In a Vase on Monday: Pinks, purples and blues

After more than a week of unusually warm, summer-like temperatures, it's cooled dramatically the past couple of days, varying from the upper 50sF (14C) to the low 60sF (17C).  The marine layer has returned as well, hanging on into the mid-afternoon.  There's even a chance of rain on Friday, although I'm not laying any odds on that yet.

I cut more flowers than I'd planned, and ended up with three arrangements this week.  The first one is very pink.

I cut a single Hippeastrum flower, rescuing it from the ravages of an earwig insect

Back view: the pink edging the Hippeastrum's petals directed me to complement that bloom with pink and white Alstroemeria and snapdragon stems

Overhead view

Clockwise from the upper left: noID Alstroemeria, pink and white Antirrhinum majus, Argyranthemum frutescens, Hippeastrum 'Aphrodite', and Leptospermum 'Copper Glow' (foliage)

My second arrangement was inspired by the dark purple bearded Iris at the bottom of our back slope.  The flowers were admittedly looking a little battered but I cut them anyway, along with a stem bearing two unopened buds.

Although the Irises were intended to be the centerpiece of the arrangement, I think the flowering stems of the Prostanthera ovalifolia 'Variegata' (aka mint bush) stole the show

Back view

Overhead view

Clockwise from the upper left: Ageratina (possibly A. adenophora), noID Iris germanica, Osteospermum '4D Pink', Phlomis purpurea, Prostanthera ovalifolia 'Variegata, and Scabiosa 'Flutter Deep Blue'

I initially cut a few blue Echium stems for the purple arrangement but they didn't fit well so I ended up with a third arrangement, embellishing them with two stems of another bearded Iris.

The third arrangement ended up on the kitchen island.  The vase contains more Ageratina, Echium webbii, and Iris germanica 'Gilt Edge'

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: Excess Flora

Although temperatures remain on the cool side thanks to our morning marine layer, I can already see signs of the shift toward summer.  The first Agapanthus flowers have already opened, lily flower stalks are up, and several of my dahlia tubers have sprouted.  Space for the latter is limited until the current contents of my cutting garden are cleared.  I've given flowers away now and then since the start of spring but Mother's Day seemed a good opportunity to step up my game.

I relied solely on the sweet peas, larkspur and love-in-a-mist flowers dominating the raised planters in my cutting garden to fill a dozen plastic bottles.  I left them on the curb with a note wishing passers-by a happy Mother's Day late Saturday afternoon and all of them were gone by 10am Sunday morning.

I made up a floral arrangement for a neighbor last week and liked it enough to create something similar for our own dining table this week.

The ever-blooming Grevillea 'Superb' has been working overtime on flower production, leaving even its sturdy stems dragging on the ground in some cases

Back view: The peach foxgloves have also been producing stalk-after-stalk of flowers.  Even the Aeoniums are obstructing paths with dense sprays of flowers.

Top view

Clockwise from the upper left: Aeonium haworthii 'Kiwi Verde', Alstroemeria 'Inca Sundance', Digitalis purpurea 'Dalmatian Peach', Grevillea 'Superb', Leucadendron salignum 'Chief', and Leucospermum 'Royal Hawaiian Brandi'

I swung to the other side of the color wheel for my second arrangement, taking advantage of the first blooms of the Echium gentianoides I planted in the fall of 2022.  I'd almost forgotten about it and, when I saw the foliage, I momentarily mistook it for a Euphorbia.

This Echium has the brightest blue flowers of any plants I've grown in the genus.  It's foliage has narrow white stripes and leaves unlike any other Echiums I've seen.

Back view: The Echium's buds start out pink so I considered pairing it with pink flowers but settled instead for white accents

Top view

Clockwise from the upper left: Centranthus ruber 'Albus', Consolida ajacis 'Summer Skies Mix', noID white Lathyrus odoratus, Echium gentianoides 'Tajinaste', and Nigella papillosa

I recycled leftovers from last week's arrangements and combined them with some of the material I cut for this week's vases for a third arrangement.

