In a Vase on Monday: Complimentary colors

This week I put together two smaller arrangements using flowers in colors on opposite sides of the color wheel.  The first one was created using blue flowers.

Because I so frequently have difficulty accurately capturing the color of blue flowers, I photographed this arrangement from a different vantage point to take advantage of the kitchen's under-cabinet lights

Back view

Top view: The near-black flowers on the right were cut from Salvia discolor (aka Andean silver-leaf sage).  Its wiry stems trail languidly on the ground.  The leaves and stems are sticky and the plant is said to smell like black currants but my nose only detects the faintest scent.

Clockwise from the upper left: noID Ceanothus, Osteospermum '4D Silver', Salvia discolor, Teucrium fruticans 'Azureum', and Westringia fruticosa 'Morning Light'

Orange is blue's complimentary color.

After 4 weeks, it was time to retire the arrangement I've had on the kitchen island.  Its replacement kicked off with 2 snapdragon stems.

Back view: Grevillea 'Superb' is always available to fill any role required of it in an arrangement

Top view

Clockwise from the upper left: Agonis flexuosa 'Nana', Antirrhinum majus, Grevillea 'Superb', and Tagetes lemmonii

The Triplets are still on the living room mantel, looking exactly like they did last week without the benefit of any water whatsoever.  The arrangement created using Hippeastrum 'Luna' last week is still in place too.  With warmer temperatures last week, the remaining Hippeastrum bloom stalks on my back patio are opening quickly but hopefully they'll hold their blooms at least another week.

I'm still scouting my garden for suitable companions to compliment the Hippeastrum's color

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: The last dance

As "In a Vase on Monday" arrived on the heels of "Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day" this week,  I hadn't planned to put together more than one vase but I expect you won't be surprised to learn I've got two.  Really, the garden dictates these things and I just follow its directions.  The title of today's post comes from the fact that the focal flowers in both vases are the last of their kind for the season.

The first vase was inspired by Dahlia 'Rancho', which produced its first and only bloom last week.  I've dug up and stored all my other dahlia tubers and in that 'Rancho' gave me just a single bloom during the six month period it occupied space in my cutting garden, I won't be saving this tuber.  One bloom wouldn't make an arrangement on its own so I drew on more reliable flowers to flesh this one out.

The large-flowered Grevilleas bloom year-round here so Grevillea 'Peaches & Cream' with its yellow and pale orange flowers were a natural choice to play off the dahlia's color

Back view, featuring more Grevillea flowers, as well as the orange berries of Auranticarpa rhombifolia (aka diamond leaf pittosporum).  The berries are plentiful this time of year.

Top view, showing off the yellow flowers of Senna bicapsularis, another reliable fall bloomer.  The warm weather we had in October seems to be hurrying the Senna's bloom season along this year.

Clockwise from the upper left: Dahlia 'Rancho', Agonis flexuosa 'Nana', Auranticarpa rhombifolia, Senna bicapsularis, Correa 'Sister Dawn', Grevillea 'Peaches & Cream', and Leucadendron 'Jubilee Crown'

The inspiration for the second vase was actually the flowers of Salvia discolor I didn't manage to photograph for Bloom Day but the arrangement fits the "last dance" theme as it also includes what I think is the last flowering stem of Lisianthus (Eustoma grandiflorum) I'll have until spring.

Three stems of Salvia discolor (aka Andean sage) are positioned toward the back of the arrangement with the blue Lisianthus grabbing center stage.  The Salvia's flowers are nearly black.

I dressed up the back of the arrangement with 'Purple Ruffles' basil (Ocimum basilicum var. purpurescens)

Top view, showing off the still abundant Barleria obtusa (bush violet) used as filler material

Clockwise from the upper left: Eustoma grandiflorum, Barleria obtusa, Salvia discolor, Ocimum basilicum 'Purple Ruffles', and Westringia fruticosa 'Morning Light'

Last week's arrangements held up well.  That was perhaps to be expected in the case of the flower-less arrangement featuring succulents and Leucadendron stems but it was surprising in the case of the second vase.  I down-sized the contents of that arrangement, tossing out the pink Lisianthus that had already seen better days when I cut the stems last week, but retaining much of the rest.

The remaining ingredients in the down-sized arrangement include Caladium 'Debutante', Correa pulchella 'Pink Eyre', Pentas lanceolata, and Prostanthera ovatifolia 'Variegata'

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

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

Bloom Day - August 2014

Unlike some areas of the world where mid-summer brings a bounty of flowers, summer here in Southern California is a slower, more somber period in the garden.  Although temperatures have been relatively moderate since the early blast of heat we received in May, seldom exceeding 90F (32C), limiting the water we give our gardens in response to our current state of drought has the consequence of limiting the blooms we find there.

The summer stalwarts can still be found in flower although the number and vigor of the blooms is diminished.

The Angelonia planted in an area providing afternoon shade are doing better than those in full sun

Bougainvillea loves the heat (although this particular vine has remained mid-sized, which is a good thing as my husband hates Bougainvillea)

Coleonema pulchellum 'Sunset Gold' is still blooming and Gaura linheimeri has come back after a severe haircut

Duranta erecta, in a pot, produces a steady smattering of violet-blue flowers

Gaillaridia x grandiflora 'Goblin' has produced fewer flowers this year

Many of the re-blooming Hemerocallis, including 'Persian Market,' have made strong come-backs

This lavender is happy in the vegetable garden, although little else is

Pennisetum setaceum 'Rubrum' is coming into its glory

Tanacetum parthenium has slowed down but hasn't entirely stopped blooming

Only a few plants are blooming en masse:

The Bauhinia x blakeana (Hong Kong orchid tree) has more flowers than leaves at the moment

Coreopsis 'Redshift' is at the peak of bloom

The thyme in the side yard is keeping the bees busy

However, other plants are putting on a rather disappointing show:

Tibouchina urvilleana has produced only a few flowers and most of its foliage is burned

The Zinnias needed more water than they got and thus failed to flourish 

But there have been some pleasant surprises too:

This Aster x frikartii 'Monch' is small but it's holding its own despite being moved mid-year

My 'Sweet Autumn' Clematis has bloomed despite a horrible battle with aphids and a severe pruning earlier this summer

This Cymbidium is blooming again despite receiving almost no attention 

And this Phalaenopsis, also left largely to its own devices, continues to pump out blooms

Russelia equisetiformis is finally beginning to establish a presence in the backyard border

The hard-to-photograph Salvia discolor seems happy in the extended fountain bed

It probably doesn't come as a surprise that some of the best-looking specimens are succulents:

Adenium obesum, featured yesterday as my favorite plant of the week

Echeveria pulvinata 'Ruby' has produced flowers almost as pretty as her foliage

And this unidentified succulent, identified by Denise as Senecio fulgens (thanks Denise!), continues to produce one bright orange flower after another

That's it for my August Bloom Day wrap-up.  Please visit Carol, the creator and host of the monthly event that is the Gardener Bloggers' Bloom Day at May Dreams Gardens to see what's currently in bloom in other parts of the world.


All material © 2012-2014 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party