We got a little less than half an inch of rain last week but the forecast for this week indicates that we're likely to have a series of rainstorms beginning in the early morning on Monday and continuing off and on through Thursday, possibly delivering another inch and a half. I selected the flowers I cut on Sunday with the coming rain in mind.
The first arrangement was intended to add a touch of sunshine inside the house as a distraction from the gloomy skies outdoors.
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| The first of the Dutch Iris flowered on Saturday. They were sold as Iris hollandica x 'Montecito' but, instead of being pure yellow and white, they have a touch of pale lavender-blue in the standards, which suggests that at least these first blooms are Iris x hollandica 'Apollo'. |
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| Back view: I added stems of Anemone 'Azzurro' and Limonium perezii (aka sea lavender) to pick up on the pale blue color in the Iris |
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| Overhead view: The addition of 3 chunky Leucospermum 'High Gold' stems may have been heavy-handed in contrast to the slender Iris stems |
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| Clockwise from the upper left: Acacia cognata 'Cousin Itt', white and yellow Freesia, Anemone coronaria 'Azzurro', Iris x hollandica 'Montecito'/'Apollo', Leucospermum 'High Gold', and Limonium perezii |
The second arrangement was designed around
Hippeastrum 'Aphrodite', which just came into bloom. I planted the bulb in a relatively small pot and it'd blown over three times recently because it was top-heavy so I decided to rescue it before its tall stem was broken by the wind gusts that are expected to accompany the rain.
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| The petal color of the 'Aphrodite' Hippeastrum is more similar to 'Amadeus Candy' than I'd realized |
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| Back view: I needed tall stems to support the Hippeastrum so I ended up cutting snapdragons again this week. The snaps are showing the first few signs of rust on their foliage and the sweet peas climbing the nearby supports are already encroaching on them too. |
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| Overhead view |
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| Clockwise from the upper left: dark and light pink Antirrhinum majus, Coleonema album (aka breath of heaven), and Hippeastrum 'Aphrodite' |
I'd originally thought I'd add
Anemone stems to the second arrangement but the color mix wasn't right in my eyes so I ended up with a third vase to grace the kitchen island.
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| The small vase contains 3 varieties of Anemone coronaria: 'Azzurro', 'Bordeaux', and 'Rarity' |
I'm looking forward to the rain even though a flood watch will be in effect from 9am to 9pm on Monday. Hopefully, my rain storage tanks will be at least partially refilled in the process.
For more IAVOM creations, visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.
All material © 2012-2026 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
To my eyes, L. 'High Gold' stems aren't heavy-handed but perfectly balanced and excellent companion to the Freesia. That yellow hue is stunning.
ReplyDeleteGoodness, 'Aphrodite' Hippeastrum is so good. Very romantic and appropriate for Valentine's Day. And the berry-licious snapdragon... swoon.
Chavli
'Aphrodite' is another keeper among this year's crop of Hippeastrums, Chavli. It'll go in the ground and I'll cross my fingers that it naturalizes.
DeleteThese are both so cheery, I had to laugh even though I'm feeling very glum about the rain at the moment. *I know, we need it - I'm sulking! The freesia is such a great addition.
ReplyDeleteWe really do need the rain, although I wish it wasn't as cold as it is at the moment (not that many people outside coastal SoCal probably think temperatures in the mid-50sF are "cold"). Freesias are a staple in my garden - the gophers took out some of them this year but I plant more bulbs every year.
DeleteOh that wine colored Anemone, it steals the show! (for my eyes) Glad you've got blooms indoors to enjoy, here's to lots of rain coming your way (but not too much).
ReplyDeleteThe rain's been steady since early this morning but not pounding. We've racked up 0.38/inch thus far and we're getting close to reaching a 9-inch total for the season so far. Not great, yet not nearly as low as some years.
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