When I looked over my garden on Sunday to select material for In a Vase on Monday, the delightful meme hosted by Cathy of Rambling in the Garden, one choice was obvious. By the start of November, I'd pulled out all but one dahlia, the only one I purchased as a full-grown plant. I'd brought it home in early July when I was afraid that all the dahlia tubers I'd planted might be duds. It was already blooming when I bought it but, as it was apparent it'd never been pinched to promote side shoots, I cut all those blooming stems back hard. Its first blooms appeared on IAVOM August 1st. I subsequently got blooms from a tuber of the same variety I'd planted but it never produced the volume of flowers I got from the plant picked up at the garden center and I dug that tuber up in late October. Meanwhile the store-bought plant just continues to flower as if it was mid-summer.
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| This week's blooms of Dahlia 'Lavender Ruffles' are a full 8 inches in diameter |
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| Back view: Much as I love the dahlia's pinkish-lavender color, finding suitable companions to complement it has been surprisingly difficult. This week I used foliage of my burgundy coleus (Plectranthus scutellarioides 'Vino') and the multi-colored foliage of Hebe 'Purple Shamrock'. |
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| Top view |
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| Clockwise from the upper left: Dahlia 'Lavender Ruffles', Hebe 'Purple Shamrock', Persicaria capitata, and Plectranthus scutellarioides 'Vino' |
Meanwhile, the noID Camellia sasanqua shrubs I inherited with the garden have been blooming for weeks. With rain in the forecast for later this week, I decided it might be best to cut a few stems on Sunday as the delicate Camellia flowers don't always respond well to rain.
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| The garden came with 2 Camellia sasanqua, neither of which I can identify. They're similar but not identical in color but the form of their flowers are different, as are their growth habits. |
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| As is often the case with my arrangements, the back view looks less symmetrical than the front view but I couldn't bring myself to cut a 5th Camellia stem to balance things out |
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| Top view |
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| Clockwise from the upper left: Specimens of both Camellia sasanqua, Achillea ptarmica, Argyranthemum frutescens 'Aramis Bi-color Rose', and Coprosma repens 'Fireburst' |
I'm trying not to get overly invested in the prospect of rain as an earlier forecast suggesting rain on Monday (today) failed to materialize but every local weather forecaster has mentioned the prospect of rain starting Thursday night so it's impossible to ignore. Our rain total for the "water year" that started on October 1st stands at 1.21 inches (30.7mm) but we're on the precipice of our peak rainy season, December-March, and it'd be nice to see a break from the La Niña standard that kept us dry two years in a row. I've also been making heavy use of the rainwater collected during the two light storms we had earlier and it'd be great to top off my collection tanks.
For more IAVOM creations, visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.
All material © 2012-2022 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
The companion colors for the Dahlia are fabulous. Sometimes when selection is limited, a more inspired vase is the result. The Camellia vase says spring to me, and I'm looking forward to my white, winter blooming one to start flowering, sometime in December.
ReplyDeletechavli
Camellia sasanquas bloom much earlier than the splashier Camellia japonicas. I have one Camellia williamsii ('Taylor's Perfection') that normally blooms in January, absent an untimely winter heatwave. It was one of the first things I planted after we moved in. I had several large Camellia japonicas in our former tiny garden but quickly learned that my current garden is less hospitable to these plants, at least since drought conditions tightened the hold on us.
DeleteYes, the foliage is a brilliant background to the dahlia - and how curious that it was the shop bought plant that performed this way. Your little second vase is such a summery delight, so warm and fresh. Thanks for sharing both, Kris.
ReplyDeleteThe Camellias will be long gone by summer here, Cathy. They're winter blooms for us.
DeleteThe vase and the accompanying foliage/small flowers with Dahlia 'Lavender Ruffles' are all just perfect, well done!
ReplyDeleteThe dramatic coleus is one foliage plant that can really hold its own with the splashy dahlia blooms, Loree.
Delete'Lavender Ruffles' has certainly more than paid for itself Kris! Such a pretty camellia. You picked beauties to star in your vase this week. Will be keeping fingers crossed for you that the forecast rain materialises.
ReplyDeleteI'm planning to save that 'Lavender Ruffles' tuber so it should pay it should continue to pay for itself into the future, Anna. I think I've only bought dahlia plants as sprouted tubers twice before this. One did well but the other was a flat-out failure, infected by some bug and turning our distorted blooms, so purchases like that are an iffy thing.
DeleteCamellia and Dahlias at the same time? Only in California. Love your use of Coleus with the Dahlia and I wish I could have some Camellias here.
ReplyDeleteThe overlap between the Dahlia and the Camellia this year was a fluke I think, Amelia. That dahlia must have been grown with the plant-equivalent of steroids.
DeleteWow, that Dahlia is a looker! And it's so complemented by the companion cuttings you've added. The Camellia arrangement is lovely, too!
ReplyDeleteI think the dahlia's current blooms may exceed the size and quality of its summer blooms, Beth. It's like the energizer bunny of dahlias.
DeleteSome lovely colour echos going on in both arrangements Kris. The dark coleus as a backdrop to the dahlia is stunning. I hope you get some rain soon. My mother is currently in Kaui for a holiday and it's monsooning so maybe some will come your way. Ours is arriving in the white and solid form.
ReplyDeleteI hope the weather isn't spoiling your mother's holiday, Elaine. Kauai is usually beautiful rain or shine, although it may be best to avoid hiking along the cliffs in a monsoon...I understand that Mauna Loa on the big island is erupting so it's probably good she's not there!
DeleteOur current forecast is showing an 83% chance of rain in the wee hours of Friday morning and rain off and on through the weekend but it's reportedly not going to be a blockbuster storm.
Two more lovely arrangements. So nice to see some Camellias. I miss them. Mom & Dad always had them in the garden.
ReplyDeleteOur rain chances for late in the week seem to be increasing, cause for optimism!
Sadly, the cut Camellias have been steadily dropping their petals. Yes, it looks like we're going to get some rain Thursday night or early Friday!
DeleteThat dahlia is amazing Kris! 8 inches and a beautiful colour! I love the coleus foliage you chose to go with it. Maybe I should do the same and simply buy a dahlia next summer rather than try and grow them from tubers as I never have much luck with them. Your Camellias are lovely too, and the little pink daisies are a pretty accompaniment. Hope you get that rain!
ReplyDeleteMy experiences with buying dahlia plants, as opposed to tubers, has been mixed, Cathy, but 2 out of 3 isn't bad odds. If nothing else it saves the anxiety of wondering whether the tubers are ever going to sprout ;) However, the plants sold by garden centers are considerably pricier than the tubers sold by growers - and there are far fewer varieties to choose from.
DeleteIt's such a joy to see a dahlia at this time of year! All of mine have been dug up now for the winter.
ReplyDeleteI dug up all my dahlias a month ago with the exception of this one, Nikki. It's confused but in a good way ;)
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