IAVOM: Everything Everywhere All at Once

I haven't actually seen anything but clips of the movie, 'Everything Everywhere All at Once', but that was my reaction when I stepped into my own garden yesterday morning.  It'd be easier to list what isn't blooming than what is at the moment.  Even the new species tulip bulbs I planted in December, Tulipa linifolia 'Honky Tonk', have burst into bloom, although I didn't end up including any of them in the two vases I created this week.  However, I did stop myself from putting together more than two arrangements.

This is Tulipa 'Honky Tonk'.  It's cute and, by my count, the majority of the 25 bulbs I planted are already blooming or in bud but the stems are still relatively short for inclusion in a vase.

My first arrangement stars the blue Dutch Irises that appeared last week.  Two other Dutch Iris cultivars are also already in bloom.

The 'Sapphire Beauty' Iris are fewer in number this year, probably because many of the bulbs surrounding our backyard fountain were damaged or consumed by gophers along with the yellow Freesia in the same area

Back view

Overhead view

Clockwise from the upper left: Acacia cognata 'Cousin Itt', Ageratina adenophora, Anemone coronaria 'Lord Lieutenant', Iris x hollandica 'Sapphire Beauty', white and yellow Freesias, white Ranunculus, and Leucospermum 'High Gold'

I used another Leucospermum as the centerpiece of my second arrangement.

'Royal Hawaiian Brandi' is the most flamboyant of my Leucospermums

 

Back view

Overhead view

Clockwise from the upper left: Agonis flexuosa 'Nana', Leucadendron 'Jester', yellow Freesia, Alstroemeria 'Indian Summer', A. 'Inca Sundance', Gladiolus nanus 'Las Vegas, and Leucospermum 'Royal Hawaiian Brandi'

Our temperatures steadily climbed last week, peaking at 90F/32C on Friday before coming slowly down to the low 80sF/28C yesterday.  I suspect that the warmer conditions may be responsible for the floral explosion.  The marine layer is expected to bring temperatures down a bit further during the next few days before they creep up again as we head into the weekend.  I'm laying odds that my sweet peas will bloom sometime in March this year, as opposed to May, which is when they showed up last year.

For more 'In a Vase on Monday' posts, visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.

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

In a Vase on Monday: Rain is on the way!

We got a little less than half an inch of rain last week but the forecast for this week indicates that we're likely to have a series of rainstorms beginning in the early morning on Monday and continuing off and on through Thursday, possibly delivering another inch and a half.  I selected the flowers I cut on Sunday with the coming rain in mind.

The first arrangement was intended to add a touch of sunshine inside the house as a distraction from the gloomy skies outdoors.

The first of the Dutch Iris flowered on Saturday.  They were sold as Iris hollandica x 'Montecito' but, instead of being pure yellow and white, they have a touch of pale lavender-blue in the standards, which suggests that at least these first blooms are Iris x hollandica 'Apollo'. 

Back view: I added stems of Anemone 'Azzurro' and Limonium perezii (aka sea lavender) to pick up on the pale blue color in the Iris

Overhead view: The addition of 3 chunky Leucospermum 'High Gold' stems may have been heavy-handed in contrast to the slender Iris stems

Clockwise from the upper left: Acacia cognata 'Cousin Itt', white and yellow Freesia, Anemone coronaria 'Azzurro', Iris x hollandica 'Montecito'/'Apollo', Leucospermum 'High Gold', and Limonium perezii

The second arrangement was designed around Hippeastrum 'Aphrodite', which just came into bloom.  I planted the bulb in a relatively small pot and it'd blown over three times recently because it was top-heavy so I decided to rescue it before its tall stem was broken by the wind gusts that are expected to accompany the rain.

The petal color of the 'Aphrodite' Hippeastrum is more similar to 'Amadeus Candy' than I'd realized

Back view: I needed tall stems to support the Hippeastrum so I ended up cutting snapdragons again this week.  The snaps are showing the first few signs of rust on their foliage and the sweet peas climbing the nearby supports are already encroaching on them too.

Overhead view

Clockwise from the upper left: dark and light pink Antirrhinum majus, Coleonema album (aka breath of heaven), and Hippeastrum 'Aphrodite'

I'd originally thought I'd add Anemone stems to the second arrangement but the color mix wasn't right in my eyes so I ended up with a third vase to grace the kitchen island.

