As "In a Vase on Monday" arrived on the heels of "Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day" this week, I hadn't planned to put together more than one vase but I expect you won't be surprised to learn I've got two. Really, the garden dictates these things and I just follow its directions. The title of today's post comes from the fact that the focal flowers in both vases are the last of their kind for the season.
The first vase was inspired by Dahlia 'Rancho', which produced its first and only bloom last week. I've dug up and stored all my other dahlia tubers and in that 'Rancho' gave me just a single bloom during the six month period it occupied space in my cutting garden, I won't be saving this tuber. One bloom wouldn't make an arrangement on its own so I drew on more reliable flowers to flesh this one out.
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| The large-flowered Grevilleas bloom year-round here so Grevillea 'Peaches & Cream' with its yellow and pale orange flowers were a natural choice to play off the dahlia's color |
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Back view, featuring more Grevillea flowers, as well as the orange berries of Auranticarpa rhombifolia (aka diamond leaf pittosporum). The berries are plentiful this time of year.
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Top view, showing off the yellow flowers of Senna bicapsularis, another reliable fall bloomer. The warm weather we had in October seems to be hurrying the Senna's bloom season along this year.
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Clockwise from the upper left: Dahlia 'Rancho', Agonis flexuosa 'Nana', Auranticarpa rhombifolia, Senna bicapsularis, Correa 'Sister Dawn', Grevillea 'Peaches & Cream', and Leucadendron 'Jubilee Crown'
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The inspiration for the second vase was actually the flowers of Salvia discolor I didn't manage to photograph for Bloom Day but the arrangement fits the "last dance" theme as it also includes what I think is the last flowering stem of Lisianthus (Eustoma grandiflorum) I'll have until spring.
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Three stems of Salvia discolor (aka Andean sage) are positioned toward the back of the arrangement with the blue Lisianthus grabbing center stage. The Salvia's flowers are nearly black.
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I dressed up the back of the arrangement with 'Purple Ruffles' basil (Ocimum basilicum var. purpurescens)
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Top view, showing off the still abundant Barleria obtusa (bush violet) used as filler material
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Clockwise from the upper left: Eustoma grandiflorum, Barleria obtusa, Salvia discolor, Ocimum basilicum 'Purple Ruffles', and Westringia fruticosa 'Morning Light'
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Last week's arrangements held up well. That was perhaps to be expected in the case of the flower-less arrangement featuring succulents and Leucadendron stems but it was surprising in the case of the second vase. I down-sized the contents of that arrangement, tossing out the pink Lisianthus that had already seen better days when I cut the stems last week, but retaining much of the rest.
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The remaining ingredients in the down-sized arrangement include Caladium 'Debutante', Correa pulchella 'Pink Eyre', Pentas lanceolata, and Prostanthera ovatifolia 'Variegata'
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For more IAVOM creations, visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.
All material © 2012-2020 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
Wow, Dahlia 'Rancho' is lovely and you created a beautiful display with it. And, of course, I love seeing your Lisianthus, Kris. Have a good week.
ReplyDelete'Rancho' is indeed pretty but I won't be growing it again nonetheless. I gave up 'Bluetiful' last year for poor performance and that one gave me at least half a dozen flowers
DeleteGosh, just one bloom all season - why do you think that was? Was it a new tuber this year? Interesting to know that you lift yours - would the tubers exhaust themselves otherwise? The grevillia is a perfect partner for the solitary bloom, but not surprisingly my eye was drawn by the gorgeous lisianthus and I am sorry that we won't be seeing any more of them till next year - intriguing accompaniments to them today too. I also like the way you recycle previous vases when you can!
ReplyDeleteIt was a new tuber and the grower shipped it very late so part of the problem may have been that it was already quite warm here when it got planted but I'm not going to invest more time testing it when there are so many other wonderful dahlias to try. Dahlia tubers don't need to be pulled in my climate if you avoid watering them during dormancy. However, my tubers are planted in my cutting garden which, sowed with seeds and planted with other bulbs, is watered lavishly (by the general standards of my garden) during the entire cool season (over and above what the area receives in the form of rainfall). The dahlia tubers would rot under those circumstances,
DeleteYou have turned me into a dahlia lover. Next year I will have some.
