My garden's floral display is in the process of transitioning from spring to summer. The spring bloomers are either fading or have been used too often already in my weekly vases. Most of the summer bloomers are either just getting started, still in bud, or unable to serve starring roles on their own. So my vases this week consist of ensemble casts, with each element collaborating with the others and no one plant playing a starring role.
My first arrangement is all about the blues in my garden.
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| The Agapanthus throughout the garden, most of which I inherited, already have bloom stalks and the first buds have begun to unfurl. They started me off with blue flowers joining in from other corners of the garden. |
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| Back view: Other contributors included stems of Ceanothus, Consolida ajacis (aka larkspur), Salvia, Billardiera (aka Australian blue creeper, formerly classified as Sollya heterophylla), and various sweet peas, finally making an appearance |
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| Overhead view: I added Nigella papillosa to add a touch of white |
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| Top row: noID Agapanthus, Billardiera heterophylla, and noID Ceanothus Middle: Consolida ajacis, Nigella papillosa 'African Bride', and Salvia 'Mystic Spires' Bottom: I sowed seeds of 5 varieties of Lathyrus odoratus, including 'April in Paris', 'Lord Nelson', and 'Royal Wedding' but I can't definitively account for the one on the far right |
My second arrangement started out as a hodge-podge but, in the end, I found I liked it more than I'd expected to.
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| I started the second arrangement by harvesting the remaining sturdy stems of a pink Alstroemeria I inherited with the garden and the white snapdragons not yet too blemished by rust, then threw in several stems of ivy geraniums (Pelargonium peltatum) |
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| Back view: I added stems of Nigella and Calendula just because I'll be pulling out both in the near future to free space in my cutting garden |
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| Overhead view: I added 2 stems of immature Daucus carota to see if the flowers would open when cut at this stage. The Daucus self-seeded once again this year. |
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| Clockwise from the upper left: Abelia grandiflora 'Radiance', Antirrhinum majus, Callendula officianalis, noID Alstroemeria, Daucus carota 'Dara', Nigella papillosa 'African Bride', and Pelargonium peltatum (which is more dark pink than red as it appears in my photographs) |
My sweet peas got a late start this year and, with one significant heatwave already registered, followed by a shorter, more moderate heatwave less than two weeks later, I don't expect them to hold up long so I've been cutting them almost as quickly as the flowers appear. It also appears that birds are beheading a lot of the blooms even before I can cut them. For those reasons, I popped a lot of shorter stems into a third vase for the kitchen island.
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| Their scent is of course wonderful with Lathyrus odoratus 'April in Paris' contributing the strongest note |
The past weekend's weather couldn't have been better (except perhaps if we'd received a miraculous overnight rain shower). It looks as though that trend may continue through next week. I'm hoping that'll be the case anyway. For those of you in the US, best wishes for a pleasant Memorial Day!
For more IAVOM creations, visit the leader of our merry band, Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.
All material © 2012-2025 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
The calendula adds a little spark/joy to that arrangement. Sweet peas are so delicate, and the scent is lovely. I hope you're having a nice cooler Memorial weekend!
ReplyDeleteThe weather is very nice again today, Tracy - even if the view in the distance is a bit blurry. There isn't the customary dirty brown tinge of smog so I'm guessing it's just the residue of the marine layer hanging over the port area, helping to keep our temperature down.
DeleteIt sounds like we have a similar approach during this transition time from spring to summer. I envy your plentiful options in November through March. Now I'm coming into the time when my colorful bouquet options are abundant. Yay. Have a blessed Memorial Day.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the holiday, Beth! Some of my lilies look as though they're getting closer to blooming and hopefully the Agapanthus stampede isn't far away. The dahlias are clearly going to take their time to flower again this year, though.
DeleteSuch pretty arrangements. Gorgeous blues. You have some delightful sweet peas, the one on the far right of your blue arrangement is such a fabulous colour.
ReplyDeleteI wish I knew what variety that mystery sweet pea is! When I feared that my seed-sown plants were failing me, I picked up a couple of pots at a garden center and plopped them into my raised planter with the rest. I suspect that sweet pea is one of those but I failed to record its name and AI wasn't able to help me with my online search :(
DeleteThe blues are gorgeous and those sweet peas must smell divine!
