In a Vase on Monday: Fussing with flowers

My first vase was arranged and photographed but things that nominally bothered me when I completed the arrangement bothered me even more when I reviewed my photos.  As has been my tendency of late, I'd crammed more into the vase than I should have, leaving some plants half-hidden behind others.  So I did a couple quick changes and snapped a few new photos.  I think the vase is still over-crowded but I felt better about its "after" shots.

The glossy leaves of Coprosma 'Plum Hussey', hidden before, are visible in this view

Leucadendron 'Safari Sunset' dominates the rear view

Although Leucadendron 'Blush' is now visible only from the top

Clockwise from the upper left, the vase contains: Grevillea 'Ned Kelly', Coprosma repens 'Plum Hussey', Gaillardia aristata 'Gallo Bright Red', Helichrysum petiolare 'Silver Mist', Leucadendrron salignum 'Blush', and Leucadendron salignum 'Safari Sunset'

I put together a second vase too but, instead of learning a lesson from my first vase, I ended up cramming even more into the second vase.  In my defense, this was partly because I took some of the leftovers from last week's vase that were still in good shape and added them to this one.

The vase is an ornamental teapot I inherited

The back view highlights 2 Anemone blooms saved from last week's arrangement

The top view demonstrates the color range in the Anemones, all sold as "blue"

The vase contains: Top row - Blue and bluer Anemone coronaria and  Coriandrum sativum (aka cilantro or coriander)
Middle row - Erysimum linifolium 'Variegatum', Matthiola incana, and Lobularia maritima (aka sweet alyssum)
Bottom Row - noID Narcissus, Papaver nudicaule, and Ranunculus asiaticus

Although the ceramic vases are similar in color, their contents are very different.  The first one may make some viewers think of summer or fall, while the second may conjure images of spring but both are just representative of winter in coastal Southern California.  Our proof that it's still winter here: it's raining again.  Isn't that wonderful?!  Winter is synonymous with rain here, or at least it was prior to the drought.  It's pouring right now, which regrettably will probably mean mudslides somewhere but, in the meantime, the garden is enjoying the bounty.

Photo from the front door.  There's a small river of water flowing along the front of our driveway.  We've already had nearly 2 inches of rain this morning.

This poor little hummingbird struggled to make it through the gauntlet of water streaming from the overflowing roof gutters to the feeder outside our kitchen window.  When she did, she sat there for a surprisingly long time, drinking her fill before venturing back into the rain.

My vases are in place to brighten the house.  For more "In a Vase on Monday" posts, visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.

The first vase sits on the dining room table and the second landed in the front entry

All material © 2012-2017 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

In a Vase on Monday: Side A or Side B?

So this week I got out a pair of surgical gloves and cut some of the Primula obconica that gave me a rash when I planted it.  It has very pretty flowers, if also short stems, which necessitated use of my relatively short cut glass vase.

Side A

Side B

The way this vase is arranged, there is no obvious front or back so, like the vinyl records of old, I've labeled one Side A and the other Side B.  Which would you select to face visitors entering the front door?

Here's what's included in the vase:

• Anemone coronaria 'Mona Lisa Deep Blue' (visible on both sides)
• Erysimum linifolium 'Variegatum' (visible on both sides)
• Hebe 'Patty's Purple' (visible mainly on Side B)
• Primula obconica - lavender and purple varieties (lavender visible on Side A, purple on Side B)
• Salvia clevelandii 'Allen Chickering' (visible mainly on Side B)
• Solanum xanti 'Mountain Pride' (visible only on Side A)

The beautiful blue Anemone coronaria

Erysimum linifolium, just coming into bloom

Hebe 'Patty's Purple,' with its first blooms of the new year

The lavender and white form of Primula obconica with Solanum xanti peeking overhead

The purple form of Primula obconica with Salvia clevelandii on the right

So what do you say?  The vase is currently sitting in the entry way with Side A facing out.  Should I turn it around?

