Even though the US celebrated Independence Day nearly two weeks ago, we're still hearing fireworks almost nightly. And those fireworks are just as illegal in our area as they were two weeks ago. What does it take for people to gain some sense? Especially when we live in a high fire-risk area and insurers are increasingly refusing to do business in California due to fire risk. It's maddening!
My fireworks are of a floral nature and pose no risk of igniting an actual fire. The first arrangement was inspired by the unusual floral display of Sonchus palmensis.
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| This is a photo of the plant in situ. I can only access it from the dirt path that runs behind my backyard borders in front of the hedge that sits atop our back slope. The plant is a giant relative of the humble dandelion. It was given to me a couple of years ago by blogger friend, Denise of A Growing Obsession. |
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| Lilium 'Orange Planet' stole the show from the giant dandelion. I expect the second lily, part of the same stem, will open this morning. |
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| Back view: Once again, I threw a lot of plant material into this vase when it might have benefited from a little restraint |
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| Top view: The flower in the center was cut from Mangave 'Freckles & Speckles' |
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| Top row: Abelia grandiflora 'Hopley's Variegated', noID Bacopa, and Grevillea alpina x rosmarinifolia Middle: Leptospermum 'Copper Glow', Leucanthemum x superbum, and Lilium 'Orange Planet' Bottom: Mangave 'Freckles & Speckles', Sideritis cypria, and Sonchus palmensis |
The second arrangement was inspired by one of my own photographs. A good friend made me a calendar comprised of photos from my blog. The photo for July was from an IAVOM post that makes me think of fireworks. When I saw the first blooms of my Leonotis leonurus last week, I decided I should try recreating it while I still have some Agapanthus that aren't overly shaggy.
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| I added more of everything to this vase while trying to recreate the original when using fewer stems probably would've had more impact. Maybe I'll take it apart and reassemble it later today. |
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| Back view |
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| Top view |
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| Clockwise from the upper left: noID Agapanthus, Agonis flexuosa 'Nana', Cuphea 'Vermillionaire', Leonotis leonurus (aka lion's tail), Salvia clevelandii 'Winnifred Gilman', and Hemerocallis 'Sammy Russell' |
I also threw together a small vase for the kitchen island just because I can no longer accept a flower-less surface.
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| This simple arrangement consists of Grevillea sericea, Monarda 'Peter's Purple', and Pelargonium 'Orange Fizz' |
Thankfully, last week's heatwave is tapering off. We never got hotter than the 92F/33C in my area but the inland valleys and many other parts of California (not to mention Arizona, Nevada and Texas) didn't fare as well. We were in the mid-80sF/29C yesterday and I expect more along those same lines for the rest of this week. We even have a light marine layer this morning - or maybe it's smoke-related haze attributable to the Rabbit Fire in Riverside county to the east. Summer has arrived!
For more IAVOM creations, check in with Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.
All material © 2012-2023 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
Restraint? Whatever for? Plenty of time for that in winter.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I've ever set eyes on an orange lily. It's fun. Is it fragrant?
Back slop photo: I'm drooling over those amazing leafs (left of center), almost like fern fronds... Is it the same plant that produced the yellow fireworks bloom?
Chavli
The orange lily has scent but it's lighter than that of my other lilies, which is a good thing as the others can be almost overpowering at times. Re the first photo, yes, the fern-like leaves belong to the Sonchus palmensis, although there's also a Melianthus major hovering above those.
Delete"I can no longer accept a flower-less surface"... hahaha. I love this. Are you putting flowers in your bathroom yet? We were 96 and 92 over the weekend. Hot!
ReplyDeleteMy husband would probably protest if I put flowers in the master bathroom, although I do have a tiny vase containing dry flowers in the guest bathroom ;) The heat is down here but the humidity is up, Loree! I'm not sure what's happened the the "dry heat" Southern California is known for.
DeleteOh Kris I just love how you put colors together....such beauty that I do adore each week!
ReplyDeleteThanks Donna. Preparing flower arrangements on a weekly basis has become something of a meditative exercise for me.
DeleteIt beggars belef that people are taking such a risk with fireworks - do they think they are immune to the rules and regulatioms, do you think? Three lovely vases today Kris (as they always are!) - and all so different too (as they always are!!)
ReplyDeleteI wish more people reported the fireworks but then their location is often hard to pinpoint, especially with the sound bounces through the surrounding canyons, Cathy. I expect it would help a lot if the police delivered more fine citations, which are quite high in our immediate area.
DeleteBeautiful flower arrangements. You've got a real eye for colour!
ReplyDeleteThanks Nikki.
DeleteAll so gorgeous. The agapanthus and Leonitis arrangement is fabulous .I tried to grow the Sonchus from seed but they didn't germinate. Probably just as well, I haven't really got room for it.
ReplyDeleteI was worried about the projected size of that Sonchus, which is how it ended up tucked in a corner under a tree. It didn't do much of anything last year. This is the first time it's bloomed and it's size is still relatively modest but I saw it at a botanic garden and it was anything but dainty.
DeleteNice to see how that pretty yellow flower grows in your garden. As usual so many lovely flowers in your arrangements again/
ReplyDeleteIf my dahlias don't come through soon I may have a problem filling vases in future weeks, Noelle. Summer's hot, dry conditions put a damper on the garden's production.
