A completely unseasonal jug of flowers today – a gift from one of our visitors this past week – which is probably cheating and not in the true spirit of ‘In a Vase on Monday’ but I hope it’ll be allowed. It’s a cheery bunch (although I dread to think about the air miles involved) and the flowers bring out the pink in my favourite table cloth. In the background you get a peek of Christmas lingering on here. Not for long – I’m about to work my way from room to room and tidy it all away. The children will complain mightily when they return home from school later but it’s time and I’m more than ready to say goodbye to it for another year.
Do hop over to Cathy’s blog to see the other first Monday vases of the year.
acoastalplot 
Don’t you wait until Twelfth Night to put it all away?
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Sometimes but not this year. Today’s the day!
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Twelfth Night for us
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Christmas is all boxed up here – apart from some fairy lights that are cheerful. I love flowers in winter but it is always a bit of a dilemma isn’t it? I have a hyacinth that just started flowering. It smells wonderful and is a sign of things to come.
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I try to buy seasonal flowers but I’m always delighted to receive any flowers as a gift. These pink stocks smell of summer. Hyacinths have a delicious scent – we have some deep blue ones in the garden that are just poking out.
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With the weather so mild and bulbs of all sorts springing up in the garden, it just felt wrong to hang on to Christmas. It was lovely to put it all up on Christmas Eve but I’m also ready to get on with 2016 now. The flowers are lovely, Sam, and it would be churlish not to appreciate flowers given as a gift! If this mild weather continues, who knows what we’ll be picking at the end of January!
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I’ve got tulips about 4cm up already! Too early. I do wonder whether we’ll get any proper cold weather this year and how the garden will respond if we don’t. It’s a little unsettling.
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A bit of cheating must be allowed ! I’m itching to clear up Christmas but mine are still at home and would literally string me up if I made an attempt on the tree. Enjoy.
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The house is now clear of Christmas and it feels good. The children were a little crestfallen but soon got over it!
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Oh I love these cheery flowers looking perfect on that beautiful table cloth!
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Lovely and we mustn’t look a gift horse in the mouth and the pink tones in flowers and tablecloth are so pretty and cheery. I’ve just taken the Christmas tree down. I usually wait until the 5th or 6th, never quite sure when Twelth night falls but I’m busy the rest of the week so it’s gone.
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This year, Twelfth Night is on 5th Jan but it had to be done today here too. Have a good week Sarah.
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My first thought was I was glad to see you’d not tidied Christmas away yet! Lovely flowers.
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They make a pretty combination, don’t they? Are the pink blooms stock? Surprisingly I have some stock in bloom, from seed sown in August – don’t know what it’s up to! I shall particularly miss the red cherry lights we have outside when we take them down, so they will definitely be waiting till the 6th!
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Yes, I’m pretty sure they are stocks Cathy. I’m amazed you have some in bloom – they’re usually spring/summer! Everything is discombobulated by the weird weather at the mo.
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Discombobulated – what a wonderful word that is!!
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I think it’s lovely to see some pink at this time of year, partly because January can be a colour-starved month, and partly as an antidote to all the red of Christmas. All flowers are welcome in this house, grown or bought. x
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Same here – I love flowers indoors and am always delighted to receive them 🙂
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Beautiful flowers and I like the Christmas still remaining in the back ground!
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I didn’t think those were from your garden! They are a lovely bunch to welcome the start of a new year and the promise of things to come! Sarah x
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Beautiful wherever they came from! xx
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The pink stock (Matthiola) is beautiful, whatever its source. Believe it or not, it’s in season here in southern California and is readily available in our local nurseries. It doesn’t hold up well in hot weather so it’s only offered during our cool season. (We really only have 2 seasons – cool and warm-hot.)
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I like the sound of your seasons. At least you know where you are. Ours seem to be all over the place at the moment.
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such pretty blooms. Christmas packed up here except for the fairy lights, they have a reprieve, actually the tree might stay too, as it’s a branch and not a “Christmas tree” x
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It could become an Easter branch, with hanging eggs…
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I love the scent of stocks, such a change from the usual winter flowers. I think most of us are delighted to get rid of the Xmas stuff and get back to normal. I can never wait until twelfth night.
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The flowers are pretty and go perfectly with that fabulous tablecloth. I haven’t seen stocks so open and large flowered. They are lovely.
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To me, your beautiful flowers and gorgeous tablecloth more than make up for the cleaned-up Christmas situation. 🙂
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🙂 thanks Jennifer
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This is a gorgeous bouquet and picture!
Wishing you a sparkling New Year!
Olympia
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I always like a bunch of spring flowers after christmas, so I think it’s excused! I am admiring your lovely tablecloth too. Beautiful colours X
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