In a Vase on Monday: The Blues Have It

Sunday morning was beautiful but wet.  We got rain for the second time within a week.  In mid-May!  I already had in mind what I wanted to cut for "In a Vase On Monday" so I quickly got to it.  There are a lot of new blooms in my garden and it would have been easy to get distracted by this or that but the rain and the cold temperature kept me reasonably focused.

I hadn't even noticed the Delphiniums were blooming until last week, when the top-heavy cilantro/coriander plants in the same raised beds toppled over following the storm that moved through Wednesday night into Thursday morning.  The seed-sown larkspurs (Consolida ambigua) have been slowly unfolding for the last couple of weeks.

I couldn't decide which side of the vase should represent the front and which the back.  This side features a blue and white Aquilegia (aka columbine).

This side features seed-grown Nigella (aka love-in-the-mist)

Top view

Clockwise from the upper left: Aquilegia 'Orgami Blue & White', Campanula portenschlagiana, Consolida ambigua 'Summer Skies Mix', Delphinium 'Pacific Giants', Salvia 'Mystic Spires', Prunus ilicifolia, noID Penstemon, Orlaya grandiflora, Lagurus ovata (aka bunny tail grass) and, in the middle, Nigella papillosa 'Starry Night Mix'

The heavy bloom stalks of Aeonium haworthii have been flopping over into paths for weeks now and the rain had exacerbated the problem so I went ahead and cut some of those too.

The stone vase was the only one I had heavy enough to hold the succulent stems without tipping over.  Unfortunately, the stone sweats so I inserted the stems into few water-filled floral tubes.  My experience is that the succulent flowers don't need much supplemental water but we'll see how this works.

Most of the stems were cut from Aeonium haworthii 'Kiwi Verde' (right) but I also found a couple of flowering stems among the variegated 'Kiwi' plants.  There's a noticable difference between the flower and stem colors of the 2 plants, at least at this stage.

This is the small vase I created 4 weeks ago using small 'Kiwi Verde' stems.  The flowers still look good but their color has faded dramatically over the weeks.

Sunday afternoon brought bright blue skies and warmer temperatures near the mid-60sF.  My garden now has the fresh, clean appearance that only rain can bring.  The smog that normally blankets the harbor view cleared out with the storm and both the sky and the water were a beautiful blue.

View from the back garden looking at the entrance to the Los Angeles harbor, known as Angel's Gate

While I was snapping photos of the harbor, I heard a familiar buzz and caught sight of a hummingbird sipping nectar.  As soon as he rose above the foliage I pushed the button on my camera, hoping for the best, and for a change I got lucky.

Anna's hummingbirds (Calypte anna) are year-round residents here and, although they zip by constantly when I'm in the garden, I seldom get a decent photo.  As soon as this fellow heard the click of the camera, he was off!

All in all, Sunday was a great day.

For more Monday vases, visit our "In a Vase on Monday" host, Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.

All material © 2012-2019 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

In a Vase on Monday: Wild or just weird?

Last week I mentioned another plant I wanted to feature in a vase.  This is that plant:

Salvia lanceolata, a South African native aka Rocky Mountain Sage, recently featured in my April plant favorites post

As you can see, it has an unusual flower and, frankly, I wasn't sure what to do with it.  I cut several stems, stuck them in a jar with water, and meandered through the garden looking for suitable partners.  I thought the end result had a wild and romantic air about it but you'll be forgiven if you think it's just weird.

Front view, highlighting a wind-ravaged Rudbeckia stem, from the only one of 12 plugs planted last November that's bloomed thus far

Back view: wispy stems of Gaura have sprung into bloom in throughout the garden as our temperatures soared

Top view (views including grasses always look funky)

Clockwise from the upper left, the vase contains: Salvia lanceolata, Coprosma repens 'Plum Hussey', Dorycnium hirsutum (aka Hairy Canary Clover), Festuca californica, Gaura lindheimeri, and Rudbeckia 'Cherry Brandy'

Summer's advance becomes more evident each day.  In addition to rising temperatures, the wind here has been almost relentless for the past 2 weeks, sometimes producing gusts over 30 miles an hour.  Every time I admire a spring bloom in my garden, I fear it may be the last time for the season so, like a junkie in need of a spring floral fix,  I over-compensated this week by creating 2 more vases.  The first of these was inspired by Aquilegia 'Spring Magic', which just produced its first blooms.  I planted 3 clumps of this columbine in 2012 but, after our long drought, only one survives and its blooms generally don't last long.