ReplyDeleteThe sweet peas were slow to take off last year and even slower again this year. However, I don't think I can bring myself to give them up in future years despite the room they take up in my cutting garden. Maybe I'll follow Hoover Boo's example, though, and try growing sweet peas up a "trellis" of Euphorbia 'Sticks on Fire'.
DeleteI am loving your blues today, Kris. It makes me crazy I cannot grow Agapanthus! Amazed you have Sweet Peas in late May.
ReplyDeleteOops, from Agapanthus free South Florida..Amelia
DeleteI'm sort of surprised that you can't grow Agapanthus in Florida, Amelia. Can it be that they need drier conditions than you can provide?! They literally can be found growing in gas stations here. As to the sweet peas, I've had them bloom as early as March in the past but the last 2 years, even when I sow the seeds at approximately the same time as always (late October/early November), they've refused to bloom until May, which gives me a very short season. They'll be toast soon!
DeleteI've apparently got a one-track mind for variegation. My eyes immediately picked out the Abelia 'Radiance'. Daucus carota is such a cool addition. I like the dried seedheads too.
ReplyDeleteI do love Abelias and, unlike a lot of those plants, 'Radiance' is a relatively low-growing groundcover type. I like Daucus carota too, although it's a rampant self-seeder. This year's plants are offspring of seeds I sowed 3 years ago!
DeleteI adore your first vase Kris - what a glorious blue ensemble it is! And can I say I think I like the back view of the second one better than the front, something to do with the balance of the green and pink perhaps? I love green blooms! I have heard about April in Paris from someone else - are they really that much more fragrant than other varieties?
ReplyDeleteI often like the back views of my vases better than the designated fronts myself, Cathy ;) As to 'April in Paris', yes, of all the sweet peas I've grown, I think this one has the strongest scent.
DeleteMore-is-better arrangements, yes indeed in your arrangements more is more better! More blue especially. :)
ReplyDeleteHere that first heat wave hit the Sweet Peas hard. Still, happy to have any at all. Grateful for the marine layer as long as it lasts, too.
Do you have Aeonium 'Super Bang'?
We're appreciating the morning marine layer too. Yes, I picked up Aeonium 'Super Bang' somewhere. They didn't look like the photos I saw online at first but they do now.
DeleteThe blue arrangement is lovely Kris - I like everything you have used, especially the Salvia. It's such a gorgeous colour. And Calendula are a sign of summer here, so a welcome sight. Mine are still just small seedlings though! The greenery in both vases is really refreshing too.
ReplyDeleteSorry, forgot to add my name again Kris! That last comment was mine.
ReplyDeleteThanks Cathy. I was glad to see that Salvia return this year. It didn't look great earlier this year but it's big and beautiful again now.
DeleteI can smell those sweet peas from here Kris 😂 I've grown 'April In Paris' before and she is most strongly scented indeed. I hope that they hold out for you as long as possible 🤞
ReplyDeleteGiven Hoover Boo's statement (above), I was probably lucky the sweet peas made it through our recent heatwaves, Anna! As it turns out, I discovered that my tree-sized Ceanothus arboreus - which I've had for years - fried on my back slope. I'm hoping it'll come back but that was a shock as the heatwaves weren't as bad as many we've had before.
DeleteWonderful blues, pretty pinks and yes, I'm smelling the Sweet Peas! I hope my Dara becomes as big and beautiful as yours as I love them, anything umbel in fact! My Sweet peas are 6" tall and my Dara about 2"!!! I'm hoping they get fired up soon!
ReplyDeletehttps://zonethreegardenlife.blog/2025/05/26/in-a-vase-on-monday-may-26-2025/
Daucus carota 'Dara' is virtually a weed here, Jenny! I sowed the seeds once and the plants have come back in increasing vigor each year. I hope both the sweet peas and 'Dara' come through for you.
DeleteOh those sweet peas are so pretty. Your vase of blue flowers is just wonderful.
ReplyDeleteSweet peas always pack a punch ;)
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