Monday, October 28, 2019

In a Vase on Monday: Fall colors

Last week brought another round of hot, dry winds in both Northern and Southern California.  Sadly, they triggered more fires.  The Kincade Fire in Sonoma County (Northern California) is a monster.  Only 10% contained as of yesterday morning, it led to evacuation orders affecting 180,000 people.  The Tick Fire in Los Angeles County was 70% contained as of last night but, with the Santa Ana winds blowing again today and more expected later in the week, full containment may be a struggle.  Another fire, close to The Getty, a major museum/garden complex located next to one of our major freeways started at 1:30 this morning, is a new concern.  In our immediate area, the marine layer moved in on Sunday and hung around all day, dropping temperatures dramatically.  The cooler, damper air was welcome and reassuring as my husband and I prepared for this week's remodeling activities.  Unfortunately, the marine layer is much lighter this morning and already breaking up.

I dug up all but one of my dahlias last week.  I'd hoped to have a few flowers of Dahlia 'Punkin Spice' to use as a nod to Halloween this week but the blooms dried out under the steady blast of last week's winds so I drew on other plants for this week's vases.  I used the plastic-covered top of the island in our still unfinished kitchen to take photos once again.  The natural light was good even under cloudy skies.

The flower-like bracts of Leucadendron 'Devil's Blush' have been glowing in my garden for 2 months now and I thought it was time to give them some exposure before they fade further.  They make me think of rosebuds but other people have told me they remind them of tulips.  Red zinnias provide additional pizzazz.

Back view: I added the chartreuse foliage of Coleonema and Duranta to lift the color scheme a bit.  Only afterwards did I realize that the color picked up the tones in the leaves of the Amaranthus (shown in the prior photo's front view).

Top view

Clockwise from the upper left: Amaranthis caudatus, Coleonema pulchellum 'Sunset Gold', Duranta repens 'Gold Mound', Leucadendron salignum 'Chief', seed cones of Magnolia grandiflora (used as an accent next to the vase), Zinnia elegans in a pinkish-red and pure red and, in the center, Leucadendton salignum 'Devil's Blush'


Rudbeckia hirta 'Denver Daisy' has proven surprisingly resilient in my cutting garden but I haven't used it in vases often since I planted it from plugs as I've been hard-pressed to find new companions to set off its strong colors.

Once again, I ended up pairing the Rudbeckia with the feathery plumes of Pennisetum and the red-tinged foliage of the Leptospermum in my front garden.  The only "new" element is the Copper Canyon Daisy (Tagetes lemmonii), which had just produced its first blooms of the season.

The back view looks much like the front

Top view

Clockwise from the top: Rudbeckia hirta 'Denver Daisy', Leptospermum 'Copper Glow', Pennisetum advena 'Rubrum', and Tagetes lemmonii


For more Monday vases, visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden, our In a Vase on Monday host.

Since the interior of our house is in the process of being painted, there are even fewer spots to place flowers.  The first vase is sitting in a corner of our new kitchen, where I hope it'll be out of the way of workers when the flooring is laid later this week.  As most of my indoor plants were consigned to my shade house during the painting process, the second vase landed in an open space in my office.  We're getting closer to completion of our project - it's just a few more weeks away (I hope!).


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

27 comments:

  1. I have been thinking about you this week Kris. We have been hearing about the wild fires on the BBC News over the past days and as I am not sure exactly where you live, I have been hoping that you and your lovely home and garden are not at risk. I have checked your blog a few times, to make sure you haven't been reporting any worrying news for you. I think what you call a marine layer, we call a haar. A foggy, east coast mist which rolls in off the North Sea, and definitely damps things down and leaves a chill in the air. Hope yours comes back! I love the wine coloured foliage in both your vases this week. I like leucadendron. It's a very handsome plant, and I used stems of it in flower arrangements I did at work to dress the office building in Edinburgh. I also LOVE your feathery plumes of pennisetum. They always remind me of my visits to Melbourne! The plant is used there a lot in municipal planting and I love the way it wafts in the breeze. Your lovely flowers set everything off beautifully. I have two INAVOM posts this week. If you take a peek, you will see why! Amanda
    https://therunningwave.blogspot.com/2019/10/in-vase-on-monday-part-one.html https://therunningwave.blogspot.com/2019/10/in-vase-on-monday-part-two.html

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    1. I live on a peninsula southwest of the city of Los Angeles in Southern California, Amanda. Our area is considered at high risk of fire because we have a lot of canyons and the fire-starting Santa Ana winds routinely blow through here, but we've been lucky to avoid any major wildfires of the kind that have plagued many nearby areas. However, every time we hear fire trucks or some fool setting off fireworks - or hear news reports of fires nearby - we get very nervous.