Front view: the purplish-blue and white color of the columbine set the color scheme

Back view, which shows off the papery flowers of Limonium perezii and the first of the Achillea blooms

Top view, highlighting the white Centranthus

Clockwise from the upper left, the vase contains: Aquilegia 'Spring Magic', Achillea 'Moonshine', Centranthus ruber 'Albus', Lathyrus odoratus 'Big Blue', Limonium perezii, and Tanacetum niveum

The last vase was inspired by the bright orange flowers of Ornithogalum dubium.  I picked up this bulbous plant a few years ago and, lacking a good spot for it, stuck it in the corner of one of the raised planters in what is now my cutting garden.  It dies back every summer and I usually forget all about it until it returns following our winter rains.

Front view: I used my ornamental teapot for this arrangement but, in retrospect, it might have been better in a vase with a narrower neck to support the stems

Back view, dominated by the stems of Agonis flexuosa (aka peppermint willow)

Top view, showing how the stems tended to flop to the sides of the pot

Clockwise from the upper left, the vase contains: Ornithogalum dubium, Abelia 'Kaleidoscope', Agonis flexuosa 'Nana', Bulbine fruticosa 'Hallmark', Jacobaea maritima, and Rosa 'Golden Celebration'

Visit Cathy of Rambling in the Garden, our "In a Vase on Monday" host, to find more vases.  Or join in the fun and post photos of one of your own vases!

Today's vases in their places: the dining table, the coffee table in the living room, and the console table in the front entry

All material © 2012-2017 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

In a Vase on Monday: Crowding the Stage

In my area of Southern California, we're at the juncture between spring and summer.  It felt like summer 2 weeks ago but last week was blessedly cool and this week promises to be much the same.  There's even another chance of rain toward the end of the week.  Still, the unseasonable heat in March and again early this month sent many spring flowers into a speedy decline.  There were just a few Alstroemeria left in the garden so it seemed only right to select those for "In a Vase on Monday," the weekly feature hosted by Cathy of Rambling in the Garden.  I'd never even featured my Aquilegia and they also appear on the way out, while the white Eustoma grandiflorum I planted last June is currently making a comeback.  Although there were many flowers clamoring for the spotlight this week, I did very little editing, squeezing everything together, hence the title of this post.

Back view

Here's what I included:

• Alstroemeria (no ID)
• Aquilegia hybrid 'Spring Magic'
• Cerinthe major (also reaching burn-out)
• Coriandrum savitum (rapidly going to seed)
• Eustoma grandiflorum 'Echo White' (new on the scene)
• Hebe 'Wiri Blush'
• Heuchera maxima
• Limonium perezii
• Pelargonium 'Oldbury Duet'
• Pelargonium peltatum (no ID)

The last of the Alstroemeria, shown with a stem of the ever-blooming Pelargonium peltatum and the fading coriander

The navy blue and white Aquilegia 'Spring Magic' deserved more attention that it received this year

Tucking the white Eustoma grandiflorum I planted last June from 6-packs in spots around the edges of my Agapanthus, where they were partially screened from last summer's heat, paid off - the white form looks far better this spring than the blue forms

Hebe 'Wiri Blush' just produced another flush of flowers

Heuchera maxima, a California native, is making a slow start in my garden but it has produced a few stems of flowers

Last week's tall vase featuring Arthropodium cirratum and Solanum xanti lasted the entire week but I retired it when I created today's vase.  The second of last week's vases, featuring Agapanthus, still looks pretty good.  It has moved to the dining table while the new vase sits in the entryway.  As Arthropodium and Agapanthus are currently making a big show in the garden, I expect you'll see more of them in coming weeks.

