Bloom Day - September 2018

Despite eagerly anticipating the change of seasons, I can't entirely get my head around the fact that it's already mid-September.  We've enjoyed cooler temperatures for the past several weeks on average, although the cool spells are still punctuated by periodic blasts of heat.  The 90-day forecast shows no significant rain until early December but that prediction isn't all that surprising as rain is a winter phenomenon here.  On the bright side, NOAA has announced a 70% chance of an El Niño event this coming winter, which could mean more rain from January through March in Southern California, albeit possibly accompanied by a host of other problems.  It's always difficult to know what to wish for but more than the 3.8 inches of rain we've received at this location since last October 1st would be welcome.

Flowers are less profuse throughout the garden than they were last month but there are still enough to fill my vases on a weekly basis.  The star of this month's Bloom Day post is unequivocally Sweet Autumn Clematis (Clematis paniculata aka C. terniflora).

Planted in May 2013, this is the largest bloom output from this vine to date despite what's been a very dry year.  Although sold to me by a national nursery as Clematis paniculata, I understand that name properly refers to a New Zealand native and what I have is probably Clematis terniflora, which in turn is not to be confused with Clematis virginiana, an invasive species that shares the same common name.  Are you confused yet?  I was, especially as the flower photos posted on-line mix the 3 species.

The ornamental grasses are looking great as usual at this time of year.

Pennisetum advena 'Rubrum' is a star in the front garden.  Pennisetum 'Fireworks' is in full bloom in the back and south side areas.

Bouteloua gracilis 'Blonde Ambition' isn't as robust as the Pennisetums but I'm enjoying the flowers that dance around Yucca 'Bright Star' nonetheless

Benefiting from more deep watering this summer, my Lantanas look especially good this September.

Lantana camara 'Irene' (upper left) is still my favorite but Lantana 'Lucky White' (upper right) and variegated 'Samantha' (lower right) are giving it a run for its money.  The noID orange and pink forms also deserve "As" for effort.

Some new additions are providing spots of color too.

Echinacea is a pricey annual here but I couldn't resist picking up a pot of 'Cheyenne Spirit' on a Labor Day weekend nursery trip

Gomphrena 'Itsy Bitsy' (top) isn't new to my garden but 'Pinball Snowtip Lavender' (bottom) is.  Both are providing bright touches of color at the moment.

The dahlias and zinnias also continue to produce a steady supply of blooms.

I'm still waiting impatiently to see if one errant dahlia tuber is going to bloom this season but those that were blooming last month are still blooming now.  Clockwise from the upper left, they include: Dahlia 'Punkin Spice', 'Terracotta', 'Loverboy', 'Strawberry Ice'' and 'Otto's Thrill'.

My hodge-podge collection of Zinnia elegans is blooming but strangely it hasn't attracted the butterflies it did last year

There have been a few surprises.

While a few rain lilies (Zephyranthes candida) were blooming last month, this month I've got 2 good-sized clumps of them (despite the utter absence of rain)

The Mexican tulip poppy (Hunnemannia fumariifolia) has been blooming non-stop since April.  The plant looks a good deal scruffier than it did back then but I'm hoping at least some of the seeds it's shed will produce more plants next year.

Last year I planted 5 globe thistles (Echinops ritro ruthenicus).  If they ever bloomed, I've no recollection or record of it but this bloom and a few buds appeared recently, prompted perhaps by one of my deep watering sessions.  My fingers are crossed that more blooms will follow.  Theoretically, these plants should like it here but they've yet to show that.

I also planted this milkweed, Asclepias physocarpa (referred to as the "family jewels tree" by the grower), last year.  It never bloomed and I thought it'd died but it reappeared this summer.  The blooms weren't impressive but the seedpods that followed are.

As is my habit, I've prepared a few collages to capture what else is in bloom this month.

