Two flashy flowers demanded center stage this week so of course I have two arrangements, not that you wouldn't already expect that from me. However, I made an effort to keep both arrangements simpler than usual so that the ancillary elements wouldn't take the focus away from the flowers used as my centerpieces.
The inspiration for the first arrangement was Hippeastrum 'Aphrodite'. I planted three of these bulbs in pots in November 2020 and all bloomed in 2021. Last fall, I thought I planted all of them in the ground to naturalize but apparently I mixed in another variety by accident. The one remaining 'Aphrodite' in a pot bloomed last week on a single short stem that called out to be displayed in a vase.
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Although all growers describe 'Aphrodite's' flowers as white and pink, the "pink" has a reddish-orange tone to it that didn't combine well with many of the pink flowers I currently have in bloom so I selected flowers with peach and bronze tones as complements
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The back view makes it look like and entirely different arrangement
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Top view
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Clockwise from the upper left: Agonis flexuosa 'Nana', Callistemon 'Cane's Hybrid', Cuphea 'Honeybells', Antirrhinum majus 'Double Azalea Bronze', and Hippeastrum 'Aphrodite'
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The second flower that grabbed notice this week is the first lily to bloom this year. The plant was a surprise gift from two lovely ladies several weeks ago. There are three bulbs in the pot and I cut a single stem from one bulb, partly to make room for the blooms in bud on either side of it, but I also wanted to enjoy the beautiful flowers up close while I can. Despite one noID gift-with-purchase lily bulb I received years ago that's insisted on returning every year, I never thought I could grow Asiatic lilies until I planted two varieties in fall 2020 as a pandemic project and got blooms from every bulb. I planted three more varieties in fall 2021 and all appear to have sprouted. They may slowly die out as many bulbs do here but I plant to celebrate them while I can.
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The hybrid Asiatic lily lives up to its name: 'Royal Sunset'
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Back view: I recycled last week's Leucadendron foliage for this arrangement
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Top view
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Clockwise from the upper left: Leucadendron 'Jubilee Crown', Antirrhinum majus 'Chantilly Bronze' and 'Chantilly Peach', Leucadendron 'Cloudbank Ginny', and Lilium longiflorum x Asiatic hybrid 'Royal Sunset'
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I hope you have a colorful week. For more IAVOM creations, visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.
All
material © 2012-2022
by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
Fabulous Hippeastrum and Lily, given complementary supporting characters. Well done!
ReplyDeleteI've gotten a few years out of some lilies--the species "tiger" lily purchased (or was it a freebie?) more than a decade ago has come back reliably ever since. I read it is a nasty invasive east of the Mississippi, but here in our dry climate is extremely well behaved. --hoov b.
I can sometimes choose "Google Account" instead of "Anonymous", but if I do so the page jumps back up to the top and wipes out the comment I've typed. Eye roll...
As I now have to create my posts using Firefox but can only post responses to comments using Chromium, I can fully appreciate your frustration over Blogger's latest adjustment, HB. I keep waiting for a fix by Linux that allows me to use one browser for everything but that problem has been going on for 6 weeks now...I'll try the "full page" setting you advised me of with my next post to see if that fixes the problem you and others are experiencing when making comments.
DeleteOH wow!! Two fabulous vases full of orange, peach, yellow and coral. What is not to love. The second with the lilies is stunning...I miss my lilies at the old house.
ReplyDeleteThe 'Royal Sunset' lily was given to me with 3 bulbs in a good-sized plastic pot so it looks like pot culture works well, at least for a time. Maybe you can try that, Donna, although I suspect you'll run out of space for pots soon enough ;)
DeleteWOW! Both of those are gorgeous arrangements Kris, you've outdone yourself.
ReplyDeleteThanks Loree! I just took advantage of what the garden gave me this week, though, so Mother Nature deserves most of the credit.
DeleteCelebrating the bulbs with you, gorgeous flowers. I couldn't grow those Lilies anywhere!
ReplyDeleteThe hybrid Asiatic lilies have been a big surprise for me, Amelia. They want water to flower, though, and that may be a problem in the future :(
DeleteI really like these double forms of hippeastrum and agree that the markings are more peachy than pink on this one. Your lilies are stunning too and the chantilly antirrhinum work really well with them. Makes me realise I don't have enough orange in the agrden here!
