The Northwest US and Western Canada were hit with record-breaking heat this past weekend and the pattern is expected to continue into Monday before tapering off. Portland, Oregon could reach 115F (46C) today. Seattle's forecast is 112F (44C). Meanwhile, coastal Southern California where I am avoided extreme heat, although the inland valley areas here baked. Once again, the marine layer helped us out.
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| This photