In a Vase on Monday: Bouncy Blooms

My two arrangements this week have little in common.  They're far apart on the color wheel but not actually complementary.  One's small and the other's considerably larger.  Other than that they both feature some daisy-like flowers, the only quality I could think of that they share is a degree of buoyancy often lacking in my compositions.

The first was constructed around leggy Osteospermums I felt compelled to cut back to the ground yesterday morning.  I saved every half-decent bloom and used almost all of them.  However, the arrangement's energy was provided by my bubbly favorite, Gomphrena 'Itsy Bitsy'.

I don't use most of my Osteospermums in arrangements because the flowers close in low light but plants in the '3D' and '4D' series like the 'Berry White' shown here have densely petaled centers that allow them to remain fully open day and night

Back view, much like the front

Top view, showing off the Gomphrena's tiny flowers on almost invisible stems

Clockwise from the top: Osteospermum 'Berry White', Gomphrena decumbens 'Itsy Bitsy', and Leptospermum 'Copper Glow'

My second arrangement was inspired by the bright orange leaves of one of my persimmons (Diospyros kaki 'Fuyu'), which I suspect may be gone by next week.  I initially thought I'd pair the colorful foliage with flowers of Grevillea 'Superb' but, with the nearby Copper Canyon Daisy (Tagetes lemmonii) currently in full bloom, I shifted my palette. 

The long stems of the Copper Canyon Daisies float above the heavier elements below.  Their scent bothers some people, including my husband, but thus far he hasn't said a word about them, although I wouldn't be entirely surprised to find the vase moved outdoors at some point

The back view shows off the grass plumes and grass-like Restio stems that add an airiness to the arrangement

Top view

Clockwise from the upper left: Tagetes lemmonii, berries of Auranticarpa rhombifolia, foliage of Diospyros kaki 'Fuyu' (aka 'Fuyu' persimmon), Chondropetalum elephantinum, Gaillardia 'Arizona Sun' flowers and seed heads, and Pennisetum 'Fireworks'

As I'd already cut two stems of Grevillea 'Superb', I popped those into a small, narrow-necked vase rather than tossing them out.

The Grevillea blooms do look good with the persimmon foliage.  They just didn't play well with the Copper Canyon Daisies.

Pop over to visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden for more IAVOM arrangements created by other contributors from materials they have on hand in their gardens.

For those of you in the US, my best wishes for Happy Thanksgiving.  It may be a much different affair this year with the necessity to keep everyone safe by keeping them at a distance but it's possibly more important than ever to take a close look at what's really important in our lives and provide thanks for what we have, and what we hope to still have next year.

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

Wednesday Vignette: A touch of fall color

Coastal Southern California isn't known for fall color, and what little we get usually comes closer to winter than fall.  We had a good stretch of cold weather this month until Monday, when summer paid us a return visit.  Despite that blast of heat, yesterday I noticed that my coral bark maple (Acer palmatum 'Sango Kaku) had colored up nicely.

I have two other Japanese maples but this is the only one that's thrived probably because, planted against the garage, it's protected from the afternoon sun and the wind

On the other side of the cutting garden, Persimmon 'Fuyu' had also suddenly turned orange when I wasn't paying attention.

I could swear this color change happened in the matter of a day or two.  The leaves on my other persimmon ('Hachiya') never color up like this and most have already fallen.

The ornamental pear in our front garden and a neighbor's noID maple and Gingko trees usually lead with their color displays but for some reason these two trees in my cutting garden are off to an early start this year.

Luckily, Monday's heat was short-lived.  On Tuesday, I woke to the sound of fog horns in the Los Angeles harbor and knew it would be cooler even before weather forecasters confirmed that.

A thick blanket wrapped the harbor, leaving the shipping cranes jutting up above it like prehistoric creatures rising from the sea

Yesterday was a good day for gardening and I hope that will remain true for the balance of the week. Whatever your weather, I hope you're able to get out and enjoy what nature has to offer.

For more Wednesday vignettes, visit Anna at Flutter & Hum.

