When I stepped into the garden on Sunday morning, I really had no idea what I could put in a vase this week that I hadn't already used recently. I made an entire circuit of my garden ruling out possibilities until I saw the white snapdragons in my cutting garden. They'd been beaten down by rain on Saturday (one-third of an inch) and their stems were lying on their sides as if to say "save me" so I cut them. That started me on a roll collecting bits of this and that in white and blue.
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| Anemone 'Lord Lieutenant', also in my cutting garden, had one small bloom and another bud just opening |
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| Back view: the Osteospermums have responded quickly to the shift back to cooler temperatures and sea lavender (Limonium perezii) is beginning its annual flush |
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The top view highlights the bloom of a noID tazetta Narcissus that was supposed to be Narcissus 'Geranium'
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Top: Anemone coronaria 'Lord Lieutenant', Antirrhinum majus, and noID Ceanothus
Middle: Echium handiense (recycled from last week), Lavandula multifida, and Limonium perezii
Bottom: noID Narcissus, Osteospermum 'Violet Ice', and Westringia fruticosa 'Morning Light' |
As I was assembling my varied collection for that vase, I suddenly remembered that I'd seen buds on a bearded Iris by my shade house the week before. I'd planted all blue and white varieties in that area - or so I'd thought. The Iris in question was indeed blooming but it wasn't blue or white. I cut it anyway and then did another round of the garden looking for suitable companions for it. I checked my records, which showed no Iris in a mauve and burgundy color, leading me to conclude that the rhizome I planted had been mislabeled.
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| I played off the yellow beard of the Iris and the flower's petal colors in selecting the plants to accompany it in a vase |
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| Back view: as usual, Gomphrena 'Itsy Bitsy' came in handy |
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| Top view |
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| Clockwise from the upper left: Coleonema pulchellum 'Sunset Gold', Coprosma repens 'Plum Hussey', Gomphrena decumbens 'Itsy Bitsy', Hebe 'Purple Shamrock', noID Iris germanica (possibly'Prince of Burgundy' or 'Right Already'), Narcissus 'Geranium', and Hebe 'Grace Kelly' (in bud) |
Buds are forming throughout my garden. I could swear that the Freesias next to my backyard fountain covered themselves in buds in response to Saturday's rain. More rain is expected this week and I hope I'll be tripping over new blooms in the weeks to come. Spring does come early in coastal Southern California!
For more IAVOM creations, visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.
All material © 2012-2021 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
