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

 

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In a Vase on Monday – Magenta with a dash of Lime

I needed something to block out distracting items in the background – just the thing! a breast cast. This was made when a friend of mine was about to have breast surgery. She gathered a group of her friends together on the eve of the operation for a beautiful informal evening of love, laughter and making breast casts together using Mod Rock. We met later to celebrate the successful surgery and we each painted our breast casts.

I thought the bottle was too prominent so surrounded it with old bottles I gathered from a hedge next to the ancient thatched cottage I lived in 1973 – 81.

Feverfew was added for texture and the acid-lime green of its leaves

a hint of yellow from  ………… ? no idea

a bee’s eye view

(I’ve never noticed the hairy entrance before – oh lawks! there really is something very sexual about flowers – apologies, I’m a Scorpio – I can’t help it, Edwina will understand! See her Whacky Word Wednesday post and entertaining follow up video – word= Concupiscent.   Too much??!!! Surely not!)

Magenta and lime green with a hint of yellow is one of my favourite colour combos at the moment – kinda sets my teeth on edge and delights in equal measure.

Thanks as always to Cathy for hosting this fascinating meme. Pop along over to see many more wonderful flowers arranged ‘In A Vase on Monday’.

Update: the yellow flower is Sisyrinchium striatum  (thank you Christina.) How am I ever going to remember that!