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: Dutch Iris blooms signal spring

In my view, spring isn't defined by a date on the calendar.  My garden tells me when it's spring.  It does creep in slowly, with one bloom here and another there.  I ask myself if this or that flower is a fluke, the result of a brief warm spell or its placement in a particularly sunny spot.  But some signals are clear.  In the case of my garden, the first blooms of Dutch Iris represent solid evidence that spring has arrived.  The majority of the bulbs sprouted six to eight weeks ago but the first blooms appeared last week.

A mix of Iris hollandica 'Sapphire Blue' and Leucospermum 'High Gold' is one one of my traditional combinations, as the Leucospermum usually blooms on a similar schedule

Back view: I used stems of Acacia cognata 'Cousin Itt' as a filler.  That felt appropriate both because the Acacia is sporting its tiny puffy yellow flowers at the moment and because I'm struggling with the prospect of removing some or possibly all of my Acacias in response to Los Angeles County's new "defensible space clearance" ordinance.  Acacias have been called out as one of several flammable plants of particular concern.

Overhead view

Clockwise from the upper left: Acacia cognata 'Cousin Itt', Anemone coronaria 'Mr Fokker', Eustoma grandiflorum (aka Lisianthus), Freesia, Iris hollandica 'Sapphire Blue', and Leucospermum 'High Gold'

I took advantage of another Hippeastrum 'Marilyn' bloom for my second arrangement.  The flower was so top heavy that the plant turned on its side during last week's rainstorm, even though the rain never came down hard.  The stem of another of these bulbs snapped.  Overall, it hasn't been a great year for the Hippeastrum bulbs I potted up in December but I remain hopeful that the bulbs I planted in the ground last year will perform better if/when they bloom in late spring or early summer.

The Hippeastrum's petals turn white as the flower matures but it starts out with a definitely greenish tinge, leading me to lean into pastel flowers in lavender and mauve

Back view: I flip-flopped a couple of times when deciding which side of the vase should be treated as the front.  The vase itself is very narrow when viewed from the side.

Overhead view

Clockwise from the upper left: Anemone coronaria 'Mistral Rarity', Freesia in shades of pale lavender and pale yellow with touches of lavender, Hippeastrum 'Marilyn', and Polygala myrtifolia

Last week's rain totaled 0.44/inch but the two storms coming this week are expected to deliver more than an inch.  Originally projected to arrive on Monday, it now looks like the first one will be delayed until Tuesday afternoon.  In any case, the rain is projected to continue into early Friday.  Yet another storm is possible early in the following week.  We're still running significantly below average for our rainy season, which generally ends in April, but at least things don't look as sad as they did at its start.

For more IAVOM creations, check in with Cathy at Rambling in the Garden to discover what other contributors have to offer.

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

In a Vase on Monday: Spring prelude

The atmospheric river came through as predicted last week, delivering nearly two inches of rain here.  Our total for the 2025 "water year" (counted from October 1, 2024) now stands at 4.81 inches.  That's not great given that our rainy season usually ends in April but at least it already tops our totals in 2018 and 2021.  After colder-than-usual temperatures last week, it warmed up this past weekend and it's feeling more like spring.  The garden's showing more of what I'd characterize as spring flowers too, which those of you in colder areas of the Northern Hemisphere may appreciate as a prelude to the change of seasons.

The first of the fragrant Freesias opened over the weekend.  The first of the Calendulas I sowed from seed in November also popped up and I tucked a short stem up front.

Back view

Top view

Clockwise from the upper left: Agonis flexuosa 'Nana', Alstroemeria 'Indian Summer', Calendula officianalis ' Cantaloupe Mix', noID Freesia, Grevillea alpina x rosmarinifolia, Leucadendron salignum 'Blush', Narcissus papyraceus, and Leucospermum 'Sunrise'

Two hellebores also made their initial appearance this week.  Cutting a stem of one of them inspired a second, smaller arrangement.

The Camellia stem was a last minute addition.  It probably won't hold up for long as a cut flower but, as many of the blooms hit the ground during the storm, I wanted a little time to enjoy one up close.

Back view

top view

Clockwise from the upper left: Anemone coronaria 'Bianco Centro Nero', Helleborus 'Anna's Red', Alstroemeria 'Inca Vienna', Camellia williamsii 'Taylor's Perfection', and Coleonema pulchellum 'Sunset Gold'

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: The Leucospermums show off

It's been a bit windy but the combination of sunny skies and slightly warmer temperatures has sent spring into hyperdrive.  I didn't even have to give much thought as to what to cut to fill a couple of vases.  I hadn't planned on a third arrangement but then I decided I couldn't leave the anemones to the wind's punishment.

I'll start with the two arrangements featuring Leucospermums.

While this is yet another blue and yellow arrangement, the contents are entirely different from those I used last week.  In addition to Leucospermum 'High Gold', I used 2 varieties of Dutch Iris.  The Irises began popping up in a variety of colors seemingly overnight.

Back view

Top view

Clockwise from the upper left: Acacia cognata 'Cousin Itt', Iris hollandica 'Mystic Beauty', I. h. 'Sapphire Beauty', Leucadendron 'High Gold', Narcissus 'White Lion', and hybrid Salvia 'Bee's Bliss'

The second arrangement was inspired by Leucospermum 'Royal Hawaiian Brandi'.

Although inspired by the orange Leucospermum, this is another of my "everything but the kitchen sink" compilations

Back view: I threw in a foxglove and 2 calla lilies that probably didn't need to be there

Top view

Top: Abelia grandiflora 'Kaleidoscope', Antirrhinum majus, and Digitalis purpurea 'Dalmatian Peach'
Middle: Leucadendron 'Cloudbank Ginny', Leucospermum 'Royal Hawaiian Brandi', and Narcissus 'Beautiful Eyes'
Bottom: Narcissus 'Sunny Girlfriend', Ranunculus, and Zantedeschia aethiopica

I hadn't figured on Anemone 'Rosa Tigrato' delivering half a dozen blooms in my cutting garden but, having seen what wind can do to them, there wasn't really any question in my mind about cutting some of them for a third arrangement.

In addition to the red and white anemones, I included the stem of Helleborus 'Anna's Red' I'd used in one of last week's arrangements.  I was surprised that it was still in good shape and that one of the buds had opened.

Back view

Top view

Clockwise from the upper left: Anemone coronaria 'Rosa Tigrato', Grevillea lavandulcea 'Penola', Freesia, Calliandra haematocephala, and Helleborus 'Anna's Red'

There are a couple of chances of light rain next weekend and early the following week but those could easily disappear.  However, my fingers are crossed that we get at least one more good rainstorm before our rainy season comes to an end in mid-April.  My smallest rain collection tank literally sprung a leak during the last set of storms so I lost fifty gallons there and I don't have its replacement installed yet.  I'd like to start our long dry season with all my tanks full if possible.

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

All material © 2012-2024 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party