It's Independence Day here in the US so of course I had to use this week's "In a Vase on Monday" to recognize the event. I don't actually have any true red flowers so I had to stretch things a little there.
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| Front view: a dark pink (almost red!) Pelargonium peltatum serves as my red element here |
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| Rear view: Agapanthus are great for simulating fireworks! |
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| Top view |
I picked twice as many flowers as I needed for this vase. As I started to put it together I decided "less is more" in this instance and narrowed my plant palette.
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| Clockwise from the upper left, the vase contains: Abelia x grandiflora, Pelargonium pelatatum (aka ivy geranium), and white and blue Agapanthus |
Reducing the plants used in the red, white and blue vase left me with more than enough flowers to fill a second vase, especially as some of what I used last week was available for recycling.
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| Front view: lots of pink Eustoma grandiflorum (aka Lisianthus) |
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| Back view |
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| Top view |
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| Clockwise from the upper left, the vase contains: Eustoma grandiflorum, Leucadendron salignum 'Chief' (recycled from one of last week's vases), one of the few remaining Leucanthemum x superbum, and Origanum 'Monterey Bay' with some Abelia x grandiflora |
I created a final vase, consisting mainly of succulents, for a possible entry into the "
Aeonium Challenge" issued by Loree of
danger garden. I included this one in
a post I published Saturday evening but I thought I'd show it again here.
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| The stone vase was the impetus for the color palette |
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| Clockwise from the left, the vase includes: 3 forms of Aeonium arboreum, Crassula pubescens ssp. radicans (currently in flower), and Leptospermum 'Copper Glow' |
I'm rather fond of this arrangement but the inclusion of the
Leptospermum stems, which require water, means I have to take it apart at intervals to refill the floral tube the stems are in, making it more labor intensive than any of my prior succulent vases. I also had difficulty finding just the right setting in which to place it.
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| I tried the vase in 3 different settings: along the stone wall in the dining room, on the mantle in the master bedroom, and on a side table in the living room. I left in in its last landing space in the living room. |
There was no problem placing the other 2 arrangements.
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| The red, white and blue arrangement sits on the dining room table |
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| And the pink arrangement sits in the front entry |
Best wishes to all of you celebrating this 4th of July! Be sure to stop by and
visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden to see what other gardeners have in their vases this week.
All material © 2012-2016 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
wonderful Fourth of July vase....but oh that pink vase is stunning....then my fav green vase with succulents! All beautiful Kris!
ReplyDeleteThanks Donna!
DeleteOf course. I like it. Simulating fireworks, yes. A cool, cloudy, foggy week is forecast. Not good for tonight's shows, but excellent for plants and peninsula people.
ReplyDeleteIt's amazingly cool here, Jane, and we've got a strong breeze going too. I hope your weather is similarly comfortable. If it wasn't for the dead plants strewn about my garden, I could almost forget that horrible heatwave.
DeleteHappy 4th of July Kris!
ReplyDeleteThanks guys!
DeleteKris, I especially love your fireworks arrangement. Those Agapanthus are amazing and look terrific with the striking pelargonium.
ReplyDeleteYou can't beat Agapanthus as a fireworks substitute!
DeleteHappy Fourth, Kris! I'm gaga over your pink eustoma and aeoniums! :)
ReplyDeleteThe pink Eustoma are going crazy! I wish the other colors bloomed half as well.
DeleteBusy lady! Can't wait to see which of your entries make it in for the challenge...
ReplyDeleteIt's in your mailbox, Loree.
DeleteStill defiant and making the best of things. And how!
ReplyDeleteYou show that pesky climate of yours who is boss :-)
So pleased to see that you are bearing up. And impressed. I would crumble and frequently have done so over minor garden set-backs.
I was pretty depressed about the garden following that horrific heatwave, Joanna, and it's hard not to fear that there's plenty more of that to come. However, despite my intentions to hold my replanting itch in check until fall, I'm afraid I've already begun to scratch...
DeleteSuch patriotic South African flowers ... Happy Fourth!
ReplyDeleteWe may just have as many Agapanthus in Southern California as South Africa does, Diana - they're everywhere here! I just looked up the origins of Pelargonium peltatum and discovered that it also originated from South Africa, which I probably should have realized at the outset.
DeleteLove your fireworks in a vase and the Aeonium looks awesome with that vase.
ReplyDeleteHappy Fourth!
Thanks Shirley! Happy 4th to you as well!
DeleteI always look forward to seeing your vases Kris, and you never disappoint me with their colour and flair. And I love seeing your frog every now and then too! :)
ReplyDeleteI thought it was time for the frog to come back, Cathy ;)
DeleteYes, the agapanthus are brilliant as fireworks and the pelargonium makes a pretty good job of the red element. As always, I love your eustoma and am most intrigued by your succulent arrangement - thanks for sharing
ReplyDeleteThank you for hosting "IAVOM", Cathy!
DeleteVery nice and festive and I agree sometimes less is more and all three are lovely. I love the succulents, I have many Flapjack plants and Pencil Cactus. So much fun -the slightly off the beaten path succulents.
ReplyDeleteThe range and variety among succulents never ceases to amaze me!
DeleteLove your agapanthus fireworks. Happy 4th! -Jean
ReplyDeleteThanks Jean! I hope you enjoy the 4th too!
DeleteHi Kris, I had never thought of that agapanthus resemble fireworks, but you are totally right. I really like the cerise red ivy geranium flower. I just thought about getting an ivy geranium for myself, since their flowers and leaves seem to be able to deal better with the heat then my Martha Washington geraniums.
ReplyDeleteThe pink lisianthus are also absolutely wonderful, but you know already that they are one of my favorite flowers in your garden :-).
Happy 4th of July!
Warm regards,
Christina
I'm still surprised at how well those Eustoma came through the heat spell, Christina. A few were fried but the majority fared very well.
DeleteI hope you had a lovely celebration Kris; all your vases are beautiful but the Agapanthus really attract me, looking at my blue ones I think they need to be divided as they aren't producing many stems for the size of the clump. Do you have to give yours much water in August when they are making buds for the following year (or so I've read).
ReplyDeleteMy Agapanthus get the same water as most of the rest of the garden in August - 2 irrigation rotations a week (unless there's rain, which is very unlikely in summer here). However, my clumps are mature - I believe they were installed on the order of 8+ years ago by the owner prior to the one we bought the house from.
DeleteLove the "fireworks" with the pelargonium, Kris; and the blue stones/glass at the bottom of the vase are the perfect touch! Your Eustoma is lovely as always :) Are those the same flowers you used last week?! And I love the Aeoniums! The one type of succulent that seems to last here is Sedeverias, oddly enough! I'll have to think about cutting some!
ReplyDeleteI used some of the pink Eustoma from the prior week and cut 2 new stems. They really do last well in a vase - I only had to chop off 2 bloom heads prior to recycling last week's stems.
DeleteHope you had a great 4th, Kris! Your succulent arrangement in the stone vase is really cool in all three settings but the first with the stone background is my favorite.
ReplyDelete