In a Vase on Monday: Plenty of flowers to choose from!

With spring already off to a roaring start here, there were plenty of flowers to choose from on Sunday.  However, with the wind blowing and the skies showing the possibility of rain, I hustled to cut materials for two vases before breakfast.  As it turned out, the promise of rain never materialized, although it remained windy and cold all day.  (Our version of "cold" means that temperatures ranged from the low-to-mid 50sF/10-13C.)

I cut just three stems of my favorite Leucospermum (because I couldn't bear to cut more this early in the season) but I'm not entirely happy with the flowers I selected to accompany them.  The mix is a bit busy for my liking.

The Leucospermum's pollen presenters have a pale lavender color when in bud but, as the flowers open more fully, the pink elements gain more prominence .  I chose to emphasize the pink but in retrospect I think I should've skipped the flashy Alstroemeria stems.

Back view

Overhead view

Clockwise from the upper left: Alstroemeria 'Inca Vienna', noID pink Alstroemeria, Coleonema pulchellum 'Sunset Gold', Leucospermum 'Spider Hybrid', Anemone coronaria 'Rarity', A. c. 'Rosa Chiaro', Sparaxis tricolor, and Narcissus 'Katie Heath'

My second arrangement made use of flowers that may not be available to me much longer.  I didn't have high expectations for it but I'm relatively pleased with it overall.  It was inspired by the fluffy red flowers of Calliandra haematocephala (aka red powder puff) but anchored by one of Hippeastrums currently rushing to the plant's seasonal finish line.

I have 4 Calliandra shrubs, all of them planted by a prior owner as foundation plants alongside the house and garage.  With a new ordinance requiring removal of plants that could provide fuel in the event of a wildfire, I'm afraid I may have to remove all of them, as well as other shrubs close to the house.

Back view: I'd originally planned to stick with a red and white color scheme but I added touches of soft yellow to give the arrangement more verve.  The elements could have used a bit more space but the heavy Hippeastrum demanded the support offered by this vase.

Overhead view

Clockwise from the upper left: Calendula officianalis 'Cantaloupe Mix', Freesia, Leptospermum 'Copper Glow' foliage, Calliandra haematocephala, Grevillea lavandulacea 'Penola', Hippeastrum 'Elvas', and noID Narcissus 

Although Sunday's rainstorm passed us by, both weather services I check currently show a seventy percent chance of rain this coming Wednesday so I remain hopeful I'll be able to replenish my collection tanks.  I need something to be hopeful for - the daily news about the performance of our country's leaders becomes more depressing and disgraceful with every passing day.  I think the tide is turning but that can't happen fast enough.

For more IAVOM creations, visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden, who leads the merry Monday band of ardent amateur flower arrangers.

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

IAVOM and Bloom Day Intersection

Two of my favorite memes, In a Vase on Monday and Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, intersect once again this month.  This means a longer than usual post, especially as the floral parade is already getting started in my area of coastal Southern California.  The good news is that I'll limit the commentary that usually accompanies my photos.

I'll start with this week's floral arrangements for In a Vase on Monday, hosted by Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.

The Anemone that provides the focal point here wasn't the bulb I ordered but at least it was appropriate for a Valentine's Day arrangement.  Front, top and back views are shown.  The contents include: Anemone coronaria 'Bicolore', noID Antirrhinum majus, Calliandra haematocephala, Grevillea lavandulacea 'Penola', Leptospermum 'Copper Glow', and Leptospermum scoparium 'Pink Pearl.

The second arrangement took advantage of the first of the Freesias to bloom.  The contents include: Agryranthemum frutescens, white and yellow Freesias, noID Narcissus, Senna artemisioides, and Westringia fruticosa 'Morning Light'.

Moving on to Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, hosted by Carol at May Dreams Gardens, I'll start with the plants that are putting on the best floral show this month.  Unlike much of the US, we haven't faced freezes or snow.  We also have had woefully little rain but that's a whole other issue.

Anemone coronaria grown from corms planted in November.  Clockwise from the upper left: 'Mistral Azzurro', 'The Bride', 'Mistral Bicolore', and 'Lord Lieutenant'.

