As the last of my blue-flowered Dutch Iris faded, I thought their season was over until 'Lion King' appeared. My records show that I planted a dozen 'Lion King' bulbs in a semi-shady area underneath my now tree-sized peach-flowered Callistemon in the backyard border in October 2021. I might have missed the flowers entirely except that I noticed a reference to them when I was updating my bulb-planting record last week, leading me to scavenge my own garden looking for them. The color of the flowers posed a challenge but I eventually came up with a mix that pleased me.
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| I tried combining the bronze and burgundy Iris with the brown and terracotta-colored flowers of Salvia africana-lutea but the mix wasn't quite right. The green and burgundy flowers of Salvia lanceolata, another South African native, worked better. |
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| Back view: I also swapped Leucospermum 'High Gold' for Phlomis fruticosa |
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| Top view |
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| Clockwise from the upper left: Abelia 'Kaleidoscope', Coprosma repens 'Plum Hussey', Leucospermum 'High Gold', Iris hollandica 'Lion King', and Salvia lanceolata |
A particularly vigorous clump of pink Alstroemeria inspired my second arrangement. This Alstroemeria came with the garden. Its pink color leans in the blue direction so it didn't mesh with many of the pink flowers in my garden but I found some flowers that worked. I also took advantage of a few new arrivals in my cutting garden to flesh out the arrangement.
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| As the Alstroemeria, foxglove, and snapdragon stems were tall, I used a relatively tall vase, one my mother brought back as a gift from Finland on her one and only trip to her parents' home country. The snapdragon looks redder in this photo than it looks to my eyes. |
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| Back view: I actually like this side of the arrangement better than the one I selected as the front because it's less busy |
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| Top view |
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| Clockwise from the upper left: Anemone coronaria (not 'Rarity'), Antirrhinum majus 'Purple Chantilly', Argyranthemum 'Grandaisy Red', Coriandrum sativum (aka cilantro), Digitalis purpurea 'Dalmatian White', Nigella papillosa, Orlaya grandiflora, Pelargonium cucculatum, and, in the middle, noID Alstroemeria |
Last week's vase containing the peach foxgloves got trimmed down in size. I replaced the faded blooms of Grevillea 'Superb' I used last week with two stems of the peach snapdragons that have finally started to bloom and returned the refurbished arrangement to the dining room table in a smaller vase.
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| I kept the Digitalis 'Dalmatian Peach', Aeonium haworthii 'Kiwi Verde', and Xylosma congestum stems, just giving them fresh cuts |
We had two days of warm weather again last week but the morning marine layer kept temperatures down even then, at least by comparison to our inland areas. The marine layer yesterday was thick and never lifted at all. Cool temperatures (60-63F/15-17C) are expected to continue through this week and there are possibilities for rain on Monday and Thursday, which is unusual for May here. My cutting garden is starting to bloom but progress is slow and may continue to be so until we get more sunny days.
For more IAVOM creations, visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.
All material © 2012-2023 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
I love how all the colors mix perfectly in that first vase with the iris. But the foxglove and pinks in the second make me think of a cottage garden. Although I could use the warmth from the tropical colors in the first.
ReplyDeleteThe pink and white arrangement is very cottage-y to my eyes too, Donna.
DeleteGosh, that is a most unusual shade of iris, Kris - I have never seen anything like it vbefore, and I can see why you have had to work hard to find materials to work with it, but the end result is a success. Love your second vase though, and it is interesting to read of the origins of the second vase, as it is one I have always admired when yu have used it
ReplyDeleteThe second vase does remind me of my mom every time I use it. She made that trip to Finland (and Sweden, where my father's parents came from) by herself in her 60s as I recall as my stepfather had a fear of flying. I was proud of her for following through on that life-long promise to herself.
DeleteLove the 'lion roars' arrangement. It's an odd colour combo for Spring. The second and third arrangements are definitely more Spring-like and equally lovely. So nice to have a plethora of blooms to choose from.
ReplyDeleteThe flowers generally hit their peak here in April and May. I certainly don't have to resort to succulents to fill a vase ;)
DeleteOh I like the the dark sultry look of 'Lion King' Kris and with you mentioning that they are growing in semi-shade I've made a note of the name. Your cool temperatures are similar to what is predicted here this week - feels warm to me 😂 Hope that you get that top up of rain.
ReplyDeleteI expect the 'Lion King' Iris would prefer more sun, Anna, but I didn't factor the growth of the Callistemon into the decision when I planted the bulbs. I'm hoping to at least get my 50-gallon rain tank refilled this week. We got a tiny bit of rain overnight but the storm moving in from Alaska later this week is forecast to deliver more.
