In a Vase on Monday: Strange bedfellows

Finding flowers to fill a vase (much less my usual two or three vases) has become more of a challenge with each passing week.  Only a handful of flower species are currently available in a bountiful supply but of course I try not to repeat myself.  As my Correa 'Pink Eyre' (aka Australian fuchsia) is dripping in blooms, I knew I wanted to use it again but I'd no idea what to pair with it until I tripped over two stems of pink Alstroemeria blooming off-season while doing some pruning.  Unfortunately, one of those stems was no longer vase-worthy when I went to pick them yesterday morning and the second one started to collapse as I began putting my arrangement together so some shuffling was required.

Stems of Camellia sasanqua and a noID orchid I've had for more than 25 years took over as the vase's focal points.  The orchid was given to me by one of my husband's former bosses, whose mother reportedly brought it with her from China.  My best guess is that it's a Cattleya of some kind.

The diminished noID Alstroemeria was tucked into the back of the arrangement

Top view

Clockwise from the upper left: noID Alstroemeria, noID Camellia sasanqua, Correa pulchella 'Pink Eyre', the noID orchid that might be a Cattleya, Pentas lanceolata, and Prostanthera ovatifolia 'Variegata' foliage

After cutting one orchid, I decided why not cut another one while I was at it, especially as the orchid in question fit the color mix I'd already selected. 

Both orchids were in my lath (shade) house.  This noID miniature Phalaenopsis has been blooming for two months and was starting to fade so I justified cutting it on that basis.

I dressed up the back of the arrangement with a stem of white Dianthus

The most unusual element is Pelargonium 'Colocho', shown in this view jutting out at roughly the two and eight o'clock positions when viewed from overhead.  It's growth habit is very interesting but this arrangement doesn't show off its shape to its best advantage.  You can find better photos here.

Clockwise from the upper left: noID miniature Phalaenopsis, Polygala fruticosa (aka sweet pea shrub), Pelargonium 'Colocho', Dianthus barbatus 'Dash White', Salvia canariensis var candissima, and Westringia fruticosa 'Morning Light'

For more IAVOM creations, visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden who leads this weekly parade.

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

In a Vase On Monday: Variations on a Theme

An alternative title for this post might be: Not all Blues Go Together.  My first Freesias, a blue variety, began blooming 2 weeks ago.  I wanted to use them in a vase and, when I discovered last week that the Ceanothus at the bottom of my back slope was also in bloom that sealed the deal on putting together a blue-themed vase.  The trouble was: I didn't like how the Ceanothus and the Freesia looked alongside one another.  So, I've got 2 vases - surprise!  Yes, I know that's not much of a surprise from me but I'd intended to put together a second vase using red flowers in recognition of Valentine's Day.  That plan was scrapped, at least for the time being.

The first vase, featuring Ceanothus and Echium, bears some similarity to the vase I created 2 weeks ago but this one has its own personality.

I kept to blue and white flowers this time around

In addition to white flowers, I used the variegated foliage of a Westringia to lighten up the arrangement

As white flowers are in limited supply in my garden at the moment, I used Dianthus again too

Clockwise from the upper left: Ageratum houstonianum, Dianthus caryophyllus 'Cut Flower White', Globularia x indubia, Osteospermum '4D Silver', Echium handiense, Westringia 'Morning Light', Westringia fruticosa, and, in the middle, Ceanothus arboreus 'Cliff Schmidt'

The Freesia went into a smaller vase, which ended up with a split personality of sorts.

Inclusion of the violet-tinged variegated foliage of a Hebe (now classified as Veronica) shifted the arrangement in a pinker direction

The addition of Moroccan daisies and new Narcissus blooms gave the back view an entirely different look

Top view

Clockwise from the upper left: Freesia, Veronica 'Neprock' (aka Hebe 'Purple Shamrock'), Limonium perezii, Osteospermum 'Berry White', noID Narcissus, and Pyrethropsis hosmarianse (aka Moroccan daisy)

Last week's vases stood up surprisingly well but I chucked their contents on Sunday anyway.  The new arrangements took over the usual spots.  For more In a Vase on Monday posts, visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.

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

In a Vase on Monday: From subtle to vivid

This is my one-thousandth post since starting this blog in late December 2012.  I've participated in several memes in that period but none more frequently than "In a Vase on Monday," which I joined in March 2014, so it seems entirely appropriate that this post falls on a Monday.  As it's December, there's less blooming in my garden than usual but, hey, when you''re lucky enough to live in coastal Southern California, there's always something.  Today's vases may be far from the most unique or interesting I've created over the course of well over 200 IAVOM posts but every week I'm still surprised at just how much I can find to cobble together to fill one vase, if not two or more.

My first vase was inspired by the soft cream-colored blooms of Correa 'Ivory Bells'.

