Monday 8 January 2018

In a Vase on Monday - Evergreens?

Yesterday it stopped raining for a whole day....

After breakfast we had a fine walk along the local hills and onto the Somerset Levels, all along the small lane, during the whole time passed by only a couple of cars and a handful of cyclists.  It was cold and slightly breezy and we were well dressed for the conditions.

On the way back I grabbed three stems of the wild ivy from the hedgerow, and then as I took off my shoes by the front door, came face to face with the ideal companions...

Here is the arrangement set up to catch the sunshine in the conservatory...


And here it is again in the sitting room..with a little escaped Christmas Mouse who had to stay out as the room seemed so bare..a few of the dried up flower heads from ivy in the Christmas arrangement
too, to form a nice little motif.  When I was young my mother's advice to me was always buy presents you would like to receive.  Sadly that piece of advice has its problems: you sometimes want to keep the presents!!  So when I found a lovely funny little Christmas mouse to give to my Daughter in Law, I knew straight away that there would be problems.  To avoid that two were purchased.



With a little shelter by the front door, the Loropetaum Fire Dance has been in continuous flower for several weeks.  For the present it is in a large pot enjoying winter protection, until we get more sorted out with the garden landscaping.


The third Evergreen, in the sense that it is not deciduous, but 'ever purply red and gold blotched' is the Pseudowintera colorato Red Leopard a New Zealand native.  It is at present by the front door where it sits again with some protection and looks very smart when the sun is shining off its shiny leathery leaves.

When I first bought the Red Leopard in Warwickshire, I found out that it is used in New Zealand in cookery...now that is a challenge for the next few months.

This week Cathy who leads us on this weekly quest to find something interesting in the garden, and write about it, has been inspired to explain a little of her character...the ability to defer gratification.  There are several parallels in our character....having enjoyed my small box of very tasty marzipan delicacies, I have decided to put away my box of turkish delight till Easter.  Mr S wanted to be generous....so when I said one box of something sweet and delightful, he bought two!!!


11 comments:

  1. Your vase looks fresh and happy in that sunshine; equally content keeping company with the Christmas mouse. Sometimes it's ok to treat ourselves, right? /susie

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    1. Most definitely, Susie...but it you have treats all the time, and too much, it just becomes the norm...and then what treats are there left? I love treats such as friends getting in touch, curling up with a good book, and buying or finding new plants!!!!

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  2. Oh marzipan! That's another yummy thing (if it's the proper stuff that is) - not Turkish Delight though :( Your loropetalum is such a gorgeous colour and to have it by your front door must be lovely - but I have not come across the Red Leopard thing before. Is it just a foliage plant? I wonder how it is used in cookery...?

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    1. Oh, yes to the proper stuff...just like proper Turkish Delight. The front door is red so both are great together. The leaves I believe are used as a substitute for pepper...it is from a family of very ancient plants...flowers come straight from the older stems, mine is yet to flower.

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  3. There are some wonderful flowers and plant material in your vase....glad you had some sunshine. We are warming into the 30s finally after below zero temps but no sun and no plants...all are buried under snow.

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  4. You are clearly very patient too and you will enjoy the anticipation almost as much as the treats. This is an interesting arrangement with lovely subtle colours apart from Fire Dance which is spectacular. Lots of anticipating warmer weather and spring is going on here but not wishing my time away, of course.

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  5. Ivy flowers are lovely in a vase, but that bright pink Loropetalum really makes the vase come alive! Your story about the sweets made me smile; I was in the UK over Christmas and my parents had forgotten to buy any Turkish Delight, which I love... and the supermarket shelves were bare, so I have requested a box as an Easter present! LOL!

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  6. Very pretty, a treat in January. Loropetalum is a favorite of mine, I am too far south for it nowadays, love seeing yours.

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  7. Hello, hello! Cathy at Words and Herbs just sent me your way. Apparently we've both used Loropeutum (fringe plant) in our vases today. I garden in San Jose, California.

    I love your mother's advice, and I'm *in* love with that clever Christmas mouse. - Alys

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  8. Your outing yesterday was productive in many respects! What a nice discovery the Loropetalum bloom was, but I was completed blown away by that lovely variegated Pseudowintera, a plant I've never heard of, much less seen. Some plants native to New Zealand like Southern California's Mediterranean climate and I'll have to see if this might be one of those.

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  9. Hi Noelle, your arrangement made me smile. Such a charming mouse :) I also think ivy's a winner and I also have Loropetalum but it's not flowering at the moment. The weather is dreadful here too but perfect to get the work done in my study! Have a good week, Annette

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