In a Vase on Monday: Sunshine ahead (I hope)

By the time Memorial Day rolls around, we can usually count on sunny days. After all, it's the unofficial start of the summer season in the U.S. However, that's not been the case this year. It's been gloomy and on the cool side more often than not. The political environment can also be seen as chilling. At least it usually gets sunny by the mid-afternoon most days here. Fortunately, my garden provided its own sunshine this week.

The orange lilies finally came through with their flowers this week.  I think this variety is 'Orange Planet', which I planted in 2021.

Back view, filled out using Alstroemeria 'Claire' and Shasta daisies called 'Sweet Baby Izabel' (Leucanthemum x superbum)

Overhead view

Clockwise from the upper left: Agonis flexuosa 'Nana',  Alstroemeria 'Claire', A. 'Inca Sundance', Leucanthemum x superbum 'Sweet Baby Izabel, Leucospermum 'Royal Hawaiian Brandi', and Lilium 'Orange Brandi'

View of arrangement in place

Depressing as circumstances have been on many fronts this year, it's time to dig in and slog through the ballot that's currently sitting on my desk.  At the same time, some 50,000 people in Orange County to the near south of us are under evacuation orders due to a serious toxic chemical leak. What a way to spend a holiday weekend!

I hope you've had an opportunity to spend time in your garden - or someone else's - this week.  You can check in with Cathy at Rambling and others who put something "In a Vase on Monday" here.

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

In a Vase on Monday: A new color palette to work with

I had a hard time getting excited about my flower choices this week. I'd just about settled on a flashy purple gladiola, when I noticed new blooms on my Grevillea 'Moonlight'. 'Moonlight' hasn't flowered often since the shrub was planted several years ago, and I can't recall ever using it for an 'In a Vase on Monday' post. However, once I settled on that choice, I was off and running with an entirely different color scheme.

Although 'Moonglow' got me started, it was one member of an ensemble cast that included Alstroemeria, Leucadendrons, and even a Leucospermum among other plants

Back view

Overhead view

Clockwise from the upper left are: Alstroemeria 'Claire', Corokia x virgata 'Sunsplash', noID Leucanthemum superbum, Grevillea 'Moonlight', Leucadendron 'Jubilee Crown', L. 'Wilson's Wonder', Leucospermum 'California Sunshine', and Grevillea 'Peaches & Cream'

Arrangement in place

I may make use of the gladiolas next week when there are more of them in full bloom.  Then again, the lilies may be ready to take off by then so there could be a tug of war.  The dahlia tubers are moving forward, but slowly, so there's plenty of time left to enjoy the current season without dashing into summer.

For posts from other IAVOM contributors, visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.

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

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

View from my office window

I inevitably spend a fair amount of time sitting at my home office computer over the course of a week.  There are two large windows to my right, which means I often find myself staring at the view of a particular section of my garden.  The activity at the three bird feeders frequently draws my attention, and if their chirping doesn't do that, the cat's chattering at the birds from her seat at the window does.  As I write this, the birds are staring at me, seemingly wondering if I'm going to refill their feeders before they're entirely empty.  However, what's repeatedly had me staring out the window this week hasn't been the birds so much as the mix of colors around the feeder.

This is the view in question.  What grabbed my attention on this occasion was the gladiola at the center of this shot.  Its bold color drew my eye but what really stood out was that it's blooming in early February!

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day falls on Sunday which, if forecasters are to be believed, could be the start of several rainy days for us.  I've already been gathering photos for an early Bloom Day post targeted for Friday but, instead of burying the floral display outside my window within that post, I thought I'd share the details with you in this much shorter one.

This was one of a mix of Gladiolus nanus bulbs I planted in March 2025 for early summer blooms.  I hadn't expected a yellow and coral flower in the mix.  Last year it bloomed in late June.  I believe this is a variety called 'Las Vegas'.  Yesterday, I ordered 10 more bulbs of this specific variety as it's perfect for this bed, especially if it makes a habit of flowering in tandem with the plants around it.

The Arbutus 'Marina', pruned hard in late November, is back in bloom with its coral-pink flowers, beloved by hummingbirds

The hummers also appreciate the flowers of Lantana camara 'Irene'

I haven't yet cut back all the colorful bracts of Leucadendron 'Blush'

and I apparently missed trimming back a few of the stems of Leucadendron 'Jester'

Leucospermum 'Royal Hawaiian Brandi' is just starting her bloom cycle

Lobelia laxiflora, cut back in December, is also mounting its return

There's a good chance of light rain during the wee hours tonight before the larger rain system in the offing for the coming week moves in.  The cloudy gray skies I see out the window lend some real credibility to that claim.  I don't expect it to be much but, as our last rain fell in early January, whatever we get will be welcome.  I'll end this post with a wider shot of the garden beds in view outside my office window before I take my camera out to capture photos of other parts of my garden in preparation for Bloom Day - and fill up the bird feeders of course.

