We had a lovely - and unexpected - change in our weather on Friday. Just after noon, as temperatures appeared to be heading back into the low 90sF (33C) where they'd been stuck for more than a week, fog blew in, immediately dropping our temperature by almost 10 degrees. It stayed below 80F (26C) for the rest of the day and was followed by marine layers on Saturday and Sunday. Will it last? Who knows, but I'm enjoying it for now. I know I complained about it when it persisted from April through June but, after weeks of hot weather, I appreciate its value. Our humidity is high but then you can't have everything.
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| View of the back garden against the morning marine layer |
July's heat put a quick end to many of the early summer flowers. The Shasta daisies fried almost before they got started, the Agapanthus are already looking shaggy, and even the Salvias are withering. My dahlias and zinnias are coming along but I don't know if I'll see many, if any, flowers from those plants before August. I gathered bits of numerous flowers scattered throughout my garden to put together the following arrangement.
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| There's no real focal point to this arrangement. It's more of an ensemble cast of flowers. |
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| Back view |
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| Top view |
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| Clockwise from the upper left: Monarda 'Peter's Purple', Pandorea jasminoides, Polygala myrtifolia, Digitalis purpurea 'Dalmatian Purple', Scabiosa columbaria 'Deep Blue', S. c. 'Flutter Rose Pink', Viola 'Penny Peach', and Digitalis 'Dalmatian White' |
My other arrangement this week features what may be the last of the lilies for the season. It's essentially a more flamboyant spin on the red and white arrangement I created for Independence Day earlier this month.
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| Unlike my earlier arrangement featuring Lilium 'Pretty Woman' which contained a single lily bloom, this stem has 5 flowers, one of which is still in bud and another which is just unfurling. 'Pretty Woman' is one of the so-call "tree lilies" which are known for growing taller and more floriferous with age. |
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| Back view, highlighting Daucus carota 'Dara' |
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| Top view |
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| Clockwise from the upper left: Alstroemeria 'Inca Vienna' (plus one stem of the nearly identical A. 'Inca Husky'), Daucus carota 'Dara', Leptospermum 'Copper Glow', and Lilium 'Pretty Woman' |
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 those unexpected weather changes at least when it is on the cooler side. We have a cooler day in store for today and maybe a drizzle. Beautiful arrangement - I love those colors.
ReplyDeleteDrizzle! That would be so wonderful. Unfortunately, although there's a 10% chance of thundershowers in the mountains today, it's utterly improbable we'll get any kind of precipitation here until October at earliest.
DeleteLove how you can see the details in the first photo without the background visible. An "ensemble cast" is a great description for what we do in our vases much of the time. Yours turned out very well.
ReplyDeleteIt's always interesting when the background view is completely obscured here, Linda. It feels a little like we've been transported into a story from the Twilight Zone.
DeleteThat first picture is a lovely snapshot of this part of your garden. I especially love your first vase today with its multitudinous contents - and the white altroemeria in the second one is really striking!
ReplyDeleteSadly, the Alstroemerias don't care for our hot, dry summer weather, Cathy - they're ducking out for the balance of the season one after another. The only one that hangs on, if sometimes tenuously, is 'Indian Summer'.
DeleteBoth vases are fabulous, each in its own way. I really like the white Pandorea jasminoide flowers (scented?). With a lot of pink and green, it's says Spring despite the heat outside. The second arrangement uses my favorite vase, and displays a wonderfully subtle color pallet. Well done.
ReplyDeleteIt's drizzling this morning in Seattle! Hallelujah!
Chavli
Congratulations on the drizzle, Chavli! That beats a thin marine layer any day.
DeleteDespite its name, the scent of Pandorea jasminoides is so light (even when I stick my nose directly into it) I'm not sure I'm not imagining it. I love the flowers but they also fall apart practically at a glance.
That second vase is indeed dramatic. love the architecture of it. And the ensemble of the first makes me so happy to see so many favorite plants. Your vases always bring out my emotions in such a good way....happiness, joy, peace, drama.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely thing to say, Donna!
