Having wished everyone a Happy New Year in IAVOM last Monday, today’s vase almost seems a bonus, having inadvertently ‘forgotten’ there was a complete week between Christmas and the start of 2020. Bonus Monday or not, I will still take the opportunity of wishing you joy, peace and happy gardening!
Today’s hazel vase is yet another teeny tiny contribution to IAVOM, the product of meagre winter pickings and a reluctance to pluck other than the smallest twigs of my precious witch hazels. Not closely related to the native hazel at all, they do have a few superficially similar characteristics, particularly the leaves. These three little twigs are from Hamamelis ‘Orange Peel’, one of five witch hazels currently in full flower; after a slow start, this witch hazel has really taken off and is looking stunning this year. Joining it are three sprigs of twisted hazel Corylus avellana ‘Contorta’ each with early catkins.
The group of twigs were popped into biodegradable floral foam in the little rectangular ikebana vase that has appeared already in several IAVOM, their feet smothered in moss pillaged from one of the garden’s retaining walls. Supporting the vase is a little book entitled ‘A Tree in your Pocket’, which details all sorts of interesting facts and folklore about native British trees, from their ruling planet to the customs and legends, healing properties, magic & inspiration and physical uses associated with them. This twisted hazel is the only hazel left in the garden, as we have finally removed the original untwisted hazel and all its progeny from the garden, to the great chagrin of the local squirrel population who continue to seek hazelnuts in pots and tubs and the snowdrop border.
Have you some meagre offerings to share today? Or maybe something more generous perhaps? Please do join us if you can, leaving the usual links.
Rambling in the Garden 
Happy New Year Cathy! What a cracking little vase today, with two of my favourite things! I love hazel catkins, and I especially love witch hazel. I have some tiny flowers coming out on one of my three small plants and they are very precious indeed! Thank you for sacrificing your flowers for today’s vase. Much appreciated!! Amanda https://therunningwave.blogspot.com/2019/12/the-christmas-underdog-vase-on-monday.html
Thanks Amanda – good to hear you have blooms coming out on your witch hazels too. They are very slow growing – some of mine I have had about 15 years and they are still only a metre or so tall; Orange Peel has perhaps been here for 5 or 6 but has really put on a growth spurt since last year
Love your creativity! Happy New Year and happy gardening.
Thank you Ruth, and very best wishes to you too
Are they actual flowers on the witch hazel?
Happy New Year Cathy! Thanks again for leading us through another year of vase-making and sharing. That ‘Orange Peel’ witch hazel carries a huge wow factor–lovely. The catkins are fun and I’m envious you have such a ready moss source–makes a nice finishing touch.
Thanks, and best wishes for 2020 for you too, Susie. As Orange Peel has got bigger, its flowers seem to be bigger too and make more impact – but I am still aways surprised how effective such tiny sprigs can be in a vase!
I was wondering after seeing your post yesterday, if some of these witch hazel flowers might make an appearance today! Love them – do they have a citrus fragrance? THAT would be something eh? Happy New Year to you – wishing you much happiness for 2020.
There is a slight fragrance, Chris, although I am not sureif I would define it as ‘citrus’ – it needs a mild and sunny day to catch it outside without sticking your nose into the bloom though.
Just realised I missed the point of your comment about the fragrance – citrus because it’s called Orange Peel….oops!
đŸ˜„đŸ˜„
I like the mini forest effect with a moss floor. Imagine a big tree like that, wonderful! I always think those are Loropetalum flowers – the Witch Hazel. Happy New Decade and thank you for hosting. Here is my mad tropical vase: http://theshrubqueen.com/2019/12/30/in-a-vase-on-monday-dombeyas-end-the-decade/
Here the lorepetalum, on the infrequent occasion you come across it, is called the ‘Chinese’ witch hazel, but the flowers are very similar to these of the Hamamelis. Yes, a full-size forest like this would be wonderful đŸ™‚
So pretty, I am glad you are enjoying your beautiful Witch Hazels. It is worth picking them because bringing them inside brings out the delicious scent. They look lovely with the hazel catkins, what a great idea to put them together.You inspired me to get outside and see what I could find for a vase.
