In a Vase on Monday: Spring in January

It definitely feels like Spring here.  We had temperatures in the low 80sF (28C) last week.  It cooled down slightly yesterday and it's expected to slowly drift down into the mid-60sF (18C) as the week continues and the marine layer reappears.  While I've enjoyed the warmer temperatures, I nonetheless hope this isn't the new normal.  I certainly don't want to find us jumping into summer anytime soon.

My first arrangement this week made use of the dramatic 'Bordeaux' Anemones that have been blooming for weeks already.

The plum-colored Anemones aren't easy to photograph.  It also didn't help that its petals are prone to spotting but then the overhead watering I did last week when the Santa Ana winds were blowing didn't help there.

Back view: The blue flowers of Aristea inaequalis provided a nice accent when I cut the stems in the morning but unfortunately I find they close up in the afternoon.  I'm hoping that the late afternoon sun in the front entry where the vase sits will cause them to reopen. 

The flowers made their best showing in this overhead shot 

Clockwise from the upper left: Anemone coronaria 'Bordeaux', A. c. 'Lord Lieutenant', Aristea inaequalis, noID Ceanothus, Chrysanthemum 'Fairbank Purple Spoon', and Hebe 'Wiri Blush'

My second arrangement is very pink and still more spring-like.

Although the 'Taylor's Perfection' Camellia blooms play the starring role, it was the pink snapdragons that inspired this arrangement

Back view

Overhead view

Clockwise from the upper left: Antirrhinum majus, Boronia crenulata 'Shark Bay', Camellia williamsii 'Taylor's Perfection', and Narcissus papyraceus

Our formerly saturated soil is becoming drier by the day.  More rain would be appreciated before our all too short rainy season comes to an end in April.  AccuWeather currently projects the possibility of rain late this month.  My fingers are crossed that forecast is correct.

For more IAVOM creations, visit our host, Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.

All material © 2012-2026 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

In a Vase on Monday: Spring prelude

The atmospheric river came through as predicted last week, delivering nearly two inches of rain here.  Our total for the 2025 "water year" (counted from October 1, 2024) now stands at 4.81 inches.  That's not great given that our rainy season usually ends in April but at least it already tops our totals in 2018 and 2021.  After colder-than-usual temperatures last week, it warmed up this past weekend and it's feeling more like spring.  The garden's showing more of what I'd characterize as spring flowers too, which those of you in colder areas of the Northern Hemisphere may appreciate as a prelude to the change of seasons.

The first of the fragrant Freesias opened over the weekend.  The first of the Calendulas I sowed from seed in November also popped up and I tucked a short stem up front.

Back view

Top view

Clockwise from the upper left: Agonis flexuosa 'Nana', Alstroemeria 'Indian Summer', Calendula officianalis ' Cantaloupe Mix', noID Freesia, Grevillea alpina x rosmarinifolia, Leucadendron salignum 'Blush', Narcissus papyraceus, and Leucospermum 'Sunrise'

Two hellebores also made their initial appearance this week.  Cutting a stem of one of them inspired a second, smaller arrangement.

The Camellia stem was a last minute addition.  It probably won't hold up for long as a cut flower but, as many of the blooms hit the ground during the storm, I wanted a little time to enjoy one up close.

Back view

top view

Clockwise from the upper left: Anemone coronaria 'Bianco Centro Nero', Helleborus 'Anna's Red', Alstroemeria 'Inca Vienna', Camellia williamsii 'Taylor's Perfection', and Coleonema pulchellum 'Sunset Gold'

For more IAVOM creations, visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.

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

In a Vase on Monday: Petite Posies

It rained lightly but steadily on Saturday and, as the forecast called for even heavier rain on Sunday and Monday, I clipped flowers in the late afternoon to arrange on Sunday.  As it turned out, Sunday was mostly sunny, which goes to show that even the shortest-term weather projections can be wildly inaccurate.  

My Hemerocallis, including the one I brought inside last week, still aren't blooming so I made do with what I could find to fill two small vases.

I've had a few Anemone coronaria blooms, all blue thus far.  The stems grow longer as the flowers age but these 2 were still relatively short.

Back view:  I also used some very short stems of blue Pericallis, which is largely hidden behind Acacia foliage in this view but somewhat clearer in the earlier front view

Top view

Clockwise from the upper left: Acacia cognata 'Cousin Itt', Antirrhinum majus, Delphinium grandiflorum 'Diamonds Blue', Anemone coronaria 'Lord Lieutenant', Pericallis x hybrida, Nemesia 'Plus White', and Prostanthera ovalifolia 'Variegata'

Saturday's rain brought down over a dozen Camellia blooms and, with heavier rain in the forecast, I felt compelled to cut a couple of stems for an arrangement to sit on our kitchen island, where we could enjoy them, if briefly.

The Camellia flowers are beautiful, no matter how long they last

Back view

Top view

Clockwise from the upper left: Alstroemeria 'Inca Lucky', Boronia crenulata 'Shark Bay', Camellia williamsii 'Taylor's Perfection', and Pentas lanceolata

I removed the spent Grevilleas in last week's vase and gave it a simple refresh to fill the spot that was held by the two week old arrangement featuring Aeonium 'Zwartkop' and Leucadendron 'Wilson's Wonder'.

The tweaked vase is on the left and the original version is on the right

Monday is still projected to be very wet - as I prepared this post Sunday afternoon, the local forecast gave us a one hundred percent chance of rain.  We got nearly an inch of rain on Saturday and I'm hoping for at least another half inch on Monday.  Since Sunday was dry, I took the time to move the rainwater I captured in plastic trugs to my largest collection tank, which means all three tanks are full once again.  That's a good way to start off the week.

