My two favorite memes, "In a Vase on Monday" and "Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day" overlap again today. This makes for a longer than usual post but at least the subject material has a direct relationship. As I published a separate post earlier this month covering many of my flowering bulbs, including the Freesias and Narcissi, I scrapped most bulb flower photos in this post. I've also limited my usual commentary. It's still a long post but it couldn't be helped - much of the US may once again be dealing with nasty cold; however, it's Spring with a capital "S" here.
As I did last month, I'll start with this Monday's floral arrangements, created using materials from my garden.
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| This arrangement, shown from the front, back and top, contains: Anemone coronaria 'Lord Lieutenant', Argyranthemum frutescens, Aristea inaequalis, white and yellow Freesias, Iris hollandica 'Sapphire Beauty', and Leucospermum 'Goldie' |
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| The second arrangement contains: Alstroemeria 'Inca Vienna', Antirrhinum majus, Coleonema pulchellum 'Sunset Gold', noID Narcissus, Pyrethropsis hosmariense, and 2 tiny Tulipa 'Lady Jane' |
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| Leftover stems were popped into other available containers. The contents include: the Helleborus 'Anna's Red' stem originally cut for a vase on March 1st, Scabiosa 'Flutter Rose Pink', plumes of Festuca califonica, Limonium perezii, and a mix of Freesias. |
Moving on to Bloom Day, I'll start with what grabbed my attention.
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| This is Aristea inaequalis, which is hard to photograph in part because it's battling Echium handiense for space |
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| Tree-like Ceanothus arboreus 'Cliff Schmidt' on my back slope |
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| Limonium perezii |
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| The first Irises appeared last week. Iris hollandica 'Sapphire Beauty' is on the left and Iris douglasiana 'Santa Lucia' is on the right. |
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| Arctotis 'Pink Sugar' |
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| Hippeastrum 'Aphrodite' |
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| This is one of my bulb flower exceptions this month, Tulipa clusiana 'Lady Jane'. Species tulips have a better track record in my garden that the splashier varieties. |
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| Coleonema 'Album', aka white breath of heaven |
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| Pyrethropsis hosmariense, aka Moroccan daisy |
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| Grevillea 'Moonlight' |
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| Leucospermum 'Goldie' paired here with Senna artemisioides |
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| Grevillea 'Peaches & Cream', looking especially good right now |
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| Leucospermum 'Spider Hybrid' |
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| Salvia africana-lutea, aka beach salvia, is blooming about a month behind the larger specimens at the local botanic garden |
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| Ferraria crispa, aka starfish lily, produced its first bloom on Saturday. The blooms are about the size of a quarter and last only about a day but the plant produces one flower after another. |
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| Calliandra haematocephala, aka red powder puff, is having an especially good year despite the frequent shearing it receives to keep it within bounds |
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| Two of my favorite hellebores, Helleborus 'Anna's Red' and H. 'Red Lady' |
I'll close my Bloom Day content by showing the best of the rest of what's flowering in my garden, with the exception of the aforementioned bulb blooms. The photos are consolidated into collages organized by color.
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Top row: Dianella tasmanica 'Tasred', Echium handiense, and noID Scaevola
Middle row: Lavendula dentata, L. multifida, and L. stoechas
Bottom row: Gomphrena decumbens 'Itsy Bitsy', Osteospermum 'Double Purple', and Polygala fruticosa |
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Top row: Alstroemeria 'Inca Vienna', Arbutus 'Marina', and Camellia williamsii 'Taylor's Perfection'
Middle row: Cistus 'Grayswood Pink', Coleonema pullchellum 'Sunset Gold', and Crassula multicava
Bottom row: Grevillea sericea, Leptospermum scoparium 'Pink Pearl', and Scabiosa columbaria
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Top row: Argyranthemum frutescens and Helleborus 'Pacific Frost'
Middle row: Jasminum polyanthum and Nandina domestica
Bottom row: mix of self-seeded and named Osteospermums in two areas of the garden |
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| Left to right: Aeonium arboreum, Echeveria agavoides, and Euryops chrysanthemoides 'Sonnenschein' |
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Top row: Grevillea 'Superb' and noID Kalanchoe (blooming for its second or third year)
Bottom row: Osteopermum 'Zion Copper Amethyst' and O. 'Sunshine Beauty' |
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Top row: Alstroemeria 'Indian Summer', noID miniature Cymbidium, and Gazania 'White Flame'
Middle row: Grevillea lavandulacea 'Penola', G. 'Ned Kelly', and G. 'Scarlet Sprite'
Bottom row: Leucadendron 'Safari Sunset', Lobelia laxiflora, and Osteospermum 'Berry White' |
For more Bloom Day posts visit Carol at May Dreams Gardens. For more IAVOM posts visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.
