I considered pulling out my sweet pea vines when I cleared most of my cutting garden of the rest of the cool season annuals. As the result of our cooler temperatures, they'd gotten a slow start and our persistent marine layer encouraged the foliage to mildew. However, as the sweet peas stepped up production, I found it hard to let them go. A few sunny afternoons and, all of a sudden, there are more flowers than I can cut.
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| A lot of those sweet peas are too tall for me to reach without a ladder |
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| In addition to a varied combination of sweet peas, I added 2 stems of Gladious 'Vuvuzela' growing in the same raised planter |
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| Back view: I also cut 3 foxglove stems |
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| Top view |
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| Clockwise from the upper left: Digitalis purpurea 'Dalmatian Purple', D. 'Dalmatian White', Gladiolus 'Vuvuzela', Lathyrus odoratus 'Blue Shift', L. 'Dancing Queen', L. 'Enchante', and L. 'Oban Bay' |
My second arrangement was inspired by one of the first lilies to make an appearance this year.
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| I used the lily as my centerpiece even though it was still in the process of opening |
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| I cut 3 more stems of the 'Golden Celebration' rose this week to dress up the back of the arrangement |
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| Top view |
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| Clockwise from the upper left: Abelia grandiflora 'Kaleidoscope', Achillea 'Moonshine', Alstroemeria 'Claire', Lilium 'Conca d'Or', Lagurus ovatus, Orlaya grandiflora, Prunus lilcifolia, and Rosa 'Golden Celebration' |
I'd cut a few stems of Centaurea 'Silver Feather' to include in the first arrangement but they looked wonky so I cut them down in size and threw them into a small vase with more sweet peas for the kitchen island.
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| The small vase contains Centaurea 'Silver Feather' and Lathyrus odoratus x belinensis 'Erewhon' |
For more IAVOM creations, visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.
All
material © 2012-2023
by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
The first vase is glorious. No buds on my Gladiolas yet. I wonder why this variety is call 'Vuvuzela'... are they saying this bloom is 'loud'? (I associate vuvuzela with enthusiastic, noisy soccer fans).
ReplyDeleteChavli
I've rarely seen any element of logic in the cultivar names selected for plants, Chavli. Your guess is as good as mine.
DeleteYour sweet peas are such a lovely mix of colours, Kris - I have a red and a vibrant pink variety on one support, and a mixed on the other, but so far I am not impressed with the shades in the mix 🙄 What a lovely vase they make with the additional accompaniments, and the roses in your second vase are really glorious - I did not used to 'like' yellow roses, but have changed my mind of late!
ReplyDeleteI selected the mix of sweet pea seeds I sowed last fall more thoughtfully than I usually do, Cathy. The only one I've seen no sign of was labeled 'Turquoise'. they were supposed to open as a soft lavender and age to a light turquoise blue.
DeleteBoth vases are gorgeous. But the purples and pinks remind me of a cottage garden with sweet peas, foxgloves and glads! Beautifully displayed.
ReplyDeleteThanks Donna. Sweet peas, glads and foxgloves are markers of a cottage garden.
DeleteAwww, very nice. The Sweet Peas are lovely and great in the arrangements!
ReplyDeleteThanks Beth.
DeleteGorgeous sweet peas, Kris. I love a good garden surprise and the autumnal tones in the second vase are a wonderful combination.
ReplyDeleteIn California, flowers (and foliage) seldom follow any seasonal guidelines when it comes to color displays ;)
DeleteI adore sweet peas, what's not to love? Your house must smell divine with those big bouquets wafting scent. Lovely arrangements, as always, Kris! Eliza
ReplyDeleteI notice the scent most clearly during the first few hours the flowers are in place, Eliza. After that, my nose seems to adjust and "tunes out" the scent.
DeleteThe sweet peas are so wonderful, outside and in your vases. Love the foxgloves too. Gladiolas have done well this year in my garden. Yours are striking.
ReplyDeleteOther than the Gladiolus nanus 'Nymph', I thought I'd pulled all the glads out of the raised planters in my cutting garden and one bed in my back garden but apparently I didn't do a good job of it as a few have shown up in each area, Susie!
DeleteLove the contrast between your two main vases. Glad you gave the sweet peas a reprieve.
ReplyDeleteI'm trying not to look too closely at the sweet pea vine foliage, Linda. I imagine I'll pull the vines in early July, if not before. As it is, I have 5 more sprouted dahlia tubers that need a home.
DeleteThe sweet peas are so pretty, such a romantic bouquet!
ReplyDeleteThe wait for their arrival was particularly long this year, which was somewhat surprising given the relatively heavy rain, but it was worth it, tz. The bees are happy too.
DeleteThe brown tones are very effective with the yellow. Enjoying 'Golden Celebration'? Seems like you have gotten more flowers from that rose than from all the rest. :)
ReplyDeleteStill I like the mix of purples, pinks, lavender and white more--love those colors!
'Golden Celebration' is a great rose and it's blooming well, especially given that it's tucked in a partially shaded corner. The 'Pink Meidiland' roses are the most prolific but they don't make great cut flowers.
DeleteSo pretty. I'm amazed you still have foxgloves, they are mostly over here. I have made a note of the sweetpeas, they are so delicate and such a gorgeous colour; a must-have for next year. Chloris.
ReplyDeleteFoxgloves usually outlast sweet peas by a good month or more here, at least when they're grown in the well-watered raised planters of my cutting garden - they never survived long in my borders when I tried them there. I think our persistent marine layer and cooler temperatures have given what are generally spring bloomers here a longer life span this year. We've warmed up this week but the forecasters say our marine layer will be back again next week.
DeleteI love the Centaurea Kris. And your sweet peas are amazing! I used to have that Achillea in my old garden and had a love-hate relationship with it. It wanted to take over so I tried digging it up and moving it… the following year the replanted plant died and a tiny bit of root in the old spot came back as vigorous as ever! LOL! Looks great in a vase. :)
ReplyDelete'Moonshine' is the only Achillea I've had any ongoing success with here, Cathy. I actually thought it'd nearly died out last summer when the drought was at its height but the heavier-than-usual winter and early spring rain brought it right back!
Delete