Monday, November 15, 2021

IAVOM and Bloom Day collide (again) - November 2021

In a Vase on Monday, hosted by Cathy of Rambling in the Garden, and Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, hosted by Carol of May Dreams Gardens, merged in February and March this year and the memes have converged once more this month.  Rather than creating two separate posts, I've wrapped them together. 

I'll start with IAVOM. 

Unlike many of my flowers, the bush violets (Barleria obtusa) stood up well against the late season heatwave that's plagued us since last Wednesday.  Included in this arrangement are: Barleria obtusa, Correa 'Ivory Bells', Osterospermum '4D Silver', and Westringia frutescens 'Morning Light'.

The flowers in this arrangement haven't handled the heat nearly as well.  It includes blooms of Angelonia, Bauhinia x blakeana (aka Hong Kong orchid tree), Gomphrena decumbens 'Itsy Bitsy' and Pelargonium peltatum, as well as foliage of Prostanthera ovalifolia 'Variegata'. 

The Camellia sasanqua flowers are plentiful but inclined to shatter at the slightest touch, which made arranging them challenging.  I've noID for the Camellias but their companions are Pentas lanceolata and Coprosma 'Fire Burst'.  The manicured fingernails on the clasped hands that make up the vase (visible in the rear view on the upper right)  match the color of the Camellias almost perfectly.


For more IAVOM creations, visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden here.


Okay, let's move along to Bloom Day to show where the flowers in those vases came from, as well as what else I've got blooming in my garden.  I'll start with the flowers putting on the most impressive show this November.

Barleria obtusa, commonly known as bush violet, originates from South Africa.  I picked up a plant at my local botanic garden years ago and now have large clumps in several areas.  This one's in my front garden.

It's my most prolific bloomer this month.  To say it self-seeds readily is an understatement but the seedlings are easy to pull out when they're small.  This clump sits next to our backyard fountain.

This clump in the backyard border is the largest

Senna bicapsularis, a host plant for cloudless sulphur butterflies (Phoebis sennae), looms large on the fence line in my north side garden.  I took this photo several days ago before our current heatwave knocked it back.

All four of my strawberry trees (Arbutus 'Marina') are dripping in flowers to the delight of our resident hummingbirds.  The trees are scheduled for pruning at the end of this month so the flowers will soon be greatly diminished.

I inherited several Camellia sasanqua with the garden.  While their petals are almost identical in color, they differ in form and growth habit; however, I don't have names for either of the two varieties.

The Australian fuchsias, Correa 'Ivory Bells' and C. pulchella 'Pink Eyre', are covered in blooms this month

Ocimum hybrid 'African Blue Basil' is still covered in bees

Osteospermum 'Double Moonglow' has bounced back from its post-summer trim much more quickly than the other Osteospermums in my garden

Pennisetum advena 'Rubrum' isn't quite as robust as in prior years.  I don't know if that's a reflection of the past year's woeful rain total or later-than-usual pruning.


As usual, the Grevilleas and Leucadendrons are also putting on a show.

Grevilleas 'Peaches & Cream' and 'Superb'

Leucadendrons 'Safari Sunset' and 'Blush' share space on the south end of the backyard border


I've replanted a large part of the back garden and some of those new plants are joining the floral parade this month.

Clockwise from the upper left: Didelta 'Silver Strand', Grindelia (species uncertain), Penstemon heterophyllus 'Blue Springs', Salvia 'Mysty', and Salvia 'White Flame'


I'll close this Bloom Day celebration as I usually do with the best of the rest organized in color collages.

Top row: Duranta repens, Felicia aethiopica, and Rotheca myricoides
Second row: Lavandula multifida, Lobelia erinus, and Vitex trifolia
Third row: noID Brachyscome, Pelargonium peltatum, and noID Phalaenopsis

Clockwise from upper left: Angelonia 'Archangel White', Eriocapitella hupehensis, Argyranthemum frutescens, Lantana 'Lucky White', and Westringia fruticosa 'Morning Light'

Clockwise from upper left: Angelonia 'Archangel Pink', Antirrhinum majus, Arctotis 'Pink Sugar', Bauhinia x blakeana, Pelargonium peltatum, Pentas lanceolata, and Persicaria capitata

Top row: Chrysanthemum 'Rainbow Circus', noID Coreopsis, and Cyclamen 'Djix'
Second row: Gaillardia 'Copper Sun', Gomphrena Itsy Bitsy', and Pelargonium peltatum
Third row: Pelargonium sidoides, Phalaenopsis 'Balden's Kaleidoscope', and Stapelia grandiflora

Clockwise from upper left: Cuphea 'Vermillionaire', Lantana 'Irene', Xerochrysum bracteatum, Gazania 'Yellow Flame', Oncostele 'Wildcat Golden Red Star', and Zinnia 'Profusion Yellow'

For more Bloom Day posts, visit Carol at May Dreams Gardens here.



All material © 2012-2021 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

41 comments:

  1. I love the bush violet and the sage. My strawberry tree is covered as well but they fall off and I rarely see the colorful fruit. I don't know why that happens. It is one of my favorite trees.

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    1. The blooms rain down in massive numbers from the strawberry trees here too, Phillip. The fruit is attractive but I've yet to see a garden critter with an appetite for it - even the squirrels ignore it!

