In a Vase on Monday: Rescues from a pit of chaos

With the extra rain we've had for two years in a row, my garden exploded this spring.  I spent a good part of last week just pulling weeds and clearing paths covered by excessively exuberant plants - and I've barely made a dent in many areas.  When it came time to cut flowers for "In a Vase on Monday," I decided to see if I could find any vase-worthy Matilija poppies at the bottom of our back slope.  As I headed down there, I realized that, despite my efforts to tidy-up the area two weeks ago, it's more chaotic than ever now.  

I took this photo after my first pass at cleaning things up earlier this month.  It was relatively neat even if the pathways were narrow; however, while I moved on to other areas of the garden, blissfully believing everything was tidy enough on the slope for awhile, the plants didn't stop growing taller and wider at lightning speed. 

I had to cut tall, flopping stems of Centranthus and succulent flowers and artichoke plant foliage just to make it down the concrete-block stairway.  And a machete would've been useful to reach the poppies!  I spent more time cutting back and pulling spent plants and weeds than cutting flowers.

I managed to get 4 intact poppies (Romneya coulteri) and one promising bud, while shattering the petals of a few more in the process.  Some readers may remember that I've tried to rid my garden of this plant, which spreads by adventitious rhizomes, and repeatedly failed.  Another attempt will be made this fall.

Back view:  The Japanese honeysuckle, which came with the garden and is firmly entrenched within the rampant ivy that blankets the upper level of the slope, is also impossible to get rid of without resorting to poisons.  At least it has a nice scent!

Top view

Clockwise from the upper left: Leucospermum 'High Gold', Lonicera japonica, Romneya coulteri, and Tagetes lemmonii (aka Mexican marigold)

While I was down there, I was astounded to see that the bearded Irises were more floriferous than ever before.  I cut two tall stems with multiple blooms as the starting point for a second arrangement.

This is another arrangement that looked better to me when stuffed in the bottle I used to collect my materials than after I formally arranged them in a proper vase.  I probably should've picked a different vase and left out the Limonium, both of which come across as too blue by comparison to the Iris, although the differences are less jarring in person than in these photos.

Back view: In addition, the delicate Renga lilies (Arthropdium cirratum) got lost among the other elements

Top view

Clockwise from the upper left: Arthropodium cirratum (aka Renga lily), Limonium perezii (aka sea lavender), Nemesia, 'Nessie Plus White', noID Iris germanica, Polygala myrtifolia, Prostanthera ovalifolia 'Variegata', and Salvia canariensis var candidissima

I still need to haul two piles of debris up the slope and I plan to spend at least a couple more hours there this week in an effort to rein in the mess.  Meanwhile, the march toward summer continues and the cutting garden needs to be cleared out soon to make way for dahlias and other summer bloomers.

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

  

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

In a Vase on Monday: A joy, even if brief

As a by-product of this year's heavier-than-usual rainfall, my back slope is now grossly overgrown.  It's difficult to walk down there at the moment as plants crowd the narrow concrete stairway from both sides.  On Saturday afternoon, I decided it was past time to cut back some of that exuberant growth.  I've only made a stab at that thus far but, while I was there, I noticed that the Matilija poppies (Romneya coulteri) were blooming.  Although I've repeatedly tried - and failed - to remove this plant since discovering what a thug it is, I can't ignore those lovely flowers.  They don't last long in a vase but I cut the freshest blooms I could find and created an arrangement around them.

Even the freshest of these poppies shatter within 2-3 days, collapsing in a pool of ruffled petals and yellow stamens.  They make quite a mess so I may regret my decision to cut so many of them for this vase.

Back view: I used my peach snapdragons as filler material because those flowers were overdue for deadheading.  The rust-resistant snapdragons aren't so resistant this year either.

Top view

Clockwise from the upper left: Achillea 'Moonshine', noID Lonicera (honeysuckle), Xylosma congestum, Antirrhinum majus 'Chantilly Peach', and Romneya coulteri

 

My second arrangement is something of a disappointment.  The purple foxgloves in my cutting garden have been begging for their time in the limelight and I had plenty of material to pair with them.  I tend to lean toward combinations of plants that coordinate closely in color but I took that a bit too far this week.  The resulting arrangement could have used more contrast to allow each element to show off against its companions.

All the stems I cut were tall so they demanded the heavy cut-glass vase.  Unfortunately, the center of the arrangement ended up looking like a dying star forming a black hole.

