When the heat is on, the dahlias step up

I wasn't sure the dahlias would come through for me this year.  For one thing, they got a late start because I was held up by medical issues during the period I'm usually getting the tubers started.  In addition, all my dahlia plants had succumbed to a vicious virus last year and it wasn't guaranteed that the soil in my cutting garden wouldn't prompt a repeat performance despite my efforts to clean the slate before planting the area again.

Although not all the new plants that made it through round one have flowered yet, fourteen have.  Four of these are duplicates but I thought I'd show off the ten varieties currently in bloom, starting with my favorites so far.

This is 'Good Morning', apparently named after a long-running television show

This is 'Labyrinth', which I've grown in prior years

'Omega' is new to me

'Karma Caroline' is small in size but floriferous and very pretty with a waterlily-like form

This tuber was sold to me as 'Belle of Barmera', which it certainly is not.  My best guess is that it's 'Break Out', which I've previously grown, although I don't remember it getting quite this big!

This is another one that's new to me.  It's called 'Snowbound'.

This one, called 'Admiral Rawlings', is just getting started.  It's taller and narrower in size that the other dahlias in this year's collection.  The flowers are the deepest purple I think I've ever seen, although that color isn't well represented in this photo.

This is the first bloom produced by 'Enchantress', another of my favorites.  Unfortunately, it'd already faded by the time I got around to photographing it.

This is the only "collarette" dahlia I have this year.  It's called 'Hartennas'.  The bees love it.

I haven't made up my mind about this one.  It's called 'Mystery Day'.

The duplicates currently blooming include:  'Labyrinth', ' Break Out', 'Admiral Rawlings', and 'Mystery Day'.  The dahlias that haven't flowered yet include: 'Creme de Cognac', Honeymoon', 'Nicholas', and 'Table Dancer'.  'Creme de Cognac' was eaten to the ground early on and I'm not convinced it's going to recover but I have relative confidence in the rest so far.

Dahlias aren't the only plants that warrant a bit of attention this July, however.  Here are a few others worth mentioning:

Catharanthus 'Blueberry Kisses', a variety of vinca, produces pretty, if relatively small flowers.  What impresses me most is that I planted these last fall if I recall correctly and they've survived despite being ignored.

The Cistus have produced another flush of flowers.  The species on the left is Cistus x skanbergii.  I've no ID for the one on the right, which I can't even remember planting years ago.

These are just a handful of the Daucus carota 'Dara' that self-seeded freely in my garden this year.  The bulk of them are cleverly hiding out in the shrubbery to ensure their survival into next year and beyond.

The Eustoma grandiflorum (aka Lisianthus) have put on a patchy show this year and I expect that the intenser heat we're now getting will take out those that remain very soon.  However, I did get some blooms in apricot and pale green a this year.  No blues whatsoever, though!

Monarda 'Peter's Purple' has come back in very small numbers this year, which is rather disappointing

In contrast, Rudbeckia 'Juliana', planted in this barrel last summer, is putting on a very good show.  I need more Rudbeckia!

Salvia canariensis var candidissima rebounded this month after being cut back bard last month

That's it for the July floral parade in my garden.  I've got some sunflower and zinnia seedlings still in the development stage but, as both got an even later start than the dahlias this year, I'm surprised I've any.  My fingers are crossed that I may at least get some flowers of each in August.

I hope you've got some flowers to brighten your summer garden too!

All material © 2012-2026 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

In a Vase on Monday: No fussing this week

After a bright, sunny start to Sunday morning, the clouds moved in, the sky turned a dingy gray, and it got very muggy.  I usually spend a good amount of time just tidying up my garden while cutting flowers for "In a Vase on Monday"; however, this week I decided to make a quick job of it and get myself back indoors.  Historically, coastal Southern California has been known for its "dry heat" but higher humidity is becoming increasingly common.  It also didn't help that there's also a new wildfire fire burning in Northern Los Angeles County, contributing to both the gloom and the sharp decline in our air quality.

I picked one of my favorite dahlias, 'Labyrinth', as the centerpiece of this week's arrangement.

I paired the 'Labyrinth' dahlias with Lisianthus (Eustoma grandiflorum) and Grevillea flowers in similar peachy tones.  These colors can lift anyone's spirits, even under the gloomiest conditions. 

