In a Vase on Monday: Florapalooza

Despite last week's heatwave, there's a lot blooming in my garden at present.  While a few things, like the daffodils, perished in the heat, new blooms are steadily appearing - apparently spring is not going to allow summer to take over the garden quite yet.  I noticed that more Hippeastrum had bloomed in my street-side bed last week and I'd targeted one of those for this week's "In a Vase on Monday," the meme hosted by Cathy at Rambling in the Garden, but it was already past its prime when I went to cut it.  Nonetheless, there were a lot of other flowers to choose from and, because another heatwave is on its way, I cut more than I usually would and ended up with 3 vases.  A florapalooza!

The 3 finished vases

Most of my Alstroemeria are blooming.  They provided the focus of my first vase.

This vase contains:

• Alstroemeria in varying pink shades (no ID)
• Argyrantemum frutescens 'Butterfly'
• Coleonema album 
• Leucanthemum x superbum, ruffled variety

While some of the pink Alstroemeria, like this one, have blue undertones, others are closer to coral pink, but as all had touches of white and yellow, I used those colors in an effort to harmonize the collection 

This is the first of my Leucanthemum to bloom

My Eustoma grandiflorum 'Blue Borealis' is blooming for its second season and, since I'd already lost a few to the last heatwave, I decided to cut this one as the centerpiece of a purple-hued bouquet.  It turned out a bit too heavy on the purple and I think the Eustoma got lost in the mix.  

I should have substituted more white Coleonema for some of the purple Limonium

In addition to the Eustoma, I used:

• Anemone coronaria (it didn't respond well to the heat either and the bloom included here is a pale imitation of the earlier flowers
• Argyranthemum frutescens, pale yellow variety (no ID)
• Cerinthe major
• Coleonema album
• Ixia (aka African corn lilies), yellow and magenta varieties
• Lavandula multifida (aka fernleaf lavender)
• Limonium perezii (aka Statice)

The blue Eustoma isn't as large as the blooms the plants produced last year but it still provides a good facsimile of a blue rose

Coleonema album, shown here with fernleaf lavender, is available in profusion this time of year 

I always forget about the Ixia in my garden until they bloom - I pulled them out of the first vase because they got lost but they don't really work in this one either

The paper-like flowers of Limonium perezii are often used in dried flower arrangements

The last vase, just 3 inches tall, contains leftover tidbits of Coleonema, Pelargonium peltatum 'Pink Blizzard' and dwarf Fuchsia 'Windchimes Neon & White.'

The last vase ended up in the guest bathroom.  The first one landed on the dining room table and the purple vase is sitting in the front entryway.

Unfortunately, the fragrance of the Coleonema (aka Breath of Heaven) doesn't quite mask the musty scent of the Leucanthemum but perhaps that will fade 

The Eustoma shows up a bit better here

I thought the purple arrangement looked better in the photo taken in the bright light of the entryway than it did in the photo taken in the kitchen.  Pipig, however, wasn't impressed.

Or perhaps she was just affronted by the attention the flowers were getting when she knows the focus should be on her

Visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden to see what she's found for her vase this week.  Link up if you have a vase to share!

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