The "leftovers" included Alstroemeria 'Claire' and Argyranthemum 'Grandaisy Dark Pink'.  The newer ingredients included Nigella papillosa and Dorycnium hirsutum (aka hairy canary clover)

I've still got more flowers than I know what to do with.  I'm planning to clear out the raised beds of the cutting garden within the next three to four weeks so, absent an early heatwave, I anticipate giving away more flowers before the month is out.

For more IAVOM creations, check in with 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: Going big

We had a couple of very warm days late last week and while that jump-started some flowers that have been reluctant to bloom, it's directed others to the nearest exit.  I factored both circumstances in putting together this week's arrangements.  That strategy also resulted in larger arrangements, requiring heavy vases to ensure that the contents wouldn't end up on the floor.

The peach foxgloves I planted from four-inch pots back in November cried out to be cut.  I cut three stems but misjudged just how tall they were.  Although I reduced their size, their height required taller accent plants to support them.

The foxgloves still tower over the rest of the vase's contents, even though I cut long branches of Grevillea to flesh out the arrangement

Back view, showing the tall heavy cut crystal vase I use relatively infrequently

Top view, which was harder to get than usual.  Even with a step-stool, I couldn't get a full view.

Clockwise from the upper left: Aeonium haworthii 'Kiwi Verde', Digitalis purpurea 'Dalmatian Peach', Grevillea 'Superb', and Xylosma congestum

The Dutch Iris were among the flowering plants that didn't appreciate temperatures soaring from the upper 60sF to a peak of 88F (31C).  I cut a lot of them for my second arrangement.  This arrangement isn't as tall as it is wide and heavy.  Although I tried to balance the weight of the floral stems I'd selected, I nearly tipped over the vase several times myself.  When that happened the fourth time as I was photographing it, I acknowledged the inevitable and crammed the cut stems into a much heavier vase made out of glass block.  However, the photos below show the contents in the original vase.

The Iris stems aren't heavy but the Echium and Leucospermum stems are very much so

Back view:  The Echium stems were cut from a self-seeded shrub that sits atop a slope along our southern property line

Top view:  One of the Leucospermum stems has twin flowers.  Most of this Leucospermum's stems produce only single flowers, or at least that's been my experience.

Clockwise from the upper left:  Acacia cognata 'Cousin Itt', Echium candicans, Psoralea pinnata (which bloomed seemingly overnight this past weekend), Iris hollandica 'Sapphire Beauty', and Leucospermum 'High Gold' (formerly identified as 'Goldie' because that was how it was labeled at time of purchase)

 

I transferred some of the contents of last week's vases into two smaller vases because I couldn't bring myself to toss the stems that still looked good.

 

The two new arrangements earned price of place.  The second arrangement is shown in the glass block vase that replaced the lighter vase.

 

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

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

In a Vase on Monday: A mix of sunshine and the blues

Although the rain let up last week and sunshine returned, it was a difficult week for other reasons.  My 15 year old cat, Pipig, suddenly showed signs of severe medical distress Tuesday night.  When her symptoms failed to resolve, we took her to an urgent care veterinary clinic the next morning and back again later in the week.  Without going into details, they did what they could and my husband and I did what we could to care for her.  While euthanasia was discussed as she showed signs of ongoing decline, she improved markedly between Saturday night and Sunday morning and continues to show slow progress.  We still have serious health issues to explore but for now I'm looking at those improvements in a positive light.  Meanwhile, my ability to focus on gardening or anything else may remain fuzzy for a time.  Waking up to news of yet another mass shooting on Sunday, in Los Angeles County no less, didn't help my outlook any either.

I was up and about early enough Sunday morning to catch this view from the back garden before the sun rose

 

I selected Leucadenrons for an arrangement this week because finding material to accompany them didn't require much thought.

Somehow, I always seem to have flowers available in yellow, coral and orange colors

Back view

Top view

Clockwise from the upper left: Acacia cognata 'Cousin Itt', Corokia x virgata 'Sunsplash', Grevillea 'Peaches & Cream, Leucadendron salignum 'Summer Red', L.s. 'Winter Red', and Grevillea 'Superb'

I threw a few leftover stems into this little cactus-style vase for the kitchen windowsill

 

Prompted by January's heavy rains perhaps, Echium handiense offered a handful of early season flowers this week so I plunked them into a vase for the kitchen island.