ReplyDeleteHappy IAVOM.
I think you'd enjoy them, Lisa. They do well in large pots so that's an easy way to try them out. 'Labyrinth', my best performer this year, was planted in a half-barrel with zinnia seeds.
DeleteI love yellow and peach together and you always seem to have lots of flowers to complement that combo. Too bad about the dahlia, but 'nothing ventured, nothing gained,' or so they say. Is Lisianthus an annual for you or perennial? I love the gray-green calyxes of S. discolor with its dark purple blooms. I grew it once and loved it, but haven't grown it since. I think I'll try to find another next spring, it is a good one.
ReplyDeleteLisianthus is a short-lived perennial in this climate, Eliza. I've kept some as long as 3 years. I could probably hang onto them longer still if I was willing to baby the plants when they decline but it's been easier thus far to buy new plugs. Regrettably, they've got a reputation of being difficult to grow from seeds, although a number of online sources are now offering "pelleted" seeds, which are supposedly easier to germinate.
DeleteEnjoying seeing both the blooms and the greenery, always beautifully balanced.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you liked them, Noelle.
DeleteI would be most surprised indeed Kris if you turned up on a Monday with just the one vase 😜 Both lovely as always. Shame about the dahlia that never got going. I like the sprig of basil that you have tucked inside the second vase. The foliage certainly more than lives up to the name.
ReplyDeleteOne vase is possible in future weeks, Anna. The variety of flowers suitable for cutting is steadily declining.
DeleteYour vases are gorgeous Kris! I love the Dahlia with the combination of Auranticarpa rhombifolia berries and greenery. I keep going back and looking at it!
ReplyDeleteThe Auranticarpa berries are wonderful this time of year, Lee. They look like small pumpkins when they're fresh but they're interesting even as they dry and break open to reveal their seeds.
DeleteWell that one bloom is quite lovely, but yikes. That's pretty stingy!
ReplyDeleteIt was disappointing to say the least, Loree. No new buds have emerged so into the green bin the plant will go.
DeleteWow! The first vase arrangement is simply outstanding! I had never heard of the pittosporum Auranticarpa rhombifolia and those berries are wonderful along with its “wavy” leaves. It complements the Dahlia perfectly, although I know you won’t be growing that one again.
ReplyDeleteThe 2nd arrangement looks wonderful particularly in the vase you selected. Will you be keeping the purple Lisianthus plants but just cutting them back? I remember you had stated that you have ordered plugs of new plants. The Westringea silvery-gray foliage is beautiful and looks like a conifer.
You have a third vase!!! Lol It is also quite beautiful and in my eyes and not so “ down-sized” but I understand you are speaking relative to your other arrangements. I have taken a screenshot of this arrangement for my future reference. I particularly like Correa 'Pink Eyre.'
I wish you a wonderful week!
Yes, I've cut the blue Lisianthus down to the ground in the hope that the plants will spring back with some rain (fingers crossed there as this is supposed to be a La Nina year). I was thinking about my Lisianthus/Eustoma order just this morning. Unfortunately, that particular vendor is not good about notifying customers that an order has been shipped, much less allowing buyers to track delivery. I placed my order on 11/3 and, according to an earlier exchange, they ship within 7-14 days so the order should be on its way...
DeleteI am very late to your garden party this week Kris! I can't believe it's Friday already and really can't say I have achieved much this week! Your vases are, as always, delightful and I particularly love the colours in your Grevillea. Fresh and bright, and quite seasonal too! They seem to match your persimmon tree shown in your last post! The Salvia discolor is fascinating! I really like it. I hope you have a good weekend. Amanda
ReplyDeleteThanks Amanda! Some weeks do seem to flash by like that, even in the age of the pandemic.
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