The small vase contains 3 varieties of Anemone coronaria: 'Azzurro', 'Bordeaux', and 'Rarity'

I'm looking forward to the rain even though a flood watch will be in effect from 9am to 9pm on Monday.  Hopefully, my rain storage tanks will be at least partially refilled in the process.

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

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

In a Vase on Monday: Odd company

The removal of some twenty plants from my garden is scheduled today, with the crew expected to arrive at 8am.  Yesterday, when it came time to select materials for IAVOM, I decided once again to select flowers that might be in harm's way as collateral damage is virtually inevitable with work like that.

My first vase made use of a Hippeastrum and stems of an Alstroemeria in a bed occupied by two large shrubs destined for removal, one of which tree-sized.

The small touches of peachy-pink in the Alstroemeria 'Claire' led me to add stems of peachy Aeonium flowers, which in turn led to the inclusion of the coral-pink flowers of Grevillea 'Superb' and snapdragons sporting similar colors

Back view: The combination surprised me as it's a bolder mix than usual for me but I like it

Overhead view

Clockwise from the upper left: Aeonium haworthii 'Kiwi Verde', Agonis flexuosa 'Nana', Alstroemeria 'Claire', Antirrhinum majus, Grevillea 'Superb', and Hippeastrum 'Luna'

I hadn't intended to use the Salvia lanceolata I used last week again but I ended up doing so when I caught sight of Iris 'Lion King' blooming in my back garden border.  All my other Dutch Iris had already finished blooming and I'd given up on 'Lion King'.  As I recall, I've previously combined its flowers with Salvia africana-lutea but Salvia lanceolata is actually a better match so I cut more stems of the latter, as it's on my list to be removed.

Dutch Iris 'Lion King' looks very copper-colored in my photos but it actually has burgundy tones in its petals

I clipped a few of the first flowers of Achillea 'Moonshine' to fill out the back of the vase.  I associate those flowers with summer so it seems too early for them but I noticed that my Agapanthus are also developing buds.  I hope summer's heat isn't on their heels!

Overhead view

Clockwise from the upper left: Abelia grandiflora 'Kaleidoscope', Achillea 'Moonshine', Agonis flexuosa 'Nana', Iris hollandica 'Lion King', Leucospermum 'High Gold', and Salvia lanceolata

For more IAVOM creations, visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden, the gracious garden blogger that hosts this meme on a weekly basis, come rain or shine.

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

In a Vase on Monday: I couldn't avoid the blues

The first of the Dutch Iris to bloom in my garden are already finishing their run but others have emerged in different areas to carry on the show.  I felt compelled to use some of them in a vase this week as a nod to their beauty but, read from a different perspective, the title of my post also says something about my mental state.  Last week marked yet more horrid news from the current administration.  The Hands Off! protests held on Saturday across all fifty US states, one of which I attended with protest signs in hand, were reassuring - and, hopefully, they're just the start.  The rallies in the US reportedly brought in hundreds of thousands of attendees (100,000 in Washington, DC alone).  According to the Fire Department's estimate, the local event I attended brought in 7500 people. 

My first arrangement contained four varieties of Dutch Iris.

I'm not sure the addition of the pastel yellow snapdragons was a good call but I needed something balance the varied blues of the Irises

Back view

Overhead view

Top row: Acacia cognata 'Cousin Itt', Anthirrhinum majus, and Iris hollandica 'Eye of the Tiger'
Middle: Iris hollandica 'Mystic Beauty', 'Pink Panther', and 'Sapphire Beauty'
Bottom: Phlomis fruticosa, hybrid Salvia 'Bee's Bliss', and Scabiosa 'Flutter Deep Blue'

Much as I like blue, I'm happier with my second arrangement this week.

The pincushion shrub, Leucospermum 'Sunrise', is putting on an especially good show this year and it kicked off this arrangement

Back view, including a few of the species tulip, Tulipa clusiana 'Cynthia'

Overhead view

Clockwise from the upper left: Abelia grandiflora 'Kaleidoscope', Alstroemeria 'Inca Sundance', Calendula officianalis, Grevillea 'Superb', Leucospermum 'Sunrise', Narcissus 'Sunny Girdfriend', and Tulipa clusiana 'Cynthia'

Although we had temperatures in the mid-to-upper 70sF (23-25C) this past weekend and the local TV forecasters have been predicting even higher temperatures this week, the online services I consult are showing temperatures in the mid-to-upper 60sF (17-20C).  Unfortunately, given low humidity and windy conditions, I'm already quickly depleting my rainwater reserves and there's little chance of more rain in the foreseeable future.  At least California's northern mountains are showing a good snowpack, which should help us limp through the summer.