For more IAVOM creations, visit our host, Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.

All material © 2012-2024 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

In a Vase on Monday: Poles apart

I prepared two arrangements this week and they're as dissimilar as they can be.  The first one is soft and very pink.

The early blooms of Camellia 'Taylor's Perfection' provided the inspiration

Back view: As the Camellia blooms are likely to drop within 2-3 days, I dressed up the back side so I can turn the arrangement around to provide interest when that happens

Top view

Clockwise from the upper left: Alstroemeria 'Inca Lucky' (recycled from one of last week's arrangements), Alstroemeria 'Inca Vienna', Camellia williamsii 'Taylor's Perfection', Antirrhinum majus, Boronia crenulata 'Shark Bay', Prostanthera ovalifolia 'Variegata', and Plectranthus scutellarioides ' Florida Sun Rose' (aka coleus)

The second arrangement doesn't include any true flowers.  I initially planned to stick with the flower-like bracts of Leucadendrons of various kinds in shades of yellow, pinkish-red, and green but I changed things up a little at the last minute.

 The dark Aeonium rosettes provided a focal point

 

Back view: I added 3 stems of Hibiscus foliage to echo the color of the Aeoniums.  The Hibiscus stems have small buds but I'm not sure they're developed enough to bloom. 

Top view

Clockwise from the upper left: Aeonium arboreum 'Zwartkop', Hibiscus acetosella 'Haight Ashbury', Leucadendron salignum 'Chief', and L. 'Wilson's Wonder'

January isn't looking much better than December in terms of rain.  At present, there's a forty-five percent chance of a dribble of rain next weekend.  I'm already drawing down on my stored rainwater.

For more IAVOM creations, visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.

All material © 2012-2024 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

In a Vase on Monday: Fleeting beauty

I suspect I've used this post title before but it describes both of my arrangements this week.  As at least one reader anticipated, I decided to feature the Hibiscus flowers that surprised me last week for my first vase.  The velvety red blooms were just too pretty to ignore, even if the flowers close in low light and don't usually last more than two days at most. 

My house is quite bright inside but, regardless, the Hibiscus flowers were already closing by mid-afternoon.  It remains to be seen if they'll open again in the morning light, or if any of the buds clustered along the stems will open.

 

I dressed up the back view with a handful of the flower-like bracts of Leucadendron 'Blush'

Top view

Clockwise from the upper left: Coprosma repens 'Plum Hussey', Leptospermum 'Copper Glow', Leucadendron salignum 'Blush', Hibiscus acetosella 'Haight Ashbury', and Pennisetum 'Sky Rocket'

My second arrangement consists of only three elements, with the primary component being the fragile flowers of Camellia sasanqua.  Although we received less than a half inch of rain spread lightly over the course of four days, that was enough to leave many of those flowers shattered.  With wind predicted, I cut three stems from the largest of my shrubs.

Both varieties of Camellia sasanqua were inherited with the garden.  They differ in form but are very similar in color.

Back view: I could've used more filler plants but c'est la vie

Top view

From left to right: Camellia sasanqua, Pentas lanceolata, and Persicaria capitata

For more IAVOM creations, visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.

All material © 2012-2023 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

In a Vase on Monday: New arrivals

The rain - or maybe just the progress of time - has brought a few new arrivals to the garden and I've taken advantage of some of them this week.  More rain is on the horizon.  Three more storms, the first set to arrive in Southern California tonight, are stacked up to hit the state.  Northern California is once again expected to get the brunt of it.  However, even my sandy soil is already saturated.

The first foxglove bloom made an appearance in my cutting garden last week.  I accented it with stems of Grevillea sericea, which prior to last week had no flowers at all.

I cut several stems of Gomphrena 'Itsy Bitsy', which I ended up relegating to the back of the arrangement.  'Itsy Bitsy' has decided to behave like a vine, currently winding its way through the Leptospermum 'Copper Glow' above it.

Top view

Clockwise from the upper left: Acacia cognata 'Cousin Itt', Argyranthemum frutescens 'White Butterfly', Gomphrena decumbens 'Itsy Bitsy', Digitalis purpurea 'Dalmatian Purple', and Grevillea sericea

 

The Camellia sasanqua that have been blooming for months were pulverized by last week's storms, leaving behind little but petals on the ground below them.  However, Camellia williamsii 'Taylor's Perfection' has stepped up with a minor flurry of blooms.  The shrub lost a lot of its buds in the fall heatwaves so I don't expect it'll have its best year but I decided to use a few of the blooms before the coming storms knock them out.  I kept the palette very simple so as not to detract attention from the shapely Camellias but I accented them with stems of another recent arrival, Boronia crenulata 'Shark Bay'.

I cut 3 stems of the Camellia, sacrificing several buds in the process

Back view

Top view

Clockwise from the left: Camellia williamsii 'Taylor's Perfection', Boronia crenulata 'Shark Bay', and Grevillea 'Jubilee Crown', now sporting tiny brown cones in the midst of feathery foliage

 

For more IAVOM creations, visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.

 

I'll close this week's post with some pretty pictures of snow in the mountains to the east of us.

I took this and the next 2 photos Saturday afternoon from my back garden during a sunny pause between rainstorms

I used a telephoto lens

The view was remarkably clear for a change.  The mountains are often hidden behind clouds and smog but the view was relatively unimpaired on this occasion.

 

Best wishes for a pleasant week.

All material © 2012-2023 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party