Last week's vase, relocated

This week's vase in the entryway

Visit Cathy to see what she and other gardeners have created from materials they have on hand this week.

All material © 2012-2015 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

Bloom Day - April 2014

Our winter and spring temperatures have been "unseasonably warm" according to weather forecasters, although much the same thing was said last year.  I wonder when these conditions cease being termed "unseasonable" and instead become the new normal?  Our spring got off to an early start, especially in relation to the parts of the country hit by the miserable "polar vortex" but, when I looked back at last April's post, I find that most of the flowers blooming now were also blooming then.

For a change of pace, in collecting photos for this month's Bloom Day post, I focused more on plant combinations and less on individual flowers.

Acanthus mollis "Summer Beauty, backed by Osteospermum ecklonis '3D Silver,' a staple in my garden, and white Argyranthemum

A lone Adenophora potaninii is surrounded by Euphorbia 'Dean's Hybrid' and self-sown Alyssum - more Adenophora have seeded in the vicinity of this one but none of these seedlings have formed flower spikes

Alstroemeria (no ID) with Osteospermum '3D Silver' make a strong showing in the backyard

Aquilegia 'Spring Magic' with unnamed Violas and Osteospermum '3D Silver'

Arctotis 'Pink Sugar, surrounded by Convolvulus sabatius 'Moroccan Beauty,' is clashing with the early blooms of self-sown Gaillardia 'Arizona Sun' 

Centranthus ruber, a weed here, blooming on the slope with Oenothera speciosa, another weed, Euphorbia 'Dean's Hybrid' and self-sown Alyssum (Lobularia maritima)

Cuphea x ignea 'Starfire Pink' is paired with Geranium 'Tiny Monster' here

Erysimum linifolium 'Variegatum' with Osteospermum 'Lemonade'

Another Erysimum, this time accompanied by Osteospermum '3D Silver' and Tulbaghia violacea

Sun-tolerant Fuchsia 'Mrs. J.D. Fredricks' with pink Argyranthemum and Cuphea 'Starfire Pink'

Eeek!  An early-blooming orange Hemerocallis (no ID) clashes with the pink Alstroemeria, which has yet to make its seasonal exit

This unnamed Iris germanica, blooming almost a month earlier this year than last, doesn't mix especially well with the bright pink Alstroemeria nearby 

Leptospermum scoparium 'Pink Pearl' got the only solo shot in this post, although, if you have a discerning eye, you might notice the white Centranthus peaking out from behind

Limonium perezii backed by Lavandula dentata in the dry garden

Unidentified Pelargonium peltatum with pinkish California poppies, photographed in full sun, the only time to catch the poppies with open petals

Unidentified Pelargonium (originally mislabeled as 'Katie') and more Cuphea 'Starfire Pink'

Assorted Pelargoniums blooming on the slope alongside pale pink Oenothera speciosa, bleached out even when photographed on a cloudy morning

A sea of Phlomis fruticosa with yellow Argyranthemum and a few Euphorbia 'Ascot Rainbow' in the background

'Ebb Tide' rose, producing its first blooms, with annual Linaria

Sisrynchium bellum 'North Coast' and a sunburned Pericallis, which has not enjoyed our excessively warm temperatures

Salvia 'Mystic Spires' with Lobelia and one of the few remaining Anemones

Dainty Wahlenbergia 'Blue Cloud' with Erigeron karvinskianus, another weed-like plant here, and Geranium 'Tiny Monster'

Sweet peas (Lathyrus Odoratus 'Perfume Delight') fill one of the planters in my vegetable garden (with some snapdragons tucked in behind) 

Hemerocallis and Iris are producing blooms here and there - the heaviest bloom periods for these plants are still to come.  They, and the Arthropodium cirratum and Agapanthus, both already gearing up for what is usually a late spring appearance, will probably dominate my garden during the next month.  For what's currently on display in gardens throughout the US and elsewhere in the world, please visit Carol at May Dreams Gardens by clicking here.