Neither my dahlias nor my zinnias are going to last much longer. In its current state, I figure that my cutting garden may have one more week of flowers to offer - barring another heatwave, further plumbing issues, or an earthquake. Actually, thanks to my husband's efforts, the irrigation system seems to be working like new which I suppose shouldn't be a surprise as we now have new pipes, new valves, and a dozen or more new sprinklers. We got a little rain last week too, most of it in the form of two brief cloudbursts. Unfortunately, that didn't help the mildew problem. On the other hand, my additional raccoon deterrents have kept the little demons (mostly) at bay.
After last week's bounty, Dahlia 'Fairway Spur' produced a single new bloom this week. Given several weeks, it might produce another flush of flowers but, this late in the season, that's not a given so I'll probably dig up those tubers and hope that, with an earlier start next year, I'll get more flowers from them.
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Dahlia 'Summer's End' hasn't produced a profusion of flowers at any one time but it's steadily offered a bloom to two more weeks than not. The ripening berries of a noID Cotoneaster that planted itself in my garden several years ago helped to tie the colors of the 2 dahlias together.
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Back view: The flowers of Grevillea 'Peaches & Cream' fit the blend too
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Top view
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Clockwise from the upper left: Agonis flexuosa 'Nana', Leucadendron 'Wilson's Wonder' (stems left over from last week), Zinnia elegans 'Queen Red Lime', noID Cotoneaster, Dahlia 'Fairway Spur', D. 'Summer's End', and Grevillea 'Peaches & Cream'
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I haven't made much use of Zinnia 'Carmine Rose' this year. I love the flowers but I could never seem to find much to pair with them so this week, before I lose the rest to mildew, I decided to make them the centerpiece of their own vase.
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Australian fuchsia, Correa 'Wyn's Wonder', complemented the Zinnias well. I threw in a couple of stems of Angelonia to lighten up the arrangement a bit.
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Back view
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Top view
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Clockwise from the upper left: Abelia grandiflora 'Kaleidoscope', noID Angelonia, Correa 'Wyn's Wonder', Grevillea 'Superb', Leptospermum 'Copper's Glow', and Zinnia elegans 'Carmine Rose'
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For more IAVOM creations, check in with Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.
All
material © 2012-2022
by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
Kris I especially like the colors in the first vase. Those dahlias are winsome and everything else look beautiful with them. Have a good week. You're getting more rain than we are.
ReplyDeleteIt seems the weather is weird all over, Susie. Portland, Oregon has been warmer - as well as drier - than we've been recently as well.
DeleteLovely Fall colours. I especially like the combination of hues in Fairway Spur. Will have to look for that one next year.
ReplyDeleteThanks Elaine. I'd forgotten how much I liked 'Fairway Spur' when I first tried it. It's a dinnerplate variety so the flowers are huge too.
DeleteCoral and Sea Spray what came to mind when I saw your first arrangement and linking it to Cathy's, thanks as always for sharing your weekly vases.
ReplyDeleteCoral is actually one of my favorite colors, Noelle. I still regret getting rid of a coral jacket I had years ago, even though its shoulder pads were way out of style by that point ;)
DeleteYes, I can see why you wuill be sorry at the demise of your dahlias for another year - even though you will still find other material over the leaner months. I especially like the red zinnia today, and the backdrop of mostly foliage works well. The cotoneaster berries work brilliantly in the first vase - no doubt the birds will be after them once they are ripe!
ReplyDeleteIn that the birds presumably had a hand (or a beak) in planting that Cotoneaster, which is now huge and only barely under control, the more berries I manage to use before they get them, the better it'll be for my garden, Cathy :)
DeleteBeautiful vases as always Kris. I think that we will all be saying au revoir to our dahlias for another year which is always a sad day. Glad to hear that you've had some rain albeit not in any vast quantity.
ReplyDeleteGiven our milder fall/winter weather, I always think I should be able to extend our summer-flowering plants later into the year, Anna. But something - often multiple factors - usually crash that dream. Ultimately, we're all at the mercy of the shortening day length I guess.
Delete'Carmine Rose' certainly deserved a starring role in an arrangement all its own, and you gave it a good one.
ReplyDeleteI don't know why I wanted to refuse the zinnias a starring role in deference to the dahlias, HB. There shouldn't be a plant hierarchy in a garden :(
DeleteYour Dahlias and Zinnias have been well worth their irrigation this season. I am gearing up for winter Zinnias here and have read Dahlias will work so I have some on hand. nothing ventured nothing gained!
ReplyDeleteYour ability to grow zinnias during fall and winter is remarkable, Amelia, so why not dahlias too?! While I don't know exactly where you are in Florida, I'm guessing that your latitude is significantly further south than mine in Southern California, which presumably means that, being closer to the equator, your daylight hours are longer than ours during fall and winter. Maybe that accounts for your ability to grow plants that are just summer bloomers here?
DeleteI do love your peachy creations, Kris! Both are lovely! Eliza
ReplyDeleteThanks Eliza!
DeleteLove the cotoneaster berries, Kris, especially paired with Grevillea 'Peaches and Cream'. Zinnia elegans 'Carmine Rose' is a really interesting colour, I can see how it would be a challenge to pair with other flowers and foliage, but I think you have done a wonderful job. You've reminded me I really must get a move on and plant some zinnia seeds!
ReplyDeleteThat Zinnia is a really odd color, deep pink with a touch of red and just a tinge of coral. Best wishes with the seed sowing!
DeleteConsidering all the ups and downs your garden has been facing recently, your vases are as lush and gorgeous as ever Kris! I especially like the Carmine Rose zinnia and the Grevillea is always a joy to see. Both vases look slightly autumnal too! đ
ReplyDeleteThanks! I'd hoped all the garden challenges were fading into the sunset of the summer season but yet another heatwave, though hopefully brief, and the ever industrious raccoons are convincing me that I can't let my guard down ;)
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