First Monday Vase of 2026

Tonight is twelfth night but knowing that we were having a very hard frost again, and that the snowdrops will be flat on the floor again till they thaw out around lunch time, I picked today's flowers yesterday and photographed them then.

It took me some time to find a vase to display these snowdrops, as well as the one rose from Rosa Munstead Wood which has been in 'suspended animation' for the last few weeks.  The snowdrop at a little more than 30cm for the longest stem is living up to its name of 'Colossus'.  My usual vases for snowdrops would have needed me to cut off most of the stems which would have not shown the snowdrops in their full glory. 

The vase on the left has the longest stems and the one on the right the slightly shorter ones, but they are all from Galanthus plicatus 'Colossus' with the smaller of the blooms appearing as the second flower growing from the same bulb that produced the first larger and longer stemmed flower. It is not usual for snowdrops to produce more than one stem and flower from each bulb.

Galanthus plicatus Colossus close up

When we clear away the decorations this evening, the mantle shelf will be the last place to be cleared and this arrangement will certainly last a few more days. Then the fir cone on its little branch and the lichen encrusted twig will be more apparent.  These last two were little treasured finds from walks a few weeks ago.  I am one of those people who find little things on walks and just cannot resist bringing them home like trophies, a bit like a dog on a walk wanting to bring home a stick. I mention these as on Six on Saturday this week, my SOS sister 'Off the Edge Gardening' whom I have never met, seems to have such similar tastes we often make a joke of this. Fir cones and lichen were mentioned last Saturday on her post hence my kitchen windowsill trophies made it into IAVOM.

Thanks to Cathy who devised and has led IAVOM for many years, we and that could be you too, link in our posts over onto her weekly one.  Happy New Year everyone on In a Vase on Monday.

First Six on Saturday of 2026

Happy New Year to all the SOSers and to Jim many thanks for keeping us all together.  This post is being linked over on Jim's blog: Garden Ruminations.

1. The Snowdrop season is ahead of itself this year as demonstrated by these drops on Galanthus Godfrey Owen.  It is quite distinct in that it has six pure white outer petals, and I am delighted that it grows well here in this garden. For those who have yet to  distinguish any variations, the usual G. nivalis ie drifts of snowdrops have three longer outer petals, and three shorter inner petals. Botanically the term petals isn't used, instead they are called peranthia segments. For a little more on the botany of snowdrops follow this link.

Galanthus Godfrey Owen

2. I was out doing a pre Christmas tidy, when it dawned on me that I really ought to cut plants back a little, in quantity that is: with a small garden one can start to be a little overwhelmed with pots. When space is at a premium and the only spot in the sun for sitting is crowded out, it really made me decide to seriously restrict the number of auriculas after this season and just try to grow one or two garden worthy varieties straight in the soil. 

I had been thinking about this last autumn as the auriculas  don't seem to like the compost we now have to buy, and in by then they get overwhelmed with whitefly.  

3. I was looking over the dried up stems of the Eryngiums and was wondering whether to clear them away...but then I spied a hibernating ladybird, so for now they are staying.

4. Crocus sieberi Firefly are starting to show a little colour.  

Crocus sieberi Firefly

In the past, each year I have planted new bulbs and plants but sadly have lost so many.  With the squirrels and other larger animals digging up the garden, I shall try to adopt a more pragmatic approach this year.  If a plant does well and likes the garden, when it comes to needing to be divided then it will get replanted in a spare space.  I shan't be chasing new bulbs and spring time plants to add to the garden if they are the type that don't seem to flourish here. A moratorium is now in place with regards to buying or adding to my spring planting.

5. The White Pelargonium 'New Century White' is still going strong in the conservatory.  Some people may have bought white florists Cyclamen or White Azaleas for Christmas house plants, I just nurtured the plug plant given to us for the Summer party competition in 2025!

White Pelargonium 'New Century White'

6.  It has been a cold week with some frosts, but we haven't had any of the white stuff falling here in Somerset.  Parts of the county had -7, Wells had just -1 this week.  This morning, Saturday,  I heard on the radio the expression 'Snow and tell', so I looked out the window and we have had no snow, we just have a hard frost. During the week too I knew it went below freezing as the snowdrops flopped.  As soon as the temperature rises above 1C up they go.  This is a good clump of  Godfrey Owen showing nearly all the blooms back up again.