The Echium flowers have pink spots at the base of their blue petals, which makes the choice of pink-flowered complements an easy one

Back view:  The noID Ceanothus in the back garden is already sporting a few blooms but I also cut some Ceanothus stems in the front garden as foliage fillers.  Several years following the removal of a half-dead Ceaonthus hedge there, the plant appears to be attempting a comeback.

Top view

Clockwise from the upper left: Argyranthemum 'Armamis Bi-color Rose', Boronia crenulata ' Shark Bay', noID Ceanothus, and Echium handiense 'Pride of Fuerteventura'

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

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

Bloom Day - April 2022

Last week's heatwave took the blush off some blooms in my garden this month but there are still a large number of plants in full flower.  I've seen signs that some prominent early summer blooms are already gearing up to take off too but I'm ignoring them for the moment in order to give the cool season blooms what may be their last opportunity to shine.

I'll start with the plants making the biggest impact at the moment.

When the last heatwave started during the middle of last week, I'd have sworn there wasn't a single bloom on this Callistemon 'Cane's Hybrid'.  Now it's covered in blooms, some already sunbleached. 

I took this photo of Echium webbii at the start of the heatwave.  It looks a little less perky now.

Echium candicans 'Star of Madeira' gets woodier and its floral spikes seemingly get shorter with each passing year.  The time will come when I need to replace it with fresh plant.

Leptospermum scoparium 'Pink Pearl' surprised me with a fresh flush of bloom following our last rainstorm in late March when I'd already given up on it making much of a spring showing

Blooming on a smaller scale, there are also a host of other plants that make strong statement at this time of year.

For all practical purposes, Centranthus ruber is a weed here; however, I've let it spread in the dry garden area on the northeast side of our house and on the back slope below.  I've tried to encourage self-seeding by the white variety while limiting the pink variety but the latter still dominates.

Hymenolepsis crithmifolia (aka Coulter bush) returns reliably after its winter pruning.  I like the color of its flowers best at the early stage of bloom shown here.  They eventually turn a golden mustard color.

The Pacific Coast Irises (Iris douglasiana) are off and running.  While 'Santa Lucia' (left) took a hit from last week's heat, the temperatures jolted 'Wilder than Ever' (right) into bloom at last.

The hybrid Dutch Irises (Iris hollandica) already in full bloom when the heat hit, like 'Eye of the Tiger' and 'Sapphire Beauty' (top row), faded rapidly and are virtually gone.  In contrast, 'Oriental Beauty' and 'Lion King' (bottom row) have only just made an appearance.

I'm perplexed by my sweet peas (Lathyrus odoratus) this year.  I sowed seeds of a blue mix, a purple mix, a white variety, and a 'Navy' variety but they all look like 'Navy' to me.

Unlike some of my Grevilleas, Leucospermums bloom for a shorter period.
Top: Leucospermum 'Goldie'
Middle: Leucospermum 'Sunrise'
Bottom: Leucospermum 'Royal Hawaiian Brandi' and L. 'Spider Hybrid'

Limonium perezii's paper-like flowers look good for months

Lotus berthelotii 'Amazon Sunset' is currently trying to swamp every other plant in its path.  Often sold as a hanging vine, I use it as a groundcover.

Pandorea jasminoides blooms much of the year but the flowers are most profuse in spring

Rosa 'Golden Celebration' flowered little, if at all, last year but it responded well to the somewhat higher rainfall this year.  I planted this rose in an odd spot behind my lath house facing the street, where it's very difficult to photograph.

With the exception of Rosa 'Pink Meidiland' (lower right), most of my small collection of roses produce just a few blooms off and on.  The top row features 'Joseph's Coat' and 'Medallion'.  The white rose is unidentified.  All those in this group came with the garden.

I've planted blue-eyed grass in other areas with limited success but Sisyrinchium 'Devon Skies', planted in early December, appears to be relatively happy here

 

Next up are my old standbys with extended bloom periods.

