Monday, January 26, 2015

In a Vase on Monday: Like Sunshine on a Summer Day

Last week, I featured a Leucadendron as my favorite plant of the week so that plant's flowers came to mind when the time came to prepare this week's vase for the meme sponsored by Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.  The Leucadendron's flowers, made up of colored bracts surrounding a central cone, are pink and yellow.  I wanted some pink to play up the color of the bracts but the color I was looking for needed a coral cast.  I remembered seeing some pink blooms on an unidentified Heuchera at the bottom of the slope and, on my trip down there, decided to include several stems of one of the Ribes currently in full bloom there as well.  To balance the small flowers of the Leucadendron and the tiny flowers of both the Ribes and the Heuchera, I cut 2 rose stems from a climber I've yet to prune to add a focal point.  I ended up with another sunshine-inspired bouquet.



Included in the vase are:
  • Argyranthemum frutescens 'Butterfly'
  • Heuchera (no ID, possibly one of the Canyon series)
  • Leucadendron salignum ' Chief'
  • Ribes viburnifolium, aka Catalina Perfume, an evergreen form
  • Rosa 'Joseph's Coat'


The unidentified Heuchera inherited with the house

A fuzzy photo of the Leucadendron blooms (you can see better ones here)

The tiny flowers of Ribes viburnifolium are hard to photograph and close-ups like this one make it appear they have some kind of white fuzz but these flecks are part of the stem's structure

The 'Joseph's Coat' rose, accompanied here by the yellow Argyranthemum, is a deep coral pink at its peak

Earlier stages of bloom - these 2 flowers are on the same stem


I tried the vase in a couple of settings.

Too busy

Much better


Visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden to discover what she's arranged or, as she prefers to put it, "plonked" in a vase this Monday.  If you've assembled a vase from materials in your garden, link up!


 All material © 2012-2015 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
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28 comments:

  1. AnonymousJanuary 26, 2015 at 10:09 AM

    That is a beautiful shade of pink on your unknown heuchera - it is such an underrated plant in terms of picking for a vase as both the leaves and flowers can be a useful addition. You have chosen well with the different pinks and yellows as they complement each other beautifully. Thanks so much for sharing

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kris PetersonJanuary 26, 2015 at 8:00 PM

      I've been looking for more Heuchera with just that flower color since we've moved here. I've yet to find it so I'll have to try dividing the small clump I have.

      Delete
  2. AnonymousJanuary 26, 2015 at 10:16 AM

    Very summery indeed, Kris, winter has really set in here with icy winds and bitter cold days so your rays of sunshine gave me a lot of pleasure thank you.

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    Replies
    1. Kris PetersonJanuary 26, 2015 at 8:02 PM

      We got some rain here too, beginning late this afternoon. I hope it hangs about a while - our humidity this past weekend was near zero and the plants were none too happy even in the bright sunshine.

      Delete
  3. Mark and GazJanuary 26, 2015 at 12:52 PM

    Beautiful shades and loving the soft hues of the background framing the very bright Rosa!

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    1. Kris PetersonJanuary 26, 2015 at 8:04 PM

      I really should have cut that rose back earlier - now that it's starting to bloom again, it's a harder task to face.

      Delete
  4. TexasDebJanuary 26, 2015 at 12:59 PM

    That rose is stunning - I love all of its colors singly but even more so once put into play with the other blooms in your vase. You are really developing quite an eye for the arrangements!

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    1. Kris PetersonJanuary 26, 2015 at 8:05 PM

      Thanks Deb. That 'Joseph's Coat' rose is hard to ignore when it's in bloom - it demands center stage.

      Delete
  5. Woodland GnomeJanuary 26, 2015 at 1:26 PM

    You have transported me to a summer day with your beautiful vase of flowers today ;-) The Heuchera flowers are the perfect touch. Beautiful! WG

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kris PetersonJanuary 26, 2015 at 8:06 PM

      I love that Heuchera WG. I must look into propagating it as I certainly haven't found it's duplicate in the local nurseries.

      Delete
  6. Julie@peoniesandposies.comJanuary 26, 2015 at 2:36 PM

    What a joy to see your sunny arrangement - the rose is beautiful and that heuchera is a stunning colour. Thank you for sharing - it always feels like summer on your blog!

