Well, it’s been a little breezy around here the last few days… to say the least.
😉
And a lot of dead wood came down from our trees, as well as a few green bits of fir trees, and a rather large piece of ivy…
So for Cathy’s challenge to fill a vase with materials from my own garden every Monday, here is today’s (tongue in cheek) “arrangement”!
The Ivy Tree
See the poorly Poinsettia to the right? I’m about as successful with them as I am with Cyclamen! And to the left they are nut shells in the fireplace, waiting to be burnt in the next fire.
It just seemed such a shame to put all that fresh green on the compost heap. So, propped up with a Miscanthus stem it has been given a few days’ reprieve on our fireplace.
I didn’t want to chop it about, although I know it is a bit of an odd shape, but it makes me smile each time I walk past. It appeals to my sense of humour!
😉
These leaves seem to defy winter with their rich colour.
Have a look at “Rambling in the Garden” today, where Cathy presents her vase for this Monday along with links to lots of other vases from around the globe.
🙂
Words and Herbs 
Great use of ‘what the wind brought down’ ! Ivy is a very under-rated plant,I’m sure it would grow if you either leave it in water or pot it up when it has finished being your vase.
I’m sure it would grow, but I have plenty of it out there as it is! LOL!
Now that’ s what I call enterprising! How lovely to bring some green into the house. A bit of green is just what we need at this time of the year.
Perhaps you should throw that Poinsettia away. Have you ever tried keeping them? A pointless exercise. They get leggier and leggier and more unattractive by the day. Horrible things.
That Poinsettia is definitely destined for the compost heap Chloris. I tried keeping one once and it suddenly died in August, so I vowed never to bother again!
I´m thrilled to see may favourite plant during the last days! In our garden is a large pine, totally wrapped by ivy. During the last days I have observed 6 – 8 blackbirds and some wood pigeons eating the darker fruits (some are still green). 🙂
It’s nice to see the birds in the ivy. We don’t have many flowers or berries though, or they are so high up I can’t see them!
So creative and ingenious Cathy…almost as if it was trained to be an espalier….Love the rich green.
Yes, that’s why I decided to rescue it as it looked like it had been trained!
Good job making lemonade out of lemons! It’s a brilliant “arrangement” for this time of year! As for the poinsettia, I’m going to go out on a limb and say it must have had some issues before you ever got it! Maybe it was exposed to a cold draft in the store or overwatered.
I think the Poinsettias are cultivated to last a couple of weeks at most…. after all, we have to buy a new one next Christmas don’t we! Thanks for the consolation though Kimberley. This one will soon join the cyclamen on the compost heap! 😉
Oh I love it, Cathy – it is the perfect example of thinking out of the box and in doing so you will have got all of us thinking on a tangent too. Thanks so much 🙂
The opportunity presented itself, and I must admit I didn’t actually have to do much thinking. The supporting Miscanthus stick was the idea of my Man of Many Talents. Glad you appreciate our efforts! 😉
I’m impressed by your ingenuity Cathy! I think the ivy is very attractive, although, given the tenacity of ivy, I wouldn’t be entirely surprised if it attached itself to the stone behind it and started growing!
LOL! Now that would be funny, until we lit the next fire….. 😉
What a wonderful reuse of the ivy.It has a great shape and nice rich color. Glad you can enjoy it indoors a while. (Good luck with your poinsettia. I don’t try to keep them long after the holidays, but have one this year that is trying hard to behave. Don’t know if I’ll have the heart to throw it away yet.)
Thanks Susie. The Poinsettia will go as soon as the last red petals have dropped. My sister kept one a whole year, but I won’t bother after a failed attempt a few years back. It looked great, and then suddenly died in August!
I like your ivy tree – very seasonal, and an impressive form of recycling. Aren’t those poinsettias designed to look sad and struggling as soon as Christmas is over? – just to encourage everyone to throw them away and buy yet more plants!
Precisely. I will throw it out and waste more money on another one next year! They somehow seem a must though, don’t they. I will not be tempted to buy another cyclamen for a while though, as I just have no luck with them.
What a great use of a windfall Cathy!! I love ivy, both in the house and out. I particularly love the berries, although they don’t last long as our bird population devour then quickly. Sadly my husband is not as keen on ivy as I am and chops it down whenever he sees it. I have quite a battle every year to make sure a few areas are allowed to grow – I persuade him on the grounds of the benefits to the wild life, but actually I am thinking more about my flower arrangements!
Hi Julie. When we moved to our house the whole rockery was a mass of layers of tangled ivy, leaves, roots and more ivy. After clearing all that I lost any hint of affection for ivy! And since then I have to keep any stray strands firmly in check. But this piece with its verdant green in the midst of a brown and colourless garden was enough for me to draw a truce for a week or two!
A most excellent way to make the most out of an unfortunate situation! Really pretty!
Thanks Sheryl! The alternative would have been too sad. We can’t waste the colour green in January! 😉
Ivy is a much maligned plant, wonderful for wildlife, the garden and indoor winter decorations.
‘The Holly and The Ivy’.
I love seeing it in the trees and woods, but it must not encroach on my rockery too much!
Very nice!! DO you still have the really cold temperatures? 🙂
Thanks Michael! Our weather is a real rollercoaster ride at the moment as one storm front after another rolls in from the Atlantic. One day cold and icy, the next really mild and sunny and then the wind again! Hope it calms down next week!
I like it Cathy 🙂 I always bring in some strands of ivy to decorate our Welsh dresser for the festive season. I’m cruel to it though as there’s no water in the equation so after a few days in the kitchen it starts to look rather sad for itself. I did read somewhere that if you do bring ivy in that you should check it carefully first for signs of overwintering wildlife.
I did check it, but I think a couple of ladybirds came in with it nonetheless. The funny thing is that we both have an aversion to ivy after removing so many layers of it from the rockery when we arrived. But its glossy green leaves are very cheering!
Haha, it’s perfect! Your tree really has a nice shape to it, had it been a few weeks earlier you could have really gone over the top with a few ornaments 🙂
An idea for next Christmas perhaps! 😉 I never would have reckoned on finding a piece this shape though!
I like it! After all, there is a fine tradition of bringing in winter greenery.
Needs must, Janet! Since there is not much other colour about it’s nice to have a touch of green indoors.
Not enough water or humidity or maybe a store bought root bound beauty. Even mine are struggling with the stove cranking trying to stop us from freezing to death 🙂
I hope you are keeping warm Eunice! 🙂
trying Cathy 🙂