After the frosts ten days ago the past week was just so incredibly wet that even the Persicaria has given up the ghost. Which leaves me with very little to cut for my Monday vases now. The Golden Euonymus usually stays golden all winter though, so I picked a large sprig of it and some grasses; Miscanthus and…? Then the last Echinacea seed head (the others have gone mouldy), a Skimmia flower, and some of that silvery foliage…
Now what is that called again! I have a mental block concerning that plant. Marrubia? Or something similar?
I am not at all keen on Skimmias, but this was in a basket given to me last month and has at least added a bit of colour to the patio.
The vase, with its tree silhouettes seemed appropriate for the season. Most of the leaves have come down now, but there are still some birch hanging on, and the larches are turning golden too.
If you are joining in Cathy’s meme I hope you have better luck than I did finding something for a vase this week. But if you hop over to Rambling in the Garden I am sure our dear host has created something lovely once again to inspire us all. ๐
Words and Herbs 
Do you mean Marrubium incanum? Does it flower for you? Its seed-heads are suitable for a small vase too. You’re using your fabulous vase again!
Yes, that’s it! Marrubium vulgare. It’s a smelly plant that does have insignificant white flowers but I love it because it fills a dry spot nicely and doesn’t mind being trimmed regularly. ๐ Thanks Christina!
I think vulgate is different to incanna. Mine has attractive whorls of white flowers and seed-heads like Phlomis. They seed for me.
Lovely arrangement, and I adore your vase
Thanks Cathy!
Love the vase too – and don’t you think focussing on foliage is a pleasant change after bright blooms for months on end? ๐ Thanks for sharing
Well, I admire your positive outlook Cathy! ๐ It will be foliage, foliage and more foliage for quite a while now! LOL!
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Another unique vase. Great texture added by what’s-its-name and that other thingy.
๐ Thank you!
You found lots of interesting material today. Not familiar with Skimmias but the berries do add a nice feature and tie the other items together. The container is a great choice.
Your comment was interesting Susie, as I had not thought of Skimmia as looking like berries! But they do now you mnetion it! In fact they are tightly closed buds. I have never seen them open, so will watch closely. ๐
(Maybe I was looking at the wrong thing!)
Skimmias are nice in winter time! Like your straight up – vase.
Thank you Uta!
I enjoy using an abundance of foliage in arrangements! The lush shades of green always add a lush background. Thank you for sharing Cathy.
Thanks Deb. There will be a lot of foliage over the next few weeks, with little else… let’s see what the winter brings!
I love your pottery vase with trees – it’s a beauty! I’m impressed you’ve been able to put together such a lovely arrangement post-frosts.The variegated Golden Euonymus provides nice color. Perhaps I need to expand my foliage plants next spring. ๐
Oh thank you Eliza – I felt it was rather a poor effort but perhaps it is my distaste for the skimmia that coloured my view of the vase this week! Golden Euonymus is wonderful here in winter, and it only once lost its leaves in a very dry and bitter cold spell several years ago. Thank goodness it recovered completely though. I certainly recommend it and have planted another one. They do grow rather slowly though.
Slow is okay!! ๐ Matches my speed these days.
Golden Euonymus is such a treasure in the garden, it looks great all year around, I love it!A beautiful arrangement!
Hi Anca, Yes, I love it too – when nothing is flowering and everything has died down it provides a spalsh of sunshiny colour! ๐
A senior moment! We all have them, you usually remember in the middle of the night when it is too late to tell anyone. How effective your arrangement is using foliage and just the skimmia flower for a highlight. I adore that vase, so pretty.
Thank you Chloris. Your positive comment has made me look at it again and reassess! ๐
All such good choices and come together in you vase so nice. Happy IAVOM.
Thank you Lisa!
The foliage ensemble is lovely, Cathy! Some foliage, like your Euonymous, just begs to be given center stage.
You are right Kris, the Golden Euonymus is quite a star and I really must use it more often, especially in the winter! ๐
Well done Cathy, I couldnt think of what to put in a vase today. Good idea using the Euonymous
Yes, not much choice right now, but I am grateful for the Euonymus. ๐
Your Golden Euonymous is lovely! That is another one of those plants I detest here that look great in your garden. I am shocked. The combination is lovely whatever it is.
The Euonymus needs to be allowed to spread as it wishes and not be pruned into a hedge I think. I don’t often see pretty ones here either, but in the right spot they glow all year round! ๐
It is really pretty, I am amazed.
No need to bemoan the passing of flowers when you can put together a vase like this…one of your best.
That is such a lovely encouraging comment Ricki. Thank you! ๐
PS I tried to leave a comment on your vase post Ricki, but it didn’t work… so here it is!
”Those berries are so pretty with the cornus foliage. The arrangement is a little like the advent arrangements people make here, with four candles. Enjoy your Thanksgiving celebrations Ricki! ”
I think you’ve done an amazing job with your vase. Well done. I love your banner photo, too, Cathy. Frost is beautiful in its own way, isn’t it? Happy Monday…probably Tuesday now.
Thanks Alys. We haven’t had a really amazing white frost yet, but I love it when everything sparkles – sometimes we get it lasting almost all day and it is as pretty as fresh snow! Hope we get some icy but sunny days this winter!
I hope so, too.
I recognised your marrubium Cathy but by the name of horehound. It’s used sometimes in cough medicines. The vase itself is most seasonal ๐
That’s interesting. I now remember the common name in Germany too – ‘Mouse Ear’! The smell is rather odd – wouldn’t fancy drinking it, but I can imagine it would cure a few ails. Thanks Anna!
It’s a very architectural – and I really love your vase decoration. I’m terrible for remembering plant names. It’s been so wet and windy here I took my photos for Monday in the porch and inside the house… and hardly anything is flowering still apart from my hardy fuchsias. Have a lovely week and hope it stays dry.
Hi Bec! We have finally had some drier weather (I think our rain came your way!) so I could get the last jobs done outside. Nothing flowering here at all now, except a few bits and bobs in pots near the house. I envy you a hardy fuchsia… I don’t have a sheltered enough spot for one but they do add a nice splash of colour late in the season. Have a good weekend!
I had to look up “skimmia,” Cathy, because I’d never heard of it before. I really like it and think it’s a wonderful filler in this arrangement. The vase is really nice, too. By the sound of the weather pattern you shared it doesn’t seem to me that you’ll be having too many more arrangements. I hope your winter will at least by mild! ๐
I shall keep searching for materials whatever the weather, Debra. I may have to resort to some dried seed heads and grasses I took in some time ago. And then I have some dried lavender somewhere too… ๐ I still can’t warm to Skimmias, as they remind me of “old ladies’ gardens”! Don’t ask me why, or why that is so bad? No idea! LOL!
I shall look forward to more of your winter vases, Cathy, because this one is just lovely! Skimmia does not grow anywhere I’ve gardened, so I have no associations with it, but I certainly think the effect in the vase is perfect against the bright Euonymous!
Thanks Amy! It seems other people rather like Skimmias, but I am not convinced! The Euonymus will keep me going through winter as long as we don’t have a big freeze.
I like the vase, it is unusual, I also like skimmias, they are particularly useful this time of year for Christmas arrangements.
Thank you Brian. Good to know that someone appreciates Skimmias more than I do! ๐