Back view: In retrospect, I should have skipped the Allium atropurpureum.  I looked for more Arthropodium cirratum (aka Renga lily) but the single stem I'd included was the only one with open flowers I could find. 

Top view

Clockwise from the upper left: Allium atropurpureum, Arthopodium cirratum (aka Renga lily), Coriandrum sativum, Digitalis purpurea 'Dalmatian Purple', Cotinus coggygyria 'Royal Purple', Nigella papillosa, Salvia canariensis var candidissima, and Orlaya grandiflora

 

Our marine layer remains a persistent presence, seldom clearing before late afternoon.  The high level of humidity it creates. combined with warmer afternoon temperatures, is encouraging mildew and rust among the densely planted flowers in my cutting garden, many of which now stretch above my head.  I think it may be time to assemble bouquets to give away before the flowers lose their appeal.

 

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

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

In a Vase on Monday: Just peachy

On Saturday, I noticed that the Matilija poppy (Romneya coulteri) on our back slope was sporting five blooms.  Although I've tried to remove the thuggish plant twice, even enlisting my husband's help to dig it out once, it inevitably reappears, producing tall, sprawling stems topped with fragile blooms beloved by the bees.  I headed down the slope early Sunday morning hoping for at least three intact blooms and came back with only one but I was committed to a white and yellow arrangement so I persevered.  Some peach colors infiltrated the mix as I tried to fill it out.

Although the Matilija poppy was the inspiration for this arrangement, the 'Golden Celebration' rose assumed the lead role

Back view: I used stems of Argyranthemum frutescens and Pandorea jasminoides to add the touches of white I'd originally hoped to get from the poppies

Top view

Clockwise from the upper left: Abelia grandiflora 'Hopley's Variegated', Achillea 'Moonshine', Alstroemeria 'Claire', Romneya coulteri (aka Matilija poppy), Antirrhinum majus 'Chantilly Peach', Argyranthemum frutescens 'White Butterfly', Pandorea jasminoides, and Rosa 'Golden Celebration'

 

We had another stretch of hot weather late last week, with temperatures reaching 90F (32C).  The seemingly constant pattern of flip-flopping temperatures has stressed many of my plants.  My cool season flowers, like the foxgloves, sweet peas and larkspur, were slow to get going but now seem to be ready to throw in the towel.  The larkspur made an especially poor showing this year and I decided I'd best make use of the remaining presentable blooms before they're gone.

With the addition of a beefy stem of Delphinium elatum 'Morning Light', the arrangement was off to a lop-sided start but I did my best to give it better balance by adding numerous stems of Consolida ajacis (larkspur), Orlaya grandiflora, and Nigella papillosa

Back view

Top view

Clockwise from the upper left: Consolida ajacis, Delphinium elatum 'Morning Light', Lathyrus odoratus x belinensis 'Erewhon', noID white Lathyrus odoratus, Nigella papillosa, and Orlaya grandiflora

 

Nine of my dahlia tubers have sprouted thus far and I've already moved seven of these from their temporary pots into their summer homes, the raised planters and half barrels that make up my cutting garden.  As I remove the cool season plants, the space they occupy will be filled by other dahlia tubers and the zinnia and sunflower seedlings I've grown from seed in plastic pots.  Summer is breathing down our necks here.  Southern California had its first major wildfire last week and, on the heels of that, there was a smaller fire less than five miles from my home in a nearby park.  Swamped by over 80 firefighters and assisted by water drops from helicopters that flew directly over our house a couple of times, it burned just ten acres before it was extinguished.  Luckily no structures were damaged but it was a stark reminder of the challenges summer poses.

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

 

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

 

 

In a Vase on Monday: Pungent Scents

Since last October, I've participated in an online meeting with other gardeners on a roughly monthly basis to discuss selected garden books.  Last week, we discussed The Scentual Garden: Exploring the World of Botanical Fragrance by Ken Druse.  I'd recommended the book based mainly on its fabulous photographs; however, the general consensus was that it's a "coffee table book."  Druse addressed the science of scent, how it can be captured and preserved, and how scented plants can be presented in a landscape but his central focus was on classification.  I for one was disappointed there wasn't more emphasis on how to use fragrant plants in association and how to carry fragrance through the seasons.  The book nonetheless spurred a lively discussion about how each of us respond to the scents in our own gardens, which fragrances we like and which we don't.  That exchange emphasized points Druse made in the introductory section of his book: scent is in the "nose of the beholder" and, in many cases, how we feel about a scent depends a lot on the long-term memories associated with them.

