I don't often buy flowers, in fact I can't remember the last time I did. Daffodils in grey January seemed like a bright idea so I bought some this week.
The plan was to cut some foliage to go with them and create a framework.
I used some Elaeagnus ebingei, the hedge which keeps on giving, mahonia and winter flowering Lonicera. It smells amazing! I've never cut large pieces of Mahonia before, only the flower sprigs which drop their petals quickly.
When I'd done it I was so surprised by how colourful it was. I usually give the Mahonia a bit of a prune after it has flowered so this is a good way to do that. I used some of the red leaves in Christmas wreaths.
The problem was that the daffodils were too short to go in but you might rightly argue that it didn't need them anyway.
I cut some shorter stems of Laurel and Elaeagnus to show off the daffodils.
It's going to be a while before I have any of my own daffodils to put in a vase but this just shows what can be done if you look around, as Cathy inspires us to do. She also has scents this week.
Visit Rambling in the Garden for more inspiration about what to put In a vase on Monday.
It's very hard to find anything pretty to go in a vase just now. It's probably the most challenging time of the year and makes me wish I'd dried some things!
Following Cathy's lead I made a tiny vase for In a Vase on Monday.
It's not a great picture. In the centre is a Pieris flower. There are a few Heuchera leaves, Pittosporum and Abelia twigs.
Just right for a bedside table.
We had new neighbours for a few weeks but sadly they've eaten the grass and moved on.
Shame, I miss them now.
We've had lots of bright, chilly days so I've been able to get on with weeding and winter jobs.
We've also moved our inherited greenhouse from a fairly shady spot to here.
It'll probably be too hot now!
There are a satisfying number of compost heaps behind, mostly full. Moving the greenhouse has meant we can hide a huge pile of stuff where it was, and make good use of a sunny area by a fence for planting dahlias and climbers.
We love a project!
It's Hellebore and Snowdrop time. Hooray. These little treasures are just starting and help us through the winter days.
I collected a few Hellebores and then walked around to see what I could find to go with them. The results were surprising. It's another odd ball collection of things.
I managed to make a proper little posy.
I started with some Euphorbia and Penstemon foliage and then added a couple of Periwinkle stems. Two pink Escallonia. Should they be flowering now?
Two little pink Dianthus and, most strange of all, some Virginia Stocks. I planted some of these two summers ago and they keep coming back.
It's very cheerful and lovely to have the colour.
Visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden to find out what else people have found to put In a Vase on Monday.
Speaking of Cathy, here are two little 'Magnet' snowdrops kindly sent from Cathy to me via Noelle. These were the first ones out and very welcome. Thank you, Cathy.
I miss the flowers but anything blooming in my garden just now is looking sad and sorry for itself.
Christmas is put away for another year so I hung up this vase again and added a few Alder twigs. The have good shapes and make shadows on the wall. I had some ivy around the door frame for Christmas.
I think I've shown this vase before. It doesn't hold much water so is better suited to dry material.
I made an exciting discovery during the week. I've been out every day, in spite of the cold, clearing and tidying. My aim is to go right round the garden but we'll see how far I get before the weather gets horrible or I'm distracted by other things.
I was raking up leaves under a beech tree. Now I never usually get round to doing this under this tree. Time is a luxury I have this year. There is a clump of grass under the tree which I don't really like and always mean to remove. Making good progress with the leaves I found that a huge pile had collected against the grass so I started to pull them out only to discover a hedgehog hiding in there. I apologised and quickly piled the leaves back on, added some more and some beech twigs on top for good measure. I hope he/she/they weren't disturbed. I looked again the next day and the heap is still there so hopefully they are tucked up inside and hardly noticed my clumsiness.
I'll probably never know but I will be leaving that grass now. I have seen hedgehogs around on summer evenings but have never found a nest. Does anyone know if they breed in the same place as hibernating?
Just to cheer us all up in the gloomy days. I'm sowing some sweet peas seeds and trying to keep them away from the mice!
Pop over to Cathy at Rambling in the Garden to see what everyone has found to go In a Vase on Monday.