Top row: Duranta 'Sapphire Showers', Erigeron glaucus 'Wayne Roderick', and Eustoma grandiflorum 'Black Pearl'
Middle row: Liriope muscari, Plumbago auriculata, and Polygala fruticosa 'Petite Butterfly'
Bottom row: Rosmarinus 'Gold Dust', Scabiosa caucasica 'Fama Blue', and Aster x frikartii 'Monch'

Top row: Abelia x grandiflora 'Edward Goucher', Allium tuberosum, and Cistanthe grandiflora
Middle row: Gaura lindheimeri, normal Pelargonium peltatum flower, and virus-affected Pelargonium flower (on the same plant)
Bottom row: Pentas 'Kaleidoscope Appleblossom', Pentas lanceolata 'Nova', and Pyrethropsis hosmariense

Clockwise from the top left: Gaillardia 'Fanfare Citronella', self-seeded Gazania, Eustoma grandiflorum 'Mint Cocoa', Grevillea 'Ned Kelly', G. 'Superb', and Russelia equisetiformis 'Flamingo Park'

For more Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day posts, visit our host, Carol at May Dreams Gardens.


All material © 2012-2018 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

In a Vase on Monday: Itsy Bitsy Bouquets

Before any discussion of floral bouquets, itsy bitsy or otherwise, I want to report that, this past weekend, we actually got a bit of rain out of the monsoonal moisture that has hung over the area for weeks now.  It was by no means a drought-ending deluge but it was certainly a great improvement over the 3-minute drizzle we got several weeks ago.  Maybe I could learn to put up with the miserable humidity if we could just get a little rain out of it on occasion - those of you in the sub-tropical areas of the US south and southeast that contend with this humidity year after year have my utmost respect.  In any case, the rain felt like a minor miracle and has put me in a much more positive frame of mind.  On to the subject of this week's floral arrangement...

Other than tickseed and feverfew, my garden doesn't have much to offer in terms of flowers for cutting right now, at least not for a conventionally sized vase.  My response to the challenge to create a vase for Cathy's "In a Vase on Monday" meme at Rambling in the Garden was to go small.  Yes, I could have stopped at one itsy bitsy bouquet but I didn't - I filled all 3 of my tiny colored glass vases (all roughly 4-inches/10 cm tall and 2-inches/5 cm wide).

Here's the first, which is my favorite, although it may have the shortest shelf life:

The centerpiece is Hemerocallis 'Cordon Rouge,' but the bouquet also includes one of the last stems of Digiplexis 'Illumination Flame,' flowering stems of Abelia 'Kaleidoscope,' Tanacetum parthenium 'Aureum' (golden feverfew), and 2 varieties of Zinnia.

Hemerocallis 'Cordon Rouge,' a reblooming daylily variety, recently started its 2nd bloom cycle

Digiplexis 'Illumination Flame' appears to have bloomed out but it may surprise me yet again

Eustoma grandiflorum 'Echo Blue' is the focal point of the second bouquet.  The flowers aren't quite as full as those of Eustoma grandiflorum 'Borealis Blue' but they're still gorgeous.

Close-up of Eustoma grandiflorum 'Echo Blue'

This bouquet also features Catananche caerulea (aka Cupid's Dart), one stem of Veronica 'Vernique Dark Blue' (recently purchased to occupy a pot), more feverfew, and a few pieces of flowering thyme.

Close-up of Catananche caerulea

The star of the third bouquet should be the Echinaceas, 'Magnus' and 'Cheyenne Spirit,' but I think Pentas 'Kaleidoscope Appleblossom' upstages them.  This bouquet also includes Pentas 'Nova,' Coleonema pulchellum 'Sunset Gold,' Pennisetum setaceum 'Rubrum,' and, again, feverfew.

Close-up of Pentas 'Kaleidoscope Appleblossom' photobombed by Echinacea 'Cheyenne Spirit'

The plumes of Pennisetum setaceum Rubrum look almost like fur

You may have noticed that I usually photograph my vases in the kitchen.  I haven't found a better backdrop.  The surfaces are white; it has lots of natural light as well as numerous pot lights; and the counters are usually clear (except when my husband is cooking).   This week one of my vases found a place to stay in the kitchen while the other 2 migrated to other areas of the house.

The pig in the kitchen (which holds tea bags rather than cookies) approves of the Lisianthus

The toad prefers daylilies

The pink vase landed on a living room side table, where I hope those Pennisetum blooms will not prove too tempting for Pipig the cat to ignore

What have you got in a vase this week?  Go to Cathy's site to see her composition and to find other gardeners' creations.