DeleteI love the first vase as I am really attracted to those quirky colored flowers. And the third one as peach colored Digitalis is one of my favorite plants. I've got a lot of seedlings and am looking forward to seeing what colors they turn out to be.
ReplyDeleteI love the peach colored foxgloves, Linda. I hope you get some of them in your mix but I'm not sure you can go wrong with any colored foxglove.
DeleteGreat work today, Kris. I love the autumnal tones with the Lion King and the arrangement with the Alstromeria. I have killed all the Alstroemeria here, which I did not think possible! Amelia
ReplyDeleteWell, although Alstroemeria is long-lasting in a vase, I'm not sure it isn't pickier about its growing conditions, Amelia. The pink variety I selected this week is much more vigorous than any of my other varieties but I think that may be due at least in part to its protected and partially shaded setting. My only difficulty was getting to the plant which is surrounded by plants growing above and all around it.
DeleteTough color to work with on that 'Lion King', for sure. You came up with some good companions.
ReplyDeleteI've got a lavishly blooming, super healthy TB iris mostly greyish-greenish tan, that doesn't go with much of anything. If it was sickly or a poor bloomer, it would be easy to discard...but it's not!
The 2nd one, yes the "back" view is the prettiest! Lovely foxglove.
You'll have to feature the grayish-tan Iris in a future post, HB - I'm curious to see it!
DeleteI discovered some TB Iris in bloom on my back slope this afternoon. Why they bloom relatively reliably back there when they mostly refuse to do do in areas of the garden that get more attention continues to elude me. I do have 2 buds on one on the main level of my back garden at the moment, though. Fingers crossed!
Those "Lion King" blooms must have been quite a challenge for arranging, but you certainly rose to the occasion! Love it with the Salvia colors and the coprosma.
ReplyDeleteHow long do your foxgloves grow? They are certainly on my wishlist for my cutting-garden-to-be.
We're under a red flag warning here, but the temperature has dropped to a very pleasant 82 degrees with some unexpected cloud cover.
The foxgloves have a relatively long bloom season here, Amy. They're technically short-lived perennials here, although I usually treat them as annuals, planting plugs in the fall for flowers in the spring into early summer. They usually bloom earlier for me than they have this year but I think the delay is attributable to the persistence of cooler temperatures. All but one are in my cutting garden and how long I keep them may depend on how much space I need for my dahlias, which are currently in temporary pots.
DeleteThat iris is very unusual Kris, but you have found some lovely foliage and flowers too that compliment the colour. I love your snapdragons and foxgloves together, and especially like the 'back' of the second vase too… you can see the inside of foxglove flowers better.
ReplyDeleteIn retrospect, I think I should have gone lighter with the flowers in the second arrangement and featured the "back" as the "front," Cathy. I tend to get carried away picking flowers for my arrangements and then feel I have to cram everything in my vases ;) Simpler is often better.
DeleteAlthough I never see a flower arrangement I don't like, the back of your second vase is perfection! Sometimes its hard to point to a specific reason... you just look at it and it takes your breath away.
ReplyDeleteKind of funny having to scavenge for your Lion King iris. I hope you'll don't 'lose' it again. It makes for a jungle drama in the vase. I planted this variety for the first time early this spring. No buds to be found on any iris yet, Dutch or Birded.
Chavli
I think I should probably did up and move the 'Lion King' Iris bulbs when they're finished blooming, Chavli. I expect they'd appreciate a bit more sun and increasing their visibility would prevent me from losing track of them again ;)
Delete...it should be Bearded Iris, of course ;-(
DeleteC.
I'd guessed that, Chavli ;)
DeleteThat 'Lion King' is a looker! I think I would have to put just a couple of its blooms in a vase so I could really appreciate them.
ReplyDeleteI can't seem to stop myself from stuffing my vases, Loree :)
DeleteWell you certainly have the floral riches so you might as well use them!
DeleteThe digitalis is so soft and pretty. And that High Gold is an absolute showstopper!
ReplyDeleteLeucospermums have become some of my favorite plants, tz - even if I'm currently peeved by the fact that 'Sunrise' appears to be unwilling to bloom this year (probably because I pruned it too hard or too late last year).
DeleteAll three are spectacular, Kris. You really pulled out the stops this week! Eliza
ReplyDeleteThanks Eliza! I have to take advantage of the spring bounty,
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