In a Vase on Monday: Cut & Dry Challenge

Today, Cathy of Rambling in the Garden is celebrating the eighth anniversary of her popular "In a Vase on Monday" meme.  Last week she posed a challenge, encouraging contributors to do something different this week, specifically to create arrangements of dried materials.  I've cheated a bit in that the two dried arrangements I have to offer are comprised of materials that have been kicking around my house for months.

This arrangement is as much about the green onyx vase as the materials in it.  The vase doesn't hold water well and the opening is too small to accept any good-sized glass or plastic insert so I've only used it for dry arrangements.

Top view

Clockwise from the left: Closeup of the stone vase, Chrondropetalum elephantinum (aka large cape rush), and Lagurus ovatus (aka bunny tail grass)

The second dry arrangement is a twist on the first.

In this case, the bunny tail grass has been combined with dried Allium seed heads

I've only planted a few Alliums in my garden as they don't usually hold up and I'm fairly certain these seed heads came from Allium aflatunense 'Violet Beauty'.  The dried material on the right is more bunny tail grass.

These are photos of Allium 'Violet Beauty' and Lagurus ovatus in bloom in my garden in May.  I planted 18 of the Alliums in 2017 but I think there were only 3 blooms this year.  On the other hand, I sowed Lagurus ovatus seeds in 2017 and they've been spreading to cover a larger area every year since.

Of course I have a fresh arrangement too.  I've been cutting flowers on a weekly basis for years, even before discovering Cathy's meme and it's become a habit.  The dahlias may be done for the season and my cool season annual flowers are only a dream as yet but I can almost always scrounge up something.

In retrospect, I probably should have tried drying the strawflowers for an arrangement but I didn't consider that early enough to have them dried by Sunday.  In addition, I understand strawflowers are best used in a beheaded state as their stems don't hold up well without being wired.

Back view, featuring the last of my Japanese anemones (Eriocapitella hupehensis)

Top view

Clockwise from the upper left: Agonis flexuosa 'Nana', berries of Auranticarpa rhombifolia, Eriocapitalla hupehensis, Corokia virgata 'Sunsplash', Grevillea 'Peaches & Cream', Senna bicapsularis, and Xerochrysum bracteatum (aka strawflower)

For more IAVOM arrangements, 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: The dahlias keep on coming

The latest flowers produced by Dahlia 'Break Out' may be getting smaller and the plant's foliage may be mildewed but I have to give it credit for going all out on floral production last week, despite the hot, dry conditions brought on by our notorious Santa Ana winds.

There are 7 'Break Out' blooms in this arrangement

Back view: I filled out the vase using recent blooms of Senna bicapsularis, among other things

Top view

Clockwise from the upper left: Abelia grandiflora 'Hopley's Variegated', Agonis flexuosa 'Nana', Dahlia Break Out', Senna bicapsularis, Tanacetum parthenium 'Aureum', and Zinnia 'Profusion Yellow'

On the other end of the spectrum, Dahlia 'Akita', the first of my dahlias to bloom this year, seems to be finishing up.

I added stems of 3 other dahlias to back-up a single bloom and partially open bud of Dahlia 'Akita'

Back view

Top view

Clockwise from the upper left: Agonis flexuosa 'Nana', Alstromeria 'Inca Sundance', Dahlia 'Mystic Illusion', D. Akita', D. 'Kogane Fubuki', D. 'Summer's End', Leptospermum 'Copper Glow', and Xerochrysum bracteatum

A few leftovers, stems cut but not used in the vases shown above, went into the small vase that frequently sits on our kitchen island.

In addition to stems of Abelia 'Hopley's Variegated' and Leptospermum 'Copper Glow', this vase contains a single flower of Dahlia 'Cafe au Lait Royal' and 2 stems of Correa pulchella 'Pink Eyre'

I'm still awaiting a bloom from Dahlia 'Iceberg'.  Planted from a tiny tuber in one of the half barrels in our front garden, it doesn't get the water or the sun the dahlias in my cutting garden receive.  I'd nearly given up on it when it finally produced buds.  Last week I thought it was a sure thing that at least one of the buds would bloom in time for IAVOM but it's operating on its own schedule, not mine. 

'Iceberg', almost but not quite there

For more IAVOM creations, visit our 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: Dreaming of Autumn

It's most definitely still summer, although I can't help dreaming that autumn is just around the corner.  It's been warmer this past week and humidity has been running higher than normal, making the heat more unpleasant.  Traditionally, Southern California has been known for its dry heat but it seems that, like so many weather trends, that may be a thing of the past.  Our temperature hit 90F (32C) for a time yesterday afternoon but, as summers go, it hasn't been bad here thus far.  (In contrast, the inland valleys are seeing much higher temperatures.)  However, it's still very dry.  My collected rainwater is long gone and, realistically, we won't see rain until late October or November.  I have to think twice before I water anything given the need to conserve water state-wide.  

My first arrangement this week is a mixture of spring and summer flowers.  One of the Hippeastrum bulbs I planted in my front garden last fall surprised me with a bloom last week.  I grew these bulbs in the ground in my former garden with no difficulty but I've had a hard time getting them established in my current garden.  When I didn't see any blooms this spring, I thought I was out of luck again but perhaps the bulb just needed extra time to settle in.  I hope this success signifies that I've finally found the right spot for them.

Hippeastrum are commonly referred to as Amaryllis even by bulb sellers, but they're a different genus than the true Amaryllis, although both are part of the Amaryllidaceae family.  This one is 'Zombie'.  I inadvertently managed to break one of the flowers off the main stem so I popped it into a tiny vase.

The back view is dressed up with Zinnia 'Queen Lime Orange', grown from seed

The top view shows off strawflowers (Xerochrysum bracteatum) grown from a single seedling received as a gift from blogger friend Denise of A Growing Obsession.  She gave me four seedlings but the rabbits apparently ate the three I planted in a backyard bed.

Clockwise from the upper left: Abelia grandiflora 'Hopley's Variegated', Agonis flexuosa 'Nana', Hippeastrum 'Zombie', Leucadendron 'Jester' (pale pink rather than red as it's planted in shade), Xerochrysum bracteatum, and Zinnia elegans 'Queen Lime Orange'

My second arrangement is channeling an autumn mood with colors of red, gold and brown.  The centerpiece is a new-to-me Echibeckia, which is an intergeneric hybrid of Echinacea and Rudbeckia.

I bought the Echibeckia 'Summerina Orange' on a whim a few weeks ago

Back view, filled out with a couple of stems of Leonotis leonurus

Top view, showing off the feathery plumes of Pennisetum 'Rubrum', which are only just beginning to make their annual appearance in my garden

Clockwise from the upper left: Echibeckia 'Summerina Orange', Lantana 'Lucky Orange', Leonotis leanurus, Pennisetum advena 'Rubrum', Plectranthus scutellariodes 'Pineapple' (aka coleus), and a prop celebrating summer harvest season

As usual, last week's most presentable leftovers went into a small vase to brighten our kitchen island.

Eustoma grandiflorum (Lisianthus), Tanacetum parthenium, and Leucadendron 'Jubilee Crown' all have long vase lives

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

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