I didn't set out to select plants for this week's "In a Vase on Monday" post based on scent but, as it turned out, I ended up with two arrangements this week each of which included stems of particularly pungent scented plants.  The first arrangement was inspired by the Agapanthus just now beginning to bloom in my garden.  If Agapanthus has a scent, my nose is incapable of detecting it but two of the other plants I included in the mix did register, one very strongly.

My theme was color, not scent, based.  I chose blue and white colored flowers.  The scent was supplied by Salvia clevelandii 'Winnifred Gilman', another Salvia hybrid, and the minty foliage of Prostanthera ovalifolia 'Variegata'.

Back view:  The mint scent of the variegated Prostanthera is light and very pleasant.  I expect I could tuck a few stems in my pillow case and have nothing but sweet dreams.  In contrast, the Salvias have a heavy, musky scent.  I expect that they would bother me with prolonged exposure in an enclosed space.

Top view: The other elements had little or no noticeable scent

   

Top row: noID Agapanthus and two of the varied colors of Consolida ajacis 'Summer Skies' mix
Middle row: noID Delphinium, Gilia tricolor, and Globularia x indubia
Bottom row: Phacelia tanacetifolia, Prostanthera ovalifolia 'Variegata', and Salvia clevelandii 'Winnifred Gilman'
(Included but not shown in close-up is Salvia leucophylla x clevelandii 'Pozo Blue')

I should note that Druse is based in the northeastern part of the US.  His book emphasizes the plants with which he's most familiar and there's relatively little overlap with the plants I grow in the Mediterranean climate of my coastal Southern California garden.  The inspiration for my second arrangement this week was the Matilija poppies (Romneya coulteri) blooming on my back slope.  This genus isn't mentioned in Druse's book.  I can detect a only a light scent from the flowers but bees love the plant.

I took this photo in the California Natives display garden at Seaside Gardens Nursery just over a week ago.  The bees really do swarm the blooms like this but, as the blooms in my garden are generally well over head-height, I don't manage to catch photos like this here.

The Matilija poppies established a color theme for this arrangement as well

Back view: The only flowers with scent I can detect in this arrangement are those of the Achillea 'Moonshine', which has a marigold-like scent I find unpleasant when sniffed close up, and Tagetes lemmonii, which I like in moderation but I know some people detest

Top view

Top row: Abelia grandiflora 'Hopley's Variegated', Achillea 'Moonshine', and Alstroemeria 'Inca Sundance'
Middle row: Alstroemeria 'Claire' and Centranthus ruber albus
Bottom row: Romneya coulteri and Tagetes lemmonii

My husband is more sensitive to scent than I am.  He's objected to the smell of Tagetes lemmonii in the past so I use it sparingly in arrangements.  I can't remember if he's complained about Salvia clevelandii before but I personally find it a heavy scent so I'm waiting to see if he says anything.  What scents do you prize in your garden?  Are there scented plants you grow despite finding their fragrance objectionable?

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

All material © 2012-2021 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

In a Vase on Monday: Everything but the kitchen sink

My garden is bursting at its seams with flowers at the moment, as evident by my recent Bloom Day post.  I found it impossible not to go overboard when it came time to pick flowers for "In a Vase on Monday" so I didn't really even try to contain myself.

My first arrangement was inspired by the Matilija poppies (Romneya coulteri) growing on my back slope.  Because the plant got much too large for its spot, I cut it to the ground last fall and asked my husband to dig it up.  We thought that was it but, in spite of our pitiful rainfall, it came back with a vengeance this year and it's once again towering well above my head.  We'll make another attempt to remove it this fall but for now I chose the enjoy its magnificent flowers.

We got one-tenth of an inch of rain in the wee hours of Sunday morning and there's a 24% chance of more drizzle overnight so I decided to cut the second 'Medallion' rose to bloom this year too

Back view: While I was on the back slope, I cut a couple stems of the red trumpet vine that also runs rampant down there.  Inherited with the garden, I've always thought it was Bignonia capreolata but it appears it's actually Distictis buccinatoria (syn Bignonia cherere).

