A garden to be thankful for

Posted on November 29, 2020 by Mominthegarden

Hello there! Welcome to my blog, where today I’m all about gratitude. Don’t get me wrong, I practice being grateful on a regular basis. But today, I went out to the garden not too hopeful that I’d find much to make an arrangement with. Boy was I mistaken! It just made me appreciate all of the weird and quirky stuff that I have – that might not look all that neat and tidy in the garden – but is lovely to have all the same.

My family and I moved to Ireland 12 years ago, and we usually celebrate Thanksgiving on either the weekend before or after the actual American Thanksgiving. This year, with my daughter having exams the week of Thanksgiving, we celebrated this weekend. I’m lucky as my husband is a very good cook, and enjoys cooking special dinners like this. So that leaves cleaning to me (with help from the kids). It’s not a bad deal. 🙂 It’s even better still, when I start my ‘cleaning’ by making a flower arrangement!

I can critically say that this is not my best arrangement. There was too much going on. But I really wanted to use everything I’d gathered, so I decided to leave it. Here’s my critique: The ornamental grass has neat curls at the ends, which I love, but I’m not sure if it comes across well. The striking, black stemmed bamboo is somewhat lost in the middle, and perhaps too tall. The Rosemary is a bit too ‘out-there’, while the lovely red dogwood branches can’t fully be seen (but they do tie in nicely with the hesperanthus, when you can see them). Lot’s of ‘imperfection’!

Now for the positives: The amount of red hesperanthus (also known as schizostylis, or kaffir lily) is fantastic! I never would have imagined that I had that much in the garden, when I’d taken cuttings a few times already. The purple Mr. Fokker anemone were completely closed up when I cut them in the garden – the perfect time to use them. It was lucky to have so many that are at just the right stage. I have lots and lots of invasive ivy, but it sure is pretty! I find it to be an excellent filler plant. There were 3 daisies in the garden, so I figured why not bring them in, too? The back of the arrangement has two small stems of golden yarrow. Lastly, there are pink David Austin roses, which thankfully had long stems.

Despite my strong critique, I do really like it! It’s very visible in our hallway, where everyone can enjoy it. Mostly, I’m thankful to be able to go out into the yard and gather up something that can be arranged for decoration! I find it really relaxing and enjoyable. After this, I had no problem with getting all of my cleaning done!

We had a lovely, and delicious, Thanksgiving. We have so much to be thankful for! And on that list is most definitely my garden, and those who like to read my blog about it! Thank you!!!

In Peace,
Dana

finished arrangement November 29 inside pic — The finished arrangement.

Flower arrangement — The finished arrangement, outside (in sunlight).

Mr Fokker anemone, Hesperanthus and David Austin Roses — A close up of the Hesperanthus (Schizostylis), Mr. Fokker Anemone, David Austin roses and ivy.

The back of the arrangement — This is the back of the arrangement. I believe this is Achillea filipendulina ‘Cloth of Gold’, with Daisies and Hesperanthus.

Tapping the top of container for flower arranging — It isn’t very pretty, how I tape up the container, but it does work to help to hold stems in place. I also had some marbles in the bottom of the container.

bunches of flowers before beginning arrangement — This is what I started with!

Irish Robin — This little Robin followed me around the garden as I cut flowers!

Anemone Nov 29th arrangement — I love the little details of the ivy and the anemone.

November flower arrangement — This is the best picture for seeing the red branches of the dogwood.

flower arrangement outside — Outside view

What do you think? A bit too wild? It’s fun to play and learn! Take care, and stay safe! 🙂

In a Vase on Monday: Roses & Ivy with a helping of Blackberries

Posted on October 6, 2014 by Mominthegarden

In a Vase on Monday; Roses & Ivy & other lovely stuff

Honestly, I never would have thought I could produce so many varied arrangements from materials gathered in my own garden! I am so glad to have been challenged to look at everything in the garden as potential “In a Vase on Monday” material.

A single pink Hydrangea flower is just barely visible in the centre

I do have to say that I make my arrangements on the weekend. My life is way too crazy to do it on a Monday (do you know that feeling???). I’ve been lucky so far, always having some form of sun to photograph with. Can I just say that I love the sun? I’ve lived in some cities where the sun didn’t always come out as often as I would like. Let’s just say that those cities aren’t known as sunny locations: Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Dublin, Zurich, even Poughkeepsie where I’m originally from. All are great places to live and probably the reasons why I so appreciate seeing the sun when I do!

Ivy. Isn’t it lovely?

I digress. Back to flowers. I had it in my head that I wanted to use my ivy. This is the same ivy that I have spent countless hours removing from my hawthorne trees and ditch wall! It is completely invasive! I do remember that when I lived in Zurich I noted the greens used by florists were so lovely. It was indeed this very same type of ivy that was used to make the most amazing arrangements. So I might just keep a little bit of it. I’m sure the ivy itself will have more say about it staying than my actually doing something about it. 🙂

Ivy, roses, snapdragon, schizostylis (or rather: Hesperantha), Perovskia atriplicifolia (Russian Sage)

What to add to the greens? The snapdragons have had a good run. Those in the arrangement are a lovely fuchsia colour, although they are very near the end of their lives. I’m still a little shy of cutting fully beautiful flowers when they can be enjoyed outside. I feel less guilty if they are nearly done anyway.