DeleteGlad you got a little break from the heat, Kris. I imagine it is hard to watch your garden fry. :(
ReplyDeleteBoth vases are lovely today. The first reminds me of old-fashioned floral wall paper, something I always wished I had as a girl. And 'Pretty Woman' is a beautiful lily! Eliza
Lily bulbs have a reputation of disappearing/dying off all too quickly here but I've been pleased with the nominal success I've had so far, Eliza. 'Purple Prince' disappeared after one bloom cycle but 'Pretty Woman', planted at the same time in October 2020, is doing well so far.
DeleteSadly, I've had to give up lilies (and tulips) because rodents love the bulbs too much. Expensive lunch!
DeleteI can only hope the gophers don't penetrate that area of my garden!
DeleteWow, these look great and are kind of soothing and cooling. I dream of 80 degrees! Foxgloves?! love it. Amelia
ReplyDeleteWell, the marine layer appears to have thrown in the towel today, Amelia. While it's still evident in the harbor, it was clear at our elevation (800+ feet above sea level) by 7am. Our temperature is hovering just below 92F at the moment :(
DeleteBoth arrangements are lovely, as always, but I really like the second one. The burgundy and white combination is so elegant and unique. We're having a warm/hot summer, but especially this week with highs in the low 90s and approaching 100 on Thursday. Time for the AC, and gardening only in the a.m. :)
ReplyDelete100 - ugh! I hope the temperature doesn't soar that high, Beth. Stay cool. We were back in the low 90s again today.
DeleteBeautiful, and the lilies are especially lovely. Lots of flowers still in your garden despite the weather.
ReplyDeleteWe were 89F on Friday! Lucky you to get some relief, plus that lovely foggy photo. But we did have a relatively mild weekend. A wonderful respite--very grateful for it. Unfortunately back up to 89 again today.
Some indication in the forecast the "heat dome" will shift east next week and give us moderate relief then.
We hit 92F again today, HB. A light marine layer lingered in the harbor but it deserted us. Weather Underground is showing temperatures in the upper 80s the next 2 days, slowly coming down to the upper 70s next week but I'm not laying any money on that bet yet.
DeleteBoth so beautiful. I am amazed that you still have foxgloves when so many of your blooms are frying in the heat. They are long gone here. I love the white and pink combination in the second arrangement with your lovely lilies. The Daucus is a perfect match.
ReplyDeleteThe foxgloves have only survived this long because they're growing in the raised planters of my cutting garden, which receive a lot more water than the rest of my garden. I've never been able to grow foxgloves in my borders even during our cool season.
DeleteThe lilies are stealing the show for me there, beautiful arrangement. Hopefully things won't get too scorched in the upcoming week.
ReplyDeleteWe're headed back into the low 90s again today but my fingers are crossed that we won't have a devastating heatwave like some we've seen in prior years.
DeleteI love your ensemble cast of flowers, but wowsa! The lily/leptospermum vase really captured my heart. We escaped the heat for a few days by escaping to the beach, I was even able to visit Denise's garden! Our forecast for the next week is pretty much perfect with sun and highs in the mid 80's.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you avoided the worst of the heat, Loree. Weather Underground is projecting lower temperatures for us next week too but then they're also showing a lower temperature here right now than our thermometer has recorded.
DeleteConsidering your heat I am amazed that you have any flowers at all Kris! Let alone those pretty violas and foxgloves! Gorgeous lily too, and I like the foliage in the second vase. Stay cool Kris!
ReplyDeleteI've been very surprised by those violas, Cathy. I'm usually reluctant to even buy pansies as plug plants in the fall out of fear that our warm temperatures will take them out too soon. I think our cooler-than-usual winter and spring probably helped. The foxgloves and the violas are also in my cutting garden, where everything gets more water than the rest of my garden. Those plants would not survive in my borders.
DeleteKris, the marine layer must have been a wonderful gift for a while. The vases look fresh and pure, and the first one is just perfection. Love those foxgloves.
ReplyDeleteThe unplanned arrangements often end up being among my favorites, Susie.
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