In a Vase on Monday: Some flowers keep on giving...

I had Peruvian lilies (Alstroemeria) in mind when I selected the title of today's post but the statement applies to other flowers in the arrangements shown below as well.  Our marine layer and cooler temperatures are partially responsible for the resilience of some plants this year but others are just plain tough.

The first arrangement was inspired by two roses, which aren't tough at all.  There was a chance of rain in the early hours of Sunday morning and the irrigation system was also scheduled to run.  Neither does many favors for full blown roses so I cut four stems Saturday evening.  However, the Alstroemeria and Grevillea stems I added are the toughies.

Grevillea 'Superb' is currently flowering so heavily, it demanded to be cut back.  This shrub flowers year-round but I've never seen it flowering as heavily as it has this year.

Back view

Top view

Top row: Abelia 'Kaleidoscope' and Alstroemerias 'Third Harmonic' and 'Inca Husky'
Second row: Grevillea 'Superb' and Alstroemerias 'Indian Summer' and 'Inca Sundance'
Third row: Rosa 'Golden Celebration', R. 'Medallion', and Xylosma congestum

 

My second arrangement was inspired by Helleborus 'Anna's Red'.  Hellebores may bloom plentifully in many places but the same can't be said for their performance in my garden.  Only two varieties bloomed this year.  'Anna's Red' surprised me by producing new stems relatively recently.  I added stems of two more vigorous plants, an Alstroemeria and an ivy geranium (Pelargonium peltatum), to complement the hellebore, along with new blooms from Daucus carota 'Dara'.

I stuffed too much into this vase (as usual)

Back view: The Daucus carota shown here may be the biggest one I've ever seen

Top view

Clockwise from the upper left: Coprosma repens 'Plum Hussey', Leptospermum 'Copper Glow', Salvia lanceolata, noID Alstroemeria, Daucus carota 'Dara', Helleborus 'Anna's Red', and Pelargonium peltatum 'Dark Burgundy'

 

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: Another take on orange and blue

Remarkably, we got a touch of rain late last week.  It wasn't much, just 0.18/inch (4.6mm) but, as I expected nothing, it was appreciated.  In what appears to be an unfortunate pattern, the low pressure system that permitted the rainstorm in the north to move into the south part of our state was quickly replaced by another round of Santa Ana winds and soaring temperatures.  We briefly hit 87F (30C) yesterday and today could be warmer still.  The winds can quickly wither flowers so on Sunday I cut blooms with relative abandon for In a Vase on Monday, the weekly meme hosted by Cathy of Rambling in the Garden.

The rain spurred another flush of blooms on the snapdragons in my cutting garden, inspiring my first arrangement.  Thus far, the snapdragons are free of rust so I want to take advantage of them while I can.

I also took this opportunity to cut the last of my Narcissus, two remaining blooms of Leucospermum 'Brandi', and a single 'Lady Emma Hamilton' rose.  I won the David Austin rose in a drawing at the Capitol Region Garden Bloggers' Fling in 2017.  I received the rose in the spring of 2018 but it's produced fewer than a handful of flowers since.

I dressed up the back of the arrangement with 2 stems of my 'Pink Meidiland' rose and added some height using stems of Leucadendron 'Jubilee Crown'

Top view

Top: Agonis flexuosa 'Nana' and Antirrhinum majus 'Chantilly Bronze' and 'Chantilly Peach'
Middle: Leucadendron 'Cloudbank Ginny', L. 'Jubilee Crown', and Leucospermum 'Royal Hawaiian Brandi'
Bottom: Narcissus 'Geranium', Rosa 'Lady Emma Hamilton', and R. 'Pink Meidiland'

 

The first bearded Iris to bloom in my back garden prompted my second arrangement, although I admit I agonized awhile about cutting it.  It looked beautiful on Friday following our brief rainstorm but Saturday's vicious wind did it no favors and I was afraid that the blooms currently in bud would suffer if I left it alone so, without thinking about it too long, I cut the stem and moved on.

This is what the Iris germanica 'City Lights' bloom looked like on Friday.  It's a reblooming variety so I'm hopeful I'll see another bloom stalk this fall.

The Iris wasn't looking its best by Sunday morning but I trusted that the buds were far enough developed to open even after the stem was cut.  I grew the Nigella, Orlaya, and larkspur from seed.  I'd collected the Nigella seed from plants I grew last year.

The sweet peas tucked in the back of the arrangement were also grown from seed but they've been very disappointing.  Almost all are the same dark blue color even though I planted seeds of 4 different mixes.

