Springlike In a Vase on Monday.

Happy New Year. Hopefully you are all getting back to normal now and embracing the new year. 
I've started as I mean to go on by weeding my vegetable beds and covering the soil with anything which comes to hand. Mostly straw so far. 2 1/2 out of 6 were done this weekend. Garlic is in (I started it off in modules) and broad beans are coming along in pots. Most other things will wait as long as I can stand! Ideally mid February. 
I plan to make the most of this mild weather as long as it lasts. 

A simple vase of winter flowering Jasmine this week. It's so bright and springlike when everything else is grey. 

The vase is one I bought when out Christmas shopping for things for other people, it was so cheap I just couldn't help it. It was the very least of things I could have bought for myself. 
I look forward to seeing what everyone else has found for a January vase. 
Join in with Cathy at Rambling in the Garden to see. 

On the Door On Monday

Not in a vase or in the house but rules go out the window at Christmas. 
I have a few bedraggled flowers and some greenery in the garden, I'll show some next week, but here is my Christmas Wreath:

  

I'm making a lot of traditional wreaths this week for other people but mine is a departure and evolved as it went along. 

I've made all the bases with twigs or prunings. Jasmine is good and also Elaeagnus. Willow too but I only use that when I make a half wreath and the willow will be on show. It's too lovely to cover up. 
It's easy to twist up the stems into a circle and tuck them in under each other. 

This shows how I did not prune the Elaeagnus this year!
I mostly don't add moss but I did with this one. It's from our shady lawn. 

Then I added some greenery and lots of brown plus a little pink and red. 

It includes - Lleylandii - green and variegated, Pittosporum, some other conifer, Sedum flower heads, poppy heads, Hydrangea flowers straight from the plant, Alder (probably), Rose hips, grass heads and another head possibly Echinacea, Buddlejia leaves, Caryopteris flower heads. 

I did use wire to wrap round at the end, as there were lots of small bits, but usually I use string and find it works fine on a traditional wreath. Here are my more traditional ones:

Thanks for visiting. Hop over to Cathy at Rambling in the Garden to see what everyone has found to put In a Vase on Monday.  Thanks Cathy. 

Time for twigs In a Vase on Monday

It's December so slim pickings in the garden in the UK. 
I still have a few Chrysanthemums flowering and some even outside. Avignon Pink has not liked the rain but another one, which might be Porto Purple, is still flowering valiantly. 
I recently pruned/ trimmed some willows and here are some of the prunings in my vase. 

Most of these have pretty red stems and I will have the name somewhere but it might take some searching to find it. 
These willows are not particularly tall and I hope that by pruning I'll encourage more growth. I brought a few in and saved the rest for weaving/construction/supports in the future. 

We had a comedy  moment when one of our cats had a little play with the trailing stems. Mr C dived across the room shrieking 'Is there water in that vase?' and saved the day! I thought it was funny but he didn't and I had to move it. 

Cathy at Rambling in the Garden is working along the same lines this week. Join in here. 

Late colour In a Vase on Monday.

Along with Cathy, I have Chrysanthemums In my Vase on Monday this week. Join in here. 
I was sorry to miss last week's anniversary mini vases. I was away in beautiful North Wales enjoying the autumn colour. 

These are Avignon Pink and Tarantula Red.
I love them for late colour and they seem to be easy to grow. Last year I left them in my tunnel and green house until after Christmas, potted them up but left inside then threw them outside when I needed the space. I'm not sure when that was. Probably spring. They stayed in the pots until mid summer when I planted them inside again. Some are outside and have buds on but some have been destroyed by the continuing rain. 
I also took cuttings in spring which are very easy. 

And now the awful truth about me and vases. Here is jar (Mayonnaise, it's not even a vase) which has been on my kitchen window sill for about 4 weeks, maybe longer. The Phacelia at the back has doubled in size and the Persicaria has grown roots. Aim for this week is to pot it up. It also has very pretty white flowers on it. This is where I pop any odds and ends or broken stems and they just sit there. Are you shocked?

 Sometimes I take out the dead flowers! Sometimes not. Sometimes the water runs out. 

This is Avignon Pink which starts peachy and gets more pink as it ages.

Jewels In a Vase on Monday.

I think I've made progress this week in spite of the continuing rain. 
I made a good start with removing turf for enlarging my bed last week, then was distracted with other things. Mr C and I took advantage of the dry and sunny (at times) Sunday and finished the job. 

Today I moved a few plants because I wanted to get started but conditions are not very good. If every part of you is muddy it's too wet! I even liberated two plants which have been waiting patiently in pots. It's exciting to get on with it. 

I have a few Chrysanthemums in my vase today. These are actually a week old. I've just trimmed them and taken out a few ropey ones. You really get tired of them before they die, they last so long, which, of course, is why they sell so well on garage forecourts. 
I like to think mine are superior to those cousins. 

In here are Sheer Purple, Orange Allouise, Froggy and a Cream One Which is Supposed to be White. (But actually I love it). These are not colours I would usually put together but they are leftovers really.
Join in with Cathy at Rambling in the Garden for In a Vase on Monday. 

Autumn shades In a Vase on Monday

It actually stopped raining for more that 10 minutes this week so I've been able to make progress with jobs in the garden. Lots of cutting back and down but also plans for improving a bed. I'd wanted a path to weave through this bed for easier access, as it's quite large. As always when Mr C gets involved it turns from a job to A Project. 
He says - to get a nice curve on the path we'd need to enlarge the bed, what do you think?
As always, I say - Oh alright then, if you insist. 

Just like that he's out with a rope marking it out. 
The we start digging up turf. 

It comes up nice and easily as it's so damp but not too soggy. 

I have dozens of plants in pots waiting for a new home as well as rooted cuttings. I'd love to get them planted before the winter. 
This bed was the place I put everything which didn't have a home. It'll be good to plant with more thought. 


Oh yes, and here is my vase:

Two kinds of Chrysanthemum. Avignon Pink and Pandion Bronze plus scented geranium foliage (Thank you Amanda at The Running Wave), Abelia and some Michaelmas Daisy. I don't know the variety of these. I've transplanted them from someone else's garden to a place where they can spread about but not run amok as they are liable to. Also grasses Panicum 'Frosted Explosion' (I have seeds if anyone in the UK would like some) and Setaria. 
This is one of my favourite vases - terracotta which I like for autumn colours. 

See what you can find to put In a Vase on Monday and join in with Cathy at Rambling in the Garden. 

Salvage In a Vase on Monday

I'm a little later than usual posting but here is my vase. 

My poor dahlias have not enjoyed the incessant rain we have had for weeks. 
300mm in the last 40 days and it's rained for 29 of those 40. Not always all day every day but often. Hard to believe we had 6 weeks without any rain. What is going on?

There are a few dahlias which can be salvaged. I wouldn't normally cut these as closed as they are but I doubt they will look good when fully open. I like to the way the Penhill Dark Monarch tones with Rip City ( the dark maroon one). 
There is also a little bit of  self seeded Ammi which is flowering in the dahlia patch. Always welcome. Amaranthus and Artemisia annua which smells divine. I was reliably informed that this was easy to grow. I managed to get 2 to germinate! I'm hopeful of saving seed and having better luck next year. My two plants are around 4 feet tall and covered in flowers. Has anyone had more success with Artemisia annua?

(I realise I've mentioned millimetres and feet - I went to school at a confused time!)

So this is popped on my kitchen windowsill to draw the eye away from the dismal day outside and make me happy. As Cathy rightly reminds us, we get no end of pleasure from bringing the outside in. Join in with In a Vase on Monday and find out.