Monday, 4 February 2019

In A Vase on Monday - Advantages of Snow

It didn't snow where Cathy lives, and her vase this week is also one that makes the most of some of her Winter Garden Beauties, so do check out what us gardeners have come up with by clicking on this portal.

So it snowed here, and we decided to stay put.  Various rendez-vous were postponed, and except for a walk down a very slippery road and pavement to Town on Saturday, to pick up essentials, I took full advantage of the quiet time.

Now the snow has melted, some of the crocus tommasinianus 'Barr's Purple' are starting to open.   They are joined by galanthus nivalis, and cyclamen coum which although flattened by the snow, have bounced back in time for IAVOM today.  Overnight temperature rose from -4C to 11C, and with a light rain, almost all the snow has melted by this lunch time.  Now the sun has come out, and the birds too are rejoicing.



The earliest crocus which has been cheering up the gloomy days is Crocus sieberi Firefly,  and looking out for bulbs coming up draws me into the garden.  This is a pale violet crocus with a yellow throat, and was in flower mid January, even piercing the snow. In between the harsh weather, we have bumblebees visiting the blooms.




Instead of being limited to the house, we do have a little splash out on heat for the Conservatory for breakfast, and if it is sunny, then for the rest of the day is warm and bright there.  As we linger after breakfast and then chat, lingering over coffee/tea, I love to have something in my hands.  In the past week, I have steadily worked across the chart that Kay sent with the kit she made up for me to try out Chicken Scratch Embroidery.



I also love cosying up with a book when the weather prevents me from being outside.  I started reading a novel, which Mandy had very generously passed on to me when we met up at a very sad time for me when we went up to say our final goodbyes to my friend Penny.  I'm pleased I kept it for such an occasion as a 'snowin', I just could not put it down.  No spoilers or reviews, but if you have yet to read it, I would highly recommend it.  It may well be the book of 2019 for me.  If I come across a better one this year, I shall be indeed fortunate.  I love it when friends comment on the books they have read, or indeed give me their views of any of the books I mention.


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13 comments:

  1. Cathy4 February 2019 at 19:02

    Yes, I agree this is a wonderful book - I couldn't put it down. There is a lovely version on Radio 4 where I think it was Book at Bedtime and which should still be available on iPlayer. Do try The Keeper of Lost Things too. Although our temps went ip to 11 degrees too it was a few degrees above freezing overnight so not quite such a jump as your temperatures. Your little winter offerings are so pretty and will bering you much joy - thanks for sharing them. Oh, and how exciting to have some bees visiting in February!

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    1. Stasher5 February 2019 at 12:19

      During mild spells when the temperatures are around 10 C we often have bumble bees fly around the garden...And thanks for the recommendation I have booked The Keeper of Lost Things from the Library.

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  2. outlawgardener4 February 2019 at 19:51

    YOur embroidery is fabulous as is your spring vase. Wind, snow, and below freezing temperatures blew in here during the night. Usually snow makes us go out to walk in the rare white stuff but it's so windy that I only saw one person out.

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    1. Stasher5 February 2019 at 12:20

      Thanks...wind is always something I try to keep away from....keep cosy!

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  3. karen gimson4 February 2019 at 20:39

    A very pretty vase of spring joy. I love the cheerful colours. Like stained glass. I have the same little glass vase, given to me by a relative. It’s perfect for spring bulbs. Thanks for sharing. All the best, karen

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    1. Stasher5 February 2019 at 12:33

      And all the best to you too Karen. The little vase is quite heavy and just the right thing for small offerings.

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  4. Kris Peterson4 February 2019 at 20:46

    I love the purple Crocus. They don't last long in the ground here, although I did have a couple bloom this year without any real stems from a batch I received as a gift with purchase 2 years ago. I pulled up a description of the book and have added it to the running list I keep on Pinterest for reference purposes - thanks for pointing it out!

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    1. Stasher5 February 2019 at 12:32

      Thanks Kris...the crocus don't have stems, I just hold the base of the flower with a couple of fingers and the softest of grips and it comes up from the corm. I'm not sure if it does it any harm though. Enjoy the book....

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  5. AlisonC5 February 2019 at 11:15

    Really pretty, I love the way crocus fling themselves open. You would think the bees would stay tucked up inside but the temperatures to vary wildly don't they? Your embroidery looks brilliant.

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    1. Stasher5 February 2019 at 12:35

      Thanks Alison....the bees only fly when it warms up. Somethings I fear that these won't survive till the fine weather is more constant.

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  6. Christina5 February 2019 at 13:18

    I do agree that sometimes, just for a short while, it is lovely to hibernate by a warm fore with a good book. Improved even more if there is a pretty posy of flowers to enjoy too.

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  7. Cathy5 February 2019 at 19:43

    Your crocuses are beautiful! Makes me realise how little colour there is in our outside world (black and white and some blue sky if we are lucky!) at the moment. Winter is perfect for lingering, and reading too - thanks for the book recommendation. I will take a closer look at that. :)

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  8. Brian Skeys7 February 2019 at 11:04

    We drove past a garden a couple of days ago with swaths of crocus I flower, very uplifting.

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