Mystery Flower and Vase on Monday

The mystery flower from this month’s Monthly Meet-Up Photo Challenge is a Cactus flower. I have no idea of the name of the cactus – do you know?

It is not too late to enter the challenge – just add your flower photos to the comments in the post. You can see each Month’s prompt word here.

I am delighted with the flowers as for years this gifted cactus sat forlornly on a shelf sulking – then I discovered that it needed watering more often than I had been doing, feeding, and it needed a period of drought in the winter. Ta dah! Beautiful pink flowers!

Joining Cathy’s crew for In a Vase on Monday

Follow the link to see lots of beautiful vases from gardeners all over the world.

The giraffe with the fancy pink hardo of antirrhinum is a vase from Chive.

The Zebra, carrying forget-me-nots on its back is a little coffee cup I found in a charity shop.

The antirrihnum has been sitting in bud for months, waiting for the sunshine, in this south facing Veg Trug

and now it has burst forth into luscious blooms

Don’t you just love the complicated design of this playful snapdragon, it  intrigues me and delights the children. They love to squeeze it’s cheeks so that it opens its dragony mouth and then snap it shut again.

Joining in with Cee’s Flower of the Day.

In 2 Vases on Monday

Joining Cathy at Rambling in the Garden for In a Vase on Monday.

Schizostylis (Kaffir lily, Hesperantha), Cuckoo Pint (arum) leaves and self sown Antirrhinum

In an orange charity shop vase and little square vase from Chive

Joining Cee’s Flower of the Day.

The vases were filled to be put in the spare bedroom, getting ready for my sister to come from London to stay for the weekend.

She was coming to celebrate our Mum’s 89th birthday, so I thought I would add a photo of a wonderful family gathering we had about 20 years ago.

Our Mum has dementia. She wasn’t really aware that her 3 daughters, one granddaughter and 3 great-grandchildren were there. However, she seemed to enjoy the attention, she smiled when we sang Happy Birthday.

I said, “Mum it is your birthday today, how old do you think you are?”

She seemed to be thinking for a while and then said “Ummm ….. 25”

Here’s a picture of my beautiful Mum, when she was about 19.

She opened the cards the children had made for her and enjoyed eating the cake. The chef at her Care Home put so much thought and creativity into the cake inspired by a teddy bear Mum has.

We were all amazed when he carried it in with the candles lit. It was delicious.

Little Miss M particularly loved eating the ears!

CAL 4

Attic24’s Crochet-Along, is a joy! I’m way behind, but still enjoying being part of this project. I’m in Week 4. It is taking me a while as this blanket is the project I have on the go for taking with me to do in odd quiet moments, when looking after grandchildren, waiting for an appointment, chatting with a friend, or watching TV. I like to have something on the go that is pure relaxation and that I can do without having to think too much – and I’m thoroughly enjoying this one.Photographing in dull Winter light is a challenge, so outside I went to have a go. Lucy from Attic24 based her colour palette on Autumn flowers, so today I went out in search of some brave little winter blooms (antirrhinum above) peeping through in my garden.Lucy’s colours are a gorgeous mix. I have substituted some of her choices, simply because I have SO much Stylecraft Special DK yarn already and did not want to buy more. (I’m already wondering if I will live long enough to be able to use all the yarn I have stored away!) So there is no ‘Camel’,’Gold’, ‘Copper’, ‘Grape’, ‘Violet’, ‘Pale Rose’  or ‘Claret’ in mine. Instead, I have substituted ‘Saffron’, ‘Spice’, ‘Bluebell’, ‘Wisteria’, Clematis’, and ‘BrightPink’. My mix looks a little brighter and less Autumnal, but I’m still really pleased with its coziness!

The ‘Magenta’ chimes well with the berries on the, Symphoricarpos, (I think), also known as ‘Mother of Pearl’ or ‘Snowberry’ which you can read more about here. The shrub looks fairly ordinary for most of the year and then the honey bees go absolutely MAD for it in late summer, when it hums for weeks as they cluster round the almost invisible tiny flowers.There are just a few periwinkles around

I suppose I must be about half-way and Little Miss M is determined to help me alongAt 2 she is convinced that she is able to crochet and held the end of the hook as I crocheted slowly for a while and then demanded, “I do it myself!”. She sat there happily pushing the hook in and out for about 5 minutes before it became the perfect blanket for a game of ‘peepo’.

Added 12.Jan.15: I have just seen an African Flower square used as an edging for this blanket on Ravelry. This might be just the edging I need to turn it into a double bedspread. I like the reference to flowers, since flowers were the inspiration for the colour combo.                                                                                This is a free pattern on Barbara’s Blog, set out with helpful photos.

Further progress: Cal5, Cal5 decisions and choices, Cal6