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

In a Vase on Monday: Super-sized

The unripe fuzzy peach-pink cones on the Magnolia tree in the front garden got me started on Sunday morning as I assembled materials for "In a Vase on Monday," the meme hosted by Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.  I've used these at least once before but I'd forgotten how heavy they are before they dry and fall from the tree.  When I added a couple of branches from the persimmon tree currently sporting brightly colored leaves, I had a mix that tested the capacity and stability of my usual go-to vases.  Out came a vase I've had for well over a decade, which I seldom use.  In fact, I can't remember using it all since we moved into our current home almost 8 years ago.  It created a super-sized display.

Even with glass marbles to help hold everything in place, I had challenges with this arrangement

Back view

People have asked if I stand on a chair to photograph my vases from the top.  Usually, I don't have to but this time I needed both a chair and a more open area of the kitchen to get a clear shot.

Clockwise from the upper left: Grevillea 'Peaches & Cream', Agonis flexuosa 'Nana', Magnolia grandiflora cone, Grevillea 'Superb', Magnolia leaves, and leaves of what I think is a 'Fuyu' persimmon (Diospyros kaki 'Fuyu')

There weren't many ingredients in the first vase but they were cumbersome and, for once, I gave serious thought to stopping with vase #1.  But I've become accustomed to having fresh flowers in the front entry too so I put together a second smaller vase for that spot, incorporating a bloom that surprised me when it made its first appearance in my back garden last week.

The Camellias that performed so well in a vase last week are back this week but, in my view, the star of this arrangement is the single Nerine

Back view, showing off the Leptospermum currently blooming in abundance, as well as Westringia foliage recycled from one of last week's vases

Top view, once again showing off the Nerine bloom.  As I recall, I planted perhaps a dozen of these bulbs in one area of the back garden 2 or more years ago.  They've previously produced foliage but this is the first bloom I've had.

Clockwise from the upper left: noID Camellia sasanqua, Abelia grandiflora 'Hopley's Variegated', Westringia fruticosa 'Morning Light', Leptospermum scoparium 'Pink Pearl', and noID Nerine

Cutting and arranging flowers gave me a nice break from the garden clean-up activities that consumed much of my time during the extended holiday weekend.  I was aching all over Saturday night and Sunday morning but I feel almost normal again now so I can get back to work.  We had rain early Thanksgiving morning and there's a chance of another storm later this week.  Both major fires in California are finally fully contained and it's possible to take deep breaths again.  Things are looking up here.

For more floral/foliage arrangements, visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.

All material © 2012-2018 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

Harbinger of Spring

In our area of Southern California, one of the first deciduous trees to bloom in the new year is the ornamental pear (Pyrus calleryana).  Last weekend, I noticed that buds had appeared.  This weekend, it's in full bloom.

Pyrus calleryana (variety unknown)

It's not just our ornamental pear that's suddenly burst into bloom - they're all over.  I saw half a dozen in bloom in a shopping center parking lot yesterday.  I passed others planted along the streets on my commute.  For the most part, I don't even notice these trees except when they're in bloom.  They've been used almost to excess here.  But I have to admit that, when they bloom, they're a welcome reminder that Spring is just around the corner.

With one exception, all of my other deciduous trees remain utterly bare.

Acer palmatum 'Sango Kaku'

Fig 'Black Mission'

Persimmon 'Fuyu'

Plum 'Santa Rosa'

Our lone, self-fruiting cherry, does have some promising nubs.

Cherry 'Lapins'

Our orchid tree, which is semi-deciduous, is the major exception in our garden.  It put out new leaves late in the last year and started to bloom in early January.

Bauhinia x blakeana (Hong Kong Orchid Tree)

I inherited all these trees, except the Japanese maple, when we bought the house 2 years ago.  Most were put in by the prior owner in the year before our purchase so they're still immature trees.  A few also have questionable placements.  Only the Persimmon bore any significant amount of fruit last year (which the squirrels and the raccoons got to before we did).  I have my fingers crossed that they'll all do better this year.  Hopefully, more blooms are just a turn of the calendar away...