the house is chrysanthemum 'Tula Green'. This has been in the shelter of the greenhouse. I've grown it before and lost it but was gifted a couple of cuttings from a friend this autumn and one of the plants has recently come into flower.

Thanks as always to Cathy over at 'Rambling In The Garden' for hosting. Looking outside this morning I saw that the predicted frost had not materialised but it's bitterly cold out there, so more of a day for inside activities including some vase hopping later. Wishing everyone a good week and happy gardening whether of the armchair sort or real life variety.

IAVOM ~ Just In Time

I'm cheating this week with my 'In A Vase on Monday' contribution so I hope that I'm forgiven. Back in November I purchased a couple of seasonal bulbs from a certain German supermarket - that little and often one. Both were hippeastrum bulbs to give them their proper name although I still think of them as amaryllis. One was in a box with bowl and planting medium included, whilst the other was a ready made job in a glass container complete with seasonal decorations. It was obviously more expensive than the boxed version but then I can use the container again as well as some of the decorations so I decided to treat myself. It has been exciting to inspect the bulb daily for signs of growth and after a tantalising wait to see the first flower open a couple of days before Christmas. There was no indication of what the colour of the flower was when I bought the bulb so that was part of the excitement,

Thanks as always to Cathy over at 'Rambling In The Garden' for her wonderful hosting skills. Wishing all my blogging friends a most peaceful and joyous New Year and happy gardening in the twelve months of the year to come! 🌱