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

In a Vase on Monday: Spring explosion

Admittedly, Spring arrives early in coastal Southern California but it feels especially early this year.  I call it Spring when I spot new flowers whenever I walk through my garden, which is generally at least two times a day.  Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day is just around the corner and maybe when I tabulate what's flowering for my post, I'll discover that this year isn't an anomaly but, at the moment, it feels like one.  Finding flowers to fill my vases wasn't at all difficult - what was difficult was deciding what to rule out this week.

As much of the US is still shuddering in the face of very cold weather, it's remained warmer-than-usual here.  Unfortunately, we still haven't had any rain and even our marine layer, when it's appeared, has been light, usually clearing at my elevation by the time the sun rises.  However, there are two decent chances of rain on the horizon within the next ten days.  I focused on the Hippeastrums that might be marred by rain, should it actually show up.

Hippeastrum 'White Nile' got the starring role in this arrangement.  I hadn't originally planned to pair it with snapdragons but they've taken off in the past week and, all too soon, the sweet peas are going to demand some of the space the snaps currently occupy so cutting them seemed a good idea.

The back view is much like the front

Overhead view

Clockwise from the upper left: dark and light pink Antirrhinum majus, Coleonema pulchellum 'Sunset Gold', green Eustoma grandiflorum (aka lisianthus), Hippeastrum 'White Nile', and Narcissus papyraceus

The second Hippeastrum is flashier than the first, although I was happier with how the first arrangement came together than I am with the second.

Hippeastrum 'Flamingo Amadeus' is dramatic but I had a harder time finding other flowers that provided the right contrast with that orangy-pink color.  More white might have been better.

Back view

Overhead view

Clockwise from the upper left: Agonis flexuosa 'Nana', white Freesia, Grevillea 'Superb', Hippeastrum 'Flamingo Amadeus', and Leucospermum 'Spider Hybrid'

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

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

In a Vase on Monday: Fire and Ice

While I can't claim we're in the middle of a true heatwave, it's been unseasonably toasty here of late with temperatures running in the low 80sF (27-28C).  Humidity levels remain low and my plants are begging for infusions of extra water despite the fact that the automated irrigation system currently kicks in twice a week.  The morning marine layer is projected to make appearances on and off this week, which should lower the temperatures and raise the humidity but I won't count on that until I see it happen.  February is traditionally the wettest month of our all-too-short rainy season in Los Angeles County but the ten-day forecast doesn't hold any real chance of rain at this point.  However, the warmth is bringing on fresh flowers in my garden on a steady basis.

As a nod to the warmer conditions, I selected a few blooms of the fiery Leucospermum 'Sunrise' to guide the choices for my first arrangement.

I threw in a few stems of white Marguerite daisies (Argyranthemum frutescens) at the last minute to help balance all the red-orange colors but I don't think it really did the trick.  I also can't explain why the 2 stems of Alstroemeria suddenly collapsed the way they did.

Back view: more yellow Marguerite daisies might have helped

Overhead view

Clockwise from the upper left: Agonis flexuosa 'Nana', Alstroemeria 'Indian Summer', Argyranthemum frutescens 'Beauty Yellow', A. f. 'Mount Everest', Antirrhinum majus, Grevillea 'Poorinda Leane', and Leucospermum 'Sunrise'

ICE (the acronym for the US Immigations & Customs Enforcement agency) has been on my mind and as a friend and I joined an ICE Out protest on Saturday, I felt compelled to add that reference to my post's title when I cut two of the first Scilla peruviana (aka Portuguese squill) to bloom this year and added more blue tones to complement them.

I probably should've held off on cutting the Scilla peruviana until the stems were taller but I couldn't resist.  These are the first blooms from new bulbs I planted in November.  My larger clump (which I still haven't divided) hasn't developed buds yet but I've little doubt they're on their way.

Back view: I can't account for the lavender Anemone blooms.  They're distinct from the 'Azzurro' variety I used last week but they're definitely not either of the 2 other bulb varieties ('Rarity' and 'Rosa Chiaro') I ordered this fall.  My best guess is that they're 'Mona Lisa', included in my order by mistake.

Overhead view

Clockwise from the upper left: Anemone coronaria 'Lord Lieutenant', noID Anemone (maybe 'Mona Lisa'), noID Ceanothus, and Scilla peruviana 

Last week's Hippeastrum 'Amadeus Candy' held up well, with the last two buds opening as the week came to an end.  I couldn't bring myself to toss them out so they were plunked in a small vase for the kitchen island.

The other 2 bulbs of 'Amadeus Candy' are already in full bloom.  I guess I couldn't count on their pacing their bloom schedules more widely.

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

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