Last week was an emotional roller coaster. With two major fires burning in Los Angeles County Tuesday evening, we got very nervous when our house was permeated with smoke and we heard fire engines passing through the area. However, we were lucky and remained so throughout the week. Driven by high winds, the smoke from the Eaton Fire in the Altadena-Pasadena area blew our way but, although our air quality has remained poor, no fires have broken out in our immediate vicinity. The closest, the Palisades Fire, is thirty-five miles to our north. At one time, eight fires were burning in our County. It was down to three yesterday but the Palisades and Eaton fires are still largely uncontained and continue to threaten surrounding areas. Over 12,000 structures have been destroyed, many people have lost everything, and 150,000 are under evacuation orders. People are scrambling to rent - or buy - houses to lend their lives a semblance of normalcy. Rebuilding is going to take years, especially as entire communities have been razed - there are no stores, schools, or churches left in some of them.
Unfortunately, we're expecting the winds to kick up yet again today. My own area is considered at high risk of fire danger so we'll remain on edge like many of those elsewhere in the Los Angeles area, probably until we finally get some rain - and no one knows when that might happen.
I could only manage one floral arrangement this week. I'm keeping my time outdoors to a minimum and wearing a mask while working outside until our air quality improves, which forecasters also predict could remain stagnant until that miraculous rain arrives.
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| I started off with Leucadendron 'Chief ', which has pink and yellow flower-like bracts, and added the larger yellow flower-like bracts of Leucadendron 'Wilson's Wonder'. I cut stems of Narcissus to provide an extra flourish. |
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| I dressed up the back view using Aeonium stems. I have a LOT of Aeonium flowers at the moment. |
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| Top view |
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| Clockwise from the upper left: Aeonium arboreum, Alstroemeria 'Inca Sundance', Narcissus 'Geranium', Leucadendron salignum 'Chief', and L. 'Wilson's Wonder' |
All material © 2012-2025 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
You are putting on a brave face and fixing a cheery vase in the face of all the chaos and devastation around you. Hang in there, Kris. Everyone is thinking of you and your neighbors, wishing for rain.
ReplyDeleteChavli
It looks as though we can at least expect the marine layer to pay us a visit along the coast on Saturday, Chavli. Rain is still unlikely, although there is a small (10%) chance for the weekend. Meanwhile, fingers are crossed that the winds don't whip up too high later today and tomorrow.
DeleteA beautiful arrangement, as always. I'm watching the fires from afar and it's so awful to see. Please stay safe!
ReplyDeleteThanks Nikki.
DeleteThat's a lovely arrangement, as always, and I'm so sorry all of you are having to go through this. I hope there is some type of relief on the way, whether in the form of rain or cooler, calmer, less windy weather. Best wishes and take care!
ReplyDeleteThanks Beth. I do wish Mother Nature would cut the wind and send us a little rain. We may get a marine layer on Saturday. Hopefully, it's not too little to late.
DeleteMy heart goes out to all those affected by these devastating fires, either directly, or indirectly through stress and worry. Praying for winds of change, not Santa Ana's, but ones laden with life-preserving rain. 🙏🏼 Eliza
ReplyDeleteEvery newscast, every news article is heartbreaking, Eliza. I know I'm lucky and, despite a scare last Thursday, my friends and family have also dodged immediate contact with the fires. As to air quality, the horizon was relatively clear earlier this morning but the haze is already back.
DeleteChe bello! Sà di primavera con tutti quei narcisi! Qui devo aspettare ancora perchè le notti la temperatura è di circa -5/-8 gradi celsius.
ReplyDeleteMi dispiace moltissimo per gli incendi, ne parlano spesso anche qui mostrando immagini terribili di quello che sta succedendo! Spero davvero che da te non succeda nulla di grave!
Ti mando un caro saluto e spero di risentirci presto con buone notizie!
Thanks for the good thoughts, Gabriel! We have our emergency bags packed just in case but we are doing okay so far.
DeleteKris, you managed a very cheery arrangement despite what you're living through. I'm glad you're limiting your exposure to the smoke, although being cooped up is no fun whatsoever. I'll be hoping for a heavy marine layer Saturday. That seems a long ways off.
ReplyDeleteThe Santa Ana winds have a reputation for putting people on edge but getting one round after another - on top of it being so dry - is too much! To think I was originally concerned about just keeping my garden in good shape...
DeleteYou must be permanently on tenterhooks, Kris, and perhaps reluctant to go to sleep at night - 35 miles is not a lot when the fires have moved as quickly as they do. And now you need to avoid going outside and getting on with any semblance of normal life because of the air quality. My thoughts are with you and your family and friends and neighbours in Los Angeles.
