Winter is here and everything is pretty dead, except virus. It seems everyone is taking the turn to get sick. I had my turn a week ago and I had to take a whole week sick leave, which was really no fun.

But if you think everything in this season is not very pretty, you are wrong. I think I kind of figure out a way to cheer the house up by bringing the plant home as a fresh living accessory to give our place a pop of colour. Yes, even in the winter, you can have them going all the time.

I found a few miniature iris-looked flowers in front of our house this morning before our friends came for the lunch. I picked 4 and put them in a canning jar on a kitchen shelf, which instantly changed the gloomy winter looking. On yesterday’s lunch walk, I picked another native flower in front of a solicitor’s office, then the same iris flower just on the side walk. I know none of these flowers’ names unless I ask those people who have ever studied horticulture, but do I really need to know?

Now I look at our backyard, everywhere is full of potential for fresh cutting (flowers). Climbing jasmine leaves, interesting ivy, falling gum tree branches, white, yellow and red rose bushes are still having roses going now, some evergreen trees, the little star shaped white flowers over the fence, red and purple berries, tempted to pick a stem with camellia flower blooming now at the far end of our backyard….I often came back with something in hand that I can pop them into a glass vase for decoration after a 2 minutes’ stroll in our garden.

I think I have learned a very important lesson in the past 6 months – be creative with what you have got. If you can’t afford buying fresh flowers every week, then put your colourful fruit in a glass bowl, all bright yellow lemons or green granny smith apples; if nothing is flowering now, use leaves or branches. Do not be greedy, try single flower in a small glass jar. Take cuttings or start a plant from seedlings rather than buying mature plant from a nursery. Paint a falling tree branch all white and stick it in a vase, it will last forever with its dramatic look.

I am really loving all my creations in this cold winter, just as much as I can’t wait to see what would come up in our backyard when the spring comes.

White gum tree branches in a vase, mosaic effect edge made of broken CD pieces around a mirror, white paper cutting candle cover, sat on the tall boy in our bedroom.