In a Vase on Monday: New spring blooms keep coming

At this time of year new spring blooms seem to pop up almost daily.  I'm trying to pace myself when it comes to tossing them into floral arrangements but I ended up with three arrangements this week anyway.  The first of these was inspired by one of my favorite bulb flowers, Scilla peruviana.

As the Scilla peruviana, aka Portuguese squill, are only just beginning to unfold, I cut only one.  Despite the fact that its name suggests it originated in South America, the bulb is actually native to the area surrounding the Mediterranean Sea.

Back view: The tree-sized Ceanothus is in full bloom on the back slope so I took advantage of it

Top view: The blue Anemone coronaria and white and yellow Freesia are still plentiful

Clockwise from the upper left: Anemone coronaria, Auranticarpa rhombifolium, Lathyrus annuus, Ceanothus arboreus 'Cliff Schmidt', white and yellow Freesia, noID Narcissus, and Scilla peruviana

The second arrangement was inspired by the white and pink species tulips I found flowering in my back garden this past weekend.  I picked additional flowers to flesh out the vase but some didn't mesh with the tulips the way I'd envisioned.  I ended up separating what I'd cut into two separate arrangements.

Tulipa clusiana 'Lady Jane' has white and rosy-pink petals that look like candy canes when the petals close in low light

Back view

Top view

Clockwise from the upper left: Alstroemeria 'Inca Lucky', A. 'Inca Vienna', Prostanthera ovalifolia 'Variegata', and Tulipa clusiana 'Lady Jane'

The "leftovers" I'd cut with the tulip arrangement in mind landed in the vase featuring a woman's clasped hands, manicured with pink polish.

The flowers shown in this arrangement are a deeper reddish-pink, leaning toward burgundy

Back view

Top view

Clockwise from the upper left: Argyranthemum frutescens 'Grandaisy Dark Pink', a pink Freesia exhibiting an uncommon color break, a normal pink Freesia, Hebe 'Wiri Blush', Helleborus 'Anna's Red', and Prostanthera ovalifolia 'Variegata'.  I wasn't able to find anything on color breaks caused by virus or other conditions in Freesias but this is at least the second year I've seen these.

The first Dutch Iris blooms have just appeared and my Leucospermums are opening, albeit slowly.  As we're expecting warmer temperatures during much of this week, I expect the spring cycle may accelerate.

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: Sending you some sunshine!

I know many of you in the Northern Hemisphere have colder temperatures and gloomier skies this time of year than we have in Southern California.  As we enjoyed a stretch of warm weather and blue skies all last week, I thought I'd send you a little sunshine.  The temperature in downtown Los Angeles reached 86F (30C) on Saturday.  It wasn't quite that warm in my location but it was certainly shirtsleeve weather.  Our temperature dropped suddenly Sunday afternoon as a storm front moved through the area to the east of us but it remained sunny here and, as I pondered what to put in a vase this week, I noticed that the Leucadendron 'Safari Goldstrike' in my front garden was glowing.  This particular shrub develops luminous yellow bracts in February every year so it was a natural choice for inclusion in a vase this week.

Last year, I used stems of this Leucadendron to simulate tulips.  This year, the flower-like bracts had already lost their tulip-like shape by the time I noticed them, presumably in response to our unseasonably warm temperatures.

The same noID Narcissus I paired with the Leucadendron last year also made an appearance this week

The feathery foliage and dainty flowers of Euryops virgineus provided the perfect filler

Top view

Clockwise from the upper left: Leucadendron 'Safari Goldstrike', Abelia grandiflora 'Kaleidoscope', noID small-cupped Narcissus, Euryops virgineus 'Tali', and Prunus laurocerasus

After a week of warmer-than-average weather, the Leucadendron wasn't the only plant putting on a show.  After weeks of flaunting promising buds, Echium handiense 'Pride of Fuerteventura' finally flowered, seemingly overnight.

This is the first of the 3 species of Echium to bloom in my garden each year.  Endangered in its native habitat in the Canary Islands, it's also relatively uncommon here.  I got my plant from my local botanic garden, the only place I've ever seen it offered for sale.

The stem of pink Lisianthus (Eustoma grandiflorum) was a last minute addition to the arrangement.  I have some misgivings about including it as it competes with other elements in the vase I find more interesting.

I used stems of Ceanothus arboreus 'Cliff Schmidt' to dress up the back of the arrangement.  After nearly 5 years on my back slope, this plant is finally assuming tree-like proportions.

Top view: I added the pink flowers of Grevillea sericea  to play off the pink color of the Echium's buds

Clockwise from the upper left: Echium handiense 'Pride of Fuerteventura', Ceanothus arboreus 'Cliff Schmidt', Eustoma grandiflorum, Grevillea sericea, and Westringia 'Morning Light'

While the vase I created using Camellia 'Taylor's Perfection' last week fell apart within 2 days, the vase featuring Leucadendron 'Wilson's Wonder' is still going strong.

Over the course of last week, the cones at the center of the Leucadendron's bracts turned brown, echoing the color of the Leptospermum 'Copper Glow' foliage.  I think I like it better now than I did last week.

The two new vases took pride of place in the front entry and on the dining table.

For more IAVOM creations, visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden to see what she and other gardeners have put together this week.


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

In a Vase On Monday: Variations on a Theme

An alternative title for this post might be: Not all Blues Go Together.  My first Freesias, a blue variety, began blooming 2 weeks ago.  I wanted to use them in a vase and, when I discovered last week that the Ceanothus at the bottom of my back slope was also in bloom that sealed the deal on putting together a blue-themed vase.  The trouble was: I didn't like how the Ceanothus and the Freesia looked alongside one another.  So, I've got 2 vases - surprise!  Yes, I know that's not much of a surprise from me but I'd intended to put together a second vase using red flowers in recognition of Valentine's Day.  That plan was scrapped, at least for the time being.

The first vase, featuring Ceanothus and Echium, bears some similarity to the vase I created 2 weeks ago but this one has its own personality.

I kept to blue and white flowers this time around

In addition to white flowers, I used the variegated foliage of a Westringia to lighten up the arrangement

As white flowers are in limited supply in my garden at the moment, I used Dianthus again too

Clockwise from the upper left: Ageratum houstonianum, Dianthus caryophyllus 'Cut Flower White', Globularia x indubia, Osteospermum '4D Silver', Echium handiense, Westringia 'Morning Light', Westringia fruticosa, and, in the middle, Ceanothus arboreus 'Cliff Schmidt'

The Freesia went into a smaller vase, which ended up with a split personality of sorts.

Inclusion of the violet-tinged variegated foliage of a Hebe (now classified as Veronica) shifted the arrangement in a pinker direction

The addition of Moroccan daisies and new Narcissus blooms gave the back view an entirely different look

Top view

Clockwise from the upper left: Freesia, Veronica 'Neprock' (aka Hebe 'Purple Shamrock'), Limonium perezii, Osteospermum 'Berry White', noID Narcissus, and Pyrethropsis hosmarianse (aka Moroccan daisy)

Last week's vases stood up surprisingly well but I chucked their contents on Sunday anyway.  The new arrangements took over the usual spots.  For more In a Vase on Monday posts, visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.

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