The back view of the vase was taken over by splashy stems of Leucadendron 'Wilson's Wonder'

Overhead view

Clockwise from the upper left are: Dahlia 'Labyrinth', Eustoma grandflorum 'Apricot', Cuphea 'Honeybells', Grevillea 'Peaches & Cream', and Leucadendron 'Wilson's Wonder'

Finished arrangement in place

I'll tackle tidying the garden on another, hopefully cooler, day.  How much cooler weather we can reasonably expect this summer and fall with El Nino conditions forming in the Pacific are questionable, though.  While those conditions can mean drought and food shortages in many parts of the world, they can also mean deluges and floods here in California  I generally welcome rain but too much rain too fast can become a significant problem as well. 

For more IAVOM posts, check in with Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.

All material © 2012-2026 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

In a Vase on Monday: An imposter?

It warmed up here late last week, and the dahlias finally started getting into gear, which is not to say that all of my tubers are blooming yet. However, two of the largest "dinner plate" dahlias flowered and demanded notice. They were identified at time of purchase as 'Belle of Barmera', which I've grown before, and 'Omega', which is new to me. The flowers of both are huge, even by my standards.

The 'Belle of Barmera' is notably softer in color than the one I previously grew, which made me believe that the tubers were mislabeled by the seller.

The flowers of this 'Belle' are pale pink and yellow in color while online references describe it as a mix of coral, peach, and raspberry-pink.  My plants are pretty but I don't think they're 'Belle of Barmera'.  (You can see what those flowers should look like here.) 

Back view of the vase, showing off the single stem of 'Omega' I included. I couldn't have crammed in a second 'Omega' bloom in that vase if I'd tried. 

Overhead view

Clockwise from the upper left: Agonis flexuosa 'Nana' (aka peppermint willow), Dahlia 'Belle of Barmera' (or its imposter), D. 'Omega', and Grevillea 'Superb'

The arrangement in place in our front entryway

It's looking likely that I can expect more dahlias in the weeks ahead.  I remain hopeful that I may get more lilies too, although that's not certain if it gets too hot too fast.  A stem of Lilium 'Zelmira' with just two flowers surprised me last Tuesday but I haven't seen any evidence of its sisters in the wings, nor the two other lily varieties I expected to see this season.

Lilium 'Zelmira'

For more IAVOM posts, visit our gracious host, Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.

All material © 2012-2026 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

In a Vase on Monday: Some fumbling involved

The dahlias continue to produce buds but remain slow about delivering actual flowers. A couple of dahlia flowers opened very recently; however, there were not enough to make up a single bouquet. Luckily, one of the two stalks of 'Friso' lilies opened to fill the gap, boosted in part by a sudden flurry of wild carrot and other flowers. Hopefully, the dahlias will pick up their pace next week.

While I like the mix of flowers here, the arrangement itself is a little sloppy.  The lily had twisted its stalk around and refused to allow me to bend it into shape.

 

As may be evident from this rear view of the vase

Overhead view

Clockwise from the upper left, the vase contains: Daucus carota 'Dara' (self-seeded and known as both wild carrot and Queen Anne's lace), Leucanthemum x superbum (aka Shasta daisy, in its ruffled form), Leptospermum 'Copper Glow', Lilium 'Friso', and Pelargonium peltatum 'Dark Pink' (aka ivy geranium)

Vase in the front entry

We didn't get the heat that was predicted last week, at least not in our area.  Our daily temperatures remained in the low to mid-70sF (22 to 24C) and it looks as though we should expect more of the same leading into the holiday weekend.  It's hard to know what to wish for there.  I'd settle for a stretch of relative calm.  For those of you in the US, I wish you the same.

To see more IAVOM posts, check in with Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.

All material © 2012-2026 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

In a Vase on Monday: Dahlias make it to the menu

I expected another cluster of lilies this week, but the majority of them are still holding their buds tight, which is also true of most of the dahlias that have produced buds in my garden thus far. I do have two dahlias with flowers, though, one purchased in flower from a local garden center, and one I received as a baby plant from a grower back in early April. I chose to cut flowers of the latter as it's produced blooms at a steady pace for the past two weeks.

