This year is weird or, should I just say, showing clear signs of climate change. A few years ago, January was the month we would expect temperatures as low as -35C. The forecast for this January does not show daytime temperatures below freezing for the entire month. Of course the forecast might change and we still have all of February and March to come. However these recent weather patterns are far removed from those we are accustomed to. Even the robins are confused. Our American Robins usually migrate south in winter but this year record numbers of robins are being sighted daily as shown in the official winter bird counts. The Mountain Ash are now stripped of their berries and the flocks of Cedar Waxwings who do hang around for winter are having to look further afield for one of their favourite food sources. The ground does remain frozen so I wonder if those Robins hammering the ground in hopes of stirring up a worm, might soon change their mind about staying any longer.
Normally at this time of year, anything looking remotely alive in the garden is buried under snow but yesterday I was able to wander around and pick a few green leaves for this week’s vase.


The leathery Hellebore leaves with their serrated edges were perfect to start with. I added in some remaining pale green Achillea leaves, Ivy, Hedera helix ‘Baltica’, the dark green crazed leaves of Arum italicum, fuzzy Lamb’s Ears, Stachys byzantina, pink berries of Symphoricarpos and the now empty seed heads of Elecampane.
I liked the contrast of textures and shapes we so often ignore when focused on flowers alone.


Looking foward to other’s vases, which can be found by checking the comments on Cathy’s blog, ‘Rambling In the Garden’. https://ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com/
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