The top view provides a good look at the poppy, a Southern California native often called the fried egg poppy

Top row: Achillea 'Moonshine', Agonis flexuosa 'Nana', and Alstroemeria 'Inca Sundance'
Middle row: Antirrhimum majus 'Double Azalea Bronze', another noID snapdragon, and Distictis buccinatoria
Bottom row: Grevillea 'Peaches & Cream', Romneya coulteri, and Rosa 'Medallion'

My second arrangement was inspired by the first flowers of the Renga lilies (Arthropodium cirratum).  The flowers are exceptionally difficult to photograph so you may have to accept my word for it that they're very pretty.  The attractive foliage is evergreen and the plants do well in dry shade, which makes them valuable in my view.  The species is native to New Zealand.  I added foxgloves again as those chunky flower stems are currently plentiful.  I filled in with a lot of the cool season flowers in my cutting garden to take advantage of them while they last.

The colors are similar to the second arrangement I created last week and the arrangement contains some of the same cool season flowers, like the foxgloves and sweet peas

Back view: In addition to the Renga lilies, new elements include the first flowers of Centaurea 'Silver Feather' and Nigella 'African Bride'.  I sowed seeds of both 'Nigella papillosa 'African Bride' and Nigella hispanica 'Chocolate and Cream' but they seem to be one in the same despite the discrepancy in their species names.

Top view

Top row: Arthropodium cirratum, Centaurea 'Silver Feathers' (with Coriandrum sativum), and Consolida ajacis
Middle row: Correa 'Wyn's Wonder', Digitalis purpurea, and Lathyrus odoratus 'High Scent' with 'Sir Jimmy Shand'
Bottom row: Lathyrus 'Navy' (and 'Blue Shift', not shown), Nigella 'African Bride', and Scabiosa columbaria 'Flutter Rose Pink'

I often have a problem tossing out blooms I've already cut and this week was no exception.  I tossed a few of the remaining stems in a small cactus-shaped vase for my home office.

The vase contains short stems of Grevillea 'Peaches & Cream' and Nigella orientalis 'Transformer' and unopened buds of Romneya coulteri 

For more arrangements created from materials on hand, visit our IAVOM host, Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.

All material © 2012-2021 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

In a Vase on Monday / Bloom Day Mash-up - July 2019

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, hosted by Carol at May Dreams Gardens, and In a Vase on Monday, hosted by Cathy at Rambling in the Garden, are once again falling on the same day and, rather than publishing two separate posts, I've merged the two.  They are related.  My affection for flowers is at the heart of my avid participation in both memes.

I'll start the mash-up with this week's vase.  There's just one for a change!

I went with a burgundy and white color mix.  There's burgundy in the blooms of the wild carrot (Daucus carota 'Dara'), the spots on the white foxgloves (Digitalis purpurea 'Dalmatian White'), and the foliage of Leptospermum 'Copper Glow'.  Dangling down the front of the vase are the tiny dark red flowers of Lotus jacobaeus, which look almost black.

Although I added a little dusty pink in the back in the form of an ornamental oregano (Origanum 'Monterey Bay')

Top view

Rather than my usual collage showing a close-up of each component of my arrangement, I'll show you what these plants look like in my garden.

Daucus carota 'Dara' ( wild carrot) is new to my garden.  I'm hoping it'll self-seed.

I planted Digitalis purpurea in my cutting garden this past winter.  It's usually done in by the time summer arrives but we had an unusually cool spring and, thus far, a mild summer.

Leptospermum 'Copper Glow' hit its peak of bloom in late June/early July.  The onset of warmer temperatures during the past week is slowly taking out its pretty white flowers.

Origanum 'Monterey Bay' is a vigorous summer bloomer here.  It flops but I don't mind.

The only element of the arrangement I didn't include in the photos above is the Lotus jabobaeus spilling down the front of the vase.  You can find that later in my post among my final collages.  Now let's focus on the current stars of my July garden.

The yellow flowers woven between the Agaves in this succulent bed are Crassula pubescens ssp radicans

I'd hoped to have more Dahlias in bloom by mid-July as I planted my tubers earlier this year but perhaps the cooler weather slowed their flowering.  I've got buds on lots of plants but only 3 are blooming at the moment.  Dahlia 'Citron du Cap' (left) just produced its first bloom while 'Enchantress' (middle) and 'Labyrinth' (right) have been blooming for weeks now.