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  2. Looking at the plethora of blooms in your garden one forgets it's mid November! I love the Camellia arrangement: the vibrant blooms against the shiny dark green foliage.
    I'm looking forward to a post detailing the pruning of the the strawberry trees!
    In photo 20, middle row on the right: do the variegated leafs belong to the dark Pelargonium peltatum flowers?

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    1. No, the variegated foliage surrounding the dark burgundy Pelargonium pelatatum (aka ivy geranium) is that of Prostanthera ovalifolia 'Variegata' (aka mint bush). They share space in a half barrel in my front garden.

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    2. That makes more sense... They look awesome together.

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  3. Glorious pinks and blues in your vases and it's always refreshing to see them growing in situ. No wonder you always have so much choice for your vases!

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  4. Gorgeous blooms, both in vases and in the garden. But I especially love the look of that grass in the autumn. Happy Bloom Day.

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    1. A good many ornamental grasses do better in the dry climate here than lawn grasses, Dorothy!

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  5. Wow, Kris, you have a lot going on! Love that Barleria, I think they will grow here and keep forgetting about them as I try to grow obscure plants from seed. Love that vase with the Barleria too.

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    1. The Barleria obtusa is one tough character here, Amelia. I know that Barleria cristata (aka Philippine violet) grows well in Texas. One or the other might work for you. Their flowers are very similar but their growth habits differ. Both self-seed freely, though!

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  6. Love your distinctive arrangements Kris. The bush violet is amazing both as an outdoor feature and as a cut flower. Your camellias are lovely in the vase. It's nice to know the names but not always easy. The strawberry tree is interesting. Have a happy week.

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    1. Thanks Susie. Both the bush violets and the Camellias provide a lot of color this time of year.

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  7. Such beautiful flowers and vases! I love the Camellia sasanqua.

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    1. Camellias have gorgeous flowers, although they're not the best material for vases as they fall apart so quickly. They're tougher to grow in my current garden too, especially as drought conditions have worsened.

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  8. Such riches in November Kris! I can but dream 😂

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    1. We may be dry, Anna, but Southern California weather does offer some consolations!

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  9. Such a pleasure to see so many beautiful blooms in November (snowed here last night so winter is here). The garden looks like it has fared well despite all the heat. I do love your orchid tree. The blooms are stunning

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    1. It helps that the nights are somewhat cooler, Elaine - no 90F temperatures at 11pm at least! Our daytime temperature is supposed to drop 11 degrees (Fahrenheit) tomorrow, placing us closer to our "normal" for this time of year.

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  10. Beautiful!
    I especially like all the pink flowers!

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  11. Good idea to merge the two memes when it happens and when you have so many beauties to celebrate. Those Camellias are super special...I'm so partial to them. Love, love, love.

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    1. I just wish the Camellias held up better in a vase, Beth. I was very pleased with that arrangement when I put it together yesterday but the Camellias are already drooping.

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  12. I had to buy flowers this week-I mixed them with greens from my garden. Blooms are pretty paltry around these parts right now.

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    1. I would have thought the rain you've had up that way would have given the garden a bit of a boost, Kathy, but maybe it was too much too fast?

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  13. Stunning array of blooms, I loved all the blooms from your post but for me Grevillas and Leucodendrons are the show stealers. It would be my pleasure if you participate in my Gardening link up party here at http://jaipurgardening.blogspot.com/2021/11/garden-affair-lycoris-lily.html

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    1. I love the Grevilleas and Leucadendrons too. I tried to link up but the inLink tool put me through too many verification exercises.

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  14. I love your vases. It is always a joy to see your bloom days with such a astonishing array of fabulous flowers, some of them unknown to me. I have never come across that gorgeous Baleria obtusa.

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    1. Barleria obtusa isn't something you find often here either. I don't know why that is, especially given how easy it is to grow.

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  15. What a treat, lovely vases, but then seeing the plants in the garden is a real treat. Thank you for sharing.

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  16. Wow Kris. I think you have more blooming in your garden right now in November than I may have at any one time in the spring or summer. What loveliness to see all your color and variety of blooms. I have nothing in my garden than brown dead flowers I've yet to get deadheaded. So . . . I will just enjoy your collection of pure bliss.
    I must say, by this time of year, my back and body need a break from all the bending over. Do you ever have a time where you get to rest from the gardening?

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    1. Gardening at the height of summer is both miserable and relatively pointless here so that's generally when work in the garden grinds to a halt, Cindy. Fall is actually our busiest period as it's the best time to plant here (at least when we don't get hit by a late season heatwave).

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  17. Always love your Bloom Day posts, Kris, so full of color they are. Refreshing on this dull November day here where color lessens by the day. Thanks for the spot of cheer!

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    1. I hope you're able to curl up by a nice fire to relax and read a book. Maybe a book on gardens!

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    2. Thanks, Kris. I've morphed into winter mode... shorter, brisker walks, books, tea by the fire and I even did a jigsaw puzzle a few days back. Enjoying the down time for now. ;)

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    3. I'd love downtime like that - at least if it only lasted 4-6 weeks ;)

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  18. So lovely, both the vased and the in-garden. Now a few days of cooler weather to enjoy!

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    1. Hopefully, the cooler conditions will stick this time, HB!

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  19. You have some gorgeous plants. What a wide range of colour too. The Bush violet looks like a pretty plant to have as a standard filler. The camellias are beautiful. Wish I could grow them! Hope it's cooler this week.

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    1. Thanks Cathy. It's much cooler! I'm just hoping it stays that way.

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