As I was writing this up on Friday evening,  I thought this was a different snowdrop, as it wasn't the same clump as I showed at the opening of my post. I had written G Godfrey Owen on my phone, but I really thought that can't be right.   I had to pop out with my torch to double check the name. The name was right, this is yet another good clump of G, Godfrey Owen. It slowly came back to me: I did indeed divide and move a clump to this position last year.  In the dark I had a little press of the closed blooms and saw six long petals so confirming the name!

Just in case Jim accuses me of sloppiness, then my sixth item this week ought to something different.  I shall claim the excuse of my being now a year older than I was last time I posted a SOS, and admit to my error, without pretending it never took place! I am getting to that stage where I cannot remember every detail as I used to, and forget much but that does not diminish in any way the joy of plants and gardening.

This was my special bonus this week when I took to the garden on New Year's day and found these hidden by the overarching Hydrangea: 

We had a strange day on the 31st: we were fog bound the whole day with freezing temperatures and very poor light levels, but New Year's day was bright and sunny but still very cold, I could not resist going out in the garden! 
    

Christmassy Food

The main event of Christmas day for us was dinner in the evening.  Quite unusually we had no fowl but venison.  I had bought two large cuts at the Wells Food Festival and had these stashed in the freezer.  I had paid a bargain price for two fresh neck fillets just around 1Kg each.  I knew it was going to be a slow cook so decided to cook this in advance on the 23rd. It would be easy to seperate off what we needed on the day, with the balance being used for something else.  Just in case we should come across a friend whom we met last minute and wanted to invite to share our meal with us, as we did last year, there was more than enough. In the event it was just the two of us.

The venison was cut up and cooked in a similar way to a beef ragout but with a little port instead of wine, wide strips of orange peel, home made damson preserve, juniper berries, celery, carrot, onions, lardons, chestnuts and port.  We had the ragout along with jacket potatoes, sprouts and roasted carrots and parsnips.  A great side was stewed cranberries and apples with rosemary. To think this came from just one of the fillets and I'll be able to do something similar again with the other one.  Two fillets cost me £14, which made the over large portions just about £3.00 per serving including all the veggies. That could be the best bargain Christmas Lunch we have ever had!

Boxing day saw me make up four fabulous pies which went straight into the freezer. Exactly a week after we had the Venison ragu for our Christmas Lunch, we tucked into one each  for our New Year's evening meal.  

  

A great hit has been Delia's Duck Liver Pâté with Armagnac, except that not having any armagnac, I used Brandy. Though after reading up about Armagnac, I think I ought to source a bottle and add it to the cupboard.  Since these bottles last me years, it will be well worth trying it. 

Not yet tried is a recipe that I also saw on Delia on Line. I've already printed off the recipe for  Potted Pork.  and the ingredients are on my shopping list. Many years ago I used to made potted meats as a cheaper and much tastier option to buying ready sliced ham etc.  Now I am trying to not buy over processed foods and in any case it is great to avoid all the packaging.

Spreading out things Christmassy

For friends and family who know me well, they will understand that I normally distance myself as I am somewhat overwhelmed by the overt materialism displayed in shops,on  television, and extravagant consumption egged on by fear of missing out, keeping up with the outside world etc.

For a number of years I have gradually reduced by Christmas Card sending, and this year I did not send a single one.  I was sorely tempted during the early part of the  month to get out the old fountain pen and the cards I have left over in my stationary drawer, but I held firm.  I simply asked my family what they wanted, and was relieved to be given exact wishes, and they all had exactly as asked for.  All I wanted in return simply as a little gesture was one box of quality sugared almonds and that is what I got. Mr S and I just enjoy a quiet day with nice food.

Several months ago we decided to opt for a one night break taking in Blenheim Palace and Oxford.

At Blenheim, we were somewhat disappointed that almost all of the accessible part of the house was completely decked out as if a theme park with a variety of tableaux depicting The Wizard of Oz.

Later we followed the light trail and I was greatly impressed by the efforts to create a wizardry of moving lights and music.  It was more that I have ever experienced and I don't think there would be many in the crowds who had flocked to see these who would not have been thoroughly impressed. However I feel that this is not quite our scene.  We did go one evening to the Bishop's Palace in Wells when Somerset Flutes were playing and had a walk around the grounds where there were some nice lighting. Walking to and from the Palace on a cool winter's night was really lovely, far better than driving miles!