Grevillea 'Ned Kelly', shown here with Gaillardia aristata 'Amber Wheels', produces its blooms in flushes

All my Lavandula angustifolia are blooming but this one is making a big splash in my cutting garden

Leonotis leonurus (aka lion's tail) is doing especially well this year.  I credit all the extra rain we had winter into early spring.

The ruffled Shasta daisies (Leucanthemum x superbum) are also blooming heavily this year

Pandorea jasminoides 'Alba' (aka bower vine) came with the garden

Many of the plants that were going strong last month are still doing so this month.

Dozens of clumps of Agapanthus also came with the garden.  They were the stars of my June garden and they're still doing well, although some of the blooms are getting ragged.

The blue lisianthus (Eustoma grandiflorum) have been blooming for weeks but blooms in other colors have been slow to make an appearance.  The yellow bloom on the right, returning for a second year, is the first to show up.

Grevillea 'Superb' blooms steadily year-round.  It's joined in this bed by Cotyledon orbiculata (aka pig's ear, lower middle) and Cuphea 'Vermillionaire' (lower right).

The Matilija poppies (Romneya coulteri) at the bottom of my back slope are well above my head and thus hard to photograph.  As I had a second run-in with fire ants down there, I haven't been visiting that section of my garden as often as I'd like.

Varieties of Salvia clevelandii are in bloom in different parts of my garden but 'Winnefred Gilman' is the strongest performer

Lagurus ovata (aka bunny tail grass) has been blooming for months and is beginning to wane

In addition to the dahlias, wild carrot and ornamental oregano that took off this month, several other blooms taking the stage.

The Albizia julibrissin (aka mimosa) trees have been in bloom in my area for some time now but the first blooms on my tree appeared late last week

This noID Anigozanthos (aka kangaroo paws) is the only one of the 2 I planted years ago to bloom this year

Aster/Symphyotrichum chilensis 'Purple Haze' produced its first flowers last week too.  Aided by the heavier-than-usual winter rains, the drought-tolerant California native has spread much more vigorously than I'd expected, to the point of becoming pesky.

Hesperaloe parviflora 'Brakelights', planted almost 5 years ago, has been slow to develop

This is the first time I've gotten a bee balm to bloom in my garden.  This is Monarda 'Peter's Purple'.

I'll end the Bloom Day portion of this post as I usually do with an array of collages depicting the best of the rest of what's in bloom now, organized by color. 

Top row: Artichoke, Catananche caerulea, and Delphinium 'Pacific Giant'
Second row: Limonium perezii, Melaleuca thymifolia, and Osteospermum '4D Silver'
Third row: Osteospermum 'Violet Ice', Plectranthus neochilus, and Polygala fruticosa
Bottom row: Salvia cacaliifolia, Thymus serphyllum, and Wahlenbergia 'Blue Cloud'

Top row: Alstroemeria 'Indian Summer', Calendula 'Zeolights', and Grevillea 'Peaches & Cream'
Middle row: Gallardia 'Arizona Sun', Gazania 'Gold Flame', and Helichrysum 'Icicles'
Bottom row: Lantana camara 'Irene', Lobelia laxiflora, and Tagetes lemmonii 

Top row: Allium sphaerocephalon, Arbutus 'Marina', Bougainvillea, and Centranthus ruber
Second row: Cistus 'Sunset', Gomphreana 'Itsy Bitsy', Hebe 'Wiri Blush', and Leucadendron 'Devil's Blush'
Third row: noId lily, Lotus jacobaeus, Osteospermum 'Berry White', and Pelargonium peltatum
Bottom row: Pelargonium peltatum 'Pink Blizzard, noID Pentas, Rosa 'Pink Meidiland' and Salvia canariensis

Top row: Abelia grandiflora 'Edward Goucher' and Achillea ptarmica 'Peter Cottontail'
Second row: Centranthus ruber 'Albus' and Gaura lindheimeri
Third row: Fuchsia mangellanica 'Hawkshead', Magnolia grandiflora, and self-seeded Osteospermum
Bottom row: Scaevola 'Compact White', Persicaria 'Red Dragon' and Tanacetum parthenium

For more Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day posts, visit Carol at May Dreams Gardens here.  For more IAVOM posts, visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden here.

Today's vase in place on the card table serving as our dining table for the duration of our home remodel

All material © 2012-2019 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party