A few new blooms popped up last week but there wasn't a plentiful supply of any of them so the challenge was what to make of each. That led to three arrangements: one large, one medium-sized, and one small.
The largest arrangement was designed around stems of Delphinium 'Cobalt Dreams' from my cutting garden. I cut the plant back in April after its first flush of blooms and it exploded with another flush this month. The floral stalks were much taller this time and one of them toppled over under its own weight late last week. I put the broken stem in water, which made it an obvious starting point for an IAVOM arrangement.
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| The 3 Delphinium stems were ridiculously tall. I had to get out a tape measure to determine how much to cut them to ensure that the stems wouldn't interfere with the lighting fixture that hangs over our dining room table. |
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| Back view: Finding plant material in the right colors with sufficient height to complement the Delphinium wasn't a simple matter either |
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| Top view |
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| Clockwise from the upper left: Abelia grandiflora 'Hopley's Variegated', Eustoma grandiflorum, Delphinium elatum 'Cobalt Dreams', Pandorea jasminoides, and Plectranthus scutellarioides 'Salsa Verde' (aka Coleus 'Salsa Verde') |
My second, medium-sized arrangement was inspired by the first Lilium 'Pretty Woman' bloom, which I paired with stems of Dahlia 'Southern Belle'.
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| The second lily bud is on the verge of blooming, while one of the dahlia flowers was already fading |
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| Back view: I added a stem of white Lisianthus from one of last week's arrangements, as well as a couple of noID zinnias to pick up the coral pink of the dahlias |
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| Top view |
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| Clockwise from the upper left: Agonis flexuosa 'Nana', Cuphea 'Honeybells', Dahlia 'Southern Belle', Eustoma grandiflorum (aka Lisianthus), Orienpet Lilium 'Pretty Woman', and noID Zinnia elegans |
The third arrangement was an after-thought. Dahlia 'Summer's End' bloomed on the heels of 'Southern Belle' last week and the first flowers were already fading so I cut two of them to fill the small vase that sits on our kitchen island.
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| Front and back views: In addition to Dahlia 'Summer's End', the vase contains one stem of Agonis flexuosa 'Nana', 2 stems of Antirrhinum majus 'Double Azalea Bronze', and 2 stems of Digitalis purpurea 'Dalmatian Peach' |
Two other lilies bloomed this past weekend but I didn't have any idea what to do with them so they may sidestep the limelight this year. The rabbits stripped several lily stems of all their leaves before I realized what they were up to, which meant no blooms this year and probably doesn't bode well for future flowers.
For more IAVOM creations, visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.
All
material © 2012-2022
by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
Splendid as always! Have to say I did double take on the Lisianthus blooms, beautiful!
ReplyDeleteLisianthus is one of my favorite flowering plants. Usually sold as an annual, it's a short-lived perennial here but it can be tricky to keep it happy. I'm only growing a few varieties now because the plants are hard to find but the pale green, pale yellow, and pinkish-red ones are gorgeous if you can get your hands on them.
DeleteLovely flowers Kris. I haven't had nearly the success with Delphinium 'Cobalt Dreams' as you have. Yours is huge compared to mine. I'm hoping it will be perennial. The second arrangement feminine names and colors. Your dahlias are beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThe Delphinium wasn't nearly as large (or tall) when it produced its first flush of blooms this spring, Susie. I was truly surprised that a) it produced a second flush and b) that the plant grew as big as it did. I'd estimate that the tallest stem was 5 feet in height (before it collapsed). Even give its performance, I'll probably pull it when I dig up the dahlia tubers before planting my cool season cutting garden this fall.
DeleteI think I've grown 'Cobalt Dreams' before. I LOVE Delphiniums and that shade of blue! All your arrangements are amazing, as always!
ReplyDeleteThat Delphinium is a gorgeous blue. I finally properly cut back 2 other Delphiniums, one also in the cutting garden and the other in a pot, and I'm hoping one or both will also produce a second summer bloom flush.
DeleteThree arrangements that got me looking twice at your list of blooms...whooh!
ReplyDeleteThanks Noelle!
DeleteGlamorous flowers this week, very nice!
ReplyDelete*^#$@!&% rabbits!
The rabbits disappeared for a couple of weeks and then suddenly reappeared. I suspect that the original resident bunnies were eaten by predators and others arrived to fill the vacuum. They seem to be gone once again (and I'm knocking wood as I type this) but I've left all my protective cages in place for now. Meanwhile, another critter, a possum I suspect, dug up several small recently planted succulents so the replanted succulents are now covered until they're firmly rooted.
DeleteAmazing to have such a display of delphinium at this point in your summer, Chris! Your arrangement is elegant and looks great in situ. Also love your dahlias, particularly 'Summer's End'.
ReplyDeleteLike foxgloves, Delphiniums have never survived in my garden borders but I was pleased to discover that both fare much better in the raised planters in my cutting garden. I think that's primarily because I water those planters more regularly and deeply than the rest of my garden. I also fertilize many of the plants in those beds, which I suspect provides them a boost. Even so, I was surprised to get a second flush of blooms from 'Cobalt Dreams'.
DeleteThe delphiniums are astonishing, Kris, and I had to smile at the thought of you with your tape measure! Mine have had a lot of smaller sideshoots but I am not expecting any more after they have done, even with cutting back. Why are the lisianthus hard to find these days? That would be such a shame as they are glorious and I love seeing them in your vases. The dahlias and lilies in your second vase are a very pretty pairing, aren't they?
ReplyDeleteI was delighted to have lilies and dahlias blooming at the same time - that's a first I think. Lisianthus are notoriously difficult to grow from seed so perhaps many growers have just chosen to skip them. I saw some in 6-packs at a garden center an hour plus away and foolishly elected not to buy any (because summer planting is a questionable practice here) but now I regret that decision.
DeleteYour cutting garden has been a huge success (delphiniums!)
ReplyDeleteIn the past I've told friends not to bother with Delphiniums so I'm both chagrined and amazed to have some success with them, Denise. I've had my fair share of failures in the cutting garden (with Astrantia to name but one) but the Delphiniums and foxgloves are a big win!
DeleteYour dahlias are gorgeous Kris! I just never have any luck with them. Love the tall arrangement with the lovely Delphinium… another plant I can't grow mainly due to slugs I think! Always love the foliage you use too. Great vases again!
ReplyDeleteThanks Cathy. Relative success Dahlias and Delphinium surprised me - and helped modify my negative view of summer ;)
DeleteGorgeous delphinium, Kris. I love the colors they sport, but am loathe to stake them, which doesn't guarantee that wind or heavy rain won't break them. I have better luck with the small varieties, but even they are short-lived. Your lily and dahlias are beautiful, sorry about the rabbits ruining the lilies. Between the deer and lily beetles, I've given up on growing them. We have wild lilies (L. canadense) in the woods, but only two have blooms (a single and a double on stems that should have a dozen), the rest the deer have found, alas. Critters!
ReplyDeleteI'm treating the Delphiniums as annuals. I didn't stake or otherwise support them previously as they didn't get as tall as 'Cobalt Dreams' did this year with its second flush. Lilies are generally viewed as short-lived here and, unless I learn to shield the plants before the rabbits find them, that's almost guaranteed.
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