In a Vase on Monday: Fading fast

The flowers in my cutting garden are fading faster than I can cut them.  Flowers have been dropping from the foxglove stalks in large numbers.  The Minoan lace flowers are withering.  On the other hand, the sweet peas are trying to catch up with everything else but the majority of the blooms are so far above my head, they're hard to reach.  In the meantime, the dahlias in their temporary pots remind me daily that I've got to clear the raised planters (soon!) to give them space.

I cut almost all the purple foxgloves currently in bloom.  Some were immediately deposited in my compost bin.  As most have already bloomed to the top of their stem, I'm not sure how long they'll hold up in a vase.

Back view

Top view

Clockwise from the upper left: Arthropodium cirratum (aka Renga lily), Digitalis purpurea 'Dalmatian Purple', assorted Lathyrus odoratus, and Orlaya grandiflora (aka Minoan lace)

 

My second arrangement was inspired by a gladiola that, like a minor miracle, returns each year albeit in an area where it stands out (in less than a good way) from everything around it.  The flower's unusual colors led me to combine it with a companion I'd never choose in any other situation.  Sometimes one has to let nature direct one's choices.

The peachy gladiolas are splashed with magenta and pink so I threw in 2 stems of "purple" snapdragons in to echo those odd dashes of color

Back view

Top view

Clockwise from the upper left: Aeonium haworthii 'Kiwi', Antirrhinum majus 'Chantilly Purple', Callistemon 'Cane's Hybrid', and Gladiolus nanus 'Nymph'

 

I was going to stop at two arrangements but many of the "rust-resistant" snapdragons in my cutting garden are covered with so much rust I can't allow them to remain in place much longer.  When I discovered the the 'Golden Celebration' rose in a corner of my garden was blooming, a third arrangement became a fait accompli.

The 'Chantilly Peach' snapdragons held up well against rust in prior years but then our conditions were far drier in 2021 and 2022

Back view

Top view

Clockwise from the upper left: Abelia grandiflora 'Kaleidoscope', Antirrhinum majus 'Chantilly Peach', Rosa 'Golden Celebration', and Xylosma congestum

 

 

Is that it, you ask?  No, it isn't.  At least two of the gladiolas I thought I'd pulled from the raised planters in my cutting garden two years ago have produced flower stalks, one of which was already fading.  I cut it, thinking to add it to my first arrangement but it just didn't fit.  It ended up in a tiny vase with sweet peas that complemented it well.

The vase contains Gladiolus 'Vuvuzela' and Lathyrus odoratus x belinensis 'Erewhon'

 

To find more floral arrangements, check in with our host, Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.

The tiny vase is sitting in the kitchen window but it didn't photograph well in that spot

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

In a Vase on Monday: Zombie gets a new life

I've been delighted to find that several of the Hippeastrum bulbs I've transplanted into garden beds here and there have returned and bloomed.  Last week, I featured a Hippeastrum 'Aphrodite' in one arrangement and, although that one came from a bulb still in its original pot, two more have surfaced in a bed in my front garden.  Late last week, I discovered that Hippeastrum 'Zombie' was blooming in another front garden bed but yesterday I noticed it wasn't looking its best.  A closer examination showed that it was in worse shape than I'd imagined so I cut it to see if I could use all or part of it in a vase.

Tempting as it is to blame the family of rabbits who've moved into my garden, the damage to both the Hippeastrum's bud and stem looks more like something slugs or snails would do.  Thanks to the raccoons, I don't usually have much of a problem with mollusks but maybe they've fallen down in the job (their only useful service).

The remaining 2 blooms of the Hippeastrum are also a little tattered but I did my best to distract attention from their flaws while playing up 'Zombie's' beautiful color

Back view: I remain awed by the vigor of the snapdragons I planted in early December.  The three plants just keep on giving - and there's still no rust!

Top view

Clockwise from the upper left: Agonis flexuosa 'Nana', Antirrhinum majus 'Double Azalea Bronze', Gladiolus nanus 'Nymph' (in bud), Grevillea 'Superb', Hippeastrum 'Zombie', and Orlaya grandiflora

My second arrangement was inspired by one of my favorite plants, Arthropodium cirratum, commonly known as Renga Lily.  It's one of those all too uncommon plants that thrive in dry shade.  Over the years I've divided the plant and spread it around.  A New Zealand native, it has lovely evergreen foliage and produces graceful bloom sprays in late spring.  Unfortunately, it often doesn't stand out when combined with other flowers.

The Renga lily was easily eclipsed by the flashy Salvia and foxglove blooms

The sweet pea shown in this back view has a trace of magenta in it but it looks out of place; however, I'd wedged it into the arrangement and didn't have any more time to dither with it so it remained

Top view

Clockwise from the upper left: Artemisia californica, Arthropodium cirratum, Lathyrus odoratus, Digitalis purpurea, and Salvia canariensis var candidissima

Most of the sweet pea stems I'd cut for the second arrangement were too short to work in the vase I chose so they went into the small vase that usually sits on the kitchen island.  Last week's lily arrangement was still in good shape so, after a little fluffing, it found a new home in our main bedroom.

