In a Vase on Monday: Something from nothing

With the plants in my cutting garden rapidly succumbing to the combination of heat and mildew, I didn't immediately see any good prospects to fill a vase.  I fixated on a red and white dahlia bloom in one of the half barrels in my front garden and jumped off from there.  For a time, I thought I'd be combining that single flower with a variety of foliage plants until I noticed that the variegated Australian fuchsia was beginning its annual bloom cycle.

Unfortunately, the dangling flowers of the Australian fuchsia (Correa 'Wyn's Wonder') got somewhat lost within the foliage.  The Correa is a variegated variety but, over the years, it's begun to lose that variegation so it doesn't stand out as much as I'd like.

Back view, with the Correa buried within branches of glossy cherry laurel (Prunus caroliniana)

Top view

Clockwise from the upper left: Alstroemeria 'Inca Vienna', Leptospermum 'Copper Glow', Prunus caroliniana, Caladium 'Tapestry', Correa 'Wyn's Wonder', Dahlia 'Catching Fire', and Zinnia elegans 'Benary's Giant Deep Red'

I'd no idea what, if anything, I had available for a second arrangement until I noticed that the Chihuahuan sage (Leucophyllum laevigatum) in my back garden had suddenly produced a second flush of bloom.  The sage bloomed early in September only to have the flowers quickly wither away when our prior heatwave struck.  I hadn't expected another round of bloom so soon.

I wasn't thrilled with the combination of the lavender-blue flowers of the sage with the flowers of Zinnia 'Benary's Giant Purple', which are more deep pink than purple to my eyes but the arrangement has (sort of) grown on me

Back view: The sage's flowers are supposed to be fragrant but I can barely detect the scent even when I stick my nose right into them

Top view

Clockwise from the upper left: Abelia grandiflora 'Hopley's Variegated', pink and white Cosmos bipinnatus, Leucophyllum laevigatum, and Zinnia elegans 'Benary's Giant Purple'

There were a few yellow dahlias in bloom that I assumed wouldn't make it through the current heatwave, which is expected to run through Thursday, so I cut them for the kitchen island.

The small vase contains: 2 Dahlia 'Calin', one D. 'Summer's End', 2 short stems of Correa 'Wyn's Wonder', and 2 stems of Zinnia elegans 'Benary's Giant Carmine Rose'

With my cutting garden torn up awaiting the (still unscheduled) arrival of plumbers to replace 100+ feet of water pipe and everything in the raised planters sliding into decline, I'm tempted to pull everything up just to restore a sense of control over the space.  However, even with their mildewed foliage, many dahlias have buds and I'm hoping to see more blooms before I throw in the towel on the summer season so, for now, I'm trying to ignore the mess.

Visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden to find other IAVOM creations.

 

All material © 2012-2022 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

 

 

Bloom Day - September 2016

Despite the rough start with a horrific plant-killing heatwave, the rest of the summer in my area of Southern California has been relatively mild, not that I'm counting summer quite over yet - another warm-up is expected next week.  Still, the generally cooler temperatures over the past month, combined with an easing of our water restrictions (now set at a 10% reduction of 2013 water use levels as opposed to 36%), have produced a number of surprises, the biggest of which were these:

Although we've had no rain, perhaps high levels of humidity and increased irrigation finally prompted these blooms from the 3 clumps of Zephyranthes candida (rain lilies) I planted in 2014

I was about to replace this Clematis terniflora (aka Sweet Autumn Clematis), planted in 2013, when it bloomed

Last month, I had a few blooms here and there from my roses but this month Rosa 'Medallion' surprised me by producing a dozen large blooms

Brugmansia 'Charles Grimaldi', planted in a pot in 2013, was another plant living on borrowed time when it bloomed.  To be fair, increased water again probably made the difference.

I grow Correa 'Wyn's Wonder' mainly for its foliage but it's currently sporting off-season flowers rose-pink flowers

The timing of other blooms was more to be expected but were pleasant to discover nonetheless:

Bauhinia x blakeana (aka Hong Kong orchid tree) produced a few blooms last month but it's loaded with them now

The Osteospermums are blooming again in response to cooler weather.  Osteospermum '4D Silver' is shown on the left and O. 'Berry White' on the right.

Two of the small Hebes sported blooms.  I've noID for the one on the left.  The one on the right is Hebe 'Purple Shamrock'.

A berry-colored Angelonia, planted last year, burst into bloom alongside burgundy Pelargonium peltatum, mixing nicely with the variegated Pseuderanthemum 'Texas Tri-star' in the same area.  The classification of the latter plant has always posed an issue.  It was labeled as Pseuderanthemum when I bought it but I've also found it labeled as Strobilanthes.  Things were complicated further this week when I found Australian growers calling it a variegated Barleria obtusa 'Purple Gem'.

