Welcome to the seventh anniversary of In a Vase on Monday! Who would have thought that those small beginnings back in November 2013, when I challenged myself to begin picking flowers from the garden on a regular basis, would lead to this friendly and supportive meme that is still going seven years later? There may not be as many sharing vases now as there was at its peak, but there are still regulars who post almost every week and others who dip in occasionally, plus all those who drop in to look at the vases without sharing one of their own and others who post on Instagram: everyone is welcome. The communal supportiveness of the meme seems to be one of its most endearing qualities, and the very act of choosing material and bringing it into the house to create a vase brings a variety of benefits to the creator and those around them.
I set the challenge for today’s anniversary of producing a vase with no blooms and we have in part my middle grandchild to thank for the result. My original intention was to use seedheads and twigs but on Grannie Thursday, when she (aged 3) and her younger brother (aged 2) were here, she was asking about a couple of dried pomegranates on the windowsill, and I was explaining what they were. Next to the pomegranates was a pine cone, bizarrely picked up in the garden even though there are no pine trees in the immediate vicinity – and the seed was sown for a vaseless vase with no blooms!
The rosehips came from prolific hip producer ‘Parkdirektor Riggers’ whilst the moss was scraped from the retaining wall of the snowdrop border; the square piece of slate is one of our coasters, created by cutting a slate floor tile into nine, the larger tiles acting as placemats. Joining the celebratory display is the teeny tiny cake that has appeared as a prop before, which coincidentally has 7 teeny tiny candles on it, an eighth having been broken off by a careless child at some point in time.
Seven years of vases means 364 in total and looking back there will alway be favourites, enjoyed for their content or sometimes for what they signify or the memories they trigger. Here are my favourites for each of the last 12 months:
I look forward to seeing your own bloomless vases today, although in line with the elastic rules of the meme no-one will be penalised for including blooms! As promised there is also an anniversary giveaway, this time open to all who comment and not just those who post a vase: Jenny Joseph’s ‘Led by the Nose’, an unconventional memoir of a year of smells in her garden.
Thanks to everyone for their support of the meme over the years and here’s to another year of vases!
What a journey we have all been on during the last Seven years, I have enjoyed reading, and later joining this group. Many thanks for keeping going and congratulations. It was such a pleasure to welcome you and the Golfer to my previous garden, and since moving connecting up with two other regular members. Here is my contribution this week:https://noellemace.blogspot.com/2020/11/ivom-7th-anniversary.html
Thanks Noelle for your support over the years – meeting other bloggers in person is an added bonus of blogging, and I am glad you have been able to meet some others yourself
Less is more
Hi Cathy! Firstly, thank you and many congratulations on IAVOM’s 7th birthday! What joy and companionship it brings every week, which at this time of isolation and concern is especially valuable. As you know I am only able to post on Instagram at the moment, but I do acknowledge your blog each week and I hope that generates some more ‘footfall’ here every week. I have to admit that I forgot that this week we weren’t using flowers and I have posted a photo of a single flower on my Christmas cactus which has been flowering beautifully for a week or so. It’s a little on the early side, but hey ho, it’s fun! I love your fir cone and the little rose hips are delightful! Best wishes to you and all other IAVOMers. Amanda
Thanks Amanda – IAVOM has certainly helped to orientate my weeks during both lockdowns!! And thanks for persisting with Instagram while you are locked out of blogging – hopefully you will be back soon
Excellent vaseless foliage vase, Cathy. Color, texture, form all nicely balanced. Love the moss against the slate and those rose hips! It’s been fun to meet and greet here each Monday for so many years. You and others have educated and inspired. Thank you for hosting and Happy Anniversary!
https://pbmgarden.blog/2020/11/09/in-a-vase-on-monday-anniversary-foliage/
Thanks so much Susie – we have all learned from each other in so many ways with IAVOM, and I feel it is a privilege to be hosting it
Seven years Cathy, that’s incredible. Thankfully I joined in earlier but without realising the theme. I love your collage
Here’s to the rest of the bunches to come 🌞
Thanks Dorris It’s hard to comprehend that so many bunches have passed through our Mondays already – it’s like measuring out my life in vases!
Better than birthdays? Perhaps….
Birthdays can be a bit of a non-entity sometimes, although these days we usually go away for a city break for mine – unsure about going this year but the current lockdown has made the decision for us!
Lockdown has made all the decisions about where we cagoules it seems
I love a city break
Cagoules? Is that predictive text, or am I missing something?! Yes, usually somewhere we can get to easily by train, with historic and cultural places to visit, and ideally some sort of garden too, even if it is December! But not this year 🙄
Mine is. Https:/:digwithdorris.wordpress.com
Pingback: In a Vase on Monday- flowers for my Mum | Bramble Garden
Happy anniversary Cathy. I’m just going to check to see when I started joining in! It must be 4 years ago. That’s when I got the I-pad which makes it possible to write the blogs. As I’m a week late, I hope you don’t mind that I’ve got flowers in my vase! Honestly, I can’t keep up! I’m always behind. Take care and have a good week. Karen xx https://bramblegarden.com/2020/11/09/in-a-vase-on-monday-flowers-for-my-mum/
Not to worry, Karen – I like to throw down a challenge for an anniversary, but as you know, the rules of the meme are pretty fluid! It’s always good to have a vase from you whenever you have the time, as I know you have so much to contend with. Hope you and your Mum are OK – and the rest of your family
Happy Anniversary. It is a pleasure to be a member of the IAVOM community. I have learned a lot from everyone, thank you for hosting this weekly fun. Love the moss especially – I have none of these things in my garden, though I do see an occasional pine cone. https://theshrubqueen.com/2020/11/09/in-a-vase-on-monday-senza-fiori/
Thanks Amy – learning from each other is such a valuable asset, one I am very grateful for
Thanks Amy – learning from each other is one of the assets of IAVOM, one I am very grateful for. Plenty of moss here – more than enough in fact!
