The sun came out again today and yet there is still some frost and ice on the trees on the shadow side and the temperature up on our hill barely rose above freezing. So I was absolutely sure I would not find anything but grasses for my vase today.
I was wrong!
My first Hellebore to flower is ‘Diva’, which was in a pot by the front door last year and was planted out in spring. Still shy and not quite open, but with many more buds on it, so I felt this one could be cut in the hope she will survive a few days in a vase.
But the biggest surprise was this Geum bud… will it open I wonder?
The seedhead is also from the Geum, the grass is my favourite Miscanthus ‘Federweisser’ and the foliage is from my Geraniums… I think Rozanne, and from a Heuchera. The red stems are from a young willow and I think they broke off under the weight of the ice (or maybe a hare has had a nibble?!).
So I am very happy to be joining Cathy at Rambling in the Garden for her Monday meme, without which I would not have discovered these treasures before our first snow falls! (Supposedly tonight. ☃️)
Thanks to Cathy for hosting In a Vase on Monday. Do visit her to see what she has found in her garden to share today.
Have a great week!
Words and Herbs 
In a vase on Monday Is a gift to give today.
Thank you Cathy. 😃
With your pretty hellebore sitting alongside your Christmas baubles you have a very festive look this week.
The hellebore is lasting well and has opened too. 😃
Sweet finds you’ve found so late in the season, Cathy. That geum is esp. neat. And with snow on its way, all the more treasured!
And that bud was frozen solid and weighed down to the ground by ice a day earlier! It has sadly shrivelled a little so will not open… that would have been a miracle I think!
How wonderful! Gardens give so much more than they take (in terms of effort). I’m sorry about the frost and ice but at least it’s appropriate to the season. My own garden is confused as we’ve heated up (again).
It is nice on the one hand to have the right weather at the right time. But a bit more sunshine would be nice too!
Nice surprises all around. Amazing the Geum, must have been in the perfect protected spot. Diva is a diva!
The Geum was coated in a thick layer of ice the day before, so I think it had been briefly preserved as it has now shrivelled! Lucky I caught it at the right moment!
Freeze dried!!
😉❄️☃️
I hope your Geum will open. Hellebores are amazing plants, aren’t they? I really like this arrangement; the vase included!
Hi Beth. Sadly the Geum did not open. I think that would have been asking too much as it was frozen solid in a layer of ice for several days. I must have picked it at the moment it thawed as it has now shrivelled up! The Hellebores are one plant I can rely on over winter. They just stand up again as soon as they catch some sun rays. 😉
Wow great finds, all I have for color is the birds feasting on seed pods. Have a wonderful week Cathy.
You too Eunice. Thanks!
It is getting tough, but you’ve found some lovely stuff. The geum is perfect next to your baubles!
So nice to find some festive colour, if only fleetingly. 😃
Some dear treasures. Beautiful geum. I’ve checked but can’t find hellebores interested in coming out to play early. Today is our coldest fall day so far.
I am looking for new hellbore buds almost daily too. They are plumping up nicely! 😉
So creative and I like your staging.
Thank you. My baubles add a little sparkle on these grey days!
Cathy your Hellebore “Diva” is a treasure among the frosts and she is divine, I love it. Geum is very special and the cocoon is sure to open. Miscanthus I love it. The vase is very nice as is the arrangement, I love it. Your Christmas decorations are beautiful and brighten up the scene. Take care. Have a happy week. Very affectionate greetings from Margarita 😀✨🤗
Hello Margairita. Thank you for your lovely comment again. Hope you have a lovely week too. xx
A sweet and lovely vase Cathy! I can’t believe your hellebores are blooming already. You obviously live in a milder climate than me, as we won’t see any blooms until March.
Some won’t flower until spring, but a few of the hybrids are pretty early every year.
The little green vase is perfect for your icy surprises – I thought next week I might try and garner the odd hangers-on too. And have you had snow? We are due sleet tomorrow (Friday)
We had just a sprinkling, so it was nice and slippery! 😮
😁
Miscanthus ‘Federweisser’ really makes the arrangement. It has a beautiful and unique look. I love your bowl of ornaments and candle too.
Thank you Alicia. I have really fallen for that Miscanthus although I have several other varieties in the garden. 😃
Oh what a lovely hellebore flower and attractively pink tinged foliage Cathy. I hope that she doesn’t live up to her name 😄 Thanks for the most timely nudge. I must seek out my Christmas baubles.
The baubles came out in time for Advent. I am missing the hustle and bustle of the Christmas markets and all their sparkle and delicious smells, so will have to try and recreate that at home! 😉
Beautiful and surprising treasures from your frosty garden. ❤
Thanks Joanne. It is getting harder to find things for a vase now we have had so much frost. ❄️
You are managing very nicely, I think. 🙂
Is the willow common red willow? There is a species of red willow that is native here, and it might be the same species (It has a big range, but I do not remember how extensive it is.), but it is not red. It is just sort of brown. What appears to be the same species turns more orange along the Truckee River into Nevada.
Thus is Salix integra – a garden variety with variegated slightly pink tinged leaves called ‘Harlequin’. It is normally grown as a standard, which I think looks awful, but I found a small unlabelled one that had not been trained and it is really pretty. 😃
Oh, of course. I remember the name, although I am not familiar with it.