All material © 2012-2021 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
Lovely vases, both of them. I'm particularly enamored with Leucospermum 'Goldie and how nicely it contrasts the blue anemone.
ReplyDeleteThe photo of Leucospermum 'Spider Hybrid' bloom is amazing! And finally, I'm compelled to ask: is Gomphrena 'Itsy Bitsy' ever not in bloom? :-D What a hard working, proliferous shrub.
The only time the 'Itsy Bitsy' in my front garden isn't in bloom is when it's cut back hard, which is seldom. Even then, it recovers quickly. In contrast, there's one in my back border that barely hangs on - it blooms but it looks like it's struggling. I can't provide a clear explanation as to why the two plants behave so differently.
DeleteLove the blues and the Goldie Leucospermum is fabulous. I would love that and some Proteas, but it is not to be...
ReplyDeleteBut you can grow every bromeliad in cultivation, Amelia! 'Goldie' was the first of my Leucospermums to thrive in this garden. Plants in this genus seem to take their time to settle in. I think I have four now. I'm still waiting for blooms on the newest one.
DeleteWhat a phenomenal reservoir of blooms you have to choose from each week Kris! I really wouldn't know where to start. So varied, colourful, different textures and forms. No wonder your vases are always so full of interest and gorgeousness! Amanda https://therunningwave290580645.wordpress.com/2021/03/15/in-a-vase-on-monday-with-mum-in-mind/
ReplyDeleteIt is a floriferous garden, Amanda!
DeleteOh, just wonderful! I love the purple and yellow flower combos. And, there you go with your Arctotis 'Pink Sugar' again!
ReplyDeleteArctotis 'Pink Sugar' is a tough plant, Lisa. It gets ratty at the end of its bloom cycle but, if cut back fairly hard, it comes back even better the next year.
DeleteOh gosh, that brown salvia.. gorgeous! And even better I think I may just have acquired it, sold here as Salvia africana lutea 'Kirstenbosch'. I can't wait for it to bloom.
ReplyDeleteThe species tulips work better for me too, the only ones that actually come back for a second year.
The Salvia has an interesting bloom, Jessica. By comparison to those in my local botanic garden, mine has bloomed fairly lightly thus far but, as I obtained my plant from that very same garden, presumably grown from cuttings there, I expect it'll get progressively more vigorous.
DeleteI love the starfish lily. It is the most unusual bloom. So many blooms. I enjoy seeing each and every one. Happy day...
ReplyDeleteI'm always excited to see blooms on the Ferraria, Lisa. The plant dies back during the summer but, after the rains, I see it reappear and get excited waiting for the first of its blooms. I collected seeds once and actually got them to germinate but I wasn't careful with the seedlings. I hope to make a more conscientious effort to propagate the plant this year.
DeleteThose vases full of flowers are truly eye-popping, as are all your blooms. Just gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteThanks Dorothy!
DeleteThe head-in-hands vases are so cool. Imagine having a Limonium perezii wig. Love the dutch iris with the Leucospermum.
ReplyDeleteSo many flowers, enjoyed them all. At least we got some rain this morning, It's always like Christmas when it rains.
My Hippeastrums are just waking up.