Snapdragon in the late afternoon sunlight

an awkward view of the roses

The roses are my climbing roses. I don’t have the variety, since I was sent the wrong type when I originally ordererd them. It was a dead giveaway since these guys have thorns and I ordered thornless… Nevertheless, their blooms are lovely from June through until late fall.

Schizostylis (new name Hesperantha) members of the Iris family

O.K., so I posted a picture of these guys, see pink flowers above and below, on my Facebook page (have you clicked on my Facebook “LIKE” button yet? 🙂 ) and someone commented that this plant has just had their name changed. What? Really? Seems there was some confusion about Hesperantha having corms versus Schizostylis having a short rhizome. Honestly, I read the article and I still think mine are Schizostylis. I might just use both names to cover all of the bases.

Schizostylis (new name Hesperantha)

It is a banner year for wild blackberries in our yard! They are everywhere. Those brambles live in the same area as the ivy, and I have also spent countless hours trying to get rid of them! They are unruly, have terrible thorns, and are invasive. Ah well, but while they are still here we at least get to enjoy their fruit. I do like having some fruit in the arrangement. Just something different.

blackberries galore..

What I really liked about this arrangement was all the different items, just a few of each, that worked together. Well, they do in my eyes! It is a rather messy, maybe I’ll say free flowing (?), arrangement.

a little messy looking

I’m sure I mentioned in an earlier post that my father-in-law grew my snapdragon from seed for me. This one variety, which has a really nice multi-tone colour, has variegated leaves. It didn’t make the main vase, but is sitting nicely in its own Irish pottery vase.

snapdragon with variegated leaves

Snapdragon

One last view

Thank you, Cathy, of Rambling in the Garden, for hosting “In a Vase on Monday”! You can visit her vase, and many links to others by visiting her page here: http://ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com/2014/10/06/in-a-vase-on-monday-stars-from-another-galaxy/ (that one isn’t working, so please try here: http://ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com)

Have you thought about making a vase yet? 🙂
Dana

Happy Birthday to me with a Chamaecyparis nootkatensis “Pendula” tree!

Posted on January 5, 2013 by Mominthegarden

Chamaecyparis nootkatensis “Pendula”.

The proverb “good things come to those who wait” came to mind as the Yellow Furze nursery delivery truck pulled into our driveway. Ever since taking notice of trees around me; their shapes, colors, sizes, I’ve wanted one of these “droopy” trees. As it turns out, my neighbor James has a mature Chamaecyparis nootkatensis “Pendula” in his garden. I was able to see what it looks like after 25 years (it is beautiful!). So for my birthday, which was back in September, I ordered this conical tree. It just arrived today! I didn’t mind the wait since September, though. That gave me time to put some newspapers down to kill the grass. I used our “turtle sandbox” cover on top of the papers to keep them all in place, and to give me the round shape. My husband kindly dug the hole for the tree. I love it. I think it fits in perfectly.

Marked area ready to be dug up.

My new droopy tree!

My favorite thing about it is the droopy look of the branches. It has a character all its own! I don’t mind the small size for now. It will grow in time, and as it does the garden will grow with it. Such simple pleasures! 🙂

Tagged.

The other saying that keeps popping up in my head these days is “Rome wasn’t built in a day”. Yeah, maybe you can guess that I’ve been working on pulling down the ivy from my Hawthorn trees? It really is mentally challenging! The brambles and ivy are completely entwined with the trees and surrounding front and back areas. I wasn’t sure if I’d find any more of the ditch wall, but surprisingly a few sections of it have been uncovered!

The new (pink!) gloves my kids gave me for Christmas to protect me from the Hawthorn thorns! And a view of the back of our trees where all of the brambles & ivy seem to thrive!

I would love to write about how easy it is to pull up the ivy, and cut the brambles, and that the hawthorn “thorns” weren’t sharp at all. Yeah, except that would be lying. 🙂 For me it is enough that my husband has taken note of the laborious work entailed in freeing up the Hawthorn trees. If the rest of the row of trees looks as good as the first tree I cleared last year, we’ll be delighted with the results!

Uncovering part of the ditch wall!

Boy do I wish I had a finished “after” photo to show you though! (This is where I chant “Rome wasn’t built in a day”…)

Looking for some encouragement here … Go Dana, Go Dana, Go Dana…

A dark day, but we can see through the trees!

And here is what I still have ahead of me 🙂

This is what keeps me going – The first Hawthorn and section of the ditch wall which I uncovered from ivy.

I found a little bit of color in the garden today. These primroses weren’t recognizable when I moved them into my little “nursery” garden from the front gate garden this past summer. The slugs *love* primroses! I threw them into the nursery to see if they’d survive, and it seems they did. The slugs still enjoy eating them, but at least they are recognizable for the moment.

Primroses.

Primroses, with a bit of a slug signature.

I’m so happy with my little droopy tree (Chamaecyparis nootkatensis “Pendula”)! Yes, I think it is worth waiting for what you really want. I hope if you’ve been waiting for something special, that it finds its way to you!

Dana

Mom in the Garden

Enjoying life. In Ireland. With my family.

Tag Archives: ivy

A garden to be thankful for

In a Vase on Monday: Roses & Ivy with a helping of Blackberries

Happy Birthday to me with a Chamaecyparis nootkatensis “Pendula” tree!