In a Vase on Monday: Nothing to spit at

My Osteospermums  are doing especially well this year so I decided to make one variety the focus of this week's vase.  After cutting a couple of stems, I realized that they were covered in a sticky foam, the tell-tale evidence of the presence of a spittlebug.  I hosed them off and used them anyway.  I'm not sure how common spittlebugs are but you can see them in action here.

As usual, I stuffed my vase

I've got oodles of frothy white Coleonema album (aka white breath of heaven) in the garden at the moment.  It's a great filler but I won't use much of it in a vase as I dislike the smell of the flowers.  The foliage has a lovely scent but, when it's blooming en masse on a warm day, the smell of the flowers can be unpleasant.

The Ranunculus in my cutting garden are fading fast now due to warm temperatures and dry winds

Clockwise from the upper left: Ageratum corymbosum, Coleonema album, Euphorbia characias 'Black Pearl', Lavandula stoechas, Freesia, Ranunculus, Polygala fruticosa 'Petite Butterfly' and, in the middle, Osteospermum '4D Violet Ice'

I put together a second vase this week specifically as a personal challenge, using Salvia africana lutea as my inspiration.  I've never had any idea what to combine with its flowers, which have an unusual shape and color.  It's been in my garden for 3 years now and, while it's far from reaching its mature size, this year it's produced numerous flowers.

The flower color is variously described as clay, brick, or rusty orange

 

I surprised myself (again) by finding more than enough flowers and foliage to accent the Salvia.

This vase was a Christmas gift from my brother and his thoughtful girlfriend.  It bears some resemblance to my cat, Pipig, who was described by the rescue organization I adopted her from as a "Torbie" or tortoisehell-tabby.

I used the orange/salmon Ranunculus to complement the color of the Salvia and to repeat the orange color in the vase

I'm a little shocked that I cut one of the first blooms on my Leucospermum 'Spider Hybrid' but it did play off the color of the Salvia surprisingly well

Clockwise from the upper left: Correa 'Wyn's Wonder', Leucospermum 'Spider Hybrid', Lotus berthelotii 'Gold Flash', Narcissus 'British Gamble', N. 'Geranium', Ranunculus and, in the middle, Salvia africana lutea

It's probably entirely a coincidence but Pipig showed up as soon as I put the vase down on a side table in the living room.

Admittedly, Pipig (her name is Swedish for "Squeaky"), periodically checks out my vases but it's not a regular practice and it's been many months since she's shown any interest in them

She settled on the arm of the sofa, keeping her eye on the vase

I'm still feeling a bit guilty about cutting the Leucospermum bloom for this vase but the flowers have a long vase-life so I expect I'll be able to enjoy it for awhile.

This Leucospermum 'Brandi' flower is still in great shape 2 weeks after I originally cut it for another of my IAVOM posts.  It's sitting in my office now with some new accents in the form of Ranunculus and Agonis flexuosa foliage but the sun's glare made it impossible to get a good photo of it in situ.

For more Monday vases, visit our IAVOM guru, Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.

All material © 2012-2019 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party