I never thought I'd say that I have too many flowers available to cut in my garden but that's how I felt on Sunday morning. I usually fixate on a few flowers and create an arrangement (or two or three) but, with temperatures rising, the spring flowers that prefer cool temperatures are rushing to the finish line while the summer flowers are already getting ready to move in. Lilies are developing stalks; Agapanthus are sporting buds; and daylilies are already blooming here and there. I've started potting up my dahlia tubers to get them sprouted so I can move them into my cutting garden when the cool season flowers are ready to clear out. With mildew and rust already afflicting their foliage, I focused on making use of them while they're presentable.
My first vase made use of some of the peach foxgloves that shot up all at once.
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| I wasn't sure how I felt about mixing the pale peach foxgloves with the bright orange Leucospermums at first but I think Alstroemeria 'Indian Summer' helped to tie the whole thing together. |
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| Top view |
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| Clockwise from the upper left: Abelia grandiflora 'Hopley's Variegated', Alstroemeria 'Indian Summer', Digitalis purpurea 'Peach Dalmatian', Leucospermum 'Royal Hawaiian Brandi', noID Ranunculus, and Xylosma congestum |
The second arrangement made use of the sweet peas and larkspur, as well as a few of the remaining blue Dutch Iris.
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| The larkspur grew especially tall this year yet only recently started blooming, at which point its stems started to topple over. The first variety of the sweet peas began blooming in mid-February. Another variety joined the display in March but I didn't see any evidence of others until late last week. |
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| Clockwise from the upper left: white Anthirrhinum majus (snapdragons); Consolida ajacis 'Summer Skies Mix' (larkspur) in various colors; Iris hollandica 'Sapphire Beauty'; and a mix of Lathyrus odoratus, most recently including 'April in Paris' |
And yes, there's a third vase this week. The stems of Alstroemeria 'Claire' included in one of last week's arrangements was still in good shape so I added two of the last anemones, as well as stems of the dark pink snapdragons (after removing their rust-covered foliage).
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| Anemone coronaria 'Rosa Tigrato' put on a good show but she doesn't appreciate the rising temperatures |
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| Clockwise from the upper left: Allium neopolitatum, Antirrhinum majus, Hebe 'Wiri Blush', Alstroemeria 'Claire', and Anemone coronaria 'Rosa Tigrato' |
For more IAVOM creations, visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.
All material © 2012-2024 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
Beautiful! The staying power of cut Alstroemeria is amazing. I love the pure white. It really is a great time of year.
ReplyDeleteI can't remember a spring quite this bountiful, Tracy. Two good years of rain in a row had an impact!
DeleteI adore the peachy collection, and thought your post title quite clever!
ReplyDeleteWell, I haven't actually seen the movie I stole that title from but it does seem an appropriate description of my garden at the moment, Loree.
DeleteI know what you mean about the everything everywhere syndrome, Kris, although it is probably exaggerated a further ten times in your garden!! So much to love in your vases today, especially the peachy foxgloves and the larksp - it's no wonder you rarely stop at just one vase! Thank you so much for your abundance each week, Kris đ
ReplyDeleteI'm grateful that you tolerate my tendency to go overboard with the flower arrangements, Cathy!
DeleteThree beautiful vases. I used to love having too many flowers. My spring flowers are just starting. I wish I had success with larkspur as I adore it. And that peach foxglove is a fav of mine. The pink anemone is quite striking.
ReplyDeleteI've always grown larkspur in one of the raised planters of my cutting garden as I give them more water and attention, Donna. I've never tried planting the seeds in any of my garden beds, although this year I did transfer a few seedlings to my back garden - they're not dead but they haven't bloomed yet either.
DeleteSuch beautiful arrangements! Very colourful! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Nikki.
DeleteLovely all, Kris, but the peachy vase stole my heart this Monday. The foxgloves are spectacular. Amelia
ReplyDeleteThanks Amelia. I plant plugs of the peach foxgloves every fall if I can find them. They've done particularly well this year.
DeleteBeautiful vases as always Kris. So many riches! As always it's the blues that appeal to me most. Funny to think of your larkspur toppling over whilst I'm just about to prick my larkspur seedlings out.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I've ever seen my seed-sown larkspur grow as tall as they have this year, Anna. I've been expecting them to bloom ever since March but they just kept on getting taller!
DeleteThose are really beautiful. I always like the blues one best, though the intensity of the pinks in the pink one is delicious.
ReplyDeleteI planted my Larkspur seedlings in place. Many sprouted and then something ate them all. Grrrr! Maybe next year? The Foxglove plants from seed are all quite large 2'+ wide but no sign of flower stems yet. Hopefully some flowers before heat kills them off.
I sow the larkspur seeds in place in one of my raised planters. Like my sweet peas, I didn't thin the larkspur as well as I should have, which may account for why the foliage is already getting mildew. I hope your foxgloves come through before summer's heat!
DeleteToo many flowers?!!!! No such thing! Just cut more Kris! LOL! Lovely to see Foxgloves and to be reminded they will be appearing here soon too. That peachy colour is so pretty. And your Larkspur and sweet peas combined are heavenly. The pale pink Anemone in the last photo is unusual and goes so well with the Allium flowers. Love all your vases again. Happy gardening/picking!
ReplyDeleteThanks Cathy. I am thankful for all the flowers even if a bit overwhelmed by them this year ;)
DeleteYour instincts were spot on when you put the alstromeria in with the foxgloves. They marry the two colours of orange perfectly. The blues are as always lovely. I go more for hot colours but keep thinking I should try and add some cool colours too as I am always drawn to them.
ReplyDeleteI plant every plant with bluish flowers I can find even if there's only a chance it'll survive, Elaine. I can't be without them.
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