Most of the sweet peas (left) are from mixed packets so I can't identify them by name.  Three of the Lilium 'Royal Sunrise' blooms and all the Leucadendron stems (now 3 weeks old) were in still in great shape so I simply added several fresh snapdragons and a peach-colored foxglove to freshen last week's vase (right).

The two new arrangements ended up in the usual spots on the dining room and front entry tables.

For more IAVOM creations, check in with Cathy at Rambling in the Garden to see what she and other contributors have come up with this week.

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

In a Vase on Monday: Another take on orange and blue

Remarkably, we got a touch of rain late last week.  It wasn't much, just 0.18/inch (4.6mm) but, as I expected nothing, it was appreciated.  In what appears to be an unfortunate pattern, the low pressure system that permitted the rainstorm in the north to move into the south part of our state was quickly replaced by another round of Santa Ana winds and soaring temperatures.  We briefly hit 87F (30C) yesterday and today could be warmer still.  The winds can quickly wither flowers so on Sunday I cut blooms with relative abandon for In a Vase on Monday, the weekly meme hosted by Cathy of Rambling in the Garden.

The rain spurred another flush of blooms on the snapdragons in my cutting garden, inspiring my first arrangement.  Thus far, the snapdragons are free of rust so I want to take advantage of them while I can.

I also took this opportunity to cut the last of my Narcissus, two remaining blooms of Leucospermum 'Brandi', and a single 'Lady Emma Hamilton' rose.  I won the David Austin rose in a drawing at the Capitol Region Garden Bloggers' Fling in 2017.  I received the rose in the spring of 2018 but it's produced fewer than a handful of flowers since.

I dressed up the back of the arrangement with 2 stems of my 'Pink Meidiland' rose and added some height using stems of Leucadendron 'Jubilee Crown'

Top view

Top: Agonis flexuosa 'Nana' and Antirrhinum majus 'Chantilly Bronze' and 'Chantilly Peach'
Middle: Leucadendron 'Cloudbank Ginny', L. 'Jubilee Crown', and Leucospermum 'Royal Hawaiian Brandi'
Bottom: Narcissus 'Geranium', Rosa 'Lady Emma Hamilton', and R. 'Pink Meidiland'

 

The first bearded Iris to bloom in my back garden prompted my second arrangement, although I admit I agonized awhile about cutting it.  It looked beautiful on Friday following our brief rainstorm but Saturday's vicious wind did it no favors and I was afraid that the blooms currently in bud would suffer if I left it alone so, without thinking about it too long, I cut the stem and moved on.

This is what the Iris germanica 'City Lights' bloom looked like on Friday.  It's a reblooming variety so I'm hopeful I'll see another bloom stalk this fall.

The Iris wasn't looking its best by Sunday morning but I trusted that the buds were far enough developed to open even after the stem was cut.  I grew the Nigella, Orlaya, and larkspur from seed.  I'd collected the Nigella seed from plants I grew last year.

The sweet peas tucked in the back of the arrangement were also grown from seed but they've been very disappointing.  Almost all are the same dark blue color even though I planted seeds of 4 different mixes.

Top view

Top: Centranthus ruber 'Albus', Consolida ajacis (aka larkspur), and Delphinium elatum 'Cobalt Dreams'
Middle: Globularia x indubia (aka globe daisy), Iris germanica 'City Lights', and Lathyrus odoratus
Bottom: Nigella papillosa 'African Bride', Orlaya grandiflora, and Scabiosa columbaria 'Flutter Deep Blue'

 

As usual, I cut too many flowers.  The pink Alstroemerias I thought I could incorporate into the first arrangement didn't mesh with the prevailing orange tones so they went into a small vase for the kitchen island.  When I couldn't cram everything I'd cut for the second arrangement into the vase I'd selected, the extra stems went into the kitchen island arrangement as well.

In addition to the noID pink Alstroemeria, this vase includes Orlaya grandiflora, self-seeded Lagurus ovatus (aka bunny tail grass), and Agrostemma 'Ocean Pearls'

 

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

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

Bloom Day - May 2020

In mid-May, it would almost be easier to list the plants that aren't flowering than to identify those that are.  And this is despite the fact that, since mid-April, we've been hit by two heatwaves here in Southern California.  I'll start with the biggest surprise.

This is one of my two pineapple guavas (Feijoa sellowiana).  They came with the garden but in nine years they've never produced more than a light scattering of blooms.  I was blown away last weekend when I found them covered in flowers.

However, the biggest flower show this month is offered by the back garden so let's focus on that area for a moment.

