Catkin: a slim, cylindrical flower cluster, with inconspicuous or no petals, usually wind-pollinated…
The contents of my vase for this week’s meme “In a Vase on Monday” – where Cathy challenges us to bring garden materials indoors each week – are completely recycled; February is still cold and snowy and everything in the garden seems to be hanging in icy equilibrium.
But the Forsythia and catkins brought in from the cold last week are opening and remind me that spring will soon be here.
The green shoots are on a twig of spindle tree, which was in last week’s vase for the seedheads. And a piece of Miscanthus from last week also fitted into my tiny green vase.
The Flower Fairy poetry book in the background is open on the Hazel Catkin page:
I love that last verse!
While yet the woods lie grey and still
I give my tidings: “Spring is near!”
One day the land shall leap to life
With fairies calling: “Spring is HERE!”
~
Can’t wait to hear those fairy voices!
😉
Do visit our host, Cathy at Rambling in the Garden, to see her vase and all the others linked in from around the world.
Maybe you can join in too?
Words and Herbs 
So lovely, poem, catkins, early branches! 🙂
I am looking forward to seeing the Forsythia bloom outdoors too!
Cathy you have given me a boost that yes indeed the fairies will be singing soon. The vase is stunning and makes me know that spring is near. And the fairy poetry book is something I must find. I love fairies.
I think the fairies would like your garden Donna. 😉 The book is “The Complete Book of the Flower Fairies” by Cicely Mary Barker. The flower fairies are well-known and loved in the UK. Are they known in your part of the world too?
Such a pretty vase (and poem to go with it).
Thank you! In winter I tend to sift through my poetry books more often!
beautiful like an ikebana
Thank you Mitza. 🙂
Until you hear those fairy voices you have your own piece of spring in a vase! I live the catkins and the green vase is gorgeous.
Those fairies are tucked up tight for winter I suspect, and I will have to wait a few weeks yet, but I shall be listening just in case! 😉
It’s so pretty Cathy – and your book reminds me that although I have 12 pretty plates with the flower fairies on I do not have the poems to go with them and I need to remedy that! Isn’t it great that thinks you picked previously are gradually opening? I optimistically cut a magnolia bud a couple of weeks ago… 😉
I wonder if the Magnolia will flower for you Cathy… The book is “The Complete Book of the Flower Fairies” and was so worth the investment a few years ago as I hadn’t known there were so many of them! They are such charming rhymes too.
The outer ‘shell’ of the bud has just dropped off today, so who knows….. 😉
How exciting! I hope it will appear in a Monday vase soon!
So precious and lovely! Where there is a will, there is a way- Catkins do speak of spring. I, too, await the fairies announcing, “Spring is HERE!”
Hello Eliza. Yes, This meme has made me determined to find something every week, no matter what season! I might even have a snowdrop next week, if I’m lucky! Thanks for visiting!
I think this challenge gets us outside and enables us to see our world with new eyes. We are NOT victims of winter! 😉 In what state do you garden?
I’m in Bavaria, Germany. We often have bitter cold winters, so this year hasn’t been too bad, but our valley gets a lot of fog and low cloud in winter so it takes a while for us to thaw out before spring arrives!
Cool – pleased to know that. We’re both looking forward to spring when it finally does get here. That will be about April for me… 🙂
I used to love the Flower Fairy books, in fact I still do. How lovely to have the Song of the Hazel- Catkin Fairy to go with your arrangement. Even in the depths of Winter we can have buds opening inside. They go so well with the pretty green vase.
Thank you Chloris. I have a large vase of Forsythia slowly opening, and will cut some Ribes soon too to try indoors. 🙂
You do an excellent job of recycling Cathy! Your catkins are very pretty and I loved the poetic accompaniment.
Thanks Kris! It’s a matter of using what is available with the garden still covered in snow, so the catkins are really the only ‘flowers’ I have right now. But I do love them!
A lovely acid green arrangement with a splash of yellow, Cathy. I recently saw a Hazel shrub in a local nursery with dark pink catkins. I was very tempted!
I have also seen pictures of pink hazels and think they look a little surreal! I wonder if the nuts are pink too… 😉
Lovely and cheerful Cathy! The coloring of the vase works perfectly with the arrangement.
Thank you Susie. I am craving greens and yellows at the moment!
A lovely prelude to spring Cathy – those catkins are stunning and you have reminded me that I really must go out and cut a few branches of forsythia to force inside. My daughter used to love the Flower Fairies and I must go and see if we still have that lovely book – the answer is probably yes as I rarely get rid of anything beautiful.
I bought myself the complete flower fairies collection a few years ago and hadn’t realised just how many illustrations and poems there actually are. Hope you find that book of yours!
Very creative, striking, and evocative of early spring!
Thanks Jason! It’s still frosty and snowy here, so it’s nice to be able go force some spring flowers indoors.
Maybe it’s because I’m a cat person but catkins, even just the word!, make me smile! Thx for sharing these pics!!!
We always used to call them lambstail catkins – to differentiate from the pussy willow catkins – so the word conjures up nice nostalgic images for me too!
I’ve been listening to these voices for a while, Cathy, and swear they’re getting stronger! Lovely vase, I have catkins in mine as well and am glad to be free of allergies as the pollen is everywhere. Cheers to spring 🙂
My larger vase full of catkins from last week had to be moved from the fireplace as our little dog sniffed at it and got her nose covered in yellow pollen! We still have white frosts and snow here Annette, so the fairies are keeping quiet for now!
Lovely! I also took pictures of my hazelnut some days ago – http://gradinameasialtefermecatorii.blogspot.ro/2015/02/dimineata-in-gradina-magie-de-februarie.html
Hello Anca. The hazels seem to like the cold weather – ours were covered in white frost all day today! Thanks for the link. I’ll visit soon. 🙂
The prefect vase for such pickings Cathy – green and yellow look so at home together. I hope those fairy voices are getting louder and nearer by the day.
Thanks Anna! I might even have a snowdrop open next week… let’s wait and see!
Your photography is exquisite Cathy, I can’t wait to hear those fairy voices as well. Today was warmish and sunny and wonderful reminder that spring is on it’s way.
I’m glad you are getting some sunshine Nancy. If you hear a fairy, let me know! 😉
Absolutely gorgeous – love the green and yellow! (A little starved for colour here, although at least we don’t have too much white right now).
I’m looking for colour wherever I can get it too… Hope your winter isn’t too long this year Sheryl.
Haha, too funny to have the book in there too 🙂
There’s something about catkins that I never get tired of, no matter if they’re hanging or upright like a pussy willow I just love to see them in the spring!
I know just what you mean! I am always impatient to see the pussy willows open… they make a real mess when they drop later on, but they are the first real sign of spring and the bees love them too!