DeleteBeautiful florals today Kris! I especially like the purple and orange combo featuring lovely agapanthus and friends. Fireworks down here in San Diego have become a nightmare at the holiday(s). Still recovering from 4 days of illegal fireworks over the 4th of July, including 5 straight hours on the 4th, nearly all of it the illegal variety. Our poor dog was having a real time of it and no one was getting any sleep. Now we have the Seaworld fireworks every night at 10pm, as well as the every night military blasting through 11pm from nearby Camp Pendleton. Can you hear that up there? We're hearing it from over 40 miles away here in La Mesa. Thanks for listening!
ReplyDeleteThat does sound like a nightmare, Brenda! Camp Pendleton is about 100 miles from us so we don't hear that noise but I'm surprised the military - and Seaworld - aren't showing more consideration for their neighbors. A house in a neighborhood that adjoins ours actually caught fire on the 4th here, endangering members of our neighborhood who live along one of our spur roads. I keep wondering if they were fined - the first transgression is supposed to result in a $1000 fine and they go up from there.
DeleteWonderful autumnal tones in the first and I love the Leonitis in the second. I have been diligently trying to grow this to no avail for years. I wonder if it is too much humidity? Amelia
ReplyDeleteMy Leonotis have been somewhat disappointing in prior years, perhaps because the tree-sized Callistemon above them delivers too much shade. A neighbor with a plant in full sun all day gets more flowers than I do.
DeleteAll are gorgeous– I esp. love the orange/blue one, so rich! :) Eliza
ReplyDeleteThanks Eliza.
DeleteGreat bursts of color--no wonder you no longer accept a flower-less surface.
ReplyDeleteBest to bring flowers indoors anyway--after a surprisingly blessedly milder weekend the heat is now taking a firm grip--relief looks to start the...what?!?...the 26th? Yikes!
I've got multiple roses-haphazardly-shoved-into-a-jar around the house--they toast the same day the open. No use leaving them outdoors.
And fireworks? Still? Why do people throw away money on that junk?
DeleteI'd understood we were going to stay in the mid-80s here this week but we ended up close to 90F today. The fact that it was more humid than usual made it feel worse. Even the Agapanthus are falling apart faster. And I'm still waiting for the dahlias to develop buds!
DeleteI don't understand the continuing fireworks, especially as fines are significant, at least on the peninsula. Although also illegal in the area around the harbor, it's not clear to me that there are financial penalties unless the nincompoops actually cause damage to other people's homes or businesses.
The top view of the agapanthus in your recreated vase is so luscious. Gorgeous Hemerocallis 'Sammy Russell' is a star. What a sweet friend to create the calendar for you. How long does agapanthus stay in bloom for you. I've never tried it here (following advice from a garden center employee who was shaking her head when I considered it) but I love its color and form. Recently a local friend posted some pictures of it blooming so maybe?
ReplyDeleteAgapanthus is native to South Africa and well-suited to the Mediterranean climate that coastal SoCal also enjoys. It usually gets started in early-mid May here and hangs on until mid-July. It was slower to bloom this year but I don't know if that means it'll stay around any later than the end of the month now that the heat is on. The biggest issue in your climate might be how cold your winters get - my impression is that it can't handle frost, although I've heard that breeders have been developing more cold-hardy varieties. I believe that the new purple-flowered plant 'Black Jack' (winner of top new plant at the Chelsea Flower Show this year) is one such plant. It's not available in the US yet to my knowledge but I'm sure it'll show up here. If you're up for babying the plant a little, you could plant a dwarf variety in a large pot and give it some winter protection.
DeleteYour arrangements reflect the floriferous nature of your beautiful garden Kris - you always have so much to choose from! All vases demonstrate your keen eye for combining colours. The red/blue is particularly striking.
ReplyDeleteI’ve only been out into our garden a few times since our baby George arrived in early April. Everything went well and we’re all healthy. I seriously underestimated how much work having a baby would be and can’t see how I’ll manage to keep the garden going 😳 Luckily we’ve had plenty of rain so the plants care of themselves (apart from the weeds, that is!).
I may not have time to write many comments on your blog atm, but look forward to reading it when I get the opportunity. Best wishes to you,
Horticat (Elly)
Horticat! I was wondering how things were going with you. Congratulations on the delivery of little George! I'm sure he's made monumental changes in your day-to-day life and that of Mr Horticat but I trust that you'll find a rhythm that works for you in time - 3 months isn't long when you've been hit by a small cyclone. I'm glad you're all doing well and treading water as you cope with your new reality. I hope you're able to pop up here and there as time - and energy - permits, Elly. Best wishes to you and your family!
DeleteThanks for your kind words Kris!
ReplyDeleteWe have similar weather tiday Kris, a bit cooler after hitting 31°C at the weekend, but our haze is due to the dust from harvesting the fields near us! I love your giant dandelion. Just think if they grew so profusely as our little ones we would have a real weed problem! LOL! The Agapanthus vase is also gorgeous, and the Salvia caught my eye. What an unusual shape flower for a salvia. Love it!
ReplyDeleteSalvia clevelandii is a California native, which handles our hot, dry summers without a problem, Cathy. There are many cultivars now (I have 2 others) but 'Winnifred Gilman' has the deepest blue color.
DeleteLove that you can use Agapanthus in a bouquet. My one plant had 4 buds, so not sure I’ll want to clip any. The idea of a calendar of vases or images of one’s garden is brilliant. Great gift.
ReplyDeleteCutting an Agapanthus in bud probably isn't a good idea anyway, Linda. The buds take their time before they display their individual florets.
Delete