Top view

Top: Centranthus ruber 'Albus', Consolida ajacis (aka larkspur), and Delphinium elatum 'Cobalt Dreams'
Middle: Globularia x indubia (aka globe daisy), Iris germanica 'City Lights', and Lathyrus odoratus
Bottom: Nigella papillosa 'African Bride', Orlaya grandiflora, and Scabiosa columbaria 'Flutter Deep Blue'

 

As usual, I cut too many flowers.  The pink Alstroemerias I thought I could incorporate into the first arrangement didn't mesh with the prevailing orange tones so they went into a small vase for the kitchen island.  When I couldn't cram everything I'd cut for the second arrangement into the vase I'd selected, the extra stems went into the kitchen island arrangement as well.

In addition to the noID pink Alstroemeria, this vase includes Orlaya grandiflora, self-seeded Lagurus ovatus (aka bunny tail grass), and Agrostemma 'Ocean Pearls'

 

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

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

Wednesday Vignette: Fleeting Beauty

I had a different post in mind for today but that required time in the garden and it's scorching hot out there.  I also had a trip to my local garden center in mind but it's even too scorching hot for that.  However, I did manage a little time in the garden early this morning, tamping down the latest gopher mound, watering a few things with what's left of my stored rainwater, and deadheading the remaining cool season flowers I should probably just pull.  However, during the course of those chores, I noticed a few lovely flowers that may not make it to Bloom Day next Monday given the aforementioned scorching hot temperatures we've experienced over the last few days.  I thought I'd share their fleeting beauty while I can.

These noID lilies were received as a gift with purchase years ago.  Other lilies I've tried die out within a year or two but this one comes back reliably year after year.

By definition, daylilies don't last more than a day but some of them produce one flower after another.  Hemerocallis 'Elizabeth Salter' hasn't been so accommodating in the past but she's looking more robust this year.

This is Hemerocallis 'Joan Senior', which I originally received as a gift with purchase.  I liked it so much that I bought two more plants last year.  The flower fades to near white.

I planted bulbs of Triteleia 'Queen Fabiola' two years ago.  They never hang around long and they're largely hidden under tall shrubs but they're so pretty - and blue! - I'm left wondering why I haven't planted more. 

I'd given up thinking that the drumstick Alliums (Allium sphaerocephalon) were going to show up for a third year in a row when a handful did.  I'd forgotten that these were late bloomers.  

Some plants have already given up the fight.

This Kniphofia looked much better a few days ago when I first noticed it.  This morning it was simply sad.  It seems something commonly known as a "red hot poker" should hold up better to the heat than it did.

My favorite scented noID rose took its time to bloom and then got singed

Can I hope for any better for Rosa 'Lady Emma Hamilton'?  Won during a raffle at a prior Garden Bloggers' Fling, she hasn't proven to be very tough here and, thus far, only offers we one flower at a time.

While some things don't hang around anywhere near as long as I'd like, others seem to hang on forever.

This dead mimosa tree (Albizia julibrissin) branch has been hanging here, well out of reach above the steepest part of our back slope, for more than a week.  Even several days of high winds haven't managed to jostle it into falling.

For more Wednesday Vignettes, visit Anna at Flutter & Hum.


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

Spring Blooms to the Rescue!

It's been a surreal and very turbulent week.  Trying to fill gaps in the pantry as grocery store shelves go bare.  One activity after another abruptly cancelled.  Limited to talking to friends by phone or text rather than seeing them in person.  Required to sit a the parking lot while my cat is unloaded from my car and taken inside the veterinary clinic for chemotherapy.  Then, last night, receiving notice from California State and Los Angeles County government officials directing the majority of residents to stay home, leaving only for essential tasks like grocery shopping and medical services.

My garden provides the only real sense of normalcy at the moment.  I collected another round of photos to share with those of you who are also seeking distraction.  I'll start with the blooms I missed when I put together my mid-month Bloom Day post less than a week ago.

How did I forget to show you a view of my California poppies?

The bed adjacent to the small patio on the south side of our house contains not only orange California poppies (Eschscholzia californica, top row), but also Leucospermum 'Goldie' and Sparaxis tricolor (bottom row).  Hard pruning the  Agonis flexuosa 'Nana' shrubs that had dominated this bed provided the space and the sun that allowed the poppies to bloom here.