The blooms on Correa 'Ivory Bells' are more profuse than those of any of my other Australian fuchsias and the buttercream flowers of the Mimulus (monkeyflower) I picked up several weeks ago complement them perfectly

I added Moroccan daisies (Pyrethropsis hosmarinese)  to the back of the arrangement

The buff color of the ornamental grass's plumes echoes the underside of the Correa's leaves

Clockwise from the upper left: Abelia x grandiflora 'Hopley's Variegated', Correa 'Ivory Bells', Laurel nobilis, Pennisetum 'Fireworks', Pyrethropsis hosmariense, Westringia fruticosa 'Morning Light', and Mimulus 'Jelly Bean Buttercream'

The inspiration for my second vase came from the vivid colors of an orchid bloom spike.

The orchid is reportedly a hybrid combining genes of Oncidium, Odontoglossum, and Miltonia, now classified as Oncostele. (Orchid genealogy makes my eyes cross.)

I picked up the red color in the orchid using Celosia 'Intenz' (shown here at the back of the vase)

and the red flower-like bracts of two Leucadendrons, but I think the variegated foliage of Leucadendron 'Jester'  did more to pull the composition together

Clockwise from the upper left: Celosia argentea 'Intenz', Coleonema pulchellum 'Sunset Gold', Leucadendron 'Devil's Blush', L. 'Safari Sunset', Leptospermum 'Copper Glow', Oncostele 'Wildcat' and, in the center, Leucadendron 'Jester'

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

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

In a Vase on Monday: Simpler

I've got a tendency to cram too much into the arrangements I create for "In a Vase on Monday," the weekly meme hosted by Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.  This week I kept things simpler.  Of course, that was partly out of necessity as the volume of blooms available for cutting has diminished.  Still, I know I'm lucky to have something in bloom year-round.  Freezes and snow aren't an issue here.

My first arrangement was inspired by blooms on the snapdragons I planted as plugs in my cool season cutting garden a few weeks ago.  I'd initially thought I'd play up the yellow color in those blooms with the gold flowers of Tagetes lemmonii but my husband dislikes their scent and as he wasn't feeling well to begin with I shelved that idea.  However, I was surprised to find that the pink Camellias growing nearby didn't look half bad paired with the snapdragons.

The "bronze" snapdragons contain a lot of pink in their petals, which play off the vivid pink of the noID Camellias

Back view

Top view

Clockwise from the upper left: noID Camellia sasanqua, Antirrhinum majus (shown with Correa 'Dusky Bells'), Correa 'Wyn's Wonder', and Coleonema pulchellum 'Sunset Gold' (showing off a scattering of tiny pink flowers)

The bush violets (Barleria obtusa) are still the most abundant blooms in my garden but finding plants to accent them was a challenge, especially as there's a shortage of white flowers in my garden at the moment.  In this case, bringing in a strong foliage accent made the difference.

With few white flowers in the garden, variegated coast rosemary (Westringia 'Morning Light') helped to brighten the arrangement

This Westringia sports small white flowers but most of these withered away during our last round of high winds

Top view

Clockwise from the upper left: Barleria obtusa, Fuchsia mangellanica 'Hawkshead' (new to my garden), Osteospermum hybrid '4D Silver', and Westringia fruticosa 'Morning Light'

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

My thanks to all of you who expressed concern about our wildfires last week.  By way of an update (assuming your news providers aren't reporting on the fires nearly non-stop as ours are), the largest fires in Northern and Southern California, the Camp and Woolsey Fires, aren't fully contained yet but the brave firefighters have made substantial progress and the prospect for rain mid-week could aid them further, provided it doesn't come down too hard and cause mudslides in the burn areas.  The air quality here in the south has improved but I understand that the situation in the northern part of the state is terrible.  Hopefully, rain will help there too.  Sadly, it seems that it'll be awhile yet before we know the full extent of the lives lost in the Camp Fire, now given the dubious title of California's most destructive wildfire.


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

Foliage Follow-up - August 2017

Most of my posts probably scream "flower addict" but foliage is really the dominant feature of my garden.  That's clearest during the mid-to-late summer months when flowers retreat from view.

There are still a few flowers in the front garden but I think this photo shows the importance of foliage here.  The swaths of chartreuse color are provided by Coleonema pulchellum 'Sunset Gold' and Duranta repens.  The red tones of Leptospermum 'Copper Glow' are echoed in Pennisetum advena 'Rubrum' and Coprosma 'Fireburst'.  Phormium 'Maori Queen' marries the chartreuse and red colors, helping to tie everything together.

The large clumps of red fountain grass are more visible in this photo.  The magenta seedpods of Cercis occidentalis and the red color of selected succulents on the front-facing slope pick up the red color of the grasses.

The Coprosma 'Fireburst' shown in this photo in front of Phormium 'Maori Queen' and Euphorbia characias 'Black Pearl' was added recently to replace a Grevillea 'Pink Midget' which found this area a bit too dry.  There are 2 other 'Fireburst' shrubs in the same bed already.

Leucadendron 'Wilson's Wonder' provides more red/orange color in this section of the front garden closer to the south end of the house.  Abelia 'Kaleidoscope' contributes a softer version of the same warm tones elsewhere in the bed and there are more red echoes in the distance, provided by Cotinus coggygria 'Royal Purple' and Pennisetum 'Fireworks'.  The Leucadendron also echoes the chartreuse of the large Duranta behind it.

There were a few individual foliage stand-outs elsewhere I want to highlight this month as well.

