I can't help myself. I've keep cutting flowers for the house. It doesn't noticeably diminish the flowers in the garden because they keep coming, thanks to the relatively bountiful rainfall we've had. Our total rain thus far this water year currently stands at 18.53 inches, which is considerably more than the average of 14.25 inches, and there are over five months left before the water year is over.* Although our rainy season usually comes to an end by mid-April, climate scientists contend that it may continue into May this year.
My first arrangement this week was inspired by the the bearded Irises in bud at the bottom of my back slope. However, they didn't open on the schedule I'd anticipated so I took another tact. I cut a few stems of the fragrant Abelia 'Chiapas' growing nearby and sought companions to complement it elsewhere in my garden.
 |
| In lieu of the dark purple bearded Irises, I cut the nearly black Dutch Iris known as 'Eye of the Tiger'. I added two of the last 'Pink Panther' Irises to provide a contrast. |
 |
| Back view: I used stems of the Abelia 'Chiapas' (syn. Vesalea floribunda, aka Mexican Abelia) and Polygala myrtifolia (aka sweet pea bush) as filler material. The Abelia, purchased from Annie's Annuals & Perennials years ago, has a delicious scent. |
 |
| Top view |
 |
| Clockwise from the upper left: Abelia 'Chiapas', Osteospermum '4D Pink', O. 'Violet Ice', Iris hollandica 'Eye of the Tiger', Phlomis fruticosa, Polygala myrtifolia, and Iris hollandica 'Pink Panther' |
I checked the bearded Iris again late Sunday afternoon but the buds still weren't fully open.
 |
| I expect they'll be well past their prime by next Monday |
It's impossible to ignore the Leucospermum blooms in my garden at the moments so I cut several of those stems for a second arrangement.
 |
| I kept flip-flopping between this side and the one shown below to serve as the "front" of the arrangement. The Erysimum 'Winter Orchid' used as a "spiller" here finally sealed the deal. |
 |
| The other side of the vase featured 2 varieties of snapdragons |
 |
| Top view |
 |
| Clockwise from the upper left: Antirrhinum majus 'Chantilly Peach', noID Antirrhimum, Erysimum 'Winter Orchid, Leucospermum 'Royal Hawaiian Brandi', Narcissus 'Geranium', Xylosma congestum, Zantedeschia aethopica, and Leucospermum 'Sunrise' |
I also cut flowers for a small vase during the middle of last week, then refreshed it on Sunday. In addition, not able to bring myself to dump all the contents of one of last week's arrangements, I rejiggered it using what was still fresh.
 |
| The tiny vase on the left contains Anemone coronaria 'Rosa Tigrato', A. c. 'Mount Everest', Alstroemeria 'Inca Lucky', and Cuphea 'Honeybells'. The Anemones appear to be headed toward their seasonal exit. The arrangement of leftovers on the right includes last week's Helleborus 'Anna's Red', noID Alstromeria, Argyranthemum 'Grandaisy Dark Pink', and Heuchera maxima. The revamped arrangement shows off the form of the clasped hands vase nicely. |
For more IAVOM creations, visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.
*Approaches to recordkeeping with respect to rainfall vary. The US National Weather Service tabulates rainfall by "water year," measured from October 1st through September 30th of the following calendar year and the current average figure of 14.25 inches is calculated based on water year totals over the 30 year period from 1991-2022. In contrast "seasonal" rainfall for downtown Los Angeles is calculated from July 1 through June 30 of the following year over a span of years from 1887-2022. The resulting average in that case is 14.75 inches.
All material © 2012-2024 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
Oh, the abundance of southern California spring! This is a celebrations of colors, those vases serve as eye candy on a cold and overcast Seattle morning, so thank you.
ReplyDelete"rejiggered" is a mouthful but the 'clasped hands' vase was well worth the effort: beautifully displayed.
Chavli
I love that clasped hands vase with perfectly manicured fingernails better than anything I've ever managed for myself but I usually overwhelm it with too many floral materials. On this occasion, I think I finally got the contents right.
DeleteWow, the extra rain really has you exploding with blooms! Such pretty arrangements, I love that "hands" vase.
ReplyDeleteThat's one of my favorite vases, Tracy. I found it at a second hand shop. The only down side with it is it has a very small water reservoir.
