I was hoping to have dahlia flowers by now but they're still taking their time reaching bloom stage. The buds closest to that are those of Dahlia 'Catching Fire' but only one bud was even near to the being suitable for cutting.
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The 2 'Catching Fire' plants occupying the half barrel in my front garden are loaded with buds. This one is probably a day or 2 shy of being vase-worthy. I didn't see the tiny grasshopper on the flower's upper petals until I viewed this photo. I didn't commit hopper-cide but, once identified, I did remove it from the immediate area.
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I suspected the
phrase I used in the title to the post was of American origin but I looked it up to confirm that assumption. The phrase hearkens back to the 1920s where it was used by carnival barkers who lured visitors in to play games that were hard or impossible to win. Cigars were a common award for winning the games, offered but not often handed out.
As I continue to wait out the dahlias, I leaned on an old standby to fill a vase.
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The ever-flowering Grevillea 'Superb' filled the order, although I think adding Zinnias was a misstep
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I decided I liked the back view better and ended up treating it as the front view when I placed it
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Actually, I think this overhead view is the best one in this case
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Clockwise from the upper left: Callistemon 'Cane's Hybrid', Cuphea 'Honeybells', Grevillea 'Superb', 3 Zinnia elegans (which I think are all part of the 'Candy Mix' I sowed from seed), and Leucadendron 'Wilson's Wonder'
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I wasn't really satisfied with the first arrangement and I'm only nominally more satisfied with the second one.
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| I cut the Agapanthus stems I stripped of flowers last week down in size and used them to bulk up the arrangement of Helianthus and Zinnia flowers shown here. This is a smaller version of the crystalline glazed vase I used last week. |
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| Back view |
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| Top view |
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| Clockwise from the upper left: Abelia 'Kaleidoscope', recycled Agapanthus stems stripped of their flowers, Helianthus 'Sunbelievable Brown-Eyed Girl', Zinnia elegans (once again from the 'Candy Mix' seeds), and Plectranthus scutellarioides 'Pineapple (formerly known as Coleus) |
I threw together a third small arrangement when I noticed a few Lisianthus prime for cutting before the heat takes them out.
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| I reused one stem of Alstroemeria 'Inca Vienna' from last week's small vase and added stems of pink and white Eustoma grandiflorum (aka Lisianthus), as well as Zinnia elegans 'Mazurkia' (sold as 'Hidden Dragon') |
Our weather this weekend proved to be milder than expected (albeit still very warm) and I'm hopeful that temperatures will continue to stay below 90F (32C) through this week. I'm also hopeful that I'll have some dahlias to cut for a vase next week!
All
material © 2012-2023
by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
Some of the better arrangements happen when the "stars" aren't available and one has to find replacements. I for one, love both arrangements today: they are fun and unexpected, I don't mind the zinnias in the first and fascinated with the Agapanthus stems in the second. Well done!
ReplyDeleteChavli
Thanks Chavli. Those bare Agapanthus stems may come in handy. I've stripped the flowers from several other stems and left them in place for now on the chance I may want to use them in arrangements later ;)
DeleteI love the arrangements! I'm in a bit of a blooming lull and could barely scrape a corsage together right now. Lisianthus, one of my absolute favorites. I need to start some from seed for next spring, I didn't this year and really miss them.
ReplyDeleteI usually plant Lisianthus from plugs when I can get them, tz, but the handful I found this year didn't do all that well. I've been thinking of trying the pelleted seed; however, I do best with seeds that can be direct sown and it sounds like Lisianthus is best grown in a greenhouse setting, which I don't have. But maybe they'll tolerate my laundry room ;)
DeleteNo matter what's in them all flower arrangements are beautiful. Just like a garden mixing and matching always boosts your mood and makes you smile as did all of yours this morning. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteThanks Elaine. I feel like I'm scraping the bottom of the barrel in the garden at this point but I'm trusting the dahlias to come through - someday!
DeleteThanks for the backstory on that saying! I love your second vase, but can't help but see tones of autumn in the colors...
ReplyDeleteAs you appreciate summer more than I do, Loree, I'm sorry to remind you that autumn is right around the corner, even if I find that comforting ;)
DeleteI am always fascinated that you look at multiple sides of your arrangements before placing them. I have a bad habit of only doing that when it's going on the dinner table. Love the "cigar" history as it is something we say all the time. Here's what I just learned: "A Jack of all trades is a master of none" is only half the saying. Here is the complete saying: “A Jack of all trades is a master of none but oftentimes better than a master of one.” The short version is a negative whereas the entire quote is a positive.
