
In A Vase On Monday – Christmastide
Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share a vase of cuttings from our gardens.
Prepared on Sunday during pouring down rain, many ingredients in this week’s offering may look familiar. Instead of trekking outdoors to hunt for materials I salvaged what I could from last week’s vase: winter daphne, lavender, dogwood. Refreshed with the addition of several anthuriums gleaned from a house plant, along with a couple of stems of poinsettia, the vase has shifted into holiday mode. I also added leaves from a beefsteak begonia.

In A Vase On Monday – Christmastide
Placed into a silver tray dotted with red and silver holiday ornaments and paired with an orchid full of rich purple, the repurposed arrangement celebrates winter solstice* today and is ready for the countdown to Christmas.

In A Vase On Monday – Christmastide
Despite the strangeness of this stay-at-home year and the challenging family health issues we faced in recent month, we find ourselves full of gratitude and joy. My husband is improving. During his illness and recovery we have been the recipients of an outpouring of generosity, love and kindness—cards, emails, calls, meals, offers of assistance, and as the holiday season swings ’round, delicious desserts. The poinsettia and the orchid are new this year, each gifts from neighborhood friends, as was the anthurium last year.

In A Vase On Monday – Christmastide

In A Vase On Monday – Christmastide

In A Vase On Monday – Christmastide
Amidst the foliage I included one tiny symbolic sprig of balsam fir at the base, clipped from a lovely door swag wreath sent by former across-the-street Wave Road neighbors.

In A Vase On Monday – Christmastide
Materials
Flowers
Anthurium
Orchid
Poinsettia
Foliage
Balsam fir
Begonia ‘Erythrophylla’ (Beefsteak Begonia)
Cornus florida (Flowering Dogwood)
Daphne odora (Winter daphne)
Lavandula x intermedia ‘Dutch’ (Dutch Lavender)
Lathyrus latifolius (Everlasting sweet pea)
Container
Silver Gallery Tray with holiday baubles

In A Vase On Monday – Christmastide
It is a gift also to have you visit my blog. I appreciate your interest, advice and support throughout the year. Hope you are making or finding reasons to smile each day.
Thanks to Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for hosting and giving us an opportunity to share flower-filled vases across the world. Visit her to discover what surprises she and others found to place in a vase this week.
*December Solstice (Winter Solstice) is on Monday, December 21, 2020 at 5:02 am in Chapel Hill. In terms of daylight, this day is 4 hours, 53 minutes shorter than on June Solstice.