This is the view from the back patio area looking south

and this is a view of the same general area looking east

The large shrub in the middle of the preceding photo is Callistemon 'Cane's Hybrid' and this photo shows a close-up of its blooms

Leucadendron 'Safari Sunset', underplanted with Alstroemeria 'Indian Summer', grabs the eye every time I walk through the back garden

Other warm-toned blooms in the back garden include these:
Top row - Achillea 'Moonshine', Arctotis 'Pink Sugar', and Gaillardia 'Arizona Sun'
Middle row - Euphorbia 'Ascot Rainbow' (mingling with E. 'Dean's Hybrid') and self-seeded Gazanias
Bottom row - Lotus berthelotii 'Amazon Sunset', Salvia africana-lutea, and Sideritis cypria

Cooler-toned companions include:
Top row - Ageratum corymbosum, Allium rosenbachianum, and Alstroemeria 'Claire'
Middle row - Buddleja davidii 'Buzz Purple' (shown with Cuphea 'Starfire Pink') and Erigeron glaucus 'Wayne Roderick'
Bottom row - Brachyscome 'Brasco Violet' (with Eriophyllum lanatum and Trichostema 'Midnight Magic'), Felicia aethiopica, and Salvia canariensis var candidissima

After 6 years in the ground, one of my three Yucca 'Bright Star' FINALLY produced a bloom spike!  It looked more like an agave bloom spike when it first appeared.  It's unfolding very slowly.

Hymenolepsis parviflora (aka Coulter bush) marks a transition between the back and south end borders

After a late start, the cool season flowers in my cutting garden finally got rolling, just as temperatures here began to soar.  The heatwaves stressed those flowers but didn't quite incinerate them.

View of the cutting garden from the driveway

The sweet peas (Lathyrus odoratus) were hit the hardest by the heat.  The vines are still producing blooms but the stems are much shorter.

In contrast, Orlaya grandiflora (aka Minoan lace) hardly noticed the heat

Other blooms in the cutting garden still holding on include:
Top row - Calendula 'Zeolights', Digitalis 'Peach Dalmatian', and Clarkia amoena 'Farewell to Spring'
Middle row - Digitalis purpurea, Consolida ajacis 'Earl Grey, and Consolida 'Summer Skies Mix'
Bottom row - Blue and white Nigella papillosa 'Starry Night Mix' and Nigella orientalis 'Transformer'

The arbor between the cutting garden and the dry garden on its east side is now festooned with Pandora jasminoides and Trachelospermum jasminoides (aka star jasmine)

A few plants from elsewhere in the garden deserve special notice.

The Renga lilies (Arthropodium cirratum) and blooming in four different areas of the garden.  They are my go-to plants for dry shade and I've divided them a few times.

Centranthus ruber is still going strong on my back slope

Dorycnium hirsutum (aka hairy Canary clover) is also blooming, to the delight of the bees

One by one, the daylilies are making an appearance.  Clockwise from the upper left: Hemerocallis 'For Pete's Sake', 'Russian Rhapsody', 'Spanish Harlem', 'Blythe Belle', and 'Plum Perfect'

Bunny tail grass (Lagurus ovatus) has infiltrated a new area of the garden this year but it's welcome nonetheless

I'll close as I usually do with the best of the rest, featured in collages by color.

Clockwise from the upper left: Plectranthus neochilus, Pericallis 'Magic Salmon', Psoralea pinnata, Wahlenbergia 'Blue Cloud', the last bloom of Iris hollandica 'Silver Beauty', and Limonium perezii

Clockwise from the upper left: Centaurea 'Silver Feather', noID Delosperma, noID Pelargonium peltatum, Polygala fruticosa, and Thymus serphyllum

Top row - Arctotis 'Opera Pink', Cuphea 'Starfire Pink', and Gomphrena decumbens 'Itsy Bitsy'
Middle row - Helleborus 'Phoebe', Oenothera speciosa, and burgundy Pelargonium peltatum
Bottom row - Pelargonium 'Lady Plymouth', P. 'Orange Fizz', and P. peltatum 'Pink Blizzard'

Top row - noID pink Alstroemeria, Callistemon 'Hot Pink', and Gladiolus nana 'Nymph'
Middle row - Grevillea 'Ned Kelly', Lobelia laxiflora, and Melianthus major
Bottom row - Penstemon mexicali, Rosa 'Pink Meidiland, and noID rose (sprouted from root stalk of a rose I'd removed)

Top row - Aeonium arboreum, Cotula lineariloba, and Phlomis fruticosa
Middle row - Grevillea 'Peaches & Cream' and Leucospermum 'Goldie'
Bottom row - Euryops chrysanthemoides 'Sonnenschein', E. virgineus 'Tali', and Tagetes lemmonii

Top row - Bignonia capreolata and Cuphea 'Vermillionaire'
Middle row - Grevillea 'Superb', Lantana camara 'Irene', and Leucospermum 'Brandi'
Bottom row - Leucospermum 'Spider Hybrid', Rosa 'Lady Emma Hamilton', and R. 'Medallion'

Top row - Abelia x grandiflora 'Edward Goucher', Aeonium haworthii 'Kiwi', and A. 'Kiwi Verde'
Middle row - Argyranthemum frutescens 'Everest', Echinopsis oxygona, and Gaura lindheimeri
Bottom row - Gazania 'White Flame', noID white Pelargonium peltatum, and Romneya coulteri

That's it!  Another long post so congratulations for wading through it.  For a look at what flowers other gardeners are celebrating this month, visit the host of Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, Carol at May Dreams Gardens.


All material © 2012-2020 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party