Just when my garden was showing signs of spring, winter returned with unusually low temperatures and torrents of rain. The rain started in the wee hours of Thursday morning and continued virtually non-stop through Saturday. Snow fell in areas and at elevations in Southern California that don't normally get any. Newscasters even reported snow falling in the area surrounding the famous Hollywood sign, although there seems to be some controversy as to whether that was actually hail or graupel. We didn't get any snow (or graupel) in my location but we did get a bit of hail, which fortunately didn't last long.
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| Although brief, the hail caused minor damage to a few agaves. I think this is the third time in the 12 years we've lived here that we've had hail. |
We had respite from the rain on Sunday, which allowed me to cut flowers for In a Vase on Monday. I started with two stems of Hippeastrum 'La Paz'. Its pot was toppled over by the high winds that accompanied the recent rainstorms and I didn't want to risk losing the flowers to the next storm.
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| I probably should have skipped the yellow Freesias but, as they too had been pummeled to the ground by rain, I wanted to use them while I could |
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| Back view: I cut 2 leaf stems from an artichoke as a foliage accent because they were stretched across the stairs leading down the back slope. I also added a Mangave flower stalk, which unfortunately doesn't show up particularly well in this photo. |
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| Top view |
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| Clockwise from the upper left: Cynara cardunculus (artichoke) foliage, Corokia virgata 'Sunsplash', Mangave 'Bloodspot' flower stalk, Hippeastrum 'La Paz', Lobelia laxiflora, and, in the middle, Freesia |
My tree-sized Ceanothus is in full bloom so I took advantage of that in preparing my second arrangement.
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| View of Ceanothus arboreum 'Cliff Schmidt' on the back slope |
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| I created another blue and white arrangement, heavy on the Ceanothus |
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| Back view |
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| Top view |
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| Clockwise from the upper left: Anemone coronaria, Freesia, Osteospermum '4D Silver', Ceanothus arboreum 'Cliff Schmidt', and Salvia hybrid 'Pozo Blue' |
I saved the Limonium perezii (aka sea lavender) used in one of last week's arrangements and popped it into another vase, accompanied by two stems of Freesia.
As the rain had beaten down the stem of another Hippeastrum 'Rozetta' I had on the patio, I cut its remaining bloom for a tiny vase.
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| Its stem was only 2 inches tall so the tiny vase was my best bet. It's sitting on my desk, next to my computer. |
We're expecting another cold rainstorm today. It's forecast to continue into Wednesday. Our season-to-date rain total (starting October 1, 2022) is 13.56 inches, which isn't bad. Our rainy season usually comes to an end in early April so that leaves a pretty good chance we might get to our "old normal" annual average of fifteen inches before then.
For more IAVOM arrangements, visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.
All material © 2012-2023 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
The spiky vase came together beautifully, even if it was partially dictated by (hurray!) rain. La Paz is a stunner. Is the mangave flower scented, I wonder?
ReplyDeleteI can't detect any scent from the Mangave flowers but then I have a very poor nose :(
Delete"Graupel"... you learn something new every day.
ReplyDeleteYour first vase is impressive and expressive. The cardoon leafs look great and add a lot of power. I'm glad you didn't skip the yellow Freesias; I probably couldn't stop at one or two... At first glance I thought the Lobelia is hot peppers.
The second vase is so different: calm and demure. As I've commented before, that color combination is my favorite.
Chavli
Ha! I thought the closeup ofthe Lobelia flowers looked a lot like peppers when I viewed my photos too, Chavli. Their appearance in the garden has never struck me that way, though.
DeleteI think that it must be the first time I have seen you write the phrase " We had a respite from the rain" 😂 Is there more predicted in your immediate forecast? The cold spell in California has been in the news over here Kris. Our weather has turned cold again but hopefully there's no snow on the horizon. All your vases are fabulous but as always my eyes are drawn to the blues.
