The garden is just too wet to walk down...I spy a few roses still, they have really had their day though. Feeling penned in, I have just had to go out most days over the Christmas for walks, often leaving the dearly beloved behind. I have kept to pavements, going out sometimes very early in the morning, and sometimes late at night. Time to reflect and time to ruminate, and sometimes nearly trip over branches which have been brought down by the strong winds.
This time of the year with deciduous trees denuded, we can admire their bare bones, their structures and the way these have been further altered by the elements, or in the case of street trees shaped by passing lorries and buses!
Just made up of the 'bare bones' ...the bare twigs in my vase are an Alnus, exactly which variety I do not know, but the road is planted up with them for about 200m each side, and Summer and Winter I often stop to admire their structure with catkins in the spring, and later the cone like fruits, and pick up pieces of it from the footpath or grass verge. We planted a golden Alnus with cut leaves in our last garden which performed beautifully, and if we have to plant another garden tree it may be this one again!
The second set of twigs were prized from a much larger branch torn off from flowering cherry tree by strong gales. Round about the house, the roads have wide grass verges, and often I chunter under my breath about people who park up and gouge large chunks out of the soft earth: for sure they are not gardeners! Each street seems to have different flowering cherries...and maybe, just maybe, in a couple of weeks time I may have a peep of blossom from these twigs...who knows?
The runner which my mum used to have, normally rests in my linen chest of drawers, and it was when I was hanging up some crochet stars, that the idea of bringing this out occurred to me. I have had it for years, and this is its first outing, except for its yearly wash and press!
Bare branches are beautiful; I often bemoan the fact the many of the deciduous oaks here don't actually lose their leaves until spring but keep the brown dead leaves much like beech hedges, although I like those but not the oak trees- who know why I feel there is a difference!
ReplyDeleteSo very wet here too! Even bare branches can be beautiful as you have shown.
ReplyDeleteI love bare branches in a vase- so simple, yet elegant and the lace runner is very pretty. (I hope you can get out and walk down your garden soon ...)
ReplyDeleteThanks Ann, this afternoon I had my usual Monday visitor: Little Daniel and Grandma Penny. Of course we just had to go into the garden, using the stepping stones, and found a few early blooms, but looking very raggedy as a result of rain and winds.
DeleteI love this bare bones vase. It shows the beauty of the season....here it is bare bones or dried seed heads as winter has arrived!
ReplyDeleteBuds on bare branches- a real sign of spring, although disconcertingly I've spotted oak and hawthorn sporting new leaves already. Good to hear you're getting out, even if it's just for 10 minutes it does make all the difference to the way I feel.
ReplyDeleteIts very strange indeed Sarah. I wonder whether the insect and bird life will be in balance, and later the blossom and the bees or other pollinating insects?
DeleteI love the structure of catkins and cones too - they are so tactile and it's lovely to bring them inside like this particularly when it's too wet to get out and about properly outside. I am very grateful for our hard surfaces when it has been wet like this, as at least I can still ramble in the garden!
ReplyDeleteHard paths are definitely the way to go!
DeleteYou have captured my mood of January simplicity perfectly - bare branches and twigs make a lovely display at this time of year.
ReplyDeleteI remember Alnus, there were some at my parents house. They are lovely and I haven't seen any of those catkins in quite a while -thank you for sharing the bare bones of winter!
ReplyDeleteYou made good use of the bare branches, Noelle, and your mother's table runner is a nice complement. While you're getting loads of rain, ours has yet to materialize. Mother Nature really needs to get her act together and distribute her bounty more widely.
ReplyDeleteI,d really like to see a little snow ....alas all we get is rain !
ReplyDeleteLess rain...no rain for now...but yes a little snow is so pretty Daisy Debs.
DeleteThe Alnus cones and catkins are cute in a vase, Noelle, The selections in my garden are very limited too, and snow made it hard to pick much.
ReplyDeleteI love twigs Hannah, and find them and berries so very charming! Oh, for some snow here too....it feels really weird here...very low light levels but warm for the time of the year. Your arrangement this week is really lovely.
Delete