Euphorbia x martinii 'Ascot Rainbow' echoes the colors of the in Yucca 'Bright Star' behind it

Narcissus tazetta 'Geranium' is making a statement in the front garden

Pelargonium hybrid 'White Lady' gets around on the back slope

Clockwise from the upper left, other flowers that were left out of my Bloom Day post include: Cuphea hybrid 'Starfire Pink', white and pink Ranunculus, a noID Antirrhinum majus, a noID spoon-petaled Osteospermum, Ajuga 'Mint Chip', and Veronica 'Waterperry Blue'.  I pruned most of my Cuphea back hard 2 months ago but I left one mostly intact because I didn't want to disappoint the hummingbirds.  The Ranunculus, planted as tubers in late November, have been disappointing thus far but perhaps conditions have been too cool and water too limited to allow them to do their best.

All sorts of flowers made their first appearance this week.

Iris douglasiana 'Santa Lucia' unfolds new blooms daily

Two more Leucospermums, 'Brandi' (left) and 'Spider' (right) are on their way

My first rose of the season bloomed!  It came with the garden and has a beautiful scent but I've no ID for it.

Clockwise from the upper left, the other new arrivals include: Alyogyne huegelii (aka blue hibiscus), Hyacinthoides hispanica (Spanish bluebells), Lotus berthelotii 'Amazon Sunset', Linum grandiflorum (red flax), and Centranthus ruber.  I sowed red and blue flax seeds in November and this is the very first flower.

I even had a couple of pleasant surprises.

I purchased this plant by mail order in 2012.  It was simply labeled Abelia species.  The seller no longer grows it and I've never found a species name for it.  The shape of the flowers is like that of other Abelias I grow but but it doesn't have the glossy foliage common to the Abelias commonly sold by garden centers.  It blooms every year but is partially hidden under an unruly trailing Lantana on the back slope.

I planted 3 Hippeastrum papilio in a mostly shade bed next to our living room window a couple of years ago after they completed their first bloom cycle in a basket.  They didn't bloom last year and I was afraid they weren't going to do so this year but one plant has produced a flower now, albeit on a very short stem.  I'll probably move all 3 bulbs in late spring to a spot where they can get more light in an effort to encourage more blooms next year.

Our shelter-in-place order remains in effect until at least April 19th so I guess I'll have time to tackle the variety of garden projects, big and small, that I've been putting off.  If you've found yourself suddenly at loose ends, I hope you're finding positive ways to occupy yourself too.  I'll close with another shot of the Scilla peruviana in my back garden, not because you didn't see it in my Bloom Day post, but only because I think it's very pretty.

Best wishes for a stress-free weekend.


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

July at South Coast Botanic Garden

After a hiatus of six weeks I led two tours through the South Coast Botanic Garden this week.  After the second yesterday, I went back to photograph some of the garden's mid-summer highlights.  Unfortunately, snapping photos when the sun is at its zenith doesn't render the best images but, as the morning marine layer has thinned dramatically this week and a ridge of high pressure promises to keep it at bay for much of the next week, I don't expect I'll have much opportunity to capture better shots any time soon so I'm sharing those I have.

This is Tithonia diversifolia, aka Mexican sunflower and marigold tree.  I was so impressed by it last year that I hunted down seeds to grow it for myself; however, having only vague notions as to where I could put a tree-like shrub that gets this big, I've held off on planting them. 

True sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) are in bloom nearby

The Living Wall, shown here fronted by an herb garden and seating area, is looking great

Closer views of the mix of succulents, ferns and rubber plants (Ficus elastica) growing in felt pockets sustained by a hydroponic system

The giant bird of paradise (Streletzia nicolai) is loaded with blooms

There are still plenty of roses in full bloom, although I don't envy the job of the volunteers tasked with keeping them deadheaded

I thought this section of the Garden of the Senses looked particularly good but unfortunately the pretty blue Plumbago looks washed out in this photo.  My real objective in passing through this area was the lavender field just visible beyond the Plumbago.

This area was planted with a mass of lavenders relatively recently.  I didn't notice it until I began conducting tours again in early spring.  I think it's peaking now.

The brightly colored crepe myrtle (Lagerstroemia) adds a nice contrast to the lavender

I'm guessing the stick-like tree with the burgundy foliage on the left in this photo is another crepe myrtle

The same area is also home to 2 nice Chitalpa trees.  xChitalpa tashkentensis 'Morning Cloud' is an intergeneric hybrid of Chilopsis linearis (aka desert willow) and Catalpa speciosa.  I wish I had someplace for a specimen this large!

On my way back to the parking lot, I snapped a final photo: Dahlia 'Dark Side of the Sun', blooming en masse

We enjoyed an extended period of pleasantly cool weather into the early part of July but it seems that summer's heat has finally reached us.  I'm hoping we  can at least avoid another horrific heatwave of the kind we got last year.

Best wishes for favorable weather wherever you are this weekend!


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