Arctotis 'Pink Sugar'

Calliandra haematocephala (aka pink powder puff)

Coleonema puchellum 'Sunset Gold'

Echium handiense 'Pride of Fuerteventura'

The smaller-flowered Grevillea have taken off this month.  Clockwise from the upper left: G. alpina x rosmarinifolia, G. 'Poorinda Leane', G. sericea, G. lavandulacea 'Penola', a close-up of G. 'Scarlet Spite', and a wider view of the same plant in the landscape

The large-flowered Grevillea never stop.  Left to right: 'Ned Kelly', 'Peaches & Cream', and 'Superb'.

Leptospermum scoparium 'Pink Pearl'

It'll be time to cut back the "flowering" Leucadendrons soon.  Top row: Leucadendron 'Safari Sunset'.  Bottom row: Leucadendron 'Wilson's Wonder' and L. 'Summer Red', which shifted from blonde to red this month.

Osteospermums prefer cool temperatures.  Clockwise from the top left: '4D Silver', two views of 'Violet Ice, 'Berry White', 'Zion Copper Amethyst', a self-seeded mix, and a self-seeded pink variety.

Pyrus calleryana (aka ornamental pear)

Rosmarinus officinalis 'Gold Dust'

A couple of plants deserve special mention.

Isopogon anemonifolius, planted in 2018, has bloomed only once before but it appears to be preparing to do so again

At last xMangave 'Silver Fox' is blooming.  It's bloom spike first appeared in August!  Whether it'll emulate its Agave parent (and die after blooming) or its Manfreda parent (and live on) has yet to be determined.

A couple of plant species are just beginning their bloom cycle, leaving me more to look forward to as the month continues.

The first Freesia and Helleborus 'Red Lady'

As usual, I've organized the best of the rest of what's blooming in my garden in color collages.

Clockwise from the upper left: Felicia aethiopica, Lavandula dentata (I think), L. multifida, Limonium perezii, Polygala fruticosa, and Trichostemma 'Midnight Magic'

Clockwise from the upper left: Argyranthemum frutescens, Coleonema album, Crassula multicava 'Red', Gazania 'White Flame'', Trifolium (aka common clover), and Westringia fruticosa 'Morning Light'

Clockwise from upper left: Aeonium arboreum, noID Cymbidium, Euphorbia rigida, Euryops chrysanthemoides 'Sonnenschein', noID Gazania, Lomanda 'Breeze', and Senna artemisioides

Clockwise from the top left: Aloe deltoideodonta, A. striata, Alstroemeria 'Indian Sunset', Bignonia capreolata, Bryophyllum fedtschenkoi, and noID Kalanchoe

Clockwise from the upper left: Antirrhinum majus, self-seeded Gazania, Gomphrena decumbens 'Itsy Bitsy', Lobelia laxiflora, Metrosideros collina 'Springfire', and Ribes viburnifolium (aka Catalina perfume currant)

Top row: Arctostaphylos bakeri 'Louis Edmunds', Argyranthemum frutescens, and Bauhina x blakeana
Middle row: last noID Camellia sasanqua, C. williamsii 'Taylor's Perfection', and Centranthus ruber
Bottom row: noID Cyclamen, Hemerocallis 'Russian Rhapsody', and Jasminum polyanthum

For more GBBD posts, visit Carol at May Dreams Gardens.  For more IAVOM posts, visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.

All material © 2012-2021 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

In a Vase on Monday: Fragile Flowers

The flowers available for cutting are in shorter supply now and the blooms I do have generally don't have long vase-lives.  In recognition of the season, the first arrangement is a mix of red and green with a few splashes of white.  I emphasized a variety of foliage so that it may retain some interest even when the flowers collapse.  

Grevillea 'Ned Kelly' wasn't meant to be the floral focus of this arrangement but I couldn't resist.  'Ned' is far less generous with its blooms than my other large-flowered Grevilleas, 'Superb' and 'Peaches & Cream' so I don't use it often in arrangements.

