We've had a stretch of warm weather going on since Friday (low-mid 70sF/22-24C). It's expected to continue into Tuesday before an atmospheric river moves in on Wednesday. Four Hippeastrum flowers were slowly unfolding yesterday but none were quite vase-ready so I turned to the Aeonium arboreum flowers that pop up everywhere in my garden at this time of year. I have mixed feelings about them. I love yellow but these flowers are almost florescent in color and they're shaped like dunce caps. As they're succulents and hold a lot of water in their stems, they're also very heavy so any arrangement featuring them needs to be well-balanced to ensure that it doesn't topple over.
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| I used a green Aeonium rosette edged in bronze to accent the Aeonium flower stalks with the yellow-green florets |
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| Back view, fluffed up with stems of Acacia 'Cousin Itt' |
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| Top view |
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| Clockwise from the upper left: Acacia cognata 'Cousin Itt', Leucadendron salignum 'Chief', Narcissus 'Geranium', Aeonium arboreum (foliage rosette), and Aeonium arboreum flowers |
The blue Anemones are still coming up a few at a time in my cutting garden. When I realized that the tree-sized Ceanothus 'Cliff Schmidt' on my back slope was also producing its first flowers, I decided to to try another spin on a blue and white scheme for a second vase this week.
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| I'm happier with this arrangement in person than in photos. The dark green color of the Ceanothus leaves detract from the flowers and obscure some. |
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| Back view |
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| Top view |
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| Clockwise from the upper left: Anemone coronaria (bulbs sold as 'Lord Lieutenant'), Ceanothus arboreus 'Cliff Schmidt', noID paperwhite Narcissus, Osteospermum '4D Silver' (maybe), Prostanthera ovalifolia 'Variegata', and Pyrethropsis hosmariense (aka Moroccan daisy) |
An arrangement using a Hippeastrum is almost certainly on the menu for next week unless they drown in the flow of the coming atmospheric river. In the meantime, visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden for more IAVOM creations.
All material © 2012-2024 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
Very pretty! It's cool to see how far ahead you are in terms of blooms - just 10 degrees or so makes such a difference. We're 73 today before that pineapple express is headed into CA. It looks like you'll get a good wave of it.
ReplyDeleteThe forecasters are currently giving us a 100% chance of rain on Thursday, followed by a break, then a solid chance of rain from late Saturday into the middle of the following week. We could be soggy for awhile!
DeleteThe Aeonium arboreum is an unusual shape but you managed to tame it. I love the blue vase. Finally a bit of sun here but cooler again.
ReplyDeleteIt's 78F here at the moment, Susie! That's quite a change from a week ago but rain is coming.
DeleteGosh, those aenium flowers really are a curiosity, and on first sight I thought they were heads of a type of brocolli that I have forgotten the name of... 🤣 You have done a great job in taming them with your well-considered additons. The ceanothus is great addition to your second vase and as you know I love that range of osteospermum. Thanks for sharing today, Kris.
ReplyDeleteThe Aeonium flower stalks are somewhat intimidating, especially when there are masses of them, Cathy. I've likened them to the triffids featured in the 1963 horror movie.
DeleteOh, the Aeonium blooms: pretty, bright and somewhat awkward but you sure make a wonderful spring bouquet with them. Love it with the Daffodils: mine are still nothing more than a whisper of a promise.
ReplyDeleteChavli
The Aeoniums and the Narcissus seem to bloom in synchrony - and I seem to always end up pairing them. The larger daffodils usually lag the tazetta types.
DeleteBold on the first one, blue on the second--always loooove blues.
ReplyDeleteSunny/Dry followed almost immediately by a soaking--what could be better?
--hb
DeleteThat first vase is quite striking compared with the lovely spring-like vase of the anemones. Both are perfection.
ReplyDeleteThanks Donna.
DeleteThe Aeoniums are particularly lovely, but both vases are fabulous! I know this is a great time of year to be in SoCal (relatives and many visits)...well, any time of year is. Enjoy the perfect weather! (We're "warm" for us now, so I really can't complain.)
ReplyDeleteSeveral warm (not hot!) days in a row is nice change even here, Beth!
DeleteNice to see some narcissi blooming, spring is coming! I imagine the conical aeonium blooms are a challenge. They remind me of yellow Christmas trees. :)
ReplyDeleteI love the purple anemones with their velvety center. Pretty arrangements! Eliza
Thanks Eliza. Re the Aeonium flower stalks, where you see Christmas trees, I see florescent yellow triffids!
DeleteThoughts of dunces caps would have never crossed my mind until you mentioned it Kris 😂 Once you pointed it out I can see the likeness. Lovely to see your narcissus flowers tucked into both arrangements. It sounds like you are heading for rain so I imagine that you have those trugs lined up and waiting in readiness.
ReplyDeleteI will, Anna! Our irrigation system has been turned off for weeks now and I've been trying to use as much of my stored rainwater as possible so that I can then refill my tanks all over again with what sheets off the roof surfaces ;) What I do for my garden!
DeleteWhat cool flowers! I have Aeoniums but have never seen a flower. I love the combination of color and texture. Succulents take a hunky vase to hold them up. The rain must be making your garden very happy. And the gardener. Amelia
ReplyDeleteA handful of those Aeonium flowers would be fine but mountains of them are something else, Amelia. Last year, I gave piles of them away and I'm already contemplating the same thing this year!
DeleteI find the Aeonium really striking Kris, and am rather envious! I see how it is tricky to incoprorate into an arrangement, but you have paired it well with the Leucadendron and Narcissi. Very refreshing. The blues in the second vase are pretty too - love those Anemones! I hope the atmospheric river is not as dramatic as it sounds and just brings some gentle rain!
ReplyDeleteI love Aeoniums, although I have more than anyone would ever need, Cathy. Atmospheric rivers can be very dramatic but the Los Angeles Times claims that the LA area shouldn't have a flooding problem as the rain will stretch over several days and much of its power should dissipate before it reaches Southern California.
DeleteBeautiful bouquet. I love the foliage that looks like a succulent rose. So pretty.
ReplyDeleteThanks. Yes, Aeoniums do often mimic roses.
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