Last week's heat fried some plants, including the tulips sent to me in error last November by a mail order nursery. I didn't expect much from them but, after keeping them in our refrigerator for three solid months before carefully planting them out and dutifully watering them in the absence of any rain, I was still disappointed. The cool season flowers I grew from seed have been unimpressive this year too but, looking ahead, I see the summer bloomers are gearing up, possibly responding to the summer-like heat that's sounding the death knell for the cool season blooms before they ever got very far. I've even got Agapanthus buds developing in some areas.
My first arrangement reuses some of the flowers I cut last week, albeit in a different combination. The Leucospermum stems have at least another week of life in them, as do the stems of Alstroemeria 'Claire'.
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| The rose is a new bloom and it was so large and perfect I gave it a starring role. We're expecting another round of warm weather mid-week and I thought I'd get more enjoyment out of it inside the air-conditioned house than I would watching it wither outside when the temperature reaches the mid 80sF (28C). |
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| Back view: Achillea 'Moonshine' has produced its first blooms. I added more of the flowers of Aeonium 'Kiwi Verde'. I'd estimate a third of those plants are currently in bloom throughout the garden and, when the bloom dies, so does the succulent rosette that sprouted it. |
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| Top view |
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| Top row: Achillea 'Moonshine', Aeonium haworthii 'Kiwi Verde', and Agonis flexuosa 'Nana' Second row: Alstroemeria 'Claire' and Rosa 'Medallion' Bottom row: Leucospermum 'Brandi', Digitalis purpurea 'Dalmatian Peach', and Antirrhinum majus |
The second arrangement couldn't be more different. It's all about soft pastels and wispy blooms.
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| The sweet peas are now blooming in earnest, perhaps because they know their days are numbered - they're cool season blooms here. They and the fuchsia blooms (from a recent purchase) set the color scheme. |
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| Back view: Echium 'Star of Madiera' accommodated by starting its annual bloom cycle |
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| Top view: Cool season Coriandrum (aka cilantro/coriander) and Consolida ajacis (aka larkspur) provided the wispy filler material. The Coriandrum is already producing seeds. The larkspur just started blooming but I don't expect it's going to last long. |
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| Top row: Consolida ajacis, Coriandrum sativum, and Echium candicans 'Star of Madiera' Middle row: Fuchsia 'Deep Purple' and Scabiosa columbaria 'Flutter Rose Pink' Bottom row: Lathyrus odoratus 'Blue Shift', 'Chelsea Centenary' and 'Sir Jimmy Shand' with 'High Scent' |
Other parts of the world still have many early spring blooms to share. Visit our host, Cathy at Rambling in the Garden, to enjoy what other contributors have found in their gardens this week.
All material © 2012-2021 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party