In a Vase on Monday: Bits and pieces

We received a great deal of rain between November 13th and November 21st, at least by our standards.  According to my rooftop rain meter, it was nearly three inches and it could've been more as the meter was clogged for almost a day during the height of the first storm.  Unfortunately, my flowers took something of a beating so I was left to collect a lot of bits and pieces to fill my first vase, which was inspired by the last of dahlias that'd surprised me by blooming earlier this month, long after I'd given up on it flowering at all.

Not only was the dahlia late to flower, it also wasn't anything close to what what the tuber's seller advertised.  My best guess is that it's Dahlia 'Ferncliff Illusion'.  I cut the last fully opened flower and one partially opened bud and then disposed of the tuber.

Back view: I used 2 stems of Polygala (aka sweet pea shrub) to create a base to support the dahlia and squeezed in lots of other small stems, including the 2 stems of the Chrysanthemum 'Fairbank Purple Spoon' shown in this view.

Overhead view

Clockwise from the upper left: Abelia grandiflora 'Hopley's Variegated', Argyranthemum 'Everest', Gomphrena decumbens 'Itsy Bitsy', mystery Dahlia (possibly 'Ferncliff Illusion'), Chrysanthemum 'Fairbank Purple Spoon', Matthiola incana in ivory and magenta, and Polygala myrtifolia

Protea 'Claire' produced two especially nice flowers this week and I couldn't resist cutting them for a simple arrangement.

These 2 Protea flowers opened more fully than those I've previously cut.  I used the dark Leucadendron 'Ebony' to play off the dark center of the Protea's flower.  'Ebony' is a sport of L. 'Safari Sunset', which I purchased for a song years ago before it'd been clearly differentiated from 'Safari' by sellers.

Back view

Overhead view

From left to right: Leucadendron salignum 'Blush', L. 'Ebony', and hybrid Protea 'Claire'

Our Thanksgiving holiday is later this year than usual but the holidays still feel as if they've arrived all too soon.  But then it's hard to feel excited this year with the continual horrors pouring out of our federal government.  My husband and I'll have a quiet Thanksgiving but I'm scheduled to meet up with a group of girlfriends the following Sunday, which I'm looking forward to.  Since we've all retired and some of us have scattered, this group meets all too infrequently.

For more IAVOM creations, check in with Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.

All material © 2012-2025 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party