Monday, February 6, 2017

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

30 comments:

  1. Your arrangements are works of art and add colour to clearly downbeat weather. That said, the humming bird is glorious. (We had long tailed tits at our bird table today and thought we were lucky.)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We're lucky to have Anna hummingbirds as year-round residents here, Ian. Rufous hummingbirds migrate through during the spring, making for feisty confrontations at the feeder.

      Delete
  2. Hi Kris, I am a "less is more person" when it comes to flower arrangements from my own garden, but I think in the end of the day it all comes down to what you like and what makes you happy.
    Your second vase is my favorite, simply because I love blue and white together, but in addition to that you also have chosen my favorite flowers (besides roses, of course): anemones, ranunculus, narcissus. That white ranunculus is sooo... beautiful, sigh!
    I always enjoy seeing your vases on Mondays!
    I am surprised that you got so much rain already this morning. Here it is gray, but it is not raining, yet. It is in the forecast though, so I still have some hope.
    Happy Monday!
    Christina

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We were surprised by the heavy rain this morning too, Christina. We took a real pounding until around noon, since which there's been little or no further rain, although the sky is still thick with clouds and the harbor area below us remains nearly invisible due to mist.

      Delete
  3. Both are lovely, but the second arrangement is my favourite this week with those wonderful shades of red and green. And that vase is a favourite of mine too! Hooe you don't float away Kris! ;-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's unlikely, Cathy, although I am happy I don't have to drive anywhere today. The last heavy rain flooded our nearby freeway, brought down trees on our main thoroughfare, and caused a very messy mudslide in an area under construction a few miles away.

      Delete
  4. You would think I would be able to connect bloggers' real names with their blog titles but I rarely seem to do it. So I am always surprised when I check out someone's blog who has just been at my place. Week after week yours pops up and I think, "OH, she's the one from CA who always lists her plants and does more than one bouquet etc." Love the first and third photos especially. Both great containers and some wonderful blooms. Looking at your garden and your street, the rain is certainly turning it green. But 2 inches in one morning is a lot to absorb.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Luckily for us, the downpour came to a halt near noon so perhaps things won't be as bad as they were a few weeks ago when we got 4 inches of rain in a single day. I do worry that my succulents and other drought tolerant plants are going to get waterlogged, especially as more rain is predicted in a few days. This is more rain than we've seen in a LONG while. It's appreciated but I do wish Mother Nature were more measured in her approach.

      Delete
  5. Both vases are lovely, but the blues stole my heart. Hopefully there is just enough rain. This is when I start dreaming of the Star Trek global weather control!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I wish I could store more water - and that the storms were a bit more evenly distributed. I'm beginning to have some concerns about succulents rotting (and should make a turn around the garden before dark to ensure that I don't have any pots with standing water). My rain barrels, which hold 475 gallons of water, have been full since December - the little I've used in the garden since then has been replaced a few times over but I can't help regretting my inability to capture more for use during the long dry months to come.

      Delete
  6. Wonderful! Loved the two arrangements and the botanical teapot, too.

    2 inches! Jealous! We only got a half an inch, though I'm still happy about it. Half an inch is still awesome. Barrels emptied last Friday full again.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My rain barrels have been continuously full since December even though the irrigation system has been turned off since then. I've used some of what I'd accumulated (especially following that last blast by the Santa Ana winds) but it was replenished by last week's storm. I wish I could have captured some of today's heavy rain but my storage capacity is tapped out.

      Delete
  7. Hooray for continuing rain for you and your garden! Both arrangements are great as usual but the first, brimming with things we can't grow here, holds special interest for me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I found it impossible to ignore those bright red-orange Grevillea blooms this week - I'm glad you liked the arrangement, stuffed to the gills as it may have been.

      Delete
  8. Oh I'm so glad that first one (stunning, especially the back view) got pride of place on the dining table. It deserves it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The Leucadendron 'Safari Sunset' that supplied those flowers is still relatively small but I'm pleased at how well it's coming along, Loree.

      Delete
  9. too many flowers is a good problem to have, especially at this time of year. both your vases look amazing Kris, full of beauty and bounty. I understand your joy at the rain, it looks amazing!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm hoping that rain is going to deliver a splendid spring, Christina, replete with California poppies!

      Delete
  10. Lots of very interesting things in your vases and the vases too! Very unusual and set the blooms off beautifully. I like being introduced to new plants. You and your garden must be loving the rain and what a lovely picture of the humming bird.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The hummingbirds have been making good use of that feeder since the rain began (it's raining again this morning) - a little cover makes foraging for food a bit easier for them perhaps.

      Delete
  11. Your tasteful selection and ways of combining never ceases to amaze!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm lucky to have more to choose from than most people in the dead of winter!

      Delete
  12. Fussing with flowers... my favorite activity! ;) I love your containers as much as your arrangements. Highlights I love are: anemone, ranunculus, white poppy, grevillea and gaillardia. So many beautiful things you grow. And RAIN! How wonderful that your reservoirs are filling. It is going to be a lush, floriferous spring for you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Eliza! After 5 solid years of drought, the rain has been lovely.

      Delete
  13. I love both the vases, and I think it's wonderful that you have so much material to put in them ;-) And that rain is lovely!!

    ReplyDelete
  14. I'm so happy that you're having a rainy winter, especially since the rain has not been destructive in your area (as it so often can be in California). We are having a very snowy week, which is a welcome change from last year's snow drought, which contributed to our summer drought conditions.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Congrats on the snow, Jean! Northern and Central California have had a harder time with the rain than we have in SoCal. There's another storm headed our way tomorrow but even I'm hoping we get at least a short pause after that.

      Delete
  15. With so many fabulous blooms to use of course you should cram them in. They both look amazing and I love the vases.

    ReplyDelete

I enjoy receiving your comments and suggestions! Google has turned on reCAPTCHA affecting some commentator IDs so, if you wish to identify yourself, please add your name to your comment.