In a Vase on Monday: More bulb blooms!

The second of the two species tulips I planted in early December began blooming late last week so it kicked off my search for materials to include in this week's arrangements.  Unfortunately, Tulipa clusiana 'Cynthia' is even more diminutive than her sister 'Lady Jane' and she got lost among the other elements I included in my first vase, especially as light levels dropped and the tulip flowers closed in response.

The flowers of Coleonema 'Sunset Gold'  obscure the 3 pale yellow and reddish-pink tulip blooms on the lower right side of the vase.  I probably should have snipped away some of those tiny Coleonema flowers.

The Narcissus currently popping up throughout my garden share space with pink and yellow Freesias at the back of the vase

Alstromeria dominates the overhead view

Clockwise from the upper left: a better view of Tulipa clusiana 'Cynthia', noID Alstroemeria, noID pink and yellow Freesias, Coleonema pulchellum 'Sunset Gold' (aka breath of heaven), and noID Narcissus

The Anemones in my cutting garden shifted into high gear as our temperatures climbed into the mid-80sF (29C) during the course of last week.  As the flowers opened in larger numbers, green aphids moved in en masse.  I cut the open blooms and carefully washed the horrid sap-suckers off each of them before bringing them inside.

Anemone 'Mistral Azzurro'  produces especially tall stems

I drew on the violet and blue notes in the beautiful petals of the Anemones when choosing fillers for the back of the vase

Top view

Clockwise from the upper left: Anemone 'Mistral Azzurro', Echium handiense 'Pride of Fuerteventura', Hebe 'Purple Shamrock', noID white Freesia, Limonium perezii (aka sea lavender), and Polygala fruticosa (aka sweet pea bush)

The mauve Anemones were affected by the weather just as the blue ones were so I decided they should be cut as well, creating a reason for a third vase (as if I needed a reason).

I made use of the variegated Hebe in this arrangement as well

Like the Anemones, my Pericallis are also under siege by aphids so I cut and cleaned one of those flower stems to dress up the back of this vase

Top view

Clockwise from the upper left: Anemone 'Mistral Rarity', Lotus jacobaeus, Osteospermum 'Berry White', Hebe 'Purple Shamrock', and hybrid Pericallis (aka florist's cineraria)

After a week of unseasonably warm temperatures, the weather shifted dramatically on Sunday as a storm front moved into Southern California.  After a few hours of morning sunshine, the sky turned gray and stayed that way while we hoped for rain.  I went to bed near 11pm, still hoping.  While table surfaces and the like were wet this morning, our roof-top weather station recorded no measurable rain.  This is the third storm to pass us by but forecasters are holding out yet another chance of rain starting next weekend.

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

All material © 2012-2020 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party