Thursday, 3 April 2014

The First Posy of the Year


A lovely thing happened this week; I picked my first flowers from the garden. I went out armed with my scissors to clip a single camellia then looked around me and thought, hmm...we appear to have some colour! Suddenly, in the last few days, the grape hyacinths have come up and my forsythia has flowered. Tulips are almost on the cusp of blooming. Spring! It's here, at last.

I picked sparingly, just a few here and there. Daffodils, little daffodils (tete-a-tetes? narcissi?), grape hyacinths, primulas, forsythia and a type of pink flowered succulent which I can't name. Euphorbia maybe? I might be able to grow a few flowers but I can't name them, clearly.

That beautiful camellia gets to shine all on it's own. Just look at it. Gorgeous, even with it's slightly damaged brown-edged leaves. They just seem to give it a vintage, sepia appeal.


It's holding up beautifully so far and hasn't drooped at all. It sits on the coffee table in the living room where I can admire it throughout the day.


And everything else, that joyful riot of colour, I arranged in an old tea caddy, bought and kept for just these sorts of posies.


These I set on my bedside table, which I think is one of the nicest, greediest spots in which to place a vase of flowers. Wholly for me to admire, when I wake up and when I go to sleep.


The primulas have wilted a little but everything else is still going strong.


I'm all fired up to get planting and growing now. This little posy was just what I needed to see.

37 comments:

  1. What a beautiful bouquet Gillian! Your camellia is especially pretty. I hope that you have many more bouquets through the year, you have inspired me to go out and pick a few tomorrow for my bedside! xx

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  2. I've been away for a few days and was surprised when I got home this afternoon that there were so many plants in flower that weren't at the beginning of the week. Your cut flowers are lovely. I think I might pick a post for the weekend. X

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  3. Your bedroom is so pretty, the lampshade, pillowcases, quilt and flowers displayed in a tea tin are all just perfect, am drooling! xo

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  4. I'm envious. I'm allllmost ready to have a posy too, maybe another week. Yours is beautiful.

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  5. Just gorgeous! Your pink camellia is so pretty all on it's own. And the little posy in your bedroom is so sweet... I love the tea caddy. Your bedroom looks quite lovely!

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  6. Hi there Gillian, what a beautiful sign of spring. I love flowers, I love color, and I love the spring and it's Beaty. So happy it HS started for you. We have so much rain still. A few rays of sun have shown up here and there but I'm still waiting. Love the pillow cases on your bed. Hope you have a good weekend.

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  7. Beautiful flowers, and that camellia is just exquisite. Camellias are among my absolute favourite spring flowers, along with magnolias. Far too exotic for such a cold season, and yet there they are. I really like the tea caddy, it's so pretty.

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  8. There was a most wonderful sweet smell in the air yesterday morning in my garden. I'll be having a stroll this afternoon to see what is in flower.

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  9. That little posy was just what I needed too. It's lovely to see new growth everywhere.
    Have a great weekend.
    Jacqui xx

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  10. Gorgeous Gillian. so simple and so perfect. I love the little tin that you put them in, it sets them off a treat.
    Have a lovely day,
    Kate x

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  11. Lovely!

    You have far more growing than we do our daffodils are just coming out.....

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  12. Ahhh just so beautiful. I adore little garden posies.......and yes, the best place to have them is by your bed!

    Have a super weekend xxx

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  13. You've got a great variety of flowers in your garden and they're all so lovely!
    Marion x

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  14. Oh, how absolutely delightful. I never think to pick flowers from our garden to make little bits of ahppy throughout the house. You've inspired me x

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  15. Spring flowers are so full of promise and your little posy by the bed looks beautiful in that little tin. Have a lovely weekend.
    Jane x

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  16. A little lovely - thanks Gillian. Happy Friday to you!

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  17. Totally with you on the bedside flowers, my favourite place for a posy too (esp sweet peas in the summer). I also love a few stems in old glass bottles in the bathroom, always such a lovely surprise when I nip in for a you know what !!!
    xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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  18. Very sweet, they must smell lovely.

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  19. I have catching up with a lovely visit to your home, gorgeous photos of your beautiful children, lovey flowers all over. Have a wonderful week and tahnks for letting me peek into your day.
    Meredith

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  20. gorgeous! we've had a few grape hyacinths pop up unexpectedly and the daffodils are still going strong! that camellia is just beautiful x

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  21. What a perfect little posy and I love the pot they're in it sets them off perfectly. I love fresh flowers in the bedroom.

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  22. Hello, so much prettiness, so much lovely colour, thank you xx

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  23. Beautiful flowers Gillian. I cannot bring myself to pick the flowers in my garden even if there are plenty. There must be something wrong with me because I would just love to have a posy on my bedside table! Have a wonderful weekend. xx

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  24. My flowers are under the snow here in Canada and I Am impatient to See how It Will grow.
    Thank You for sharing yours. It gives us Joy.
    Good Day xx
    Miss www.mywoolvalley.blogspot.ca

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  25. So pretty...I'm now tempted to follow your example! Have a lovely weekend and Easter holidays. S xo

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  26. Your bedside posy is absolutely stunning! x

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  27. I love picking a few flowers from the garden to make a wee posy too. I love your bedside posy, the little tin is so perfect too.
    Marianne x

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  28. Oh, a perfect little posy in an extremely pretty tin ... Bee xx

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  29. bedroom flowers - the ultimate indulgence! I feel guilty about my shop bought bunches!

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  30. Lovely little posy. You're lucky to have so many things in flower at the moment - I really must plant more spring-flowering plants as mine is mostly a sea of green. I really like the photo in your bedroom too with the flowers picking up the colours in your bedding - so pretty. x

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  31. As always beautiful photographs Gillian. your camellia is beautiful. My camellia has finally flowered! What a great idea to take a branch to have inside; I think i'll be doing the same!

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  32. I love your posy - you have tempted me to bring a few Camelias indoors x

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  33. I just love the purple and yellow together in the posy, it's clear why they are called complementary colours. I'm also coverting your lamp, it would just go in my bedroom. Xx

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  34. Oh, your poises are beautiful! And I think everyone should be able to have a selfish pot of flowers at their bedside...it is one of my favorite spots for freshly picked poised. Love your pillow cases.

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