There aren't many new flowers on the scene this week, although I've been pleased to see bulbs and various shrubs developing buds. We've had a seemingly never-ending series of Santa Ana wind events and, while the most recent of these haven't been severe, it's been very dry, with humidity levels routinely below 20 percent. There's zero chance of rain in the ten-day forecast and the most recent long-term forecast, while not surprising, almost made me cry. Last year's rainfall was terrible and I knew this year might be much the same but the early rain at the start of our rainy season in October followed by the heavier-than-usual December rain boosted my expectations, even though both November and January were bone-dry. Now it seems possible that the December rain may be it until the next "water year" arrives in October. Meanwhile, my collected rainwater is already running out.
My cutting garden isn't at all floriferous at the moment but there are a few Anemone blooms and those provided the starting point for both of my small arrangements this week. The pink blooms of Anemone coronaria 'Admiral' are making their third appearance in a row for In a Vase on Monday, albeit with different companions this time.
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| There were a few Centranthus blooms on my back slope and I stumbled upon 2 Fuchsia 'Old Berkeley' blooms on a plant in my shade house quite by accident |
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| Back view, dominated by the foliage of Prostanthera ovalifolia 'Variegata' (aka mint bush) |
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| Top view |
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| Clockwise from the upper left: Anemone coronaria 'Admiral', Centranthus ruber, C. alba, Fuchsia 'Old Berkeley', Leptospermum scoparium 'Pink Pearl', and Prostanthera ovalifolia 'Variegata' |
The blue Anemone blooms are new but some of their companions have already appeared in prior posts this year.
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| The centerpiece of this 5-inch tall vase is the blue Anemone coronaria (which once again doesn't look like the 'Lord Lieutenant' cultivar is was supposed to be) |
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| Back view: The noID Ceanothus hedge keeps on giving. I added some alyssum (Lobularia maritima), a rampant weed here no matter how dry it is, to lighten things up. |
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| Top view |
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| Top row: Anemone coronaria, noID Ceanothus, and the first Freesia bloom of the season (!) Middle row: Lavandula multifida, Lobularia maritima, and Osteospermum 'Violet Ice' Bottom row: Salvia 'Bee's Bliss', Scabiosa columbaria 'Flutter Deep Blue', and Westringia 'Morning Light' |
Last week's Anemones and two hellebore stems survived even though I let the arrangement go entirely dry so they ended up in the vase on the kitchen island.
For more IAVOM creations, visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.
All material © 2012-2022 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
While some "stumbled upon" blooms, I walked around the entire garden and came up empty handed :-D
ReplyDeleteI'm drawn to the subtle pink of Leptospermum scoparium 'Pink Pearl' with its dark center. You managed a fantastic collection of blue shades in the second arrangement: gorgeous.
I know SoCal does have its advantages, although given that reliable rain isn't one of them, you could very well discover me moving in somewhere in your part of the country one day! With a brother-in-law on Vashon Island, my husband is willing to consider the Puget Sound area...
DeleteWould love to have you as a neighbor!
DeleteIt could happen! We're expecting a summer preview this week :(
DeleteBeautiful arrangements, as always! We are in a bit of a deficit here in S. Wisconsin, too--down more than a foot of snow for the season. (The precipitation deficit, of course, doesn't compare with yours.) While I'm not complaining about that, I do hope we'll have plentiful rain in March and April. And I hope you'll get a little more rain, too.
ReplyDeleteThe best I could find in the long-term forecasts was 2 days of rain, delivering an estimated 1/4 inch, in late February. February is traditionally our rainiest month :( There's nothing showing in the way of rain for March at present. Of course, Mother Nature can be a jokester! I'm hoping for that.
DeleteDo you have to pay for any water that you haven't harvested, Kris? All those moonths without rain would be inconceivable here in the UK, where it is not often we have even a month without any rain. I am glad you have still been able to find some bloos though, and you have renminded me that I must try again with anemone coronaria, but just in pots in the greenhouse. I particularly like your blue vase today and am amazed that your hellebores in the third vase survived a whole week!
ReplyDeleteWe pay for the water that that serves the house and garden (beyond whatever I collect among my 3 rain tanks). Although the price of water has increased dramatically, there isn't currently an absolute limit on usage per household. There are guidelines to prevent "abuses," including a new reporting mechanism, but I fear there may be more draconian measures in the future, especially if Southern California is cut off from water currently imported from the Colorado River and the northern part of the state.
DeleteI love your blues and you made me miss the Scabiosa I used to have around. I have been living without irrigation for awhile, the decline in weeds has been remarkable and I am cutting down the turf, Is your city water separately metered or rationed or just absurdly expensive? You do an amazing job with limited water.
ReplyDeleteHave you ever seen the movie 'Chinatown' (starring Jack Nicholson)? The urban sprawl that is Los Angeles County was created through maneuvers that gave the area the right to water diverted from the Owens Valley to the north. With water more limited at the points of origin, those and other water rights are being challenged. I haven't done a careful accounting but off the cuff, I'd say our monthly cost has nearly doubled in the past year. If it was just a matter of the cost, I'd be more sanguine but the larger issue is: how far are we from real limits on our usage? Wastewater retrieval and reclamation are now under discussion, as are desalination efforts, but those also have environmental and fiscal impacts.
DeleteGot it. Florida and Georgia are in a water war currently and I think the big cities will have to ration water and reuse water and dramatically reduce lawns.
DeleteThat the problem encompasses Florida too is distressing to hear, Amelia. Like it or not, many people are going to have to confront the ramifications of climate change in one way or another as the years go by.
DeleteLovely. Very Spring-like. We are going through a very warm spell right now so this just fuels the desire for Spring to arrive
ReplyDeleteI'd be happy to welcome spring as long as it came with a bit more rain, Elaine, but this week the temperatures are already climbing toward summer-like levels! That's a bridge too far for me :(
DeleteLovely shades of pink and blue, the resulting arrangements call to mind the phrase "the whole is greater than the sum of the parts"...
ReplyDeleteAs there's a little of a lot in my garden at the moment - and no showstoppers other than Hippeastrum 'Luna' which has already made two appearances - I seem to have resorted to an ensemble casting strategy when it comes to floral arrangements, Loree ;)
DeleteAll the pinks are lovely together. The blues too of course.
ReplyDeleteDo you have to plant new Anemone bulbs (tubers?) every year?
I've been buying new Anemone tubers each year. They can be left in place and will come back if they're not disturbed and they get watered; however, I dig up the raised planters in my cutting garden for warm season bulbs (like dahlias) and other flowers when the spring flowering ones are done so most of them get evicted. I should note that I've never gotten them through a summer in any of the areas outside my cutting garden as those areas are just too dry.
DeleteI love seeing your anemones Kris. Both colours are exquisite but I do have a weakness for blue flowers. The second vase is perfect for the blue arrangement. :-)
ReplyDeleteI love the Anemones too, Cathy. Unfortunately, we're currently experiencing a winter heatwave and the Anemones aren't handling the situation especially well!
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