I was feeling grumpy when I stepped into my garden on Sunday and briefly considered skipping flower arrangements this week. That didn't last. I got rolling on one and soon had flowers to fill three vases. And I didn't stop there. I decided to throw together a few small informal bouquets to put on the street as Mother's Day offerings. I didn't get around to grabbing breakfast until after 11am.
The vase that got me started was created around two flowers that opened in my garden last week,
Arthropodium cirratum (aka Renga lily) and
Centaurea 'Silver Feather'.
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| It looks like a bit of a jumble in photos. I think it's prettier viewed in person. |
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| Back view: I've grown the white Arthropodium cirratum, a New Zealand native, for years. It's my favorite flowering plant for dry shade conditions. |
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| Top view: The buds on Centaurea 'Silver Feather' always make me think of artichokes |
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| Clockwise from the upper left: Arthropodium cirratum, Centaurea 'Silver Feather', Consolida ajacis 'Early Grey' (white larkspur was also included), Nigella papillosa, Digitalis purpurea, and Salvia canariensis var candidissima |
The second vase turned out to be my favorite this week. It was inspired by the appearance of a dwarf gladiola I'd forgotten I had in my garden until it bloomed.
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| The gladiola was supposed to be white with pink markings but it's always bloomed in a peachy pink color and that's what set the color scheme |
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| Back view: Coincidentally, Callistemon 'Cane's Hybrid' burst into bloom during last week's second heatwave of the year, providing a perfect complement for the gladiola |
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| Top view: Clarkia amoena 'Farewell to Spring'wasn't the species I'd ordered by mail in February, which was supposed to have salmon-colored flowers, but it fit the specs in this case |
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Top row: Callistemon 'Cane's Hybrid' and Clarkia amoena 'Farewell to Spring'
Middle row: Digitalis purpurea 'Dalmatian Peach', Gladiolus nana 'Nymph', and Lathyrus odoratus
Bottom row: Orlaya grandiflora and Rosa 'Medallion' |
I hadn't intended to put together a third vase - until I caught sight of a mass of blooms on my pineapple guava (
Feijoa sellowiana). I inherited two of these tree-like shrubs with the garden but they've never produced more than a few blooms here and there, until now.
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| Most of the shrub's flowering stems are fairly short and bent at odd angles so I used a small vase and kept the mix simple |
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| Right to left: Coprosma repens 'Plum Hussey', Feijoa sellowiana, and Lagurus ovatus |
For more IAVOM creations,
visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.
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| Even though I didn't get these bottles of flowers out on the curb until nearly 11am, well after most people were done with their morning strolls, these 3 bottles were gone in about half an hour. I pulled 3 more glass bottles out of the recycling bin, collected more flowers, all different, and put those out. The wind picked up and they toppled over 3 times but two were picked up and carried off before I picked the last one off the street and "closed" my flower shop for the day. I wish I'd thought to do this the day before - and that I'd had more empty glass bottles on hand. |
All material © 2012-2020 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