Alstroemeria 'Indian Summer', 'Inca Sundance', and one of the many noID pink varieites that came with the garden

Arctotis 'Large Marge' (top row) and A. 'Pink Sugar' (bottom row) haven't been bothered by the local bunnies but they've eaten so many of the 'Opera Pink' variety I couldn't manage a good photo of it this month

Argyranthemum frutescens is at its best when the temperatures are on the cool side.  Left to right are 'Pink Comet', 'White Butterfly', and 'Yellow Butterfly'.

The floral petals of Cistus x skanbergii and C. 'Sunset' scatter when the wind blows but they keep on coming

Grevillea 'Superb' (top row) is still the queen of year-round blooming shrubs.  Grevillea 'Peaches & Cream' (lower left) also blooms year-round but less prolifically.  Grevillea 'Scarlet Sprite' and G. sericea will fade out by mid-summer if not before.

My extensive collection of Osteospermums have taken our repetitive heat spells rather hard and I've cut the bulk of the plants back.  'Violet Ice' (left) and '4D Pink' (right) are still looking passable.

Pelargoniums can take a good deal of heat, at least for a time.  Clockwise from the upper left: Pelargonium cucullatum, P. 'Orange Fizz', P. 'Lady Plymouth', P. peltatum 'Flamingo' (with 'Pink Blizzard'), P. peltatum 'Lavender', and P. tomentosum.

Scabiosa columbaria 'Flutter Deep Blue' and 'Flutter Rose Pink' never seem to completely shut down their floral output either

Some plants I haven't deliberately grown for their blooms are also contributing to this month's floral parade.

I like the flowers of Aeonium haworthii 'Kiwi' (left) and the almost identical flowers of 'Kiwi Verde' (right) more than those of most succulents but I'd really prefer that the plants didn't bloom at all, or at least far less often

Didelta 'Silver Stand', purchased for its drought-tolerant succulent silver foliage, produced surprisingly vibrant flowers

I have a lot of colorful weeds I probably couldn't get rid of if I tried (at least not without poisons I won't use) so I tolerate their spread in moderation.  They include Erigeron karvinskianus and Geranium incanum (left) and Oenothera speciosa (aka pink evening primrose, right).

I'll end this very long post with collages showing what else I've got tucked in corners here and there.

Top: Anagallis 'Wildcat Mandarin', Antirrhinum majus 'Chantilly Bronze', and Cuphea 'Vermillionaire'
Middle: Digitalis purpurea 'Dalmatian Peach', Lantana camara 'Irene', and Leonotis leonurus
Bottom: Metrosideros collina 'Springfire', Narcissus 'Geranium', and Tropaeolum majus

Clockwise from the upper left: Cotula lineariloba, Echeveria apus, Gazania 'Gold Flame', Lomandra hystrix 'Tropic Belle', and Phlomis fruticosa

Top: Coleonema album, noID Cotoneaster, and Eustoma grandiflorum (aka Lisianthus)
Middle: noID Ixia, Leucojum aestivum, and Mimulus bifidus
Bottom: Nandina domestica, Orlaya grandiflora, and Philadelphus mexicanus

Top: Ageratum corymbosum, Babiana rubrocyanea, and noID Brachyscome
Middle: Borage officinalis, Delphinium elatum 'Cobalt Dreams', and Lavandula multifida
Bottom: Lavandula stoechas, Nierembergia 'Purple Robe', and Viola cornuta 'Penny Peach'

Top: Abelia grandiflora 'Edward Goucher', Boronia crenulata 'Shark Bay', and Callistremon 'Hot Pink'
Middle: Cuphea 'Starfire Pink', noID Delosperma, and Digitalis purpurea 'Dalmatian Pink'
Bottom: Lampranthus 'Pink Kaboom', Oxalis triangularis, and Persicaria capitata

Clockwise from the upper left: Euphorbia characias 'Black Pearl', Feijoa sellowiana (aka pineapple guava), Gazania 'White Flame', Hippeastrum 'Moon Scene', Lobelia laxiflora, Melianthus major, and Salvia lanceolata

 

Despite my complaints about our recent spate of heatwaves, I expect my garden is more floriferous this spring than the gardens of those facing more extreme weather than coastal Southern California has had to deal with, like the gardeners in the Pacific Northwest that were hit by snow this week.  Visit Carol at May Dreams Gardens to find reports by gardeners in other parts of the US and elsewhere in the world.

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