A Vase and An Adventure!

A couple of weeks ago I set off for the North.

I have not travelled any long distance for a couple of years so I was both nervous and excited – I have a tiny 14 year old car – would it carry me safely onto motorways, round scary multi-laned roundabouts and do battle with the juggernauts of the road? My friendly car mechanic gave her a check over and announced her fit to travel…. but was I?

I planned to visit a couple of friends before spending a week in Harrogate for the Knitting and Stitching Show and then popping in to see Nanacathy on the way home.

On Sunday 14th November, after a negative result from a Lateral Flow test I set off to visit Rambling in the Garden Cathy of course I could not go without picking a few things from my garden!

Some pink Hesperantha, eucalyptus, golden privet, garrya elliptica, cotoneaster, a purple salvia, and taking pride of place, right in the centre – and the rose, Hot Princess!

Hot Princess was given to me as a birthday present by Nanacathy in 2018 when I went to visit her in Yorkshire and to attend the Sawdust Heart exhibition.

Hot Princess flowers in early summer, goes very quiet and then blooms again in early October and there has always been a flower from her on my birthday, at the beginning of November. It seemed a wonderful link between three bloggers to pick the last bloom of the season for Rambling in the Gardren Cathy.

I arrived at Cathy’s in sunshine (we had both had a negative lateral flow test that morning) and what a joy it was to meet her and the Golfer!

Of course, first on the agenda was a walk round the garden. It is difficult to descibe the feeling of actually standing in the garden I have seen so many photos of. In a photo you see what is just in front of the camera – but standing in the garden and soaking up the atmosphere and having 360 degrees vision made me tingle with delight!

Atmosphere is what struck me most. Cathy’s garden has the most gorgeous friendly, sort of cosy, atmosphere. Cosy isn’t quite the right word but the garden wraps you in a sense of friendly conversation with quotes and quirky, playful details around each corner.

Cathy enjoys creating brickwork buildings and little follies, all with a purpose and use and of great charm. Never have I seen a more appropriate example of “work is love made visible”, one of my favourite Kahlil Gibran quotes.

Cathy’s creativity is evident and it was fun to see her in her natural habitat. 🙂

Of course I loved all the art and the sculptures in the garden, it is an outdoor gallery and made me think that I would really love to introduce more art into my own garden

there were also plenty of rusty beauties tweaking my rust obsession into life!lots of beautiful autumnal colourand an intriguing hellebore, which I have forgotten the name ofdon’t you just love those leaves.

We had such a wonderful time talking about all the plants and seeing every nook, cranny and coop. I felt honoured to have an exclusive tour with Cathy as my guide – what a treat!

❤ ❤ ❤ THANK YOU CATHY!!!! ❤ ❤ ❤

And then in for a cuppa and slice of yummy homemade cake.

My jam jar of autumnal gleanings and the purple scented iris I took as a gift looked right at home in Cathy’s glorious kitchen.

and I left full of joy and gratitude to Cathy for sharing her enthusiasm, her garden, time and cake with me so generously.

I marvel at this wonderful blogging community – we get to know so much about each other and what we share in common, so the meeting is easy, comfortable and fun. Then, over a cuppa, we discover more and truly enjoy each other’s company.

I left with warmth in my heart and all ready for the next leg of my journey – onwards to Cumbria!

Joining Cathy as she has gone on an adventure of her own today, with her vases, for In a Vase on Monday

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Celebrating Narcissi

From the field that surrounds my daughter’s new home

There is also a cherry tree, so in homage to last week’s vase from Greenway House:

looking good against the colours in the sitting room and adorning the golden locks of the resident flower fairy

Joining Cathy for In a Vase on Monday

and

Cee’s Flower of the Day

In a Nest on Monday

Hellebore and Hebe in a Lost Garden.

This little hebe is the star of the show in my garden at the moment, I just love it’s pink tips.

The hellebore sits in one of last year’s blackbird’s nest found in the loganberry which is trained against a wooden fence.

The crochet mandala is a pattern by Helen Shrimpton, called Lost Garden and inspired by the Lost Gardens of Helligan. It will be a blanket.

I had a play with the photo to create a more vintage look

Which do you prefer?

Do you think either would make a good greetings card?

Pop along over to Cathy’s Garden blog and see what gardeners all over the world are putting in a Vase this Monday.

Edit:

I’m adding a close up for Cee’s Flower of the Day

Snow and Vase on Monday

I could only light the candle once inside, the wind is fierce today.

Happy Sixth Blogging Anniversary Cathy!!

This is where the hellebores came from this morning

and the hebe

Other flowers had snowy hats on too

The hyacinth above is my entry into Cee’s Flower of the Day.

Not exactly Easter Island weather

and this dear little pot seems to have a white fluffy stole on to keep warm

Pop over to Cathy’s and see what others have found to pop in a vase this Monday.

In a Moss Ball on Monday

Joining in with Cathy’s In a Vase on Monday

A rooted cutting from a ‘Money Plant’ or Crassula Portulacea (I think?), just right to make into a piece of Kokodama as a gift for a fellow blogger with a penchant for succulents.

I had the most brilliant day yesterday – all due to commenting on Noelle’s Snowdrop post a couple of weeks ago. Following an exchange of comments and Noelle’s generous invitation, Noelle, Alison and I all met up at the Bishop’s Palace in Wells for the Snowdrop Celebration.

The day was cold but the sunshine bright

Look at that sky!

So much beauty to see

and Cathy – so many wonderful witchhazels

 

We had the best time – more photos to share in a future post

So, thank you from the tip of my toes to the top of my head to Cathy for her fabulous Monday meme which brought us together, Noelle for the suggestion and generous hospitality and Alison for joining us to make it such a wonderful day.Noelle  ~  Alison  ~  Me

Monday Vase: Amaryllis and Hellebore

Joining in with Cathy’s meme In a Vase on Monday, over at Rambling in the Garden

and

Cee’s Flower of the Day

~

I’ll be going to Chelsea Flower Show with my sister again this year, I was just looking at their website to see information about this year’s gardens and – there we are! On the 2017 RHS Chelsea website!

Here

https://www.rhs.org.uk/shows-events/rhs-chelsea-flower-show/At-the-show

and here

Shopping

We were on the ‘Chive’ stand, I do like their vases. I have a couple of square ones which have featured in IAVOM before, here and here in July 2016and a Giraffe vase, yet to make it’s debut.

We were chosen for the photograph because of our colourful attire – see, we fit right in –  and because we looked like we were having fun – we were!

We were told by the photographer that we might be in this year’s catalogue, but I never thought we would end up on the website – twice!

FUN!

We’re thinking of wearing the same things this year.

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