All the Hippeastrums that have bloomed for me thus far were bulbs I popped in pots last November, HB. The Hippeastrums I planted in the ground will take their own sweet time to bloom, if they do so at all. I moved a few in January that I suspect are still settling in.
DeleteDouble treat of a post Kris!
ReplyDeleteThanks guys!
DeleteEnjoyed all your flowers, and your arrangements, too. The Starfish lily intrigued me. I looked it up and strange that some sources refer to it as "starfish iris" although the Latin names (thank heavens for Latin names) were the same. Anyway....not hardy in zone 5b, where I live. Thank you for the burst of color on a cold, windy day here.
ReplyDeleteThe starfish lily/iris would have to be treated as a greenhouse plant in your climate, Alana. It took awhile to settle in even here in my zone 11a garden.
DeleteI LOVE the blue and yellow arrangement, Kris. The Leucospermum with the purple Anemone and Iris is wonderful. And Bloom Day is always a favorite - so many gorgeous blooms tucked into one post, heavenly! Yes, it is very cold here today, but this post warms me right up. ;)
ReplyDeleteWe're somewhat colder again here, Eliza, but I suspect you'd consider the temperature (in the mid-upper 50s) downright balmy. I hope you get a real warm up soon.
DeleteBeautiful blooms! Your vase arrangements are especially pretty!
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful day!
Thanks Lea!
DeleteYou have a nice collection of vases, not to mention plants! I like the powder puff plant - is it related to callistemon? You have one of my favorite camellias - 'Taylor's Perfection'. I just had the chance to get another one but decided not to since I don't really have space for it. It was certainly a prolific bloomer in my old garden.
ReplyDeleteCalliandras belong to the mimosa family and Callistemons to the Myrtus family so they're unrelated - unless the botanist crowd shuffles classifications as they're inclined to do ;) I love Camellias but this garden isn't the place for them. 'Taylor's Perfection' was my one and only addition, installed here shortly after we moved in and before I really understood the conditions here.
DeleteKris- I am blown away every time I visit your garden! Your blooms and photography are beautiful and the collages are such a tribute to the various colors of blooms that you have, Happy Bloom Day!
ReplyDeleteThanks Lee!
DeleteL'aristea è bellissima, qui purtroppo non potrei coltivarla, il limonium potrei e spesso lo si trova nei vivai anche se non ho mai provato a coltivarlo. Questo potrebbe essere l'anno giusto!
ReplyDeleteBuona settimana :)
The Limonium is easy to find and easy to grow here too, Gabriel. You should definitely try it. It is a short-lived perennial in my climate.
DeleteKris, your flowers inside and out are amazing. I love the Dutch Iris. (am expecting a shipment this week and hope they're as pretty). Leucospermum is so interesting too--unique and beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI hope the dutch Iris do well for you, Susie. They multiply fairly quickly here.
DeleteI never get tired of visiting your blog because it's like a trip through a botanical garden with the number and variety if plants you have.
ReplyDelete-Ray
Thanks Ray! Coastal Southern California offers a lot of options with respect to plants, although of course there are still many I'd like to grow but can't.
DeleteWow ! Kris those vases are so beautiful . I loved all of your Tulip blooms. Starfish Lily is spectacular. It would be my pleasure if you join my link up party related to gardening here http://jaipurgardening.blogspot.com/2021/03/garden-affair-spring-flower-snapdragon.html
ReplyDeleteThanks Arun. I love the tulips and the starfish bloom too.
DeleteIris and Leucospermum, two flowers I never, ever, thought I would see together!
ReplyDeleteThe Ferraria crispa bloom is just freaky, but I love it for that.
The Dutch Iris do surprisingly well here, Loree. The Ferraria crispa is very different = and I wish I had more of them. I've got to try propagating them from seed again.
DeleteA beautiful arrangement in blue and yellow Kris. As always there are so many gems in your garden and all the colours of the rainbow 😄
ReplyDeleteI do love color, Anna!
Delete