We got rain last week and there's more coming this week! The air is fresh and clear and my plants have been thoroughly cleaned of dust and grime. Everything looks prettier, even the usually smog-infused horizon.
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| This was my view of the Port of Los Angeles Saturday afternoon once last week's storm passed |
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| Late afternoon brought a rainbow |
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| And this was the sky as evening fell on Saturday |
The rain hasn't instantly produced much in the way of new blooms but I still found enough to inspire me to fill 2 vases. My
Grevillea 'Superb', a year-round bloomer, is simply loaded with flowers at the moment and the availability of a single rose in a similar hue clinched the color scheme for my first vase.
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| We could get as much as 4 inches of rain between Monday and Thursday (more than we received in total last year) and I doubt the rose could make it through those storms unscathed. I need to get started on pruning my roses in any case. (The sunset showing on the TV screen in the background when I took this photo was a complete fluke.) |
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| Back view |
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| Top view, showing off the flower-like bracts of the Leucadendron |
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| Clockwise from the upper left: Grevillea 'Superb', Agonis flexuosa 'Nana' (my go-to foliage filler), berries of Nandina domestica, Rosa 'Joseph's Coat', noID Leucadendron (probably 'Blush'), and my first bloom of Papaver nudicaule (aka Iceland poppy), recently planted from plugs |
The pink
Alstroemeria in the backyard border have already produced a few flowers but they were past their prime before I noticed them. When I saw two more flowering stems plastered against the ground by the last rainstorm, I decided to use them as the starting point for a second vase.
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| I sought out plants with touches of pink and yellow to complement the Alstroemeria |
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| I almost prefer this back view without the Alstroemeria |
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| Top view: Many of the paperwhite Narcissus were also plastered to the ground by the last storm so they got cut |
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| Clockwise from the upper left: noID Alstroemeria, Coleonema pulchellum 'Sunset Gold', Leucadendron salignum 'Chief', noID Narcissus, and Pyrethropsis hosmariense (aka Moroccan daisy) |
For more Monday vases,
visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.
All material © 2012-2019 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
Clouds, vases and wonderful blooms...looking at these has brightened my dark January day. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't resist including the cloud photos, Noelle - they were so pretty.
DeleteOh the rose is perfect with the grevillea - and those nandina berries. Spot on! But only one vase today...? ps where does California draw its water from? Is there a desalination plant, or is it wells?
ReplyDeleteYous missed one vase I think, Cathy. Re our water source, that's complicated but half of SoCal's water comes from a system of aqueducts, the largest of which is the Colorado River Aqueduct, which starts at the border between California and the state of Colorado. Our water volume depends to a large part of the snowpacks to the north of us, which have been reduced by a combination of drought and warming temperatures that have been melting the snowpack prematurely. Wells are virtually non-existent in our urban areas, although wells and groundwater sources partially support the residential and agricultural areas in Central California. San Diego's currently working on a desalination plant I think but that approach hasn't taken off here as yet. I store rainwater for my personal use in the garden but it's not much (just 475 gallons) and that's not common either.
DeleteI'm very pleased to hear that you had rain and more is coming. We have had a very dry winter so far but there is plenty of time yet. Having said that, we've probably still had more rain than you. The sunset shades are gorgeous. That concertina look vase is very pretty and a useful shape.
ReplyDeleteWe got more than double the rain expected today, Alison. If that trend continues with the stronger storms expected Tuesday and Wednesday, our rain total may look much brighter, although today's rain also came down hard and fast, which may pose significant challenges for the people in the recent burn areas. Our current total for the rain year to date (counted from October 1st each year) is now 7.04 inches.
DeleteLove your Iceland poppy Kris, and especially the narcissus! In the depths of our colourless winter here on the east coast of Scotland, those beauties in your arrangements are full of delicacy and joy! Thank you. Amanda
ReplyDeleteThe Narcissus start the march to spring, Amanda. I hope you have some in bloom soon!
DeleteHooray for rain, clean plants, and a smog-free view of the harbor! Oh that first vase is so warm and cheerful. Perfect to warm up a chilly winter morning. The second vase is pretty too. Narcissus in bloom means that spring can't be too far off.
ReplyDeleteSome of the Freesias had buds too, Peter. Spring can't be far off!
DeleteLovely bright colors. Such a feast for the eyes. So glad you received some rain.
ReplyDeleteSome rain is an understatement, Cindy! It came down in buckets today and this storm was supposed to deliver "light" rain.
DeleteWhat a relief it must be to get such needed rain. I'm sure your garden will be leaping forward in the coming weeks.
ReplyDeleteLove the coral pink colors of the rose, poppy, etc. Nice and airy, too. It's nice that your paper whites come up every year, as they aren't hardy for us.
The paperwhites, like the Calla lilies, all inherited with the garden, were a surprise my first year here, Eliza, and I treat their arrival each year with the same sense of wonder. I don't think I had more than 2 or 3 calla lilies last year, their poorest turn-out ever, but I've got high hopes for them this year. The Narcissus are turning out in especially large numbers.
DeleteI absolutely love the first one! my southern grandma is spinning over that combination roses and nandinas. I love it!
ReplyDeleteSpinning in a good way or a bad way, Amelia?!
DeleteIt is a wonder that you don't get caught just staring off into the horizon. What views you see. Your vases look very color coordinated. Fun.
ReplyDeleteI get tired of the dirty gray blanket that normally lays over the horizon these days, Lisa, but those fluffy clouds and the blue skies really grabbed my attention.
DeleteVery lush arrangements! The cloud photos are also lovely.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the rain!
We got more than double what was originally expected from this storm - 1.26/inches. My garden is quite saturated already. I do wish I had one of those 10,000 gallon cisterns we saw in Austin, Texas. Heck, half of that would be a godsend.
DeleteI love the shot of the rainbow and the one below it of the darkening sky is very dramatic.
ReplyDeleteI ran in to grab my camera when I saw that cloud against the darkening sky just before 6pm. I wasn't sure how well it would photograph in the low light but I was very pleased with it and took this gratuitous opportunity to share it.
DeleteSunset for the win! (the vase, not the TV)
ReplyDeleteI've always said my favorite colors are green, yellow and blue but I have to say I do love coral!
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