None of the dahlia tubers I planted in April and May are blooming yet, but two of the foxgloves I planted late last year have finally produced flowers so they kicked off today's "In a Vase on Monday" creation. They don't account for the title of the post, however. That was prompted by the unusual Pelargonium 'Colocho' I added to the mix, primarily as my foliage accent. It has twisted leaves with a delicious scent. I've had this plant in my garden for many years and I've propagated it from cuttings too but this is the first year it's developed a real presence there. It deserved the distinction of a starring role in this week's post.
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| The foxgloves and other flowers added rich colors |
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That included Centranthus ruber (aka red valerian), as shown at the back view of the vase. It's essentially a weed here. It was in full bloom earlier in the year but it's fading fast now.
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| Overhead view |
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| Clockwise from the upper left, the vase contains: Centranthus ruber, Cuphea 'Starfire Pink', Digitalis purpurea, Leucanthemum x superbum, Pelargonium peltatum 'Lavender Blizzard', and P. 'Colocho' |
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| This is the arrangement in place in the front entry |
It looks as though our afternoon temperatures will remain on the mild side (72F/22C) for awhile yet but we may finally get more sun each day starting mid-week as the marine layer backs off. As I finally sowed some zinnia seeds, I hope that means some summer flowers by July or August!
Check in with Cathy at Rambling in the Garden to see what she and other IAVOM contributors are sharing thus week.
All material © 2012-2026 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
I love the rich, spicy scent of Pelargonium leaves, happily emitted when I remove spent bloom or check if the pot needs water. Its as good as the flowers and one of the reasons I get one each spring.
ReplyDeleteThe berry-centric color scheme of your arrangement today spelled summer to me! More specifically, it reminds me of raspberry sherbet. Yum.
Chavli
The color does look very much like raspberry sherbet!
DeleteLove the 'Lavender Blizzard' Pelargonium, and now I'm imagining the scent... The three Leucanthemum blooms add a pleasant fizzy delight to the arrangement!
ReplyDeleteActually, the 'Lavender Blizzard' ivy geranium (Pelargonium peltatum) has no scent to speak of but, in contrast, the Pelargonium 'Colocho' is VERY strongly scented.
DeleteI absolutely adore all this pink. I am especially smitten with the foxglove and the bright pink of the Lavender Blizzard. My seeds are slow to grow along with the dahlias due to the cooler weather. But this week we may jump ahead as we will be near 90 daily with t-storms most afternoons. Hoping your dahlias catch up soon too.
ReplyDeleteI'll keep fingers crossed for both of us, Donna!
DeleteGorgeous, Kris. You have left me wondering what the scent of the geraniums is??.Amelia
ReplyDeleteSome scented geraniums (officially Pelargoniums) are very strongly scented. Pelargonium graveolens 'Colocho' is off the charts with scented oils. I'd characterize it as "spicy" - I'm not sure I can come up with a better description for it, although some growers call it "rose scented."
DeletePretty shades of pink and fun geranium foliage, and there's my favorite Shasta daisy. I've tried twice to grow it, but it fails to come back the following year! Eliza
ReplyDeleteI was lucky that I've managed to get that Shasta daisy to come back since 2018 (or longer). The plant was a gift from a friend, long since deceased after a bout with cancer.
DeleteOh those pinks work together so well, Kris - such a lovely combination, and the white leucanthemum lifts it to just to the right degree. The centranthus is very much a wild flower here, and seeds itself into walls too - pretty, nonetheless!
ReplyDeleteI like your hot pink arrangement, especially the foxgloves. I hope your zinnias take off. No hot spell for you? I'll have to check the weather down there.
ReplyDeleteChe bello spettacolo! Mi trovo a mio agio con questi fiori che conosco bene! Davvero strano pensare che li sia più fresco che qui!
ReplyDeleteTi auguro un caro saluto e delle buone semine.
Gosh, no heat for you? We're looking at 100F for Sun/Mon! I sowed Zinnia seeds on a Thursday and by Monday they were starting to emerge. I love them for that. I also love the hot colors of this arrangement.
ReplyDeleteA beautiful vase Kris! Centranthus is one of my all-time favourite plants and is flowering here now too. And I was interested to see your pelargoniums as I have just been looking at some on a website. I am going on a road trip tomorrow to a rare plants nursery near the Czech border, and their speciality is pelargoniums and herbs….
ReplyDelete