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!

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Vase on Monday: Hellebore

Each Monday Cathy invites us to find something from our gardens to pop in a Vase.

Her vase this week has inspired this post as she used some old glass inkwells.

The bottles in my photograph were found in a bank by my house circa 1974. I had masses more but have gradually downsized the collection with each successive house move.

The ‘vase’ contains hellebores that grow in my roadside border under an espalier pear tree; a variegated arum leaf and some twigs from a pretty little hebe given to me by a neighbour

The bottles sit on a shelf in my bedroom that was in dire need of dusting and sorting out – a perfect candidate for the 17 for 2017 List in which my target is:

“13 – drawers, cupboards, shelves or boxes sorted out.”

The bedroom was created in the roof space

I wanted the sides to be left open to give a greater feeling of space

I had such a battle with the builders to keep this space open. I really like the way it gives the room size, and provides a place to keep the things I love having around me. Like a mini art gallery space. The photos below are looking one way then the other – you can see it had become a bit jumbled.

When the shelf was cleared there were pale marks where items had been

What to do?

Turn to Permaculture : “THE PROBLEM IS THE SOLUTION”

The problem is the effect of light, the solution: make use of this with some leaf shapes cut out of paper.

Maple Leaf shape.

Each time I clear the shelf I will move the leaf shapes and gradually I will have a pattern of various shades of wood – eventually it will look like the dappled light through a maple tree – well that’s the plan anyway.

Also joining in with Cee’s Flower of the Day

 

Vase on Monday – Eastern promise

Still following the ikebana theme …..

Some plants seem to think Spring is here, the weigela for example; and I don’t remember the arum coming up at this time of year before. Vinca, nasturtiums, polyanthus and borage are also joining in.

The pottery dish was made for me about 30 years ago by a friend of my son’s. (or was it my son who made this one at school – yikes – I’d better start labelling things, the memory is not what it was!)

The Eye of Horus – I have been to the Temple of Horus in Egypt, and Horus was my son’s nickname at school, so this sweet little dish carries a lot of meaning for me.

Parsley appears again, leaves this time, to hide the little spiky stem holder – it has proved to be a good substitute for moss.

The wooden doll was brought back from Japan by my sister-in-law many years ago.

Joining in with Cathy’s In a Vase on Monday meme: a wonderful community of gardeners from all around the globe – pop across to her post, she is such a knowledgable gardener, with beautiful flowers to show us each week, as well as the vases of so many other gardeners.

A clear surface this week for the photograph – usually so hard to find in my house.

At last I am clearing out my so called ‘workroom’ – look empty shelves!

The contents are all over my sitting room floor at the time of the photo, so the task this week is to sort, clear and return in such a way that I will be able to find things again.

And joining in with Cee’s Flower of the Day: Weigela

Look at those buds

Isn’t nature magic!

Do you have flowers in a vase this Monday?

Just to let you know there is Worldwide Free Shipping on at the moment in my Society6 shop – (if only I could work out how to put their logo in my sidebar). Pop in have a browse, I especially like the way the bags and cushions (throw pillows) turned out.