In a Vase on Monday: Best wishes for a Merry Christmas!

I was leaning toward an arrangement featuring Grevillea 'Superb' this week but I knew if I did that it was going to end up looking very much like the one I created just before Thanksgiving just based on what's currently available in my garden.  Instead, I selected Leucadendron 'Blush' as my starting point to create an arrangement featuring tones of pink and burgundy.

The appearance of a single rose bloom, shown here at the front of the arrangement, was pure serendipity.  To the best of my recollection, this is the first time 'California Dreamin' has bloomed this year.

Back view, highlighting the burgundy elements of Plectranthus scutellarioides 'Vino' (aka coleus) and Pennisetum advena 'Rubrum'

Top view

Clockwise from the upper left: Correa pulchella 'Pink Eyre', Leptospermum scoparium 'Pink Pearl', Leucadendron 'Jubilee Crown', L. salignum 'Blush', Pennisetum advena 'Rubrum', Persicaria capitata (aka knotweed), Plectranthus scutellarioides 'Vino', and Rosa 'California Dreamin'

I also picked a few stems to create a new arrangement for the kitchen island.

A single stem of the orchid, Oncostele 'Wildcat', kicked off this arrangement.  As new floral stems are developing and this one had already been blooming for at least 2 months, I didn't feel bad about cutting it.  

Rear view: I selected the red berries to play off the red color in the orchid

Top view

Left to right: noID Cotoneaster, Oncostele 'Wildcat', and Phylica pubescens (aka featherhead)

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

Best wishes for a safe and happy Christmas!

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

In a Vase on Monday: Flowers are in short supply

My flower supply is greatly diminished but I resisted falling back on my Grevilleas this week.  The Camellias are still plentiful but they shatter easily, especially when the air is as dry as it's been of late.  As I wandered my garden, I focused on foliage plants and looked for the odd flowers that might serve as accents.  One arrangement turned out better than I'd expected but the second was so disappointing I was tempted to throw the whole thing in the trash.

The first arrangement started with Leucadendron 'Safari Sunset', which has colorful bracts that look almost like flowers.

Although the Leucadendron stems were my starting point, I think the single orchid stem placed in front did a lot to pull the whole arrangement together.  That Phalaenopsis has been blooming in my lath (shade) house for about 2 months now.

Back view: The coleus (now classified as Plectranthus scutellarioides) also pulled colors together

Top view:  The chartreuse color of the coleus led to the selection of the flowering bloom spikes produced by Mangave 'Bloodspot'

Clockwise from the upper left: Leucadendron 'Safari Sunset', Mangave 'Bloodspot' bloom spikes, Phalaenopsis 'Balden's Kaleidoscope', Plectranthus scutellarioides 'Pineapple', and Prunus caroliniana

While I like each of the individual components of the second arrangement, they just didn't come together well.

Clockwise from the upper left are flowers of Bauhinia x blakeana (aka Hong Kong orchid tree), Pelargonium peltatum 'Dark Burgundy', Cyclamen 'Djix', and Gomphrena decumbens 'Itsy Bitsy', shown with foliage of Centaurea 'Silver Feather'

Front view: The Centaurea foliage I've been in the process of cutting back was the starting point but I think it's better paired with larger flowers.  Even after I'd thinned the foliage and cut it down in size, it overwhelmed these flowers.

Back view: I should have picked longer stems of the Bauhinia and scrapped the short-stemmed Pelargonium and Cyclamen flowers

Sometimes the overhead view looks better than the other views of my arrangements but this wasn't one of those times

The Anemones in my cutting garden have sprouted foliage and the Ranunculus are just beginning to follow suit.  I planted plugs of foxgloves and snapdragons a month ago too.  However, nothing is anywhere near bloom stage yet.   In the void, succulents may make an appearance in my December IAVOM posts - or perhaps my arrangements will shrink to tiny dimensions for a time.  We'll see.

For a look at what other IAVOM contributors have come up with this week, visit our host, Cathy in Rambling in the Garden.

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

Bloom Day - September 2021

It's hard for me to get excited about my garden in late summer, especially this year when the garden never got the boost normally provided by our winter rainy season.  The downside of sandy, well-drained soil is that it doesn't hold onto moisture long enough.  I'd like to give everything a really good soak but I feel guilty about providing extra water when our drought is so serious.  Even when I find something new in bloom, I can't avoid seeing what's dead or dying out of the corner of my eye.  However, my Bloom Day survey helped put things in perspective!  I may not have as many flowers in bloom as I did last year or the year before but I've still got a good supply to share this September.