A few additional flowers went into a still smaller "experimental" vase (as Julie at gardeningjules has called my arrangements of leftover flowers).  The colors and flower shapes didn't quite fit in with the main vase.

This vase contains:

• Ageratum houstonianum 'Blue Horizon'
• Cyclamen (unidentified white variety)
• Globularia x indubia

The Globularia is an acquired taste - at least it was for me.  I bought it for the foliage and wasn't at all sure I liked the flowers when the plant first bloomed.  They start out looking rather like blue eyeballs, but I've grown to appreciate them.

Globularia x indubia, aka Globe Daisy

This vase ended up in the guest bathroom.

And, last but not least, this week I have a third vase, courtesy of my sister-in-law, who brought me a dozen beautiful roses in my favorite color when she stayed with us at the end of last week.  They didn't come from my own garden but they certainly deserve notice.  Thanks P!

This is my contribution to Cathy's weekly meme at Rambling in the Garden.  If you have a vase to share, join the fun and post a link on Cathy's blog.


All material © 2012-2015 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

Foliage Follow-up - December 2014

This month's foliage follow-up post is a bit of a grab bag.  The plants I've selected to highlight have little in common but for the fact that they're all looking very good at the moment.  Some are new and some have been in place for awhile.

First up is Phormium 'Maori Queen.'  I added 3 of these to the new bed along the front walkway, created as a byproduct of the recent removal of the front lawn.  I looked for more to add on the other side of the walkway when it was finally ready for planting but I've yet to find more locally.

Phormium 'Maori Queen' looks especially good when backlit

Another variegated selection is Erysimum linifolium 'Variegatum.'  This plant and the others surrounding the backyard fountain have been in place going on 3 years now.  They looked scraggly in the heat of mid-summer and I'd planned to replace them all this fall but light pruning, the cooler weather, and rain seem to have snapped them back into shape.

Erysimum linifolium 'Variegatum' also makes the most of the light

I planted Melianthus major in early spring and it sat like a lump doing nothing until recently when it suddenly produced new growth.  It, too, may be responding favorably to the cooler weather and rain.  We're due for more rain today - in fact, we've already had some light rain this morning.

The hanging succulent basket by the front door I planted in late summer has begun to overflow as the individual plants grow larger, earning it the attention of passers-by.

Sedum 'Lemon Ball' is taking over, although the Kalanchoe and Senecio are holding their own

Despite receiving regular watering, the unidentified Kalanchoe has turned a delicious burgundy, mirroring the red stems of the variegated Portulacaria afra

Photo taken from above the basket showing some of the succulents almost buried behind the Sedum

But my very favorite succulent at the moment is Agave gentryi 'Jaws.'  I've seen photos of this plant elsewhere and thought it was attractive but I was unprepared for the effect it had when I saw it in person.  I scooped it up (carefully) and took it home after seeing it last week while on a shopping trip with friends.  It's currently situated in the front garden near my new Leucadendron 'Wilson's Wonder,' where its orange and red spines echo the Leucadendron's foliage color.  It's said to get 3-4 feet tall and 4-6 feet wide at maturity and to be suitable for placement in either sun or shade.  I hope the latter information is correct as it gets only partial sun where I've placed it, at least this time of year, but I'll keep a watch on it and move it if necessary.

Look at the size and color of those spines!  The leaf imprints are wonderful too.

The emerald green leaves show tinges of blue at the base

Pam at Digging hosts this monthly foliage follow-up.  You can find her foliage picks and links to other gardeners' selections here.


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

In a Vase on Monday: Sunshine for the Blues

My blue Eustoma grandiflorum were once more demanding attention so they were the starting point for this week's vase.  I'd thought I'd stick to blue tones but 2 of my yellow 'Buttercream' roses were also blooming and, with rain on the way (yay!), I thought I might as well cut them and bring them inside.  I wondered if the contrast would be too stark but, with the addition of some cream-colored foliage, I think the flowers play off one another rather well.

