My husband and I were gone for 3 days to attend a family wedding in Northern California. It was a beautiful ceremony and the reception was a joyous celebration but, as we drove to and from the event and returned late Sunday afternoon, the trip felt harried. There was little time to put one vase together, much less two, for "In a Vase on Monday." That didn't stop me but the quality of the arrangements - and my photographs, all taken in the early evening - suffered.
Roses (!!!) bloomed en masse on a few shrubs during my absence. My
'Medallion' roses hadn't bloomed at all this year - and they chose to do so while I was gone. I could joke that I need to go away more often but the blooms are actually a response to the deep watering I've been giving them at intervals over the course of the last several weeks. I've been seriously contemplating pulling them all out and this was my last ditch effort to see if they could earn their space in the garden.
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| As a result of very warm weather over the weekend, all the roses were past their prime but I couldn't miss a chance to cut a few while I had the opportunity |
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| Back view |
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| The California asters (Symphyotrichum chilense) were a last minute addition. Those flowers are spilling all over one of my backyard beds at the moment - and they haven't received any extra water! |
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| Clockwise from the upper left, the vase contains: Dahlia 'Terracotta', Abelia grandiflora 'Hopley's Variegated', Agonis flexuosa 'Nana', Rosa 'Medallion', Eustoma grandiflorum 'Mint Cocoa' and Symphyotrichum chilense |
The dahlias in my cutting garden also bloomed like crazy in my absence. Most of the
'Otto's Thrill' variety were already past their prime but I was able to cut two of the first blooms of
'Strawberry Ice', one of the new varieties I purchased this year.
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| 'Strawberry Ice' is similar to 'Otto's Thrill' except for the yellow flares at the base of the petals |
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| I filled in with zinnias mainly because they were right in front of me when I was cutting the dahlias. Discovery of the Gomphrena 'Fireworks' was a surprise as the plants are hold-overs from last year. |
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| Blurry top view |
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| Clockwise from the upper left, the vase contains: Gomphrena 'Fireworks', Tanacetum parthenium, Pelargonium 'Lady Plymouth', a mix of Zinnia elegans and, in the center, Dahlia 'Strawberry Ice' |
This post was hastily put together as well but I couldn't miss an opportunity to join my favorite meme. For more "In a Vase on Monday" posts,
visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.
All material © 2012-2018 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
She has no time and yet still pulls off two vases! Impressive.
ReplyDeleteIs this the trip where you were threatening to visit Annie's? Did you?
My husband didn't have an appetite for extending our visit that far to the west of our destination and, given the heat and the fires, I didn't press the issue. Since reading Alison's post on Nigel's experience with the Coast Starlight, I may campaign for a trip north via train during a more hospitable season.
DeleteKris, I have to admit that, as a rule, I have never liked yellow and pink together. But, the sherbert tones of your arrangements are just divine!
ReplyDeleteI followed the lead set by Dahlia 'Strawberry Ice', which combines those colors. Mother Nature can't be wrong, can she?
DeleteWow, even when rushed for time you create amazing arrangements! Beautiful as always & I love Gomphrena 'Fireworks!'
ReplyDeleteI didn't expect a return performance from Gomphrena 'Fireworks'. If I'd realized it was that hardy, I'd have planted more of it this year.
DeleteYou always do the most gorgeous vases. If this is what you create with little time etc., I think you are way too hard on yourself!
ReplyDeleteI prefer to dilly-dally with my selections and the arrangements, Linda, so this kind of quick swing through the garden, snipping what was right in front of me, then plunking it into a vase felt slapdash to me. And, I admit I'm self-critical by nature...
DeleteTwo lovely vases...oh vase and tea pot, which is a real beauty. Such abundance from your garden too....
ReplyDeleteThe dahlias and zinnias have substantially boosted the flower supply in August here, Noelle. There was a time I'd be relying on succulents to create arrangements by mid-summer.
DeleteWhat pretty roses and don't they sit prettily with the dahlias? And what lovely zinnias you have shared with us too - I think we are all zinnia fans after all the zinnias we have seen this summer, if we weren't already! Thanks for making the effort to post a vase even after your w/e away, Kris
ReplyDeleteI seriously considered making and photographing an arrangement before I left to have in reserve, Cathy! But I ran out of time to do that in the midst of travel preparations too.
DeleteSuch a pretty rose, I'm glad it earned a reprieve, and a spot in your vase this week.
ReplyDeleteI love that rose but it produced few blooms last year and with none this year, I was really peeved with it. In adequate water, especially after our paltry winter rains, was clearly the key problem, though.
DeleteWe have some volunteer gompherna too! I love the plant. Your hurried arrangments look great and not like you rushed at all. I'm impressed with all the flowers you have in your garden. It must be lovely.
ReplyDeleteMy fingers are twitching to start cutting back the ugly burned foliage to set the stage for fall planting, Rebecca, but as there could still be a lot of summer yet to come here, I'm holding off. However, I DO have a fair number of flowers still so I try to focus on those rather than the less-then-lovely bits.
DeleteGorgeous and the roses are worth keeping! Check out tropiflora.com for bromeliads - they sell offsets.
ReplyDeleteThanks for identifying another provider for me, Amelia!
DeleteYour throw together vases are mighty fine. Such diverse flowers for the bouquets. Happy IAVOM.
ReplyDeleteThere is a wider range to choose from than in years past, Lisa! I can legitimately be called a "flower floozy"!
DeleteEven when tired and hurried, you do a remarkable job arranging flowers. I'm glad your deep watering worked, and that you got to enjoy at least a few of your roses!
ReplyDelete~ Anna K
I'm frankly surprised that the roses are blooming, Anna - in August yet!
DeleteEven rushed, your arrangements have steadfast players to carry the day. Both dahlias are lovely and I esp. like the yellow base of 'Strawberry Ice.' The variegated pelargonium looks well with it. Full-blown roses I've always liked the look of, old-fashioned maybe, yet oh-so-lovely.
ReplyDeleteI love roses in all their stages of bloom, Eliza - they just don't last long in a vase in their later stages, although the petals aren't yet littering the dining room table so that's positive!
DeleteHappy you and Husband were able to attend the wedding! Sounds like it was worth the effort.
ReplyDeleteHasty works, when you do it.
It was an absolutely beautiful wedding, HB, even if the temperature was still in the upper 90s during the ceremony. We're both glad we went despite that long drive up I-5.
DeleteYour gorgeous arrangements don't look hastily put together. Beautiful and how lovely that you have roses.
ReplyDeleteI like to deliberate about what I put into a vase, although whether that makes a difference is another matter altogether. There was very little deliberation in this case!
DeleteYour vase doesn't look thrown together at all; all the colours work so well together. It is amazing how addictive Cathy's meme has become. I apologise with being late with my comments lately but I have to write them on the laptop rather than iPad or phone (for some reason I don't quite understand) and I've been so busy it hasn't been switched on.
ReplyDeleteProbably one system or another has been updated requiring setting changes, Christina - that seems to happen all too often these days!
DeleteKris, sorry to be so late checking in to see your vases. I'm impressed with them both but the first just takes my heart. Love the roses and the soft colors and so glad your watering has made a difference for you in enjoying such lovey flowers.
ReplyDeleteI was pleased to see that the roses can bloom but then that also means I should make a habit of deep watering them regularly, which is of concern as the latest water bill has arrived. I was still well under my allocated budget but the total was up enough that it has me on edge about watering as much as I have of late.
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