In a Vase (Pot) on Monday: Great Expectations

Having my head full of snowdrops in recent rambles suggested that snowdrops perhaps ought to feature in a vase on Monday – not that I would pick any of my specials (Heaven forbid!), or even risk digging them up and bringing them inside. These are the unfortunately labelled ‘common’ snowdrops, Galanthus nivalis, common inasmuch as they are more usually seen than other types and not because they are any less welcome or loved, and were dug up from the woodland edge border from where they will now return after they have flowered but in a couple of smaller clumps no doubt. The joy of individual specials is one thing but snowdrops en masse, whether common or not, are a wonderful sight and I have great expectations for this border which will be transformed in a few weeks time with snowdrops and hellebores – but in the meantime I shall have the pleasure of this pot indoors.

Just as we can expect snowdrops to reappear when the time is right, refuelling any obsessions we might have, so we can expect our chickens to start laying again after their winter break – all in their own good time. After numerous soft-shelled disasters, all of a sudden there are one and often two beautiful brown eggs every day from our three remaining feathered friends – thank you Girls! Like the snowdrops, this is earlier than many years.

Along with the clump of snowdrops  my trowel brought forth rather too many celandine seedlings and bulblets for comfort – I am convinced I never planted any celandine but gradually became aware that the initial patch was spreading. Although they will disappear again as quickly as they appeared in the first place I have seen from photographs just how invasive they can be – Tim, a reader of this blog, showed me what can only be called an ‘infestation’ of celandine, and an extensive infestation at that. They are notoriously hard to eradicate I believe, and from the contents of my trowel I can see why! They will have to be taken to task….

If you would like to join in this Monday meme and show us what you have found to bring into the house, whether in a vase or pot or whatever, then add a link from your post to this, and a link from a comment to this post back to yours. We are encouraging each other to think ‘out of the box’, which makes the challenge more interesting at what could be a ‘lean’ time of year. Do join us!