My garden has slid into the summer doldrums and the pickings for IAVOM are currently slim. The dahlias have been slow to bloom. Only two of mine have well-developed buds. Five or six others appear to be developing buds. The rest are healthy and getting larger by the day but they're certainly taking they're their time to produce flowers. The first zinnias are blooming but I can't say they're putting on a good show yet either.
The plants making the biggest floral splash in my garden right now are the Leonotis leonurus (aka lion's tail). I improvised a bit to come up with suitable companions.
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| I added a couple of orange Zinnias and Alstroemeria 'Indian Summer' to play off the color of the Leonotis |
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| Back view: The spiky green stems that look a little like Cyperus grass (papyrus) are Agapanthus stems stripped of their spent flowers to add a little height to the arrangement |
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| Top view: I once painstakingly stripped a large number of Agapanthus stems with the intent of leaving them in a border to provide interest the way other people leave Alliums in place, only to have an industrious gardener cut all the stalks down to the ground a couple of days later |
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| Clockwise from the upper left: Abelia grandiflora 'Kaleidoscope', Agapanthus stems, Alstroemeria 'Indian Summer', Leonotis leonurus, and 2 noID Zinnias. (Also included but not shown in closeup are stems of Abelia 'Hopley's Variegated'.) |
Although most of my Agapanthus are scruffy, I found a few presentable enough to be included in a second arrangement. I scraped together some other flowers among those I'm ready to retire for the season to accompany the Agapanthus.
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| Front and center is Agapanthus 'Twister', as well as a bi-color Eustoma grandiflorum (aka lisianthus). I've had a few blooms of Eustoma this year but they've been very disappointing overall. |
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| Back view: I added the last of the peach foxgloves and one white foxglove stem to the arrangement, using stems of Viola 'Penny Peach' to the mix to knit the various colors together |
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| The overhead view of the arrangement is my favorite |
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| Clockwise from the upper left: Achillea ptarmica, Digitalis purpurea, 'Dalmatian Peach' and 'Dalmatian White', noID Agapanthus, Eustoma grandiflorum, Prostanthera ovalifolia 'Variegata', Viola 'Penny Peach', and Agapanthus 'Twister' |
There were two presentable lilies left in my back garden so I popped those into a small vase for the kitchen island.
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| The vase contains the last 2 blooms of Lilium 'Pretty Woman', Alstroemeria 'Inca Vienna', and white Eustoma grandiflorum |
Our temperatures have fallen since Thursday last week. Our marine layer didn't lift until almost 2pm yesterday. Our afternoon high didn't climb above 82F/27C either and I'm hoping that trend continues. If I'm going to clear out all those the scruffy Agapanthus and other spent summer flowers, I need a stretch of cooler weather to get the job done.
For more IAVOM creations, visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.
All material © 2012-2023 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
Much as I sometimes wish I had a garden crew, I don't relish the amount of oversight it would require. I once spent a day shaping shrubs for my sister only to have them re-lollipopped the next. The agapanthus-alliums look fantastic in a container though, and I bet they last forever!
ReplyDeleteI've no lawn to mow so the garden service's main occupation in my view is to keep our many hedges trimmed, Chavli. I tried to handle that myself early on but caved after a few months. Usually all they do is trim hedges and, more regrettably, what they think are foundation shrubs and blow leaves around. If only they'd sweep up some of those leaves - or pull a few weeds!
DeleteGorgeous! The leonotis looks perfect with the agapanthus firework-looking stems behind it. Oh, the lilies are perfection. The damn dahlias need to pick up the pace, I'm really missing all the color they provide.
ReplyDeleteYour dahlias are late too, tz? They frustrate me almost every year so I guess I need to learn to chill a bit ;)
DeleteBrilliant work with the agapanthus stems to add height to the lions tale arrangement!
ReplyDeleteI may try stripping the dead flowers from some of the Agapanthus stems in one or another of my borders again this year, Loree, if just to see what happens. Why the gardeners would cut down those stems when I can't remember their ever cutting back the ugly bare daylily stalks, I don't know.
DeleteBeautiful arrangements... Fabulous colours too!
ReplyDeleteThanks Nikki!
DeleteThe overhead view of the second arrangement is my favorite too. I do love the Leonotis arrangement too. I've never grown agapanthus successfully so have only ever seen them looking amazing, not scruffy. Still they seem well worth it.
ReplyDeleteMy Agapanthus often bloom all at once and, when that happens, they can wither en masse on a similar schedule, Susie. This is one of those years. Thankfully, there are always a handful of stragglers.