ReplyDeleteThat IS an unusual thing for me to say, Anna! Some time ago I replied to a commentator (Cathy of Words & Herbs maybe) that, if we ever got snow here, it'd be national and possibly international news. It seems my prediction was correct ;) Although we didn't get any actual snow in my immediate area, it was evident in surrounding areas at relatively low elevations (but higher than our elevation, which is just over 800 feet above sea level). I saw a photo posted on Twitter by a homeowner in my city showing what looked like snow but a climate expert concluded it was probably either hail or graupel - by comparison the hail we got was nothing, though! We're expecting more rain today through Wednesday but have only seen 0.01/inch thus far. Forecasters say more is possible next weekend but the local forecast doesn't reflect it (yet).
DeleteThe spidery looking hippeastrum is such a different, more delicate, form - I really like it.
ReplyDeleteIt's a lovely flower with really tall stems. (I cut them down significantly before putting them in today's vase.) I'm hoping I can plant my 3 bulbs out in the garden once they're done blooming in their pot and get them to naturalize. I've had some success with that before, although I planted a single 'La Paz' bulb out in my street-side succulent bed years ago and it didn't survive, probably because that bed was far too dry.
DeleteThe artichoke foliage work so well with your lovely hippeastrum, Kris - how many stems have you had from the bulb or bulbs? I am pleased that you included a blue and whote vase too, as you always seem to have the perfect blooms for this colour combination
ReplyDeleteI have 3 'La Paz' bulbs in a single pot and all 3 have produced 2 stems each, Cathy. Fortunately, the second stems seem to lag the first ones so you may see yet more blooms from these bulbs before they're done ;) Hippeastrums seem to vary in the number of stems they produce. Last year, each bulb of my 'Luna' variety produced 3 stems over time. On the other end of the spectrum. I got 3 bulbs of 'Estella', none of which have done anything but those are literally the only Hippeastrum duds I've ever had.
DeleteYour 'La Paz' are gorgeous! I am starting to thing the 2 buds on mine are never going to open. I do love the blue arrangement, it makes me miss my ceanothus!
ReplyDeleteThe buds on my 'La Paz' (grown outside) also took a long time to open, Loree, so don't give up hope. I've got 3 bulbs and all produced 2 stems with buds but, so far, I've had just 3 open. Re the Ceanothus arboreum, I waited a long time for the 1-gallon pot I planted to become a tree but I'm glad I hung onto it as the tree has more presence than the gigantic shrubs planted as hedge material I inherited with the garden - all but one of those are long gone.
DeleteI agree with Loree that the 'La Paz' are gorgeous. The artichoke foliage is a great pairing with those flowers. And I like the way the Lobelia colors works with the Freesia. I still remember the first time I was in CA and saw Ceanothus. So beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI love Ceanothus (even if I detect no scent from the plants commonly known here as "California lilacs"). I saw the tree form of Ceanothus (C. arboreum) in the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden decades ago and fell in love. I was disappointed by the Ceanothus hedges we inherited with our garden here and planted 'Cliff Schmidt' not long after moving in. I think SBBG lost its tree Ceanothus during a massive fire years ago but they were magnificent.
DeleteWonderful garden finds during what sounds like a weird storm. I was wondering how you were holding up. I am guessing very happy with the precip? The LaPaz may be my new favorite, that is a real treat. Amelia
ReplyDeleteOur rain was plentiful but not overwhelming as it was in some areas, Amelia. Our accumulation from the last series of storms that moved through from Thursday through Saturday was 2.5 inches. That's a lot within a short period for us but, in contrast, my brother who lives about 50 miles to the north received over 10 inches within the same period. There were flood and mudslides in some area. The most unusual piece for us has been the much colder temperatures associated with the rain. Luckily, so far, we only had one short blast of hail!
DeleteFabulous vases and I am glad you are getting the much needed rain and no snow. A friend was at a conference in Inglewood and they got quite a bit of freezing rain she said. I am stunned at the snow though.
ReplyDeleteThe snow is unusual, Donna! Even hail is uncommon but it does happen, even as close to the ocean as we are. Most of the elevations that reported snow seem to be well above 1200 feet - we're just over 800 feet above sea level.
DeleteThat first one is really glamorous. The Artichoke foliage is particularly beautiful.
ReplyDeleteFabulous ceanothus, shown off nicely in a vase. If my new ones are ever half that pretty, I'll be thrilled.
We are at 15.22" for the rain season. Remember when the forecast early last fall was for a warm, dry winter?
