I already had witch hazel in mind for today’s vase, partly because they are all so beautiful just now and partly to give me a better opportunity of smelling their elusive fragrance, a fragrance only noticeable when the blooms have some warmth on them apparently. Hamamelis ‘Zuccariniana’, the largest of what are only small witch hazels, has the benefit of many twiggy side shoots all of which are smothered in yellow shreds, so a few of these have been spared for this scientific investigation. They are joined by yellow twigs of Cornus sericea ‘Flaviramea’ and a tiny self-sown hart’s tongue fern, Asplenium scolopendrium, plucked off a rock in the rockery.
On the ‘witch’ theme I considered whether I had anything remotely like a miniature cauldron, but had to settle instead for this little teapot from an Ikea children’s tea set. Newt eyes and frog toes were also unavailable so props were limited to a quartz sphere and a doll’s head which was dug out of the garden – and there we have today’s vase on Monday.
If you would like to join a growing group of bloggers who find what they can to put in a vase (or cauldron or teapot or….) on a Monday then please do, leaving a link to your post in a comment on this blog and a link to this blog from your own. That way we can share in everyone’s vases.
Rambling in the Garden 
Today there was heavy rain for most of the daylight hours and then any blooms weren’t in a fit state to be picked, I’ll see what can be done tomorrow. Do tell whether it’s true about the perfume of the witch hazel.
Oh, so sorry about your potential blooms Christina 😦 Re the witch hazel, if I stick my nose amongst the flowers now I can smell a faint perfume, which I couldn’t do when they were outside. The proof will be when I first come into the kitchen tomorrow I think…
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Hi Cathy – you have sent a chill down my spine this week! I have always had a thing about dolls heads and as yours came from the garden that makes it even worse – it reminds me of movies like The Lady In Black! Your witch hazel is lovely though – I have two in the garden but neither have flowered yet. I might not look at them in the same light though now that you have put such sinister associations in my mind.
You can see my contribution this week at http://www.peoniesand posies.com.
🙂 sorry about that, Julie…. I am sure the doll’s head was buried in the garden quite innocently – well, I expect it was, and it had certainly been there a long time. Anything else I need to avoid?! You wait till your witch hazels flower and you will forgive them for any connotations they may have had! Hope it’s not too long – oh, I was thinking you meant never flowered, but perhaps you mean this year? Which ones do you have?
ps thanks for joining in – it’s good to have company!
Eek.. my secateurs would have been trembling at the thought of cutting witch hazel. But it’s interesting to hear about the scent. I thought it was just me that couldn’t smell it.
I can understand your secateur reservation, Jessica, as I have never cut my witch hazels before, but decided that this one was floriferous enough to spare a few twigs for the sake of a vase and the chance to find out if I could smell them after all. Mind you I have read recently a recommendation to cut them and bring them inside for their fragrance, and that they will soon make up for the lost limbs – not sure about that though. I will let you know about the fragrance 😉
Love it Cathy! A spooky vase! I have my eye on a witch hazel at my local garden centre. Now I see that it’s enchanting in a vase (and a teapot!) I think I may get it…… Here’s my contribution for you http://thefigtree.co.nz/2014/01/20/flowers-in-a-vase-is-it-a-bird-is-it-a-plane/ See you next week 🙂
You won’t regret having a witch hazel – but don’t let it dry out, as I lost a couple early on when I tried to grow them on the edge of our little woodland. Thanks for joining in, Sarah – I am off to find out which it is!
I envy you a little for the possibility (or determination?) to cut the witch hazel for the vase, Cathy. But it’s beautiful, enjoy the scent! The chopped off head is the only thing that irritates me slightly… 😉
I don’t think the doll’s head was a very popular prop – it won’t be repeated! I’m aware I have rattled many pairs of secateurs for daring to cut a witch hazel – but I don’t have any regrets and am enjoying looking at it as I write 😉
Jessica has taken the words out of my mouth as my secateurs would be a trembling too 🙂 I wonder what happened to the doll’s body?
I wouldn’t worry about the other remains Anna – it can remain an unsolved mystery! I just have a tendency to pick up random things when I am out and about – like a Barbie shoe or Lego brick – and they make it to a shelf of quirky miniature oddments which is where the head was. Nowt so strange as folk….
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