Thanks Chloris – there aren’t many catkins on the twisted hazel yet, but I noticed some orinary ones in the hedge yesterday so there is scope for more vases! Iam very selective if I do cut any witc hazel, choosing any badly placed or crossing twigs or those near the ground
I so admire your witch hazel. That’s a plant that not even the boldest of our garden centers try to sell in my area of Southern California. Happy New Year, Cathy! I hope it’s a good one for all of us. Here’s my post: https://krispgarden.blogspot.com/2019/12/in-vase-on-monday-variations-on-theme.html
Thanks Kris – it can be hard to find the less common witch hazels at ordinary garden centres in the UK so it sometimes means tracking down a specialist
These are very pretty, I’ve really grown to appreciate their delicate beauty over the last few years. Mine has yet to come out but is eagerly anticipated. My excuse for not having a vase is that I forgot it was Monday! Trying to catch up with normal life.
Haha yes, it’s hard to keep track of days – we were away at my Mum’s which seemed to make it harder. Back to normal everything for us next week, I think!
Oh those two hazels make for fine companions Cathy. Glad to read that ‘Orange Peel’ has got off the starting block.The little book sounds most intriguing and what an amusing title. My ‘vase’ is here: https://greentapestry.blogspot.com/2019/12/in-vase-on-monday-plastered-again.html
Thanks Anna and yes, Orange Peel has been bigger all round this year – the shrub itself and the blooms – and has definitely gone up in my estimation to become one of my favourites. I fear that your post is going to tell me something I would rather not hear, and something you too did not want to hear either…
I joined you Cathy and forgot to add the link here.
https://digwithdorris.wordpress.com
I hope 2020 will be kind to you
And to you, Dorris
Comments were off (sadly and, for you, grrrr!) so just wanted to say how nice it was to see the cut amaryllis (so much better than those long long stems from a teeny pot – in my opinion!). I always used to treat myself to Red Lion but now would go for the less bright colours too. Interesting what you say about the spray as I meant to spray some allium but didn’t get round to it – I suppose silver might look less like dead flowers?
Silver def way to go.
No idea why the comments turn off
Very annoying
Love the miniature arrangement. Happy New Year to you…my excuse that we went out for a walk by the sea…
Ahah, you are forgiven, Noelle – a trip out though, to get to the sea in the first place
Reading your blog and others, and realising Anna has risen above her problems to post, I have delayed dinner. For my last IAVOM of the decade: https://noellemace.blogspot.com/2019/12/in-vase-on-monday-last-of-decade.html
Aw Noelle, I hope Mr Stasher’s tummy was not rumbling too much!
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a very interesting specimen https://cathscamera.wordpress.com/2019/12/31/little-roses-in-a-vase/
Thanks Cath
Happy New Year Cathy. Here’s my IAVOM – late as usual. Wishing you all the very best for 2020. Hope your gardening plans go well. Much love, karen – and Mum xx https://bramblegarden.com/2019/12/31/happy-new-year-everyone-some-news-from-my-garden-31-december-2019/
All the very best to you and your family as well, Karen
Happy New Year Cathy!
Great idea for an arrangement, and it looks fabulous! Happy New Year!
Thanks Beth
Cathy tu Witch hazel “Orange Peel” has some flowers that I love. He is the undisputed protagonist of the magnificent Ikebana arrangement. I like moss a lot. Cathy Happy New Year 2020 with my best wishes of happiness, peace and good gardening! Thank you for hosting IAVOM in this change of year and decade to continue enjoying wonderful vases as your bloggers. Greetings from Margarita.
Thanks again, I am sure IAVOM will continue for many years!
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Here’s my post for tomorrow. I’m off to work really early. Have a good week Cathy xx https://bramblegarden.com/
Thanks Karen – have a good day, and a good week!
https://bramblegarden.com/2020/01/05/in-a-vase-on-monday-jan-6-2020/ Even.
How amusing. There are no native witch hazels here. When we started growing them in the 1990s, I thought of them as related to the native filbert. They even look something like the filbert. Nowadays, I sometimes remind myself that the filbert is not related to the witch hazel. I feel obligated to delay the pruning of the hazels until after bloom . . . which is not the sort of bloom that is worth waiting for.