After nearly 4 years in this bed in the backyard, 2 of my Agave lophantha 'Quadicolor' have finally produced pups

I planted this Westringia fruticosa 'Morning Light' in just the right spot near the front of the long border in the back garden.  I'm planning to move 2 others forward this fall so they can also shine.

Artemisia ludoviciana seedlings planted themselves in various areas of the garden.  Unsure as to what they were, I moved them to this area in the cutting garden.  They've become a bit tall for the space but their placement has been useful as I frequently include the foliage in floral arrangements as a filler.  I also like how the foliage captures the late afternoon sun.

Pam at Digging hosts Foliage Follow-up each month after Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day.  To see her August foliage picks and those of other gardeners, click here.


All material © 2012-2017 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

January Favorites

After 4 inches of rain on Sunday, the sun reappeared on Monday, offering an opportunity to give the garden a thorough once over.  With heavy rains at intervals over the past 2 months, the season-to-date rain total in my area is more than twice what we got during the entirety of the October 2015-September 2016 season.  According to the US Drought Portal, my area now is now classified as in "severe drought."  Does that sound bad?  Well, maybe it's not exactly great but it's MUCH better than the "exceptional drought" designation we had when our winter rainy season began in October.

I spied a rainbow peeking out below the exiting rain clouds earlier this week

There are weeds popping up all over.  (I had remarkably few issues with weeds last year - apparently, even weeds didn't like our drought.)  But, in addition to weeds, California poppy seedlings are popping up in several locations, mere weeks after I complained about the difficulties I've had growing those flowers from seed.  It also wasn't hard to find plants to get excited about for the monthly favorite plants post hosted by Loree at danger garden.  Instead I had to winnow my list down so as not to be obnoxious.

So here's what made this month's cut, starting in the back garden:

Agonis cognata 'Cousin Itt' probably gets more than it's fair share of attention in this blog but doesn't it look good here under the tree?  Maybe I'm imagining things but I swear it grew a few inches in height in the past month.  This mass is comprised of just 3 shrubs, all planted in fall 2012.  I have plants in a few other areas but none have done quite as well as these.

Directly opposite the Acacia on the other side of the flagstone path, Rosmarinus officinalis 'Gold Dust' is coming into its own.  I planted 5 4-inch plants here in March 2014.  Variegated leaves are responsible for the gold cast to its foliage.

Agonis flexuosa 'Nana' is a dwarf version of the peppermint willow trees I have elsewhere in the garden.  The foliage has the same light peppermint scent and new growth emerges in a pretty reddish-orange.  The growth spurt visible here is attributable to the rain.  I used 3 shrubs to screen the small patio on the south side of the garden, a job it's done effectively.

This is Westringia fruticosa 'Morning Light' (aka coast rosemary).  Like the Acacia and the Agonis, this plant hails from Australia.  I planted 4 of these last year to add some sparkle to the backyard border.

The steep upper section of the back slope still looks awful and now weeds punctuate the empty spaces between dead ivy and honeysuckle vines but there are some stars to be found in the lower section:

The 3 Ribes viburnifolium (aka Catalina Perfume), planted in 2011, are in full bloom.  It isn't a flashy plant most of the year but it holds the slope and it tolerates dry shade conditions.  The leaves are glossy now that they've been cleaned by the rain.

This is one of 3 Pittosporum tenuifolium 'Silver Magic' we planted at the boundary line of the property after we took out the invasive Yucca elephantipes forest that had previously grown there.  These plants, which are outside our irrigation zone, have struggled, in part because the massive Yucca roots continue to decay and the ground here has slowly sunken in response.  However, this shrub looks as though it nearly doubled in breadth overnight in response to January's heavy rain.

Out in the front garden, I found a couple more plants to crow about:

Agave impressa, a solitary growing species, bore the red stripes of a bad sunburn during the summer but it's a healthy green now, surrounded by Graptoveria 'Fred Ives' and other  happy succulents.  The raccoons have been digging in this bed, even through the gravel cover, but they haven't bothered the agaves.

Rhodanthemum hosmariensis (aka Moroccan daisy) is producing loads of white flowers.  Although I love daisies, I almost prefer the pretty buds that stand out against the silvery foliage.  Formerly classified as Chrysanthemum and more recently reclassified as Pyrethropsis hosmariense, the former genus Rhodanthemum is what's still stuck in my head.

Finally, although it already featured prominently in my January Bloom Day post, I have to mention Leucadendron 'Wilson's Wonder' as January is its month to glow - literally.

I have 2 of these plants now.  The first, shown at the top of this collage, is one of the few shrubs I brought with me from our old house, where it'd been confined in a pot.  I put it in the ground in the front garden shortly after we moved in 6 years ago and it exploded in size.  I haven't properly measured it but I'd guess it's about 6 feet tall and wide now.  It's bracts turn red in summer but winter is all about the yellow cone flowers.  I added a second shrub, shown on the lower right, in November 2014.

I'll cut the list there this month but visit Loree at danger garden to discover what she and other gardeners have pulled out of the hat during what's been a very difficult winter in many regions.


All material © 2012-2017 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party