Monday, November 18, 2019

In a Vase on Monday: Last Call for the Zinnias

I finally pulled the last of my zinnias on Saturday as another round of high winds and unseasonably warm temperatures moved into Southern California.  I cut and put aside the remaining presentable flowers for use in the vases I prepared on Sunday.

I couldn't decide which side of this vase should be the front but finally picked this one as I love the unusual color of the no-name zinnia with orangish-red petals touched with violet at the flower's center

Back view featuring coral-pink zinnias and my ubiquitous Grevilleas

Top view

Clockwise from the upper left: Coleonema pulchellum 'Sunset Gold', Coprosma 'Fireburst' and 'Plum Hussey', Correa pulchella 'Pink Eyre', Grevillea 'Superb', and pink and orangish-red Zinnia elegans


With our remodel mostly done (we're still waiting on delivery of the hearthstone to finish the living room fireplace, as well as the city's final inspection), we're slowly moving back into the half of the house we'd vacated 5 months ago.  We've been moving furniture around and we continue to debate the best location for our grandfather clock, which was booted out of its prior spot by requirements of the new HVAC system.  Once the dust settles, I'll pull together photos of the new space.

Foxgloves and zinnias seem an odd combination but I liked that the the dark pink zinnias picked up the burgundy spots inside the foxglove flowers

Back view

Top view

Clockwise from the top: Digitalis purpurea (aka foxglove), Gomphrena decumbens 'Itsy Bitsy', Leucadendron salignum 'Chief', and dark-pink Zinnia elegans (probably 'Benary's Giant Wine')


The remaining orange zinnias were plunked into a third vase.

I threw in a few stems of Breath of Heaven and Leucadendron to fill out the vase

Back view showing off the peachy flowers of Zinnia 'Queen Lime Orange' and/or 'Benary's Giary Salmon Rose' (as the season neared its end, I could no longer reliably tell one variety from the other)

Top view

Clockwise from the upper left: noID orange Zinnia elegans, berries of noID self-planted Cotoneaster, peachy Zinnia elegans, more Coleonema pulchellum 'Sunset Gold' (aka Breath of Heaven), and Leucadendron 'Wilson's Wonder'


For more of this week's IAVOM creations, visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.

I've regained use of the foyer table for vases but, with the dining room table covered by the inner workings of the grandfather clock, it wasn't available so the other vases ended up on the kitchen island (photographed from 2 directions) and the bedroom mantle


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

28 comments:

  1. Beautiful zinnias, and love the foxglove which, as you say joins up the burgundy dots with the darker zinnia. Delicious! Amanda https://therunningwave.blogspot.com/2019/11/a-bouquet-garni-in-vase-on-monday.html

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    1. I might not have thought to put those zinnia and foxglove flowers together, Amanda, but for a photo I took last week for my Bloom Day (15th of the month) post, which convinced me that, in terms of color at least, they were meant to be combined.

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  2. Pleased to hear you can see the end of the renovations, that must be exciting. I went to a village sale on Saturday and came home with 3 plants. Two Dalmatian foxgloves and an achillea. I don't think he's sold many as it's the wrong time of year, but I can never resist. I like the peachy Zinnias with all the shades in that vase. Seeing yours I'm tempted to buy more Zinnia seed but I should probably concentrate on learning to grow them well first, with what I have.

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    1. Zinnias like hot weather, Alison, but need more water than I for one expected. When I tried planting them in my regular flowers beds, they failed. They like it fine in my well-watered cutting garden, however.

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  3. You always manage to produce such varied vases, Kris, and today I am particularly enamoured of the one with the foxgloves. The vase with 'hands' is perfect for it - so sweet

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    1. That hands vase was a great find in a second hand shop. I'm glad I didn't pass it up.

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  4. All your vases look as if you are settling happily in your new spaces.

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    1. We're still tying up loose ends and my husband's stepped in on a lot of the finish work (like cleaning up the glue the flooring contractor left on the surface of the wood) but it's all slowly coming together, Diana. It's going to take me a lot longer to clean up the collateral damage in the garden.

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  5. I was happy to see you photographing in your new kitchen, Kris. You must be so relieved!
    So nice to see zinnias still, I miss mine (along with everything else!). Beautiful combinations all and it is always a delight to see your 'Hands' vase - I just love that one!

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    1. I am indeed relieved to be almost done, Eliza. Hopefully, we'll pass the city's inspection tomorrow and the hearthstone will be delivered in the afternoon as promised today. I'm looking forward to sleeping on my own schedule too, rather than getting up at the crack of dawn day-after-day to take care of things before the construction crew arrives.

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  6. Your zinnias are beautiful in each of your completely different arrangements. Like Cathy, I love them with the foxgloves!

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    1. Thanks Amy! Those plants may not be common bedfellows but, in this case, I think the pairing worked.

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  7. You have the most amazing vases--the flowers and plants, yes, but the actual vases are awesome, too. I love all of these!

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    1. I've been - slowly - collecting vases for many years, Beth. I've just about run out of space for any more.

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  8. Beth echoes my reaction - I just love your vases. They are all beautiful and so unique! And of course your bouquet making skill makes them shine even more! So excited to hear you're almost done with the renovation! Bet it felt fantastic to cook your first meal in your new kitchen... <3

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    1. Heck, I'm happy just to be able to move through the entire house rather than being closeted in a small portion of it. It feels so big now!

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  9. A beautiful selection of bouquets and vases, Kris. I like Zinnias too but they do best in my veg beds as they're quite thirsty. That digitalis is delightful too!

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  10. Zinnia weather is over here. Fun to see all of this color and texture in vases.

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    1. In marked contrast to your part of the country, we've had a remarkably warm (sometimes hot!) November, Lisa. There's a good chance of rain later tonight into tomorrow so that's a sign that our weather is shifting at last.

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  11. I love zinnias. I think they are one of my very favorite flowers and yours are lovely. They always make me smile.
    What I can see of your kitchen, it looks great. Anxious to see the final review, as I'm sure you are too.

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    1. Just not having to focus on the interior of the house day-after-day will be a very nice change, Cindy!

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  12. I love the foxglove vase! And those funky Zinnias, I have Macarena Zinnias coming on that are orange and red like that. Sometimes the surprises are my favorites. Can't wait to see the renovation.

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    1. We've run into a couple of major roadblocks in finalizing the remodel since I wrote this post, Amelia. To say I'm disappointed would be an understatement. However, I've gone ahead and taken some photos of the new spaces and may publish them anyway as it could be 3 or more weeks before we're really done under present circumstance.

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  13. All gorgeous. Especially the last one with its autumny colours - makes me feel slightly sad that autumn is more or less turning to winter now. But your garden will no doubt continue to produce wonderful flowers through the winter season too. :)

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    1. Yes, we can garden straight through winter without any frost, much less snow!

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  14. Oh fabulous zinnias Kris. I especially like the vase where you have combined them with the foxgloves. Here I didn't get a first call with zinnias this year never mind a last one.

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    1. Zinnias and dahlias have brightened by late summer/early fall garden significantly, Anna.

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