In a Vase on Monday: In the Garden!

Monday is the day I join Cathy at Rambling in the Garden for her lovely meme. The title of today’s vase refers not only to where the photo was taken, but also to where I spent all day – working in the garden. It was wonderful! I saw the first bee. I saw the first crocus. I ache all over!

And I picked some snowdrops.

😀

To fill out the vase I added a few Spring Snowflakes (Leucojum vernum), which also have a lovely name in German – March Bells (Märzglöckchen).

In addition, I still have some Hippeastrum flowering, including this beauty which is almost the same as the red one I posted a few weeks ago.

As it started to lean to one side I decided to cut it, and discoveed another two shoots coming.

Today was a good day.

Hope you have a good start to the week too!

In a Vase on Monday: Catching the Light

For the first time this year I have a late winter/early spring flower from my garden to put in a vase for this Monday meme hosted by Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.

Last week I managed to remove a lot of the winter debris from my rockery and flower beds, including Miscanthus leaves strewn across the garden (it never gets cut sown in time to prevent that happening!). While gently raking up twigs and leaves left behind from the storm in January I saw something white. “Ooh, a snowdrop!”

Yes, just one!

It was in the coldest possible spot on the north side of the house, and since it looked so cold and lonely I decided to bring it indoors!

😉

A little sprig of Euphorbia, some white Erica and some Heuchera leaves provided the support it needed to stand up in a vase – the tiny green vase was bought in Norfolk last summer. The glass candle holder behind it and the mat below it remind me of the ripples of the sea…

I hope you can also see signs of spring in your garden today. Even if they are sparse, they are so very welcome!

In a Vase on Monday: I don’t believe it!

Okay, it’s a fake. How did you guess! 😉

Nicer than what is out there right now though.

And better than nothing!

Actually this vase is from last June.

Roll on summer!

Spring wouldn’t be too bad either…

Go and visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden for some REAL February vases. 🙂

In a Vase on Monday: The Second Breakfast

‘Das zweite Frühstück’ – the second breakfast – is something I think of as being very typically German… school begins at 8am here, and most people are in their offices by then too, so the tum starts to rumble at about 10 am! (I suppose the British equivalent would be ‘elevenses’.)

I went to the baker’s this morning to fetch fresh pretzels (how German can you get?!). This one here is a speciality pretzel recently made popular by one particular bakery chain, but now available at local bakers too. ‘Bierbrezen’ are sprinkled not just with salt, but a spicy peppery seasoning that is quite delicious, especially if the pretzels are still warm from the oven! Perfect with that second cup of coffee.

But before sitting down to my second breakfast I took a walk around the garden, which is still partially white, but rather muddy as the snow slowly thaws. No new shoots yet, but I managed to find a few bits and pieces for a Monday vase, so I could join Cathy at Rambling in the Garden for her weekly meme.

A few remaining grasses, some somewhat shabby Epimedium leaves, a sprig of reddish brown Mahonia (not flowering yet),  some Erica, a couple of sprigs of pine and some Silver Ragwort (Jacobaea maritima) that amazingly survived being in a (still) frozen pot all winter.

I am so pleased I found something this week and am hopeful now that spring might not be too far off. If, like me, you are still looking for snowdrops in vain, go and visit Cathy and you will not be disapppointed!

😀