As the flowers of Dahlia 'Karma Caroline' are notably smaller than the "dinner plate" varieties I tend to favor, I threw in a stem of a noID Hippeastrum in a similar color similar to that of the dahlia to add weight to the arrangement

The back view of the arrangement provides a better view of the Hippeastrum, as well as a closeup of the pale green Lisianthus (Eustoma grandiflorum) I added to the mix

Overhead view: I'd characterize this dahlia as a waterlily type, although I don't think the grower did so

Clockwise from the upper left, the vase contains: noID Alstroemeria, Crassula pubescens, Dahlia 'Karma Caroline', Eustoma grandiflorum, noID Hippeastrum, and Leucadendon 'Jester'

Arrangement in place on the front entry table (Note: the vase in this case is a smaller version of the vase I used last week)

Three of the six 'Montego Bay' lilies I used last week were still in good shape, although they'd faded in color since they were originally cut. 

The 3 remaining lilies and 2 glossy stems of Coprosma 'Plum Hussey' were relegated to the kitchen island

The marine layer is still present most mornings but it generally lifts earlier in the day now.  Temperatures have been in the low 70sF (22C) here along the coast.  We've yet to experience blasts of heat like the freak heatwave that hit SoCal back in February.  The question is: how long will that luck hold?

Check in with Cathy at Rambling in the Garden to see what she and other contributors have to share on IAVOM this week.

All material © 2012-2026 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

What's perking up my garden this June?

I was late putting together a Bloom Day post and, as Carol of May Dreams Gardens, the creator of Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, is in the process of retiring the meme anyway, I thought I'd do my own thing this month.  Rather than cover virtually everything I currently have in flower as I've done in the past,  I picked just the plants that drew my eye right now.  It's still a relatively long list!

I'm starting with a few plants I recently acquired.

I lost a significant number of plants due to a February heatwave and my inability to properly care for my garden when medical issues sidelined me for an extended period.  I refilled this pot with a Digiplexis 'Illumination Raspberry' and 2 peachy Osteospermums.

Tired of waiting for my first dahlia tubers to bloom, I bought this Dahlia 'XXL Veracruz' at my local garden center already in flower and potted it up

A small Dahlia 'Karma Carolina' I'd back-ordered in January (and promptly forgotten) was delivered in April.  The plant flowered before any of the bare tubers I planted.

As it's easier to simply present the rest of my selections in alphabetical order, that's what I've done.

Cuphea 'Vermillionaire' is now blooming with abandon

One of several artichokes (Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus) are flowering on our back slope, overlooked by 2 neighboring homes

These Gaillardia 'Spintop Copper Sun' returned to bloom more vigorously than ever this year

Hebe ''Grace Kelly' is flowering better than ever this year, although its lost most of its variegation

The Hemerocallis 'Sammy Russell' daylilies originally came with the house

Another noID Hippeastrum flowered this month.  Their schedule is unpredictable.

The noID purple Iris germanica at the bottom of my back slope are the only ones I can depend upon to bloom each year.  They came with the garden.

The 2 tree-like Leptospermum 'Copper Glow' in the front garden are flowering more profusely than they ever have before

The noID Leucanthemum x superbum I received from a friend years ago as a gift have picked up their flower power this month

The last of this year's Lilium 'Orange Planet' are finishing up but luckily other lilies are preparing to make an entrance

The red-orange flowers of the Lotus berthelotii I planted last year are also finally blooming in earnest 

The Phlomis fruticosa (aka Jerusalem sage) I thought had finished up in April seem to be back!

I've been largely avoiding my semi-treacherous back slope but I did notice that the Matilija poppies (Romneya coulteri) are in flower.  Pretty as they are, I tried to remove them again last year and clearly failed. 

This is Rudbeckia 'Juliana', which I didn't expect to last the season summer, much less to be flowering again this year

Salvia 'Mystic Spires' is also back and flowering with greater vigor thus year

That's enough for now, wouldn't you say?  More dahlias are on the heels of those I shared at the top of this post, and there are at least a couple more lilies in the wings.  I have lots of tiny zinnia and sunflower seedlings coming up too but, if they survive, I expect it'll be a couple of months yet before they amount to anything as they got a very late start this year.

Meanwhile, I hope your summer is off to a good start!

All material © 2012-2026 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party