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

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

In a Vase on Monday: Dark & dramatic or light & bright?

There's still a lot to choose from and more than enough in my garden to fill two vases.  We even had a tiny amount of rain this past weekend.  It was just 0.07/inch over two days but every little bit helps.  There's also a good chance of rain in the wee hours of Monday morning but, as I schedule these posts to publish first thing in the morning, I won't be able to confirm that until I get an opportunity to sit down at my computer and Monday mornings are usually busy.

My first arrangement is centered around one of my favorite Hippeastrums, commonly known as the butterfly amaryllis.

I received a Hippeastrum papilio from my friend PZ earlier this year and managed to get hold of a couple more bulbs by mail after another seller cancelled the order I placed back in December.  I didn't actually think any would bloom this spring but they have.  I cut 2 stems plus one produced by Hippeastrum 'Evergreen'.

Off-the-cuff, I wasn't sure what I had on hand to accent the red and green colors of the butterfly amaryllis but I found more than enough.  The "purple" Ranunculus closely echoes the burgundy in the amaryllis but it lends a heavy weight to the back of the arrangement, which could use more lime green.

Overhead view

Clockwise from the upper left: Agonis flexuosa 'Nana', Erysimum 'Winter Orchid', Helleborus 'Red Lady', Heuchera maxima, Hippeastrum 'Evergreen', H; papilio, and noID purple Ranunculus

I'd originally planned to put together a second arrangement using Iris hollandica 'Eye of the Tiger' but that's another dark and moody flower and these days I find I need something bright and cheerful to look at each week.  The world seems very dark and depressing of late.

You can't get much more cheerful than a white and yellow arrangement

Back view

Overhead view

Clockwise from the upper left: Abelia grandiflora 'Radiance', Antirrhinum majus, Freesia, Iris hollandica 'Casa Blanca', Leucospermum 'High Gold', Narcissus 'Geranium', and Phlomis fruticosa

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

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

In a Vase on Monday: A mystery solved!

As every single Iris 'Pink Panther' bulb I planted in 2022 appears to be blooming simultaneously, many bearing two buds flowering at once, they were an obvious choice to fill a vase this week.  I decided to fluff up the arrangement with the tall stems of a plant I'd identified as an Ageratum for lack of another name for it.  I couldn't recall planting it and I've no record of it in the spreadsheet I keep (although I admit I don't always manage to document everything).  The white flowers closely resemble those of Ageratums but the shrub-like plant is four feet tall, has woody stems, and comes back annually when I prune it.  I've previously made unsuccessful stabs at identifying alternative species but I dug in a little deeper yesterday and I believe I may have pinpointed it at last as Ageratina adenophora, a weed commonly known as Mexican devil.  I ruled out Conoclinum coelestinum (aka wild ageratum) and Ageratina altissima (aka white snakeroot).  The former has only blue flowers and the foliage of the latter wasn't right.  Ageratina adenophora is native to Mexico and Central America and, although once offered as an ornamental plant, it's become a noxious weed in many parts of the world, including California and other parts of the US Southwest.  I imagine it hitchhiked into my garden.  Mystery solved (probably).

I tucked in a few Calendulas to echo the splashes of gold in the petals of the Dutch Irises

Back view: Somehow, when shoving my flowers into place I always seem to end up losing the symmetry I sought at the outset

Overhead view

Clockwise from the upper left: Ageratina adenophora, Calendula officianalis 'Cantaloupe Mix', Iris hollandica 'Pink Panther', Limonium perezii, Ranunculus 'Tecolote White', and Salvia 'Bee's Bliss'

My second arrangement has no mysterious baggage.  It's just another sunny arrangement to boost my spirits during what's proven to be a distressing and frustrating month.

I cut all the Anemone 'Rosa Chiaro' currently in bloom in my cutting garden

Back view, featuring Anemone 'Bianco Centro Nero'

Overhead view

Clockwise from the upper left: noID Alstroemeria, Anemone coronaria 'Bianco Centro Nero', A. c. 'Rosa Chiaro', Argyranthemum frutescens 'Aramis Apricot', Cuphea 'Honeybells', and Salvia 'Skyscraper Orange'

The ten-day forecast currently shows a good possibility of rain on March 31st or April 1st (depending on which weather service I consult) but then Mother Nature may simply have an April Fool's joke in mind for us.

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

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