We did enjoy the  exhibition about Winston Churchill at Blenheim Palace, which on our return home gave us the impetus to start to listen to 'Walking with Destiny' by Andrew Thorne.  The narrator Stephen Thorne has an excellent way of portraying with voice the character of Winston Churchill.

We had a fair chunk of the following day in Oxford, which we know fairly well.  However we had never visited The Weston Library.  It was not until we asked about visiting the hall of the Divinity School and were directed to buy the tickets at the Weston Library on Broad Street that we saw there was a special exhibition situated in the library.  Treasured was absolutely fascinating. 

Inside the Hall of Divinity the late gothic stonework was impressive.

We had a little time to spare before the coach pick up time, and we enjoyed our lunch in the cafe in the basement of the Ashmolean Museum, followed viewing of a few of their cabinets.  This was one which I am continually drawn to: Bronze ritual vessels from the Shang dynasty 1200 to 1050 bc.  

Six on Saturday - 20 December 2025

1. Let us start with some Christmassy things.  I was beginning to think that the Mistletoe which I had smeared onto the Amelanchiers a few years ago were males, however this proves otherwise for one of two plants that took.

Horrah!  One of the three berries on the Mistletoe.

2. Galanthus plicatus 'Three Ships' has increased a little since last year...and each time I look at it I have the Christmas carol 'I saw Three Ships Come Sailing By'  on my mind. They are definitely earlier than last year by at least three weeks.  I took this picture a couple of weeks ago, and already some of the sails are 'furling' themselves.  Something new for next year: I am going to start to grow snowdrops from seed harvested from the garden.

Galanthus Three Ships

3. In the nearby town of Shepton Mallet, there is a monthly market on the last Sunday of the month.  I thought it would be nice to saunter down there at the end of November, in particular to see what my friend Kris has brought for his pop up 'Gardenalia' stall called 'Thomas D'Arcy Garden House'. Kris and Kevin have a great eye for the unusual and quality plants.  As you may or may not know I rather like nice pots,  and I was delighted that there were several lovely pots from a pottery not too far away called Willow Pottery. I particularly like this pot with the 'basket pattern'. I looked up the pottery and may well visit there if I am in that area, meanwhile I am completely happy to buy the occasional one as well as pretty plants from Kris. It wasn't till last week that I planted it up just with things that I had been bringing along and seedlings or divisions from the garden.

Willow Pottery Basket Weave Pot planted up

4. A few weeks ago  the Allium senescens ssp. montanum var. glaucum needed dividing.  Now I need to keep looking after all the sections I potted.  Because I have neither glasshouse, frame or other space away from all the rain, a portable dome needs to work, but it needs to come off when there is no rain to allow air to flow.

I'm so pleased that I decided to put the whole tray in the shed earlier in the week, as we really have had more rain than this compost can cope with.  On the whole I have been completely disappointed by the composts I have bought. (Note to Santa: no I do NOT want a garden frame etc)

5. I wonder whether this rosebud will open if I cut it and bring it indoors?  Rose Munstead Wood with friend still in its bright green habit: should it not have turned into a chrysalis by now? The caterpillar was moved to another plant and I don't mind at all if it snapped up by the robin or blackbird.

6. As the garden is already crowded out with bulbs, had I planted these when they arrived I may well have planted bulbs on top of bulbs had they gone straight into the garden.  I haven't seen Tilipa Sulvestris growing with my own eyes, and I find photographs can be deceptive as to form and size, so when they grow and come into bud I shall a fair idea of these things and know where to plant them.

Tulip Sylvestris

So that is my 'flight' of six from the last three weeks...and a 

Bonus canape to follow the flight of Six on Saturday...seeds received from Cathy with a reminder that there are some lovely squirrels around unlike the scurry of fat grey ones that now claim the garden as theirs. Mr S spent a couple of hours looking for a powerful battery operated water gun, only for me to come to the conclusion that since I do not like guns real or toy, or want a contraption that was mostly plastic, I would simply have to learn to live with the squirrels. 

Wishing all my gardening and other friends a Very Merry Christmas.  I am linking this post in with Jim's and should you have a few moments then there are several worthy posts linking in there to amuse you over this festive period.  It is goodbye from me until next year.