ReplyDeleteHa! I love that, Linda. Thanks for sharing it.
DeleteI think the thing I love about your stunning creations is all the plant material you use. Each is as colorful and full of texture as the flowers giving me loads of ideas and enjoyment.
ReplyDeleteThanks Donna. While I keep telling myself it may be time to simplify my garden, I can't seem to help cramming more and more plants into it at almost every turn.
DeleteThe zinnias are amazing, you must have just the right conditions and know how to grow them to perfection. Nice in your arrangements.
ReplyDeleteZinnias do seem to be one of the easiest plants to grow here, Noelle. The only lesson I've learned in growing them from seed is that they prefer to be sown in place - my failures have occurred when I've sown them in pots and tried to transplant them.
DeleteYou found some great stand ins--the second vase is stellar. I never knew the origin of that phrase. Pretty funny. Your dahlias are teaching patience, Kris. Look at it that way! They're going to be fabulous if that first one is any indication. I finally had the first of my new ones open this week and as it is part of a mix, I don't know it's name. Ended up not using it today but like you, wish the others would hurry.
ReplyDeletePatience IS a virtue I need help with, Susie!
DeleteOm!
DeleteI should try that, Susie!
DeleteI think all are lovely, Kris. Grevillea 'Superb' definitely earns its name and is one of my favorites in your garden, I just love it. I love the red outlining the serrated edge of the Plectranthus, it's marvelous.
ReplyDeleteSorry your dahlias are plodding along. How unusual that mine actually bloomed before yours, that must be a first! I read that they love water and that may be why they bloomed early because we've had scads of it (wish I could send a few inches your way)! Eliza
Were your dahlia tubers left in the ground over the winter, Eliza? Everyone I know who's left theirs in place has had flowers well before I have. I store my tubers over the winter season because I grow them in the raised planters of my cutting garden. Removing them allows me to grow cool season flowers there while the dahlias are dormant and replanting them in the raised planters allows me to give them the water they need during their growth cycle. The plants in my borders get a lot less water. To complicate matters, because our cool season lasted so long this year, the tubers didn't get planted until late April and even then were stuck in temporary pots until the cool season flowers were evicted.
DeleteI am happy to see a brown eyed girl in your vase! the dahlias will come. Amelia
ReplyDeleteThat 'Sunbelievable' sunflower deserves its name, Amelia!
DeleteOh, I love the Grevillea! And of course the Zinnias...and the Helianthus...and everything else! Happy IVOM Day!
ReplyDeleteThanks Beth. I can't imagine my garden without Grevillea 'Superb'.
DeleteThe stripped Agapanthus stems look surprisingly like Sciadopitys verticillata, quite unexpected! You did a good job with those. They are more than just "bulk".
ReplyDeleteDahlias next week for sure. Worth the wait. :)
I'm getting extra mileage out of the Agapanthus this year! Watching for dahlia blooms is like the proverbial watched pot ;)
DeleteButy you do have a cigar Kris - don't you call the Cuphea 'Cigar Plant' like we do?! LOL! Anyway, I love the first arrangement with the Grevillea. What a great plant that is, giving and giving. And the little Eustoma is a joy to see too. It occasionally appears in florists here, but is generally not grown.
ReplyDeleteTrue, Cathy - I probably have a dozen or more Cupheas! I wish I had more Eustoma this year but, for reasons I'm at a loss to explain, none of them have done very well this year. Maybe they didn't like the extra rain we got this year or the cooler temperatures that prevailed into early summer.
DeleteIf there is one thing that I have learned from your IVOM posts, it is that I need more reds, oranges, and yellows in my summer garden. Time after time, my eye keeps getting drawn back to those colors. Look at that - your "Cyperus" are still going strong too!
ReplyDeleteIt's surprising that it's taken so long for me to realize that Agapanthus can have an afterlife, Jerry ;)
DeleteI didn't know that was the origin of the phrase, Kris, so thanks for that! You have some great standbys while you wait for your dahlias, and your helianthus and zinnias are looking lovely. Your teeny posy vase is really sweet, especially with the pale alstroemeria and lisianthus
ReplyDeleteThat tiny arrangement has me missing the lisianthus this year, Cathy. I need to try growing them from seed myself as there were few plugs to be found in local garden centers this year for some reason.
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