Here's what I included in the vase this week:

• Ageratum houstonianum 'Blue Horizon'
• 'Buttercream' rose
• Duranta repens (no ID)
• Erysimum linifolium
• Eustoma grandiflorum 'Borealis Blue' and 'Echo White' (aka Lisianthus)
• Prostanthera ovalifolia 'Variegata' (aka mint bush)
• Westringia 'Naringa' (aka coast rosemary)

The Ageratum began blooming again once the temperatures cooled but the Westringia blooms all year

These yellow roses also appear to appreciate the cooler weather

It turns out that the tiny flowers of the Duranta don't make good cut flowers - they've been dropping one at a time since they went into the vase

Even without flowers, Erysimum linifolium makes a great foliage accent, in this case mirroring the color of the Prostanthera foliage

The Lisianthus look good with everything

This week's vase, created in connection with Cathy's weekly challenge at Rambling in the Garden, is sitting across from the front door.   Last week's vase, minus the rose and the Copper Canyon daisies, is still in good shape so it landed on the dining table, where it complements my new tablerunner.

Last week's vase, or what's left of it

As today is December 1st, I also have a wide shots post on my "to do" list.  The photos have been taken but the post may be delayed a day.  I'm backed up on blog posts as I spent all my free time in the garden over the long holiday weekend in an effort to get as much planted in advance of the rain storm due on Tuesday as I could.  Yesterday, all we got was an occasional light drizzle and today looks like more of the same.

The view over the Los Angeles harbor late yesterday afternoon - these clouds brought just light drizzle and a rainbow

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

In a Vase on Monday: It was better in concept...

For a change, I went into the garden to cut flowers with a plan in mind for "In a Vase on Monday," the meme sponsored by Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.  Maybe that was the problem.  Usually, while I might identify a focal point ahead of time, I otherwise approach the garden as a blank slate.  This time, I began cutting flowers of various kinds I'd identified in advance, only to find that they didn't combine well when I took them in and tried to create an arrangement.  I took out a vase to fill with rejects early on and ultimately ended up with 2 reject vases and one larger vase I'm not thrilled with.

The larger vase was constructed of flowers and foliage I hadn't even considered on my first pass through the garden.  It's a hodge-podge construction with an emphasis on pinkish-coral tones.

Front view

Back view

The vase includes:

• Aloe flowers (noID, possibly Aloe 'Pink Blush')
• Arbutus 'Marina' flower stems
• Calibrachoa (noID)
• Graptoveria 'Fred Ives' flower stem
• Rose 'Pink Meidiland'
• Solenostemon scutellarioides 'Honey Crisp Coleus'

The Aloe flowers pick up the deeper tones in the roses

The flowers of the Arbutus' Marina' trees look like miniature hot-air balloons and are loved by the hummingbirds

The flower buds of the succulent Graptoveria 'Fred Ives' have a coral blush but open with yellow petals

The centers of the 'Pink Meidiland' rose mimic the colors at the center of the Graptoveria flowers

Close-up of the variegated leaves of the coleus

Reject vase #1 contains Leptospermum scoparium 'Pink Pearl,' a couple of raggedy stems of Rudbeckia hirta 'Cherry Brandy,' and Solenostemon scutellarioides 'Fire Fingers Coleus.'

Close-up of the small Leptospermum flowers

Reject vase #2, my favorite of the day due solely to its sweet perfume, contains Erysimum linifolium 'Variegatum,' Lantana (noID), and Lonicera japonica, a weed that grows on the steep side of the back slope.

Close-up of Lonicera japonica, inherited with the house

The vases all found places to roost.

The larger vase sits in the front entryway

Reject vase #1 landed in the guest bathroom

Reject vase #1 sits next to my PC, where I can appreciate its scent

Please visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden to see what she and other contributors have rounded up now that the weather has turned cold in many areas.


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