I haven't watered my cutting garden as much as I usually do during the hot summer months but it's still watered much more liberally than the rest of my garden.  The dahlias and zinnias are once again playing starring roles.

Dahlia 'Akita', which I'm growing for the first time this year, is my favorite.  These are three views of the same flower as it aged.

Other Dahlias blooming at the moment include, clockwise from the upper left: 'Cafe au Lait', 'Cafe au Lait Royal', 'Enchantress', 'Gitt's Crazy', 'Summer's End', and 'Waltzing Mathilda'.  'Loverboy' and 'Breakout' have buds but haven't yet bloomed.  'Iceberg', 'Kogane Fabuki', and 'Magic Moment' look like they're nearing bud stage but that may be wishful thinking on my part.

Like my Dahlias, the Zinnias got a late start.  The top row features 3 varieties in the 'Profusion' series, purchased as plugs.
Second row: seed-sown 'Benary's Giant Wine' (first 2 photos) and 'Benary's Giant Salmon Rose'
Third row: seed-sown 'Queen Red Lime' and 'Queen Lime Orange'

Several plants surprised me by putting on strong showings in defiance of summer's heat.

Euryops chrysanthemoides 'Sonnenschein', a common plant putting on an uncommon performance in partial shade with relatively little water

The #1 bee magnet in my garden this summer is this African blue basil (Ocimum hybrid)

All my Phalaenopsis (moth orchids) are blooming in my shaded lath house.  I don't have proper names for any of them.

However, the most unexpected blooms were these:

This Plumeria was a gift from a neighbor who found this cutting and others in a trash can.  I've had another, larger Plumeria in a bigger pot for years and it's never bloomed.

 As many of the summer bloomers begin to shut down, others are just getting started:

This twiggy Bauhinia x blakeana (aka Hong Kong orchid tree) needs a good trim, which will have to wait as it's full of flowers (most well above my head)

This year, I managed to get Clematis terniflora (aka sweet autumn clematis) to climb to the very top of its arbor, also putting the flowers above my head (and making them difficult to photograph in the process)

Correa 'Ivory Bells' (aka Australian fuchsia)

The Japanese anemones have apparently been reclassified as Eriocapitella hupehensis

I thought this hybrid Nepeta 'Blue Prelude' had given up last month but it came back to life this month.  Even more miraculous, the neighborhood cat that spends a lot of time here hasn't eaten it to the ground as he's done with every other catmint I've planted.

I was late in cutting back the ornamental grasses this year but Pennisetum advena 'Rubrum' is getting its bloom on now

I've tried growing Plectranthus ecklonii twice before without success but it looks as though I finally found a spot it likes.  Planted in March, it's still well shy of the 6 foot plant it's supposed to become but it's alive and flowering.

Vitex trifolia 'Purpurea' (aka Arabian lilac) is also difficult to photograph but it produces a lot of these delicate flowers and the leaves are also attractive

As usual, the dependable Grevilleas continue to deliver.

Grevillea 'Superb' (left and top right) and G. 'Peaches & Cream' flower year round in my climate and both bees and hummingbirds love them as much as I do

I'll close with my usual color collages showing blooms found here and there in my garden.

Top row: Centranthus ruber, Cuphea 'Starfire Pink', and Eustoma grandiflorum
Second row: noID Gladiolus, Rosa 'Pink Meidiland', and Pentas lanceolata
Third row: Scabiosa columbaria 'Flutter Rose Pink', Daucus carota 'Dara', and Gomphrena decumbens 'Itsy Bitsy'

Top row: Duranta repens, Leucophyllum laevigatum, and Lycianthes ratonnetii
Second row: Pelargonium peltatum, noID Scaevola, and Symphyotrichum chilense
Third row: Trichostemma 'Midnight Magic', Verbena bonariensis 'Lollipop', and Wahlenbergia 'Blue Cloud'

Top row: Amaryllis belladonna, Angelonia 'Archangel White', and Cosmos bipinnatus
Second row: Crassula pubescens radicans 'Large Red', noID Gazania, and Globularia x indubia
Third row: Lantana 'Lucky White', Pandorea jasminoides, and Zephyranthes candida

Top row: Achillea 'Moonshine' Helianthus 'Lemon Queen', and Lantana 'Lucky Yellow'
Second row: Gazania 'Red Stripe' and Lantana 'Irene'
Third row: Xerochrysum bracteatum in red and orange

To see what's blooming elsewhere in the country and the world, visit Carol at May Dreams Gardens.