DeleteI really like the stripped agapanthus, they remind me of Italian pines. They add a nice accent to the orange alstro and leonurus. And there is something just so pleasing to my eye in the second blue/white/peach arrangement, maybe the soft pastels? I love it! Eliza
ReplyDeleteI loved the mix of pastels in the second arrangement myself, Eliza, although only the overhead view met my expectations. The other views didn't quite come out the way I'd hoped but I only had so much patience when it came with dithering with it.
DeleteYou have such a way with colour Kris, and this week's favourite goes to the one with the Agapanthus sans blooms ie the first and very orange affair. Have a great week.
ReplyDeleteThanks Noelle!
DeleteGreat work on trolling the garden for Leonitis companions. The Agapanthus sans flowers threw me and I love it. Cannot grow Leonitis for anything here, I guess it is too humid? Amelia
ReplyDeleteLeonotis is another of those plants native to Mediterranean climates, Amelia. It comes from South Africa so your climate and/or soil may not be suitable to its needs.
DeleteEven with slim pickings you always manage to find the most amazing flowers and plant material and make the most gorgeous arrangements. Both beautiful!
ReplyDeleteThanks Donna. Even though I get frustrated by the limits our persistent drought conditions put on what I can grow, I admit that there's still a LOT I can grow.
DeleteConsidering slim pickings you still created two beautiful arrangements.
ReplyDeleteThe Achillea ptarmica is very pretty--not familiar with it. I did the same with Agapanthus stems--pulled off the seed pods and spent flowers. The "sputnik" look that remains is fun. I go out, do one or things for 10 minutes, and then come back in to cool off. The cloud cover today is helpful.
54 days until autumn.
Thanks for starting the countdown! The thermometer didn't peak as high today but the humidity was oppressive :( I accomplished next to nothing. I'm hoping to get something done early tomorrow morning at least.
DeleteI picked up that Achillea at Armstrong last year and plunked it in a half barrel with a mix of other plants. I tried it in a border a year or 2 before that and it quickly disappeared.
I do love those spiky flowerless Agapanthus stems Kris. And I always admire your Leonotis too. I immediately picked out the Achillea in your second vase, as it is rare I see something I can grow in your vases. But I do have that Achillea and it is a lovely plant. Sadly looking a bit battered by the weather here now. The two-tone Agapanthus is particularly striking.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I inherited a huge stock of Agapanthus with my current garden, I've decided I "need" more Agapanthus 'Twister' anyway, Cathy. Another blogger told me that Achillea ptarmica can be a thug. It didn't survive in my border but luckily it's proven to be happy in a barrel container that gets more water than my borders do.
DeleteOh 'Twister' is such an eye-catching agapanthus Kris. Do the flowers last long in a vase? I saw a similar looking one called 'Fireworks' in a nursery recently but as we were away from home for a few days I only bought small plants. I had some of the lovely looking achillea ptarmica but is was a thug and sadly I had to dig it out. Still finding pieces coming through. Glad to hear that it's cooling down for you although I would still consider it warm 😀
ReplyDeleteAgapanthus stems last about a week in a vase if the stems are cut just as the first florets are opening. I've tried Achillea ptarmica twice. The first time I planted it in a border and it died during the summer season. Planted in a barrel container with other plants, it's held on for a second year, probably because the barrel gets more water.
DeleteThe anonymous comment above is from me Kris. I'm not sure what happened 🤔😂
ReplyDeleteThanks for identifying yourself, Anna. For the record, I consider those "lower" temperatures on the uncomfortable too, at least when I'm trying to actually work in the garden. It's just not as miserable as some heatwaves are here ;)
DeleteClearly I was able to make a floral display this week but nothing like you do. My garden doesn't have many flowers at the moment. Nothing like yours even if you think there's not much choice.
ReplyDeleteWell, as the saying goes, everything is relative ;) I didn't use to create more than one arrangement a week and, in prior years, I'd be using succulents at this point. My personal expectations have exceeded my reach it seems, Linda.
DeleteRe your agapanthus escapade, today I watched as somebody trimmed off all the young flowers on a gerbera daisy I wanted to bring home. They thought that the the buds were old, spent flowers. It all happened so fast, I didn’t have time to say anything. FWIW, I thought your agapanthus heads were Cyperus.
ReplyDeleteAt least I know a spent flower from a bud, Jerry ;) I'm glad my Cyperus simulation was successful!
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