DeleteYou must thrilled with your extra rainfall this year, Kris! And it has clearly kept your supply of blooms going, as your new vases and revamped old ones show - how I love that vase with the hands!! It's good to see your lovely osteospermum again - here, ones I have overwintered in the greenhouse have begin to bloom, and as it was their second winter it has definitely been worth the efforts of lifting them
ReplyDeleteOsteospermums are great short-lived perennials here, Cathy. They prefer cool temperatures and tend to hunker down and stop blooming during our hot summers but they start blooming again in the fall here.
DeletePlus, they self seed!
And why would you stop? With your flower riches I'd have vases full in every room!
ReplyDeleteI could but I'd miss the time I could spend puttering in the garden, Loree ;)
DeleteIt seems as if the seasons collide in your garden, to great effect yielding what for us in the UK are early spring and summer flowers all at once. You also have a great sense of colour, thank you for sharing your three beautiful vases.
ReplyDeleteThanks Noelle. I expect your summer temperatures are more like our spring temperatures. Our summer highs might feel more hellish than you're used to.
DeleteYour bouquets are beautifully colored. How well do grevilleas do as cut flowers? And does it depend where you cut? I have stems with several stages of bloom -- plant still pretty young, so I won't cut any for a few more seasons.
ReplyDeleteGrevilleas actually make pretty good cut flowers, Nikki, although the small-flowered varieties generally hold up better in a vase than the larger ones. The latter are usually don't last more than 5 days in a vase. In contrast, Leucospermum flowers can look good for weeks.
DeleteI am loving these lush vases today, Kris. The Iris especially. I hope you get more rain, the flowers and you are clearly enjoying it. Amelia
ReplyDeleteThere's a possibility of more rain this coming weekend but the chances seem to be fading rather than building as the days go by.
DeleteAs usual, great bouquets. That deep purple iris with white accents is fetching!
ReplyDeleteCurious as to how you handle--call it arrangement management. Do you just walk vases with spent arrangements out to the compost and dump the contents? Do you arrange outdoors and clean up the clippings and bits out there and bring the finished arrangement indoors?
Might make for an interesting and educational post for those of us (me) who are shall we say arrangement-challenged. ;^)
I like the color of the dark purple bearded Iris but it seems especially fragile, HB.
DeleteIt would be a stretch to call what I do arrangement management. I take a large glass bottle filled with water, pick something that stands out to me as a starting point and then walk around the garden cutting anything I think might combine well with that first pick. I'm a "plunker" when it comes to arranging the flowers but I generally rely on the vase and the plants themselves to hold everything in place, only occasionally using something like plastic covered wire or marbles to keep the vase's contents upright. I cut up and dump most of the spent materials in my compost bin unless it's woody or too hard to cut up, in which case it goes into the green bin.
Honestly my heart skipped a beat when I saw that combination of white calla, narcissus Geranium, and the Leucospermum. I notice that "Geranium" has a really orange cup for you, while my "Scarlet Gem" blooms, though very nice, are hardly more than a dark yellow, this year at least.
ReplyDeleteNarcissus 'Geranium' established itself as my favorite in that genus some years ago, Amy. Not only is it pretty but it's the most vigorous and bountiful variety I grow.
DeleteWow that is wonderful all the rain and now all the flowers. I do miss having a garden I can stroll through for vases. I am partial to irises so I love seeing them in your vases. All the vases are gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteAs Irises go, the Dutch and Pacific coast cultivars are the toughest and most dependable in my garden, although the latter don't make especially good cut flowers. Regrettably, my success with bearded Iris is sporadic.
DeleteVery nice, Kris. The Irises are lovely: Before long, the Irises will be blooming here, too. They are definitely great garden elements AND great cut flowers! :)
ReplyDeleteBoth the Dutch and the Pacific Coast Irises seem to be blooming about a month early here, Beth. As to the bearded Irises, I never know if they're going to bloom at all!
DeleteYou have so many wonderful flowers this week Kris! I must admit I nearly missed the dark iris at first, so adding the paler blue one was a good idea. And a lovely one it is too. The Abelia is also very pretty. And snapdragons and Narcissi in the same arrangement is, well, fabulous and unthinkable here! I love seeing these new combinations your garden can produce. I don't blame you for picking flowers for vases all the time - enjoy them while they are in bloom!
ReplyDeleteI think I should have used a different vase for a looser presentation of the dark Dutch Iris to show it off properly, Cathy - I love that vase (a second hand store find) but it has a narrow neck. The Abelia is a favorite that, thus far, I've failed to propagate. Coastal California's climate is entirely responsible for producing the floral combinations ;)
Delete