IAVOM ~ 'Singing the Blues'

 It's back to kitchen windowsill joy again for this week's 'In A Vase On Monday' and another purchase from a certain German supermarket chain. Along with the hippeastrums (about to open a second spike of flowers) is a hyacinth bulb grown in a vase designed for the purpose. This has provided me with entertainment every morning after I have pulled up the kitchen blind. At first I was convinced that the bulb was in suspended animation and wasn't going to flower in my lifetime. However and very slowly there was growth, both of white roots and of green shoots emerging from the bulb, before the flower finally appeared. I was most excited on Friday to see a blush of colour on the flower buds and have been surprised just how quickly the buds have been opening. The photo was taken this morning. The window was cleaned just before Christmas, since when all our windows have been covered by sprinkles of dust maybe Saharan or maybe originating from somewhere closer to home. Himself is not amused and is gearing himself up for an action replay.

Thanks as always to Cathy over at 'Rambling In The Garden' for providing us with a weekly get- together to share our vases.

Last week saw the snow and stubborn patches of black ice that had been adorning our garden finally melted giving way to a mix of sunshine and fog. The weekend was grey and bone chilling cold with the week ahead looking far from promising as far as the weather is concerned. More time inside than outside methinks. I have one or two more seed orders to make and if it does warm up just a smidgen I may repot some of the greenhouse hardy September sown annuals. The daily greenhouse snowdrops in pots collection continues to get a daily inspection along with a few pot grown iris reticulata, crocuses, fritillaria, muscari and little daffs. One or two pots might make their way into the kitchen windowsill so I can inspect them at close quarters. In other news this week it's been delightful to observe a couple of blue tits flying in and out of the nesting box that we can see from our dining room. Hopefully they will build their nest there. Spring can't be so far away!

IAVOM ~ Shining Out On These Dark Nights

 
The Chritsmas tree and all it's sparkle has been dismantled and sadly the decorations are now boxed off for another year. However I've still left some fairy lights twinkling albeit faintly (new batteries needed methinks) and there will be candlepower both flame and LED for a few weeks to come. Joining them on the hearth is a vase off supermarket daffodils which are just beginning to open. They moved from the cooler utility room to warmer climes late this afternoon. I rarely buy supermarket flowers these days but always treat myself to the odd shot of colour during these still short days and long nights.

Thanks as always to Cathy over at 'Rambling In The Garden' for bringing some magical glow all year round in the form of 'In A Vase On Monday'. I'm looking forward to seeing what is in everyone's vases today. I'm not sure what there is out there in flower as the garden has been covered with white precipitation. The snow started late on Saturday evening and we woke up to a good covering of it on Sunday morning (The above photo was taken at 6.15am  yesterday morning) It did slowly but not completely evaporate during the day but then we had another covering of snow during the night. Today's sunshine bought about some drip and melt but there has been some further late afternoon wintry precipitation. There is still a weather warning for snow and ice for tonight, with the next few days predicted to be most chilly indeed. My gardening activities will therefore be of the indoors kind - planning, writing new labels for my greenhouse snowdrops (I'm replacing white labels with black labels), some garden magazine reading, ordering a few new dahlias as well as dreaming. What will you be up to?