ReplyDeleteI was never drawn to orange when planting my former garden, Cathy, but the hotter, drier conditions here seem to call for stronger colors. I love those 'Chantilly' snapdragons and I'm surprised they're still blooming heavily with no sign of rust. Planting them in late fall/early winter seems to be the ticket here!
DeleteThe lilies I planted for summer 2021 all surprisingly returned this year, despite erratic watering. What a surfeit of choice for your vases! I did find a hardy-ish yellow callistemon for the northern garden -- love that Cane's Hybrid!
ReplyDeleteCallistemon 'Cane' Hybrid' is turning into a bonafide tree here, Denise! In contrast, Callistemon viridiflorus and the hybrid 'Hot Pink' are still relatively small (3'x2') shrubs. I keep wondering if they're going to explode in size at some point too.
DeleteDear Kris, whereas I often "plonk" my flowers in a vase, there's no such thing in your home. All flowers are pristine and arranged with so much care and thought. Love both your vase, they remind me of far flung, tropical places. Hope all is well with you. Enjoy May 🙏
ReplyDeleteThanks Annette. You give me more credit than I deserve. If only we were a bit more tropical! We seem to be veering closer to desert status with each passing year.
DeleteYou have a lovely eye for combining colors, Kris. Both arrangements are beautiful ... my eye particularly likes the pairing of hippeastrum and callistemon. Hope your weather has been more reasonable this week! Eliza
ReplyDeleteOur "May Gray" marine layer is back so we've been cool again, Eliza, but the weather forecasters say that we're due for yet another warm-up later this week. Local weather services indicate that my area should remain in the 70s, though, which would be very nice.
DeleteFabulous arrangements Kris. The hippeastrums are amazing, but I love the back of that one as well, very compelling. The lilies are such a great color. I have a few asiatic lilies that will soon open, fingers crossed. Hope they look half as good as yours and I'll be pleased.
ReplyDeleteThe 'Royal Sunset' lily has a nice mix of colors in the petals, which don't show up clearly in many of my photos, Susie. It's a welcome addition to my garden. Now I just need to decide where to transplant the bulbs after they finish this bloom cycle.
DeleteThere's a richness and immense color saturation in both vases today that seem unusual. Responsible (at least in my mind) for that level of richness are Antirrhinum 'Double Azalea Bronze' in the first vase, and Asiatic Lily 'Royal Sunset' in the second. Obviously, one can't reach perfection without superior supporting cast.
ReplyDeleteI adore those snapdragons and, if at all possible, intend to make them a regular feature of my cool season cutting garden.
DeleteBoth jaw dropping! Lilium 'Royal Sunset' and Leucadendron 'Cloudbank Ginny' were made to be together. Just gorgeous. I was inspired by your beautiful bunches to have a try myself this week, although my bunch certainly doesn't have your 'wow' factor! - Horticat
ReplyDeletehttps://plantaholicoz.blogspot.com/2022/05/in-vase-on-monday-just-in-time.html
I was thrilled to find your link and your IAVOM post, Horticat! It's always fun to see what's growing in your part of the world, especially as I regularly "borrow" plants from Australia for my own garden. Views from the Southern Hemisphere also give me an opportunity to think ahead about what I could/should plant to prepare for the following seasons.
DeleteThanks for taking the time to read my post Kris, it was lovely to have you stop by! Yes, we’re lucky that we can plant ‘swap’ with our similar climates. You have some beautiful native plants in your region too - I’m keen to try your local Zauschneria sp.
ReplyDeleteZauschneria has done relatively well for me here, although I can't claim success with all coastal Southern California natives. I've had a terrible time trying to get California poppies to bloom and self-seed here - and that California's state flower!
DeleteI love your colour combinations this week Kris! That lily is just gorgeous. And the antirrhinums are lovely too. I have some similar colour antirrhinums growing here, amazingly having survived two winters. But the flowers never get that big.
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised your snapdragons survived 2 winters too, Cathy! I don't imagine they'll ever self-seed here.
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