Although there is no wintersweet in today’s vase, it is nevertheless filled with a number of other sweet things of winter interest and beyond. I should however, try and find a spot for this fragrant shrub, Chimonanthus praecox, to further widen the range of plants of winter interest in the garden.
Instead, the welcome flowers on the arabis featured yesterday on Six on Saturday were my starting point, joined by blooms of Viburnum tinus from just outside the back door, winter jasmine creeping under the fence from a neighbour’s garden and fluffy seedheads of Pennisteum villosum, currently overwintering in the greenhouse. I picked some stems of Sarcococca humilis too, not quite flowering, but decided the viburnum foliage was sufficient. The jasmine and viburnum are fragrant, but the arabis and pennisetum are just sweet in their own right.
The small posy was placed in a vintage grey jug, similar in external finish to those from Prinknash Pottery, but with a delightful celadon blue-green interior. Rather than borrow some of the Golfer’s sweets to prop up the finished vase, I have invited my little articulated fairy to join us today, as she is very definitely sweet, whatever the time of year!
If you would like to share a vase of your own pickings this Monday, with or without props, then please join us by including links to and from this post from your own
Rambling in the Garden 
Little sweet things and fairies are always welcome. Plants that give this time of the year and treasures in the garden. Here is my contribution: https://noellemace.blogspot.com/2023/01/in-vase-on-monday-dont-cry-for-me.html
Oh indeed, Noelle, making daily rambles an absolute necessity to see what’s new 😉
Beautiful selections Cathy. Sweet fragrance is such a lovely addition to a vase. I’d love a peek inside the vase to see the interior glaze–sounds lovely. If there were time I could probably find some little things to fill a vase but still preoccupied here. Bulbs are sending up leaves, no hellebores open yet but their promise is evident. Have a happy week.
Thanks for still making the time to pop in and comment, Susie, in your otherwise preoccupied life. Next time I use the vase I will ttry to remember to take a photo showing the interior too
I was thrown by the title, thinking Wintersweet is yellow, isn’t it. I haven’t seen any in years and it is a winter favorite. I think Noelle is right – definite garden treasures and I am sure you are enjoying them in the house. Here is my vase, thank you for hosting. https://theshrubqueen.com/2023/01/16/in-a-vase-on-monday-fresh-as-a/
Yes, it’s a pale yellow, and I will definitely look into buying a shrub – I suspect it is its yellowness that has put me off up to now!!
I am not wild about yellow, either. The scent and tiny-ness of the flowers would make it worthwhile.
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I thought you had wintersweet in your vase when I saw the title, so changed the title of my post for today 😉:
But even without it your vase is indeed very sweet. The winter jasmine is a great splash of spring-like colour and your Arabis has done well to keep going almost non-stop. The fairy is adorable. I used to have some animal toys like that… a giraffe I think, and perhaps a zebra and a spotty dog! Is that the correct term for them – ‘articulated’? And I wonder if they still make toys like that… Thanks as always Cathy. 🤗
They do still make toys like this, Cathy, as I bought this (new) on eBay within the last year or two – no idea what to call them in my search, but it came up with ‘classic push-up toy’ eventually… you too could have a new one to replace your childhood ones!!
I am glad I tricked one or two with the title, which I suppose was intentional, although sometimes I think of the sarcococca as ‘wintersweet’, before relaiing it isn’t. so that’s what was probaly in my head this time 😉
I could be also be tempted by a wintersweet Cathy or the white forsythia – proper name of which escapes me at the moment. Lovely to see the return of the fairy who looks most chirpy and cheery. My vase is here : https://greentapestry.blogspot.com/2023/01/iavom-thereby-hang-tale.html
I have got a white forsythia ‘stick’, Anna, but it is not doing anyhing in a hurry and was perhaps a false economy…🙄 The fairy was included on impulse but I am pleased I did so as her chirpiness is bringing me pleasure
Wintersweet isn’t a genus I’m familiar with so you could have fooled me 😉 Winter jasmine and Viburnum are both plants I admire but haven’t tried to grow in my climate, although I gave a friend of mine 3 small Viburnums many years ago as a housewarming gift and they’re now massive. My garden is very, very wet but I found flowers to pick anyway: https://krispgarden.blogspot.com/2023/01/in-vase-on-monday-soggy.html Thanks for hosting, Cathy.
You are not complaining about your wetness though, I trust?! 😁
Well, the rain is generally a blessing for the garden but the pounding storms revealed a roof leak, which is of concern, especially as we had our roof replaced as part of our home renovation in 2019. The roofers paid a visit and patched 3 spots prior to the last 2 storms but we still had a significant leak. We believe that chinks in the mortar of the 72 year old chimney is the real culprit. My husband attempted to patch it during one rain break but it wasn’t enough so we’re going to have to get a chimney repair specialist. Meanwhile, my husband has spent way too much time on the roof, including an hour during pouring rain on Saturday attaching a tarp over the chimney. So, at the moment, I’m appreciating the return of some blue sky!
Oh no, that’s definitely not what you want during rain storms, Kris – I remember your renovations and they are so recent you would never have anticipated any failure in the work so soon. It’s always difficult if you don’t know where a leak is coming from , especially when it is only evident in heavy rain. How long will you have to wait for the chimney repair specialist? You will no doubt be discouraging your husband from going on the roof again before then…
Well, it seems that my husband’s changed his mind as he was back on the roof making further patches to the chimney today. He’s a stubborn fellow and all too used to doing things himself.
😁
Good choices: It looks lovely! My landscape is gray and rainy today, so you’ve definitely brightened my day. Of course, in my climate I have no blooms until March. I should have clipped some colorful foliage before the rain. You are truly an artist, with your vase choice and the plants you’ve included in your collection.
Oh thanks Beth, and I agree – leaves and twigs and seedheads are are always attractive in their own right. Even so, it’s a pleasure to have some blooms throughout the year
These are a few that I do not recognize. I am familiar only with Viburnum tinus. I know other species of the other genera, but could not have identified these. We added some sort of jasmine at work, but I do not know what it is. I got the cuttings from an old landscape in Monterey. it is interesting to see what is popular in other regions, even the Viburnum tinus. It is a common hedge shrubbery here, so does not get much respect.
That viburnum is pretty common here too, and probably doesn’t get much respect either!
But people cut it and bring it in. I suppose that, if I were to bring flowers in, I should try it.