We had lovely sunshine this morning once the mist had risen, so I was able to meander around the garden this week and choose at leisure some materials for my Monday vase… the meme hosted by Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.
With Fennel stars, Euonymus and Hazel baubles, and a few berries from Cotoneaster and Berberis, the collection of evergreens and stems took on a festive look.
The shiny Mahonia and laurel leaves are my alternative to Holly, which doesn’t appear to grow well around here. And the sprigs of fir are ideal for the festive mood too.
Are you getting into the festive mood yet?
Have a great week!
Words and Herbs 
Beautiful selections Cathy for getting into the holiday mood. I’m starting to feel it here too! Have a great week.
Thanks Susie! It doesn’t look as though we will have snow by Christmas, but at least that means I can find vase material!
Very festive and lovely to see it in the sunshine. Nice snow effect too!
The sunshine was very welcome, but the fog returned with a vengeance today!
Perfect! And it looks like a beautiful day for a ramble in the garden.
Thanks Marian. It was a lovely day, but barely any warmth in the sun now.
Lovely, Cathy, and you’ve still got some autumn colour in the background. I’m always a bit slow to get into festive mode or mood that is 😉
Yes, the birches look so lovely in winter against a blue sky, and the larch is still hanging on to a few golden needles.
Festive is certainly the right word for your vase. And doesn’t the sun always make for a good mood?!
It certainly does Linda – especially in December!
I finally decorated the house and am looking for a festive vase soon. I adore the combo of greenery, seed heads and berries….and they look lovely in that bright sunshine.
I like to have lots of greenery indoors during Advent and then over Christmas too. So I’m glad we have plenty of fir trees around us!
Eine delikate Vase! Die filigralen Fenchelzweige in Kombination mit den Tannen und anderen gefällt mir sehr gut! I found Holy gone wild in the woods. I am in the mood for advent.
How lucky to have holly growing wild nearby. I never see it here, so it perhaps doesn’t like our soil. Have a nice week Uta!
You found just the rights bits in your garden for your festive display, Cathy. With temperatures back around 80F/26C and so much work yet to accomplish in the garden before the rains (hopefully) come, it’s been harder to get in a holiday mindset here but the calendar is a good reminder that I need to get cracking with holiday preparations!
It always seems to creep up on me too, but the garden at least requires no attention at this time of year, even though it hasn’t been terribly cold yet.
Sunny morning here too – but my vase was photographed yesterday in the damp! I love your alternatives to more traditional festive material – lots of ideas to share here. The fennel stars are great!
The Fennel is one of the few plants that doesn’t collapse if it’s frosty, so I must try growing the bronze one too that everyone else seems to know and love!
I have wondered about growing the bronze fennel again after taking it before because it was too dominant and seeded itself around…
We’ve had warm sunshine here today and it still does not feel at all like December, I need to produce some lovely vases like yours Cathy, then I’m sure the festive mood will follow!
The sunshine was so lovely, but not at all warm! Yes, a seasonal vase, baking Christmas cookies, and some Christmassy music have been getting me in the right mood!
Very festive indeed, Cathy. Your sunshine and blue skies is a welcome sight. I’ve been in Devon and Somerset for a week and have only had tiny glimpses of the sun through a very grey and heavy sky.
Hi Christina. It was lovely to glimpse the sun again – it has been rare here recently too!
What a beautiful arrangement, Cathy! I also love these wild festive bouquets that do not seem very ”arranged”. And, yes, I have already picked stuff form my garden – rose hips, hazelnut flowers, ivy berry, seed heads etc. to have them at hand for the festive arrangements.
There are rosehips just outside my driveway, but so high up I can’t reach them…. I may just have to get my ladder out….. 😉
You always manage to produce a lovely seasonal arrangement Cathy, very festive, using just natural materials.
Thank you Brian. It was so nice to go out in the garden and lap up some of that sunshine while choosing what to cut. 🙂
This is so pretty and festive. I must go out foraging for some winter material, thank you so much for sharing your inspirational vase Cathy.
And thank you for your lovely comment Sarah!
I love the picture of the vase in the chair!
The sunniest spot on the patio! 😉
We had a misty morning too, which always makes it feel more like the holidays some how.
Great Monday vase!
I always hope for snow in December, but it is still very green everywhere this year…
At least we have WordPress snow. [snicker]
All you need now is the snow! 😉
Yes! That would be lovely for Christmas, but no sign of any coming our way yet!
What does Mr Sepp Haslinger predict?
He actually predicted a whole load of snow for the second Sunday in Advent… and it didn’t materialize! 😉
Your arrangement is so pretty, Cathy, and really looks festive with the WordPress snowflakes! I am not sure what the spiky stem in the last large photo is, but I really like the way you’ve used it in the arrangement. You’ve given me some excellent ideas about using all the elements in the garden, even those that have lost their blooms! I really admire your creativity!
Oh, you are a flatterer Debra! Thank you! 😀 That spiky flower is the seedheads of fennel. They stay upright all winter if we don’t get snow, but then need cutting down in spring for new growth. The stems still smell deliciously of aniseed. 😉
Gorgeous as always.
Happy Holidays
Merry Christmas Cathy to you and yours.
Thanks Eunice! 🙂
What a lovely arrangement! I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me, but now I see you have snowflakes! I am feeling extremely festive, despite the warm weather telling me that Christmas can’t possibly be here for another 6 weeks.
The weather is not festive here either Sarah, and doesn’t look like it will get much colder before Christmas now. So I am now hoping for a snowy January instead! 😉
so festive and natural – I love it!
Thanks Ann!
Absolutely lovely!
Thanks Sheryl!