As every single Iris 'Pink Panther' bulb I planted in 2022 appears to be blooming simultaneously, many bearing two buds flowering at once, they were an obvious choice to fill a vase this week. I decided to fluff up the arrangement with the tall stems of a plant I'd identified as an Ageratum for lack of another name for it. I couldn't recall planting it and I've no record of it in the spreadsheet I keep (although I admit I don't always manage to document everything). The white flowers closely resemble those of Ageratums but the shrub-like plant is four feet tall, has woody stems, and comes back annually when I prune it. I've previously made unsuccessful stabs at identifying alternative species but I dug in a little deeper yesterday and I believe I may have pinpointed it at last as Ageratina adenophora, a weed commonly known as Mexican devil. I ruled out Conoclinum coelestinum (aka wild ageratum) and Ageratina altissima (aka white snakeroot). The former has only blue flowers and the foliage of the latter wasn't right. Ageratina adenophora is native to Mexico and Central America and, although once offered as an ornamental plant, it's become a noxious weed in many parts of the world, including California and other parts of the US Southwest. I imagine it hitchhiked into my garden. Mystery solved (probably).
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| I tucked in a few Calendulas to echo the splashes of gold in the petals of the Dutch Irises |
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| Back view: Somehow, when shoving my flowers into place I always seem to end up losing the symmetry I sought at the outset |
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| Overhead view |
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| Clockwise from the upper left: Ageratina adenophora, Calendula officianalis 'Cantaloupe Mix', Iris hollandica 'Pink Panther', Limonium perezii, Ranunculus 'Tecolote White', and Salvia 'Bee's Bliss' |
My second arrangement has no mysterious baggage. It's just another sunny arrangement to boost my spirits during what's proven to be a distressing and frustrating month.
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| I cut all the Anemone 'Rosa Chiaro' currently in bloom in my cutting garden |
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| Back view, featuring Anemone 'Bianco Centro Nero' |
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| Overhead view |
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| Clockwise from the upper left: noID Alstroemeria, Anemone coronaria 'Bianco Centro Nero', A. c. 'Rosa Chiaro', Argyranthemum frutescens 'Aramis Apricot', Cuphea 'Honeybells', and Salvia 'Skyscraper Orange' |
The ten-day forecast currently shows a good possibility of rain on March 31st or April 1st (depending on which weather service I consult) but then Mother Nature may simply have an April Fool's joke in mind for us.
For more IAVOM creations, visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.
All material © 2012-2025 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