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    1. Kris PetersonJanuary 26, 2015 at 8:07 PM

      If you'd have been here this past weekend, Julie, you'd have thought it was summer. Our temperatures veered into the low 80sF (near 27C).

      Delete
  7. DonnaJanuary 26, 2015 at 4:15 PM

    Kris another fabulous vase with such amazing color from the flowers that work perfectly together...I am smitten with that rose and those heuchera flowers...

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    1. Kris PetersonJanuary 26, 2015 at 8:09 PM

      The rose seems to bloom even better after I've pruned it back hard - that task remains yet undone Donna.

      Delete
  8. organicgardendreamsJanuary 26, 2015 at 6:36 PM

    Dear Kris, that is indeed a vase with a good dose of sunshine. How fitting as we have a rainy day here in San Diego, which is very rare. I am completely in love with the delicate flower stems of your heuchera. I was growing some chartreuse colored heucheras, which produced very tiny light pink flower stems, that I used in flower arrangements as well, but the heucheras declined more and more with each year and the very last bits and pieces I threw out. I miss them though... And, of course, I love the roses in the bouquet. I think the size and form of the rose flowers add really a wow factor to your arrangement, but, of course, as you know I am biased when it comes to roses :-). Thanks for sharing!
    Warm regards,
    Christina

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kris PetersonJanuary 26, 2015 at 8:14 PM

      We got the rain starting late this afternoon too, Christina. It's welcome after a very dry weekend. Whatever species of Heuchera this is, it appears much hardier than the more recently developed hybrid varieties - the foliage of the latter types are so pretty in their first season but they peter out quickly. The foliage of the variety I featured in my vase isn't flashy but the flowers are much prettier and the plants don't get tatty.

      Delete
  9. Amy@SmallSunnyGardenJanuary 26, 2015 at 8:36 PM

    I love the color scheme you've conjured up! It all comes off so naturally, but that's a beautifully developed combination. Joseph's Coat is perfect...
    ...and I was already having serious heuchera cravings... I suspect they won't survive inland desert. But obviously this one hasn't been too short-lived?

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    1. Kris PetersonJanuary 29, 2015 at 11:40 AM

      I wish I knew which Heuchera that is - and where to find more. It's long-lived and very pretty in bloom, worthy characteristics even without the flashy foliage so popular now. It also seems more tolerant of heat and drought, Amy, as it has done fine with very little attention on our back slope. Of course, your heat is another matter altogether!

      Delete
  10. danger gardenJanuary 26, 2015 at 10:31 PM

    Sunshine indeed! So is it hard (mentally) to cut the blooms of your leucadendron? I dream abut having them in my garden so that I could use them for cut flowers but then could I bear to cut them if it did? Just curious.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Kris PetersonJanuary 29, 2015 at 11:34 AM

      Based on experience cutting back my Leucadendron 'Wilson's Wonder,' I've learned that these plants respond well to regular pruning. Despite pruning, my original plant significantly exceeds the dimensions usually quoted by growers.

      Delete
  11. AnonymousJanuary 27, 2015 at 6:45 AM

    Oh yes, sunshine, sunrise and sunset all in one! The roses and Heuchera flowers are so pretty, and you found the perfect place for the vase again in the last shot. Thanks for cheering our grey January day over here! :)

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  12. chlorisJanuary 27, 2015 at 7:55 AM

    Beautiful! Your arrangements always bring sunshine into cold winters' days. You have used such gorgeous colours. It feels very strange to see Ribes in flower alongside roses.

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    1. Kris PetersonJanuary 29, 2015 at 11:35 AM

      This Ribes is always among the earliest plants to bloom here - the flowers will be long gone by spring.

      Delete
  13. UnknownJanuary 27, 2015 at 10:36 PM

    I thought the same thing, it's a sunset in a vase.

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    Replies
    1. Kris PetersonJanuary 29, 2015 at 11:36 AM

      That particular rose is like getting several varieties in one with all its color changes.

      Delete
  14. AnnaJanuary 29, 2015 at 3:04 PM

    What vivid colours Kris. Chloris has taken the words out of my mouth :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. sweetbayJanuary 31, 2015 at 6:03 PM

    Joseph's Coat looks amazing in that bouquet. I love the pink color of the alumroot and the color and look of the Ribes flowers too.

    ReplyDelete

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