All material © 2012-2014 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

Bloom Day - July 2014

It's a transitional period in my garden: most of the blooms of early summer have left the stage while the heat-loving plants of the later summer period are still standing in the wings.  I've already cut back the majority of the Agapanthus that dominated my garden in May and June.  There are still a few of the unidentified red-orange daylilies that grabbed attention last month but they're days away from concluding their tour and, although a few of the reblooming varieties have produced new flower spikes, they've yet to make an appearance in stage dress.  By default, the starring role in my garden at present goes to Albizia julibrissin, a diva with a bad habit of littering.

Albizia julibrissin (aka mimosa tree) is the grand dame of my backyard

Her close-up

In the front yard, another arboreal diva, Magnolia grandiflora, commands attention.  She also has a serious littering habit but cleaning up after her is easier and she doesn't try to force the entire garden to accept her progeny as Albizia does.

Magnolia grandiflora dominates the front lawn

The bees are big fans

Supporting players struggle to keep the audience's attention, although some of them are tiring out trying to carry the show by themselves.

Abelia x grandiflora is hanging out on the sidelines

Achillea 'Moonshine' has kept going with a little deadheading but Eustoma grandiflorum is poised in the wings to push her off the stage

Anagallis 'Wildcat Mandarin' continues to pump out her small orange flowers but she's showing signs of waning

Borago officinalis has been looking peaked but the bees demanded that she remain in the troupe for now

Cotula lineariloba 'Big Yellow Moon' has the stamina to keep on going

This stage wouldn't be the same without the presence of Cuphea x ignea 'Starfire Pink'

Grevillea 'Superb,' still relatively new on the scene, is a diva in training

Leucanthemum x superbum is always a crowd-pleaser

Osteospermum ecklonis '3D Silver' believe they're carrying the show in the side garden without much help from the Ageratum houstonianum 'Blue Horizon,' which have thus far failed to live up to their potential

Pentas 'Kaleidoscope Appleblossum,' currently performing in a bed near the garbage cans, deserves a better stage

Salvia 'Mystic Spires' performs best as part of a group

Sollya heterophylla would get more acclaim if he took better publicity photos

Tanacetum parthenium 'Aureum' is a valuable bit player

Thymus serpyllum 'Minus' knits together a variety of cast members

Wahlenbergia 'Blue Cloud' is another solid performer that takes bad photos

A few plants, recently cut back, are making encore appearances.

Argyranthemum frutescens 'Comet White Improved' lost one of her sisters but is carrying on

Provided that he gets periodic haircuts, Brachyscome 'Brasco Violet' continues to look good

Digiplexis 'Illumination Flame' is preparing to step back on the stage

Digitalis x mertonensis 'Polka Dot Pippa' is back but still looks tired

Helianthus annuus 'Valentine' looks better than her cohorts after having her head chopped off a few weeks ago

Lavandula multifida performs best in this particular setting

'Ebb Tide' rose lacks the stature to make major impact in her current company

Summer performers just beginning to make their presence known include:

Amaranthus cruentus 'Hopi Red Dye' is a real drama queen

Angelonia augustifolia may remain a bit player but she is attractive

Cerinthe major is a good collaborator

Coreopsis 'Big Bang Redshift' is preparing to take over the summer production in the backyard

Echeveria pulvinata 'Ruby' is new on the scene and a little fuzzy about her role

Echinacea 'Cheyenne Spirit' is already commanding attention in the backyard border, whether dressed in red...

or yellow

Eustoma grandiflorum 'Echo Blue' and her sisters demand attention despite their small size

Eustoma grandiflorum 'Echo White' isn't as flashy as her sister but she's still very pretty

Crassula exilis ssp. cooperi is a small player in a new venue

Zinnia 'Profusion Apricot' is heading the charge for her family

That's the cast for this month's Garden Blogger's Bloom Day production in my garden.  Our impresario, Carol of May Dreams Gardens, can connect you with her garden stage and other stages all over the world.