In a Vase on Monday: Fussing with flowers

My first vase was arranged and photographed but things that nominally bothered me when I completed the arrangement bothered me even more when I reviewed my photos.  As has been my tendency of late, I'd crammed more into the vase than I should have, leaving some plants half-hidden behind others.  So I did a couple quick changes and snapped a few new photos.  I think the vase is still over-crowded but I felt better about its "after" shots.

The glossy leaves of Coprosma 'Plum Hussey', hidden before, are visible in this view

Leucadendron 'Safari Sunset' dominates the rear view

Although Leucadendron 'Blush' is now visible only from the top

Clockwise from the upper left, the vase contains: Grevillea 'Ned Kelly', Coprosma repens 'Plum Hussey', Gaillardia aristata 'Gallo Bright Red', Helichrysum petiolare 'Silver Mist', Leucadendrron salignum 'Blush', and Leucadendron salignum 'Safari Sunset'

I put together a second vase too but, instead of learning a lesson from my first vase, I ended up cramming even more into the second vase.  In my defense, this was partly because I took some of the leftovers from last week's vase that were still in good shape and added them to this one.

The vase is an ornamental teapot I inherited

The back view highlights 2 Anemone blooms saved from last week's arrangement

The top view demonstrates the color range in the Anemones, all sold as "blue"

The vase contains: Top row - Blue and bluer Anemone coronaria and  Coriandrum sativum (aka cilantro or coriander)
Middle row - Erysimum linifolium 'Variegatum', Matthiola incana, and Lobularia maritima (aka sweet alyssum)
Bottom Row - noID Narcissus, Papaver nudicaule, and Ranunculus asiaticus

Although the ceramic vases are similar in color, their contents are very different.  The first one may make some viewers think of summer or fall, while the second may conjure images of spring but both are just representative of winter in coastal Southern California.  Our proof that it's still winter here: it's raining again.  Isn't that wonderful?!  Winter is synonymous with rain here, or at least it was prior to the drought.  It's pouring right now, which regrettably will probably mean mudslides somewhere but, in the meantime, the garden is enjoying the bounty.

Photo from the front door.  There's a small river of water flowing along the front of our driveway.  We've already had nearly 2 inches of rain this morning.

This poor little hummingbird struggled to make it through the gauntlet of water streaming from the overflowing roof gutters to the feeder outside our kitchen window.  When she did, she sat there for a surprisingly long time, drinking her fill before venturing back into the rain.

My vases are in place to brighten the house.  For more "In a Vase on Monday" posts, visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.

The first vase sits on the dining room table and the second landed in the front entry

All material © 2012-2017 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party