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

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

Shade Plant Successes

I began stocking my lath (shade) house shortly after my husband completed its construction in late December 2017.  I moved my small orchid collection there immediately but other additions were haphazard.  Over time, I've scrapped some plants and added others.  The space is relatively small after all so I can't load it with every pretty shade plant I see.  Much of what I added early on wasn't particularly interesting or unusual and those items, if they survived, have slowly been dropped to make room for others.  Many represent experiments and everything must prove its worth to earn its place.

Ferns were an early focus as, with the exception of the weedy western sword fern (Polystichum munitum), most ferns don't survive long in the open areas of my garden.  Several of those I tried failed quickly even in my lath house but there are two that have earned their stripes.

Asplenium nidus, aka lasagna fern

Platycerium veitchii, a variety of staghorn fern

Begonias, particularly those grown more for their foliage than their flowers, have earned a lot of space, surprising even me.  Here are just a portion of those on display in the lath house:

Begonia 'Amberley'

Begonia 'Champagne Bubbles' was neglected and got a bit crispy a couple of months ago but it seems to be recovering.  I've got it planted in a small African violet pot, which has a water reservoir.

This begonia came without a label.  I originally guessed it was 'Nautilus Lilac' but I now think it could be 'First Blush'.

This is 'Little Darling', planted in another African violet pot

I'm very pleased with how well this unidentified Begonia looks in its Muradian pot

This is 'Palomar Prince', another begonia I thought I'd killed at one point that rebounded given time and patience

There are also a few plants grown exclusively for their foliage.

Philodendron 'Prince of Orange' was a gift.  Its stay in the lath house was intended to be temporary but it's so happy there, I haven't been able to bring myself to move it into the drier conditions of our house.

I've tried growing several fuchsias in the lath house.  I suspect they don't get enough light there as they've been disappointing thus far but I still have four that occasionally flower.  The hydrangeas haven't thrilled me either, although I still have one of those.

I've had this Hydrangea macrophylla 'Shooting Star' for many years and, although I repeatedly mistreat it, it's been very forgiving

Hoyas, which I introduced more for their foliage than for their flowers are slowly growing on me (no pun intended).

I have three of these trailing plants in the lath house (as well as one on my south patio).  Two have recently started to bloom, perhaps because I've been more conscientious about watering them this year.

Based on the heart-shaped leaves, I believe this one is Hoya kerrii.  I received it as a gift last Christmas and tucked it into a pot given to me by the same friend on another occasion.  It's still a small plant and hasn't flowered yet but it's sent a stem straight up this year as if it has something planned.

This one was sold to me without a name but, based on the variegated foliage and the occasional pink leaves it produces, I think this may be Hoya carnosa tricolor.

I also bought this one without a label.  My best guess is that it's Hoya obovata 'Splash'.

Orchids have retained a good portion of the space available in the lath hours but several are facing the possibility of eviction.  Few orchids have attractive foliage in my opinion and, while many have long-lived flowers, most don't flower very often.  A few of the smaller varieties have been especially rewarding.

I've had this one for a long time and it goes by a variety of names but I currently refer to it as Oncostele 'Wildcat'

If I had a name for this one I've lost it but I believe it's a Phalaenopsis

This is another noID Phalaenopsis.  It's been blooming for at least two months already.

I recently acquired a couple of new plants for the lath house, neither of which I've ever grown before.  The first is grown as much for its foliage as its flowers while the second is known primarily for its unusual blooms.

This was sold as Ric Rac Orchid Cactus.  Its proper name was harder to nail down as I found it listed as both Epiphyllum anguliger and Cryptocereus anthonyanus.  Still another source says that plants known by the former name have recently been reclassified as Disocactus anguliger.

This somewhat sorry looking specimen is Tacca integrifolia, aka white bat flower.  Recently received in a tiny pot by mail order, it's still settling in.  When I saw its foliage, I thought I'd been sent a Spathiphyllum by mistake but the Tacca's foliage is similar.

This is by no means a complete inventory of the contents of my lath house and, like other parts of my garden, I suspect what's there will continue to turn over with some regularity as I continue to work out what thrives  and what doesn't.

Between recent bouts with hot temperatures and poor air quality, I've accomplished very little in my garden thus far this month.  I received a mail order delivery of twelve plants on Wednesday but I've done nothing with them beyond unpacking and watering them.  If conditions improve, getting them potted or planted out will be my weekend focus.

Wherever you are, I hope conditions are favorable to do something you enjoy this weekend.

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