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    2. Thank you for your reply Kris. I know it's an ongoing situation so keep safe, and I look forward to seeing what your amazing garden has offered up for next Monday! No idea what will be going in my vase yet!! Amanda

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  2. Two great vases..and contents! These fires are devastating, people must be shattered....my heart goes out to the people affected.

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    1. Fires have a long-term impact on the communities they hit to be sure, Noelle. Even after the fires are put out risks like mudslides often follow.

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  3. Especially love the 2nd vase combo of colors. Autumnal but in a fresher way. The Leucadendron tips remind me of tulips as well. Eustoma remind me of roses.

    Less windy here than expected. Now we have Wednesday-Friday's event to get through. Hope you make significant remodel progress this week!

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    1. Have we always had one Santa Ana wind event on top of another on top of still another like this? If so, I don't remember it but then, until we moved into this area almost 9 years ago, we were more insulated from the fire risk. Stay safe HB!

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  4. Your vases and your kitchen backdrop are looking lovely Kris. Soon we'll be seeing counter tops without plastic and your vases in the fantastic light coming in those lovely windows. I bet you can hardly wait.

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    1. I grow more impatient with each passing day, Cindy!

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  5. Nice vases! I agree with you about the rosebuds and love the color combination in both vases. The fires terrify me even from this distance. Grow some Papayas! I'll send you some seed!

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    1. If only our back slope were well irrigated, I'd plant a papaya or 2 down there, Amelia. I should probably look into how well they do in pots.

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  6. Nice set with autumn colors, Kris. I always like to see plumes of Pennisetum, they add a nice pizazz.
    Hope you are well away from the fire and smoke, and stay that way. The fire near the Getty is worrisome... although they all are really. May the winds die and the rains come soon.

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    1. We got a good sniff of smoke from the Getty fire mid-morning here but then the wind - or the fire itself - shifted direction. The Getty is now considered out of danger (I wouldn't be surprised if it has its own dedicated fire service) but I haven't heard any status on the fire's containment yet. Unfortunately, the winds will be with us until Friday and there's no rain whatsoever in the forecast at present. I'll be happy if the marine layer just moves back into place.

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  7. Love all of these fall colors and the fooofy seed heads of the grasses. Be safe.

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  8. Love the Leucadendron bracts! I think that first one is my favorite of yours--maybe ever. It's really special! But I like all your arrangements. :)

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    1. I'd been eyeing that 'Devil's Blush' Leucadendron for a vase for well over a month but the dahlias kept getting center stage. I'm glad I was finally able to give their flower-like bracts time to shine.

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  9. I see fire in these today, Kris - sparks and flashes

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  10. Very fall-y and festive vases Kris ! I had the same wind damage with my lone Dahlia , and with upcoming nights in the 30's looks like the party is over for the year. Yet another wind event and public safety power shut-off for today,I won't be affected by the outage at least. I looked at the long term forecast and no rain is on the horizon til mid-November.

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    1. I think even my Dahlia 'Punkin Spice' may be calling it quits by the time this week's winds are over. I can't remember having one after another after another like this but perhaps I've just put the prior events out of mind. Fingers are crossed that rain materializes in mid-November. In the meantime, stay safe, Kathy!

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  11. Terifying to hear about these dreadful fires. I am glad to hear that you are on the last lap at last and will soon have your home back. Two pretty arrangements, I always admire your fabulous leucadendrons and wish I could grow them.

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    1. I can't imagine this garden without its backbone of Leucadendrons, Chloris.

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  12. The Rudbeckia vase is so very fall!

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    1. The Rudbeckias are very fall, Loree, even if the plants seem to prefer summers here. I'm surprised you weren't all over those Leucadendrons, though ;)

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  13. Hi Kris, I'm a bit late this week, but wanted to see your gorgeous creations before the next vase appears! That colour combination in your first vase is one of my favourites - pinky red with lime green. Yum! And 'Devil's Blush' is quite remarkable and very pretty. I love using grasses in vases, so your Pennisetum struck me first in your second vase. Hopefully I will have large enough plants to use some in my vases next summer! Hope the wind has abated and those fires are under control.

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    1. According to today's paper, Cathy, the fires are now "mostly" under control. At least we haven't had any new ones for a few days now.

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