My original inspiration for the arrangement, the flowers of pink powder-puff (Calliandra haematocephala), ended up in what I've designated the back of the arrangement, although it can be viewed from all angles where it sits.  The powder puffs only last a couple of days at most and I doubt the brownish-red buds will open on cut stems but they offer their own kind of interest.

Top view

The vase contains: Top row - Calliandra haematocephala, Coloenema pulchella 'Sunset Gold', and Dianthus 'Dash White'
Middle row - Grevillea 'Ned Kelly', Leucadendron salignum 'Chief', and L. 'Winter Red'
Bottom row - Penstemon mexicali 'Mini Red Bells' and Westringia fruticosa 'Morning Light'

The second, smaller arrangement made use of the current abundance of Camellia sasanqua.  As our humidity levels have been low more often than not recently, the Camellia blooms wither quickly, even in their protected spot under the roof eave on the north side of the house.  There are lots of flowers but finding a few in pristine condition with stems of a decent length was a little bit of a challenge.

At best, these Camillia flowers will last 2-3 days

The uninteresting back view

Top view

Clockwise from the upper left: Argyranthemum 'Angelic Giant Pink', two unidentified forms of Camellia sasanqua, Leptospermum 'Copper Glow', and Coprosma repens 'Plum Hussey'

For more IAVOM, most created in colder areas than mine, visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.

All material © 2012-2020 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

Focusing on foliage

Despite my flower fixation, I've been making an effort to focus more attention on foliage over the last few years.  In Spring, it's easy to ignore foliage altogether as there's always another flower making an appearance but during the last couple of weeks (when I've had so much unexpected time at home!) I've paid more attention to the foliage in my garden.  Here are some of the plants that have stood out:

I featured the Cordyline 'Can Can' shown in the background here in my February foliage post but the focal point of this photo is Abelia x grandiflora 'Kaleidoscope'.  I cut this particular specimen back harder than I usually do and it's responded by coming back as a very tidy mound.

I have 3 Japanese maples but this dwarf variety, Acer palmatium "Mikawa Yatsubusa', is the first of these to leaf out

This Aeonium arboreum 'Velour' forms large ruby-tipped rosettes

I added 2 drought-tolerant Astelia 'Silver Shadow' to my back garden in February in the hope that they'll survive in this particularly dry area

I seem to have become a Begonia collector.  From left to right in my shade house I have: Begonia 'Champagne Bubbles', 'B. Escargot', and what I think may be B. rhizomatous 'Nautilus Lilac'.

Several specimens of Calliandra haematocephala (aka pink powder puff bush) came with the garden as foundation plants.  As such, they get sheared several times a year to keep them from spilling into walkways.  However, as you can see here, their fresh new foliage is very attractive when the plant's actually allowed to do its thing.

This isn't the flashiest Hebe in my collection and I value it mostly for the flowers but Hebe 'Wiri Blush' holds up better than most members of this genus in my garden and flaunts touches of red in the undersides of its glossy leaves

I've allowed this grass to spread in one area of my garden in the hope that I've correctly identified the seedlings as Lagurus ovatus (aka bunny tail grass).  If I'm wrong I'm going to be very unhappy in a couple of months.

This small shrub is one I routinely forget about because it's grown so slowly and tends to get hidden underneath surrounding plants when they flush out.  It's Ochna serrulata, a South African shrub commonly known as the Mickey Mouse plant because its black berries and red sepals are said to resemble Mickey's face.  Although the plant's been in my garden for 5 years, I've yet to see its flowers or its berries.

This is the foliage of Itoh peony 'Keiko'.  Planted in 2013, its foliage appears regularly but it has yet to flower for me.

This moss-like plant is Scleranthus biflorus, aka Australian astroturf.  I planted 3 of these clumps near the Astelia shown earlier because it's supposed to get by with little water once established and spread as much as 3 feet while maintaining a very low profile.  We shall see if it lives up to its reputation.

That's my wrap-up for this week's blog posts.  Be sure to give your foliage some attention while you're admiring your Spring flowers!


All material © 2012-2020 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party