I remember singing out this chant "Sticks and Stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me"...I was very young, and remember walking with my cousins Timmy and Jane in the spring in the UK picking 'sticky buds' to bring inside and marvel at the unfurling of the leaves. Yesterday I was very nearly poked in the eye, but my glasses saved me, so I felt I would be protecting other walkers if I picked a few of the offending 'sticks'. I love stones and here my sticks pose, along with a couple of the old lichen covered ones, in a pewter mug along with some of my stones which are just lying around.
Actually I think that words, the wrong ones, really do hurt, they can fester and always leave some sort of scar. Maybe it is because you pick at them!
On a lighter note I noticed this morning that the little cyclamen corms that I planted out, last autumn in a seed tray, are performing really well. Only a couple of years back, they were seed capsules that I scrumped from a cyclamen somewhere or other. I simply scattered the seeds in my gravel garden and they had settled themselves in there throwing up leaves amongst the stones, before I selected a few to go in the seed tray. The leaves are quite varied...but show up the little blooms in the tiny three sided vase very nicely among my stones below my sticks.
I decided to look up a little more about cyclamen, and found that on the cyclamen Society's web page that they are healing after all...
In modern herbals, Cyclamen are described as a 'Self-esteem builder essence', which allows the person to get in touch with their self-esteem and confidence, and In white magic circles, Cyclamen are listed as a plant which brings happiness.
I therefore offer both vases this week. I look forward to seeing what others are posting this week via Cathy's Blog where lions are about to roar! My stones are nowhere near as wonderful as her tiger eye stone.
I love your sticks and stones...and what a wonderful essence cyclamen has. i hope to plant more and bring more inside too!
ReplyDeleteThanks Donna, had you been in the UK I would offer to post you some bulbs, once they are dormant. You call 'newts' salamanders, I know they are not the same thing, but I gather from that you do not live in the UK.
DeleteAnd the twigs look so pretty in their starkness don't they? A shame that not everyone notices such simple beauty... How lovely to have the cyclamen showing they are happy by growing from your foraged seed capsules - and they are the sort of plant you don't mind seeding themselves about. I shall make a mental note of the self esteem builder nature of cyclamens - thanks for that...
ReplyDeleteI only found that up when I looked it up...and would I have done that without In a Vase on Monday...the power of doing things together leads one in interesting directions. So many thanks to you and all the other contributors.
DeleteHow wonderful about the Cyclamens, do you eat or smoke it or what? I would be content just to look at them, beautiful. Love the rocks as well, i am madly adding rocks and shells to my garden.
ReplyDeleteI think the best way is to bend down low, and realise that there is beauty and delicacy even in the lowliest of plants...and if bending down too often is too much, then in a vase, don't you think? Apparently wild boar love to eat them, so not so much pigs in clover, as wild boars in cyclamen!
DeleteI'm impressed how well you married your opening rhyme with your final creation, Noelle! And growing cyclamen from seeds is an achievement too.
ReplyDeleteThey did it themselves governor! I must have just the right spot. Ants often take the seeds and bury them somewhere and then they germinate.
DeleteThanks for your lovely comments on my Monday post. I love your sticks and stones as they are mostly what is in my garden at the moment. Last year I think I did a vase full of stones one Monday!
ReplyDeleteWow, I love your idea, what a great way to store stones, then you can just turn the vase round and look at different ones, then if they are wet too so many more lovely patterns come through.
DeleteCyclamen do have the effect of making me happy. They're so cheerful. Nice that you were able to grow these from seeds.
ReplyDeleteYour sticks are stones are elegant with the pewter and brass. The little Cyclamen blooms are so pretty, especially with the lovely patterned leaves. I want to get this Cyclamen (coum), the one I have blooms just the flowers before the leaves emerge, (hederifolium), so could not make this arrangement.
ReplyDeleteThanks for giving me the name...I shall have spare bulbs later this year and look forward to giving some away, but I am not sure of posting them abroad...quite rightly other countries are quite strict about sending uncertified plants.
DeleteThe idea that cyclamens support self-esteem goes well with your 'sticks and stones may break my bones...' theme. (Yes, words can be hurtful.) The simplicity of your twigs and stones arrangement is so very appealing Noelle. Very calming. :)
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