What grows where is endlessly fascinating to me. I love moss!
What a pleasure your post has been. I just don’t seem to be able to ‘get my act together’ for my own poat but I do enjoy yours and several others. Carry on …please.
Thanks Beverley – sharing our vases with others is a joy and you are always there with your kind comments, so thank you for your regular contributions
Happy IAVOM Anniversary, Cathy! A delightful meme I have enjoyed over the years… but my finger count reckoning has this as your Eighth year? Regardless, I love your little vignette to celebrate and have gleaned my garden for my vase this week. https://wp.me/p3O3z4-2Df
Thanks Eliza – IAVOM definitely started in November 2013, although my blog began the year before…don’t know where the years have gone!
Pingback: In A Vase on Monday – No Flowers | Eliza Waters
Happy anniversary. Cathy! You’ve done a magnificent job with this meme and created a community like none other I’ve found in blogdom. Thank you for that, and for your imagination and perseverance in keeping it going. Long may it continue to run! Here’s my contribution this week: https://krispgarden.blogspot.com/2020/11/in-vase-on-monday-7th-anniversary.html
Thank you Kri – what a kind comment that is, and of course I had no idea that it would take off as it did, especially as it was originally just for my own benefit… Good job I suggested others would be welcome to join me if they chose, otherwise IAVOM would never have happened in the way it did!
Thanks for seven years of vase fun and friendship Cathy 😄 It’s been a joy to participate. Thanks too to your grandchildren this week for their special input. Your arrangement on a slate is most pleasing to the eye. That rose hip must be quite substantial in size. Please do not put my name in the hat for the book as I already have it. It’s an excellent read. My vase this week is here :
https://greentapestry.blogspot.com/2020/11/iavom-7up.html
Thanks Anna, I get so much pleasure from the interaction on our blogs, and the spin-offs of course. They are quite chunky rose hips I suppose, and as the rose never gets deadheaded there are always plenty of them at this time of year!
Pingback: In a Vase on Monday – 7th Anniversary Challenge: A ‘Bloomless’ vase | Frogend dweller's Blog
Ah, that vase is like an autumn haiku and you can’t beat moss as a winning ingredient! Congratulations Cathy, seven years is an amazing achievement for hosting and inspiring a meme! Sorry to be one of those people who only turn up occasionally, but I always love seeing your vases and have managed to produced my own in time this week:- https://frogenddweller.wordpress.com/2020/11/09/in-a-vase-on-monday-7th-anniversary-challenge-a-bloomless-vase/
(sorry, I can’t see how to do the short URLs any more).
Thanks Allison – I like the idea of likening it to an autumn haiku…a haiku without words seems appropriate for the challenge of a vase without blooms! Occasional contributors are just as welcome as regulars and it is heartwarming to know you are still viewing vases inbetween times
Pingback: In a Vase on Monday: Seven Years, Seven Grasses | Words and Herbs
Happy Anniversary Cathy! I am pleased as always to join you today, with a flowerless vase as requested, and send you the very best of wishes this Monday. Thank you!
https://wordsandherbs.wordpress.com/2020/11/09/in-a-vase-on-monday-seven-years-seven-grasses/
Thanks Cathy, so kind – and I love the promise of your title!!
I forgot to say bow lovely your arrangement is! So simple and yet so pretty. I wonder if a squirrel dropped the fir cone? I found a walnut in my garden today and have no idea where the nearest walnut tree is!
Congratulations Cathy, what an achievement. You have given us all so much pleasure over the years with your lovely meme. I have been gardening all day, but I didn’t want to miss your 7th anniversary so I did a bit of snipping just as it was getting dark. https://wp.me/p3dx4o-407
Thanks so much Chloris – it is has been a pleasure to facilitate IAVOM, knowing it brings joy into people’s lives. I have been distracted by a jigsaw this week, but it is finished now so I can get back out into the garden!!
Congratulations! I wish I’d planned ahead to join in this time; the theme is excellent. OK, so my challenge for myself is to try to join in IVOM much more often in the new year. Happy Anniversary!
Thanks Beth – and you can’t beat a challenge for starting a new habit, so I look forward to seeing contributions from you in the new year 😀
Congratulations Cathy! I’m so glad you started this meme and I stumbled across it – it has inspired me to plan for and (try to) grow many new flowers. Perhaps even a dahlia next year!
Thanks Chris, and I am pleased to read that it has inspired you to grow new things. I know I have learned a lot through the meme and am a better and more knowledgable garden because of it
Happy Seventh Anniversary of IAVOM Cathy !!! Congratulations for these blogs that every Monday bring us together around your Vase and all those who participate with theirs thanks to you. What are another seven years at least! Cathy your no vase without flowers from this Monday’s challenge I love it. What a beauty on the slate of pineapple, moss and rosehip: I love how they combine shapes, textures and colors. It is a wonderful, very special, charming center. The little birthday cake with seven candles is beautiful and very appropriate for the occasion. Cathy continues like this, you are a superb centerpiece and vase creator: Congratulations !! Take good care of the golfer and you. Very affectionate greetings from Margarita.
Such kind comments Margarita, thank you
Cathy is the least you deserve. Very affectionate greetings from Margarita.
😊
Well Done, Cathy. Glad to add my name to all the wonderful tributes to your seventh anniversary. I look forward to your IOVOM each week. Take care of that Golfer for another year.
Thank you John, and of course I will make sure the Golfer is well looked after. Hope you are both keeping well
Oh, I missed that they were supposed to be bloomless. I do not do this meme yet. I do dig pine cones. That looks like a cone from an Austrian black pine, but there are so many pines that I am not familiar with.