The artichoke foliage was a last-minute addition when I found myself forced to step over it as I headed down the slope.
DeleteMy Ceanothus arboreum took its time reaching that size, HB, but I'm glad I waited for it. Now, if I could just get rid of the Matilja poppy I planted practically on top of it...
As of 2:30pm, I'm at 13.8 inches of rain for the season. My brother got more than 10 inches in the San Fernando Valley between Thursday and Saturday and my friend who lives nearby said it's raining there today as well.
That's an impressive looking Hippeastrum. I wondered if you would get snow where you are -- although it seemed unlikely so close to the ocean. We are having a whole series of small snow storms, each dropping a few inches of snow, here this week, as Mother Nature reminds us that March is a winter month in Maine.
ReplyDeleteI usually think of late February as early spring here, Jean, but it's been relatively cold this year in general and got colder still last week as the storm front originating in Alaska moved in (which in our terms means daytime temperatures in the mid-upper 40s to low 50sF). Snow in the lower elevations of the foothill areas created a lot of excitement.
DeleteYour Ceanothus is fabulous, both in the garden and the vase! Sadly it is just a bit too sensitive for here, although some people manage to grow it if they have a sheltered area near the house or a wall. Your blooms alllookamazingly intact, despite your rain and graupel. I was pleased to read that the German word has been taken into the English language. It really expresses the white grainy stuff so well! Hope it warms up for you soon Kris!
ReplyDeleteI think a UCLA climate scientist has done a lot to popularize "graupel" as a term for a particular like of hail this year, Cathy. However, many people here, unfamiliar with snow, can't distinguish graupel from snow. Not that I'm an expert either - I've only seen real snow a handful of times in my life.
DeleteWow, love the first arrangement with the Hippeastrum. The shape of the blooms gives it a really wild look. The next has a very different feel than the first, restrained and sophisticated. Quite lovely. Hopefully all this rain you are receiving will help the garden through the dog days of summer.
ReplyDeleteThanks Elaine. My soil leans to the sandy end of the spectrum, providing good drainage for my succulents but not so good at retaining moisture over the long term. Still, my garden is refreshed and my rain collection tanks are full and hopefully the snow in the mountains to the north will help provide water during the summer months (assuming it doesn't melt too fast).
DeleteAll vases are delightful especially the blue one, and La Paz is simply breathtaking. You must be delighted to get rain as this is normally a rare event. Thankfully the hailstones are fairly small. A couple of years ago we had tennisball-sized ones in a nearby valley and you can still point out who lives there by looking at the cars! Your Ceanothus looks very happy. I've got Concha and don't quite know what's wrong with it: the foliage is sparse and doesn't look healthy. Couldn't see any parasites under the microscope either. Are they rather short-lived? Have a good week
ReplyDeleteAs this winter's rainy season was expected to be unimpressive at best, I'm thrilled by the relative deluge we've had, Annette. In coming years, I hope California will get better at rain capture and storage. I'm sorry that your Ceanothus is struggling. They do have a reputation for being short-lived, although I've heard assertions that this may be due to getting too much water. We removed 3 large Ceanothus (grown as a hedge by prior owners next to lawn we also removed) several years ago when they started to fail but I recently noticed that one appears to be attempting a comeback!
Delete'La Paz' really is a fabulous cut flower, the artichoke leaves add a nice texture, and the lobelia complements and provides a good supporting role. I like the golden freesia picking up the yellow, too.
ReplyDeletePurple and blues are subdued in comparison, offering a cooling influence. Beautiful vases per usual, Kris! Eliza
Thanks Eliza. 'La Paz' seems to have a lot of fans!
DeleteYou’ve really outdone yourself, particularly with your gorgeous first arrangement, Kris! Love all the contrasting interesting shapes, particularly the hippeastrum and artichoke leaves (I would never have thought to use those- they look great). Wishing you more soaking rain, but no hail or high winds.
ReplyDeleteI probably wouldn't have thought to use the artichoke leaves either, Horticat, if I hadn't found them literally crossing my path as I headed down my back slope ;) As to the weather, it looks like the rain is over for at least the next week.
Delete