My first vase was originally inspired by the flowers of a Hebe I've been admiring for weeks.
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| Yet Pelargonium 'Rembrandt' and Cistus 'Sunset' took over the front of the vase |
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| And Digitalis purpurea grabbed attention in the back |
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| With the ruffled Shasta daisy, a gift from my friend Daria following the death of my mother years ago, rising to the top |
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| Clockwise from the upper left: Leucanthemum x superbum (Shasta daisy), noID Alstroemeria, Cistus 'Sunset', Digitalis purpurea, Hebe 'Wiri Blush', Helleborus 'Anna's Red' (with Abelia grandiflora 'Edward Goucher'), and Pelargonium 'Rembrandt' |
My second vase was prepared to take advantage of the blue Delphiniums and larkspur in bloom in my cutting garden before the summer heat diminishes their beauty.
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| Two stems of Delphinium elatum stretch heavenward |
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| The wispy white stems of Coriandrum sativum provide light |
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| Larkspur and love-in-the-mist round things out |
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| Clockwise from the upper left: Delphinium elatum 'Pacific Giants', Consolida ajacis (larkspur) in various hues, Coriandrum sativum (aka cilantro/coriander), Lathyrus odoratus 'Blue Celeste', and Nigella papillosa 'Starry Night Mix' (love-in-the-mist) |
The third vase contains peonies I picked up tightly in bud at a local market last Wednesday because the two plants in my garden refused to bloom again this year.
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| The buds have been opening ever so slowly since Wednesday |
All my vases this week are offered in remembrance.
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| In memory of: Daria, dear friend Nothing will be the same without you |
For more Monday vases, visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.
All material © 2012-2019 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
Kris - you always have the prettiest vases! Such lovely combinations, colors, and varieties. I can't believe you still have hellebores blooming at this time of year.
ReplyDeleteI read somewhere that certain hellebores bloom in spring rather than winter, which appears to be the case with mine. 'Phoebe' consistently blooms a good 2+ months before 'Anna's Red' and 'Blue Lady' show up.
DeleteA lovely heartfelt tribute.
ReplyDeleteThanks Sandra. I think I'm still in shock.
DeleteIt sounds like you've had a recent loss of a friend -- what a lovely tribute the vases make. And nice job growing the delphs!
ReplyDeleteDelphiniums have surprised me. I treat them as annuals but I'd never really expected to be able to grow them at all, even with extra water.
DeleteI'm sorry to learn of your friend's passing, your vases are indeed a lovely tribute.
ReplyDeleteThanks Loree.
DeleteYou never cease to share a number of wonderful vases with us, Kris, and it is always good to see what you have on offer. I am amazed that your second vase is stable with such a tall delphinium in it - love those blues, but also your pinks and purples in the other two!
ReplyDeleteI cut the stems of those Delphiniums quite a lot but mainly so as not to dwarf the shorter larkspurs in the vase; however, I wouldn't trust it in a windy setting.
DeleteBeautiful colour combinations. Those delphiniums are fabulous and perfect with the coriander. I have some which is about 5' tall and has been flowering for months. It goes in everything! I also love the Shasta Daisy. I'm looking forward to mine flowering.
ReplyDeleteI had to tie my Coriandrum to supports to keep it upright. Both my plants are now setting seed and I'm tempted to pull them (to make way for sprouting dahlias that need the space) but the bees love them.
DeleteThose blues and purples send me straight to pure joy.
ReplyDeleteSo very sorry to hear of the loss of your dear friend. She sounded like a wonderful person. Friends are truly precious gifts.
She was and they are.
DeleteBittersweet beauty offered in remembrance of your mother and friend, Kris. The Hebe reminds me of Veronica spicata, great color. Love the deep rich colors of the delphinium and larkspur, too. And peonies are always wonderful, no matter their source!
ReplyDeleteI believe many Hebe have been reclassified as Veronica but I wasn't able to verify the reclassification of this one, Eliza. This shrub is evergreen and has glossy leaves.
DeleteThree very striking vases. The delphiniums are particularly stunning. We have far too many slugs in our garden to even try to grow them but they are lovely.
ReplyDeleteOur resident raccoons keep our snail and slug population way down, Elizabeth. It's their one and only positive attribute.
DeleteSeeing those delphinium made my eye pop. I am surprised that you can grow them. I might give them a try again. If you can maybe I can. I too would have to treat them like annuals. I think those blue towers are worth it. I have never seen a shaggy daisy. It is a pretty flower. One I would have to pet from time to time.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry about you losing a close friend. Big hugs.
Thanks Lisa. My friend had been ill for some time but both she and her friends had thought she'd turned a corner. There were no opportunities to say goodbye.
DeleteKris, they're all so lovely. Really special to have that unique shasta in your garden. Beautifully arranged. The hellebore is especially nice and foxgloves too! You won't be surprised I love that second arrangement with the fantastic blues. Gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteThanks Susie. The heat was turned up to "high" here on Sunday and we hit 95F at one point this afternoon so there's no telling how long some of those flowers are going to last.
DeleteVery, very nice! It's always hard for me to pick my favorite among your vases. Peonies appear to be blooming all around the country right now. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure where those peonies came from, Beth, but my guess is that it wasn't California, at least not Southern California.
DeleteMemories through your plants and arrangements, and thinking of friends whilst gardening and arranging flowers is something that very much resonates with me. It's a quiet contemplative process. Your arrangements are gorgeous as usual.
ReplyDeleteThanks Noelle. You're right that focusing hands and mind on something beautiful that channels memories helps ease the pain of loss, even if only for a time.
DeleteI am so glad you can buy peonies in your store when I know they are so tricky to grow in your climate. :) I am constantly amazed at the variety of flowers you use each week Kris, and the perfect condition of them all! Your Delphiniums and Larkspur are beautiful!
ReplyDeleteThanks Cathy. The peonies are offered by a particular market once a year during a narrow window. I thought I'd missed it but was pleased to discover I hadn't.
DeleteI am sorry to hear of your loss of a dear friend, but what a lovely memorial to her! You have a great talent. Those peonies are gorgeous, and I like the addition of the delicate white flowers. I am amazed at your delphiniums!
ReplyDeleteThanks Deb. I'm very preoccupied by the abrupt loss of my friend at the moment.
DeleteBeautiful tributes. So sorry for your loss. Love and hugs to you.
ReplyDeleteThanks Peter. I hope your recovery is going well.
Delete