ReplyDeleteYou have used Leucadendron to such good effect in recent vases, bridging the divide between foliage and flowers, and I love the greenish yellow shades today. I have added a few more aeonium in the Coop recently, but I can't imagine them ever blooming! Those flowers are astonishing!
It's hard not to worry every time the wind picks up, Cathy. I've been checking the fire reports multiple times each day. No new fires have popped up but there seems to be little to no progress on the 2 largest fires, which is depressing.
DeleteThe Aeonium arboreum flowers are attractive but so prolific and common that I quickly tire of them and seldom use them in floral arrangements. The plants make good groundcovers here, though - I can just cut a rosette from the plant and stick it directly into the ground.
Hope the wind drops, and the rain comes. This fire is a monster! to endure, even when it is 'only' a newsfeed for me.
ReplyDeleteOne local climate scientist described this fire "event" as the result of a "hydroclimate whiplash." Two years of heavy rain prompted significant plant growth, which was followed by 8 straight months of extreme drought. Then a spark driven by high winds starts a fire and disperses embers to spread it. As the same conditions are found in various locations here, it probably shouldn't be a surprise to see a lot of fires at once but it feels like the script for a horror film.
DeleteKris, I have been thinking about you. These fires seem to be lasting a long time. The arrangement is beautiful, your Narcissus always blow my mind. Sending precipitation vibes your way.. Amelia
ReplyDeleteI'm shocked to see the slow progress on the first 2 fires, which are also the biggest ones. The Palisades fire is only 14% contained, while the Eaton fire has just reached 33% containment. There were a lot of missteps during the first 2 days of the Palisades fire - a water reservoir was offline for upkeep, water pressure to hydrants was poor, and a drone collided with a super-scooper plane - but we're a week out of the fire's start now.
DeleteA beautiful vase of flowers Kris picked in such adverse circumstances. I admire your tenacity in venturing outside. Keeping you and your fellow residents of Los Angeles very much in my thoughts and wishing so much that some much needed rain provides some relief soon. Take care.
ReplyDeleteThanks Anna! I made the mistake of working outside for a time one day when I couldn't smell any smoke only to end up with a headache and a cough. I've been more careful since.
DeleteHi Kris, from Mudgee Australia. I haven’t posted anything for nearly two years, but I wanted to let you know I’ve been thinking of you and wondering how you are getting on amongst the horror of these fires. It was a relief to read that you and your lovely garden and home are safe. I hope you remain so. Jane
ReplyDeleteIt's good to hear from you, Jane. Thank you for thinking of me. I know Australia has had issues with wildfires too. They're a fact of life in California but the sheer number, breadth, and intensity of the fires has been a shock. The 2 biggest fires are also in densely populated areas.
DeleteKris, like everyone else, I'm hoping for your continued safety and forthcoming rains to help appease the fires. You've managed a gorgeous arrangement. Narcissus is such a cheerful flower. Hope it brings you joy and hope you can find ways to destress during this horrible time.
ReplyDeleteGiven the rain situation back in November and December, I'd feared a difficult year was ahead but I never imagined that a good part of Los Angeles County would/could burn like this. There's no rain in the near-term forecast but I'm hoping that February, traditionally our rainiest month, will be the charm.
DeleteIt must be awful living on tenterhooks Kris and my thoughts have been with you and your fellow citizens over the past ten days. I just hope you do get some rain soon. I hope your lovely vase can distract you a little. Take care, and stay safe. xx
ReplyDeleteThere's no wind at all in our area this morning. Today and tomorrow are supposed to see high winds. I can only hope the forecasters are wrong.
DeleteI haven't been blogging for a while because I had eye surgery and couldn't see to read. But you have been very much in my thoughts as I heard about these devasting fires. I am so glad that you and your home and beautiful garden are safe. My heart goes out to all those people who have lost everything. It was brave of you to go out in the smoke and bring some sunshine into your home. I hope you get rain soon. Constantly breathing in smoke must be awful and I wonder how all the people with asthma are coping.
ReplyDeleteI hope your recovery from the surgery is proceeding smoothly, Liz!
DeleteI can no longer smell smoke here this morning and the Air Quality Management District says our air quality is good in my area, even it that's not the case elsewhere. Of late, one of the first things I do in the morning is to check the fire status and the air quality. Progress on the largest 2 fires in Los Angeles County was minimal overnight, although at least it's moving in the right direction and the smoke from the Eaton fire isn't currently blowing our way. Unfortunately, the CalFire site now shows a new fire in adjacent Ventura County; however, it's small and hopefully can be damped down before the winds pick up this afternoon. This is a hideous cycle we're in - it's like an episode of Twilight Zone.
So glad to hear that you're still safe! I've been thinking about you!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Peter. It's weird to feel both incredibly lucky and very sad at the same time. Hopefully, my lucky will hold and the hellish fires elsewhere in SoCal will be extinguished soon.
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