Christmas Flowers -In a Vase on Monday

/ karen

There’s something very appealing about rooting around in ditches, searching for moss covered twigs and pieces of crumbly old bark. I like nothing better than finding bits and pieces that might come in handy for floral arrangements. It brings out the inner ‘Borrower’ in me. I suppose it’s the same as beachcombing for pretty shells and driftwood. Very soothing and satisfying.

It takes me an hour or so to gather enough twigs, moss, ivy and rosehips for today’s projects. The hedges are thick with swags of ivy all adorned with clusters of glossy green berries. These will ripen and turn black in time and provide a feast for the birds. Luckily, there’s enough for everyone to share. I never take too much from any one area.

Wild roses have taken years to climb to the top of the hedges and rosehips form great cascading arches right down to the ground in some places. Meg, my little puppy digs and burrows around in the ditch. She loves this occupation even better than I do, always keen to help, emerging with mouthfuls of sticks and an eager expression. By the end of the morning, my baskets are full, and Meg is happily muddy. We head home, mission accomplished. Setting the finds on the potting shed table, I’ve plenty of red-berried plain green holly, some trailing larch branches festooned with tiny gold fir cones, tendrils of old man’s beard or wild clematis and a pile of wild cherry stems, thick with flower buds already. These stems go into water and straight into the house where the warmth will bring them into flower by Christmas, if I’m lucky. I stand and survey the haul for quite some time. Then I wind willow and silver birch stems into hearts and circles and start to weave in the hedgerow bounty, adding crab apples and dried cow parsley seed heads which remind me of shooting stars. Meg sleeps on my coat in a box under the table, satisfied with her morning’s work. Occasionally, there’s a huge yawn, but mostly deep breathing, like a well fed baby. And in the peace and quiet, I can get on with my tasks.

White alstroemeria and tiny white Stallion chrysanthemum from the poly tunnel pots, adding colour to the hedgerow greens. White gypsophila, dried from the summer.

Hedgerow finds with dried hydrangea flowers and pine.

Teasels and Garryia elliptica on the field gates.

Hydrangea Annabelle with a clematis Montana and willow circle.

Hydrangea and old man’s beard clematis catching the sunlight.

A simple willow heart and ivy.

Christmas hellebore. One of the Gold Collection varieties. A welcome addition to seasonal arrangements. Slit the stem lengthways for 4″ and stand in water right up to the flower head, before using in arrangements.

Summerhouse posy. Holly, lavender and fir.

Rosy hydrangea flowers, wild clematis and pine.

Willow, dogwoods, skimmia and conifer stems.

Potting shed window. Rosehips, crab apples and cow parsley seeds.

Links : In a Vase on Monday. https://ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com/2019/12/09/in-a-vase-on-monday-spike-revisited/

29 thoughts on “Christmas Flowers -In a Vase on Monday”

  1. Is the white alstroemeria a commonly available garden variety, or one that was developed for the cut flower industry. It looks like those we used to grow for cut flower, but back then, the cut flower types were not grown in home gardens. Garden varieties had prettier foliage.

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  2. So many ideas, Karen, and I really hope lots of people take advantage of some of them. I struggled to get holly berries from our own garden this year for the front door wreath but rose hips are a great idea – thank you!

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  3. Karen the photos are magnificent. I agree with you that rummaging through ditches and corners in search of “treasures” is relaxing and very satisfying when you see everything you’ve collected. For me it is a vice, a clear healthy vice. And also with a helper like Meg who has a great time is much more fun. Once in the shed, at the table Meg gets underneath to sleep happily and calmly that her “Mom” is sitting at the table next to her lovingly making the most fantastic Christmas flower arrangements in the world: I love them all and I They love them because they are totally natural and make me smile and be happy. All are wonderful: the crown with Alstroemeria and Chrysanthemums, the crown of the Summer House, all the decorations of the doors of the field I love, the hellebore is divine, Summerhouse posy is charming; I love willows, dogwoods, skimmia and coniferous stems. I love the window jar of the Shed. It’s a wonderful blog Karen: the fabulous floral arrangements have cheered me up. From now on I only look at flowers waiting for Spring my dear friend. Although here it is now falling water-snow and it is very cold. A lot of love, a lot of health, a lot of strength, a lot of encouragement for your whole family, for you and for Mr B. Very affectionate caresses for Grace and Meg. Take care of you all very much. Keep warm. Very affectionate greetings from Margarita xxx

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    • Do you know Eliza, the gathering was such fun. The scent along the hedges and in those deep ditches is like a woodland. I’m sure it does you more good than inhaling any indoor room candle scented-thing. And to see Meg’s eager face is a joy. Thanks for reading 🙂 x

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