No, these aren't flowers but their pretty color makes them just as compelling in the garden (even with the raggedy foliage).  These are 'Hachiya' persimmons.

There are also a couple of oddities:

This Duranta was purchased as D. repens 'Gold Mound'.  Not only did it significantly exceed its forecasted 2x2 foot size but it's also producing far more pale blue flowers than anticipated.

I came across this bloom on succulent Faucaria tigrina (aka Tiger's Jaw) by accident

And then there are the garden stalwarts:

The Abelias are STILL blooming

While the Eustoma grandiflorum (Lisianthus) planted in prior years are mostly bloomed out, those planted this spring are now throwing up blooms.  Clockwise from the left are a pale yellow form tinged with pink, a white form, a blue variety and one of the pale green ones. 

Gomphrenas continue to produce masses of bloom.  From left to right: Gomphrena globosa 'Fireworks', G, decumbens 'Itsy Bitsy', and G. hybrid 'Pinball Snow-tip Lavender'.

Some Grevilleas bloom for a season.  Grevillea 'Peaches & Cream' (left) and G. 'Superb' (right) bloom all year.

Ornamental grasses are the stars of my late summer and fall garden.  Pennisetum 'Fireworks', shown here in 2 different areas of the garden, are making a big splash.

Blue Salvias of various species are all in bloom, to the delight of the bumble bees.  From left to right here are: Salvia greggii 'Mesa Azure', S. chamaedryoides 'Marine Blue' and S. hybrid 'Mystic Spires'.

I'll close with some honorable mentions:

Top row: Cuphea vermillionaire (newish), Gaillaridia 'Goblin' (self-seeded), and Gaura lindheimeri (refreshed after a trim)
Middle row: Leucanthemum x superbum (2nd flowering), Limonium perezii (2nd flowering), and Liriope muscari
Bottom row: Nierembergia caerulea, Pentas 'Nova', and Trichostema 'Midnight Magic' (easier to grow than most Blue Curls)

Visit Carol at May Dreams Gardens to find Bloom Day posts from all over the world.


All material © 2012-2016 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

June Favorites: Looking at the Positives

If you read my last post, you know I was upset by the impact our start-of-summer heatwave had on my garden.  It's worse in some areas than others but it's hard to walk through the garden without fixating on dead and maimed plants.  Loree's monthly favorite plants post at danger garden forced me to take a closer look at what's looking good despite the impact of what I've been thinking of as the "heat apocalypse."  On the good side, most of the plants I installed in May and early June, including the 5 Xylosma congestum shrubs planted along the street, survived.  The dry garden doesn't even appear to have registered the event.  The backyard bed I featured in my May favorites post still shines and the garden beds alongside the front walk look good.

So here are a few of the plants that lightened my heart as I roamed my garden yesterday:

This Oscularia deltoides, planted in October 2012 from a 4-inch pot, seems to love growing along the stack-stoned wall at the bottom of the front slope.  The succulent foliage is attractive but the flowers, which blanket the plant when it blooms, are spectacular.  I plan to add cuttings of this plant elsewhere along the wall.

Phormium 'Maori Queen' makes the most of the late afternoon sun.  This Phormium handled the recent heat much better than the darker-leaved varieties in my garden, which generally look sad.  There are 6 'Maori Queen' in the front garden, none of which were damaged by Monday's 105F high temperature.

Sitting next to Phormium 'Maori Queen' is Correa 'Wyn's Wonder'.  It's not in bloom at the moment but its variegated foliage makes a refreshing splash in one of the beds that lines the front walkway.  Because it's done so well here, I've added 2 more of these plants to this bed, one of which replaced a group of Arctotis 'Pink Sugar'.  I love the latter plant too but it gets grubby looking in summer so I'm relegating those plants to areas with less traffic.

Leucadendron 'Safari Sunset' is finally gaining size in the backyard border.  It's backed up here by Mexican feather grass (Stipa tenuissima) and a coral-flowered Russelia equisetiformis, which may be the only plant that actually seemed to get a boost from the intense heat earlier in the week.

The red tones of Aloe dorotheae (shown in close-up on the right) and Crassula pubescens ssp. radicans have brightened the succulent bed in the southeast side garden.  Unlike some of the agaves, the Aloes show no signs of sun scorch or the scars of edema.  I can't quite decide whether I like the yellow flowers of the Crassula but I've let them stay for now.

While I've lost a section of thyme in the from garden on the southwest side, the Thymus minus planted from flats last fall in the backyard has done a good job of filling in.  Blooms are appearing here and there too.

My thanks to Loree for nudging me out of my funk.  Visit her to find her favorite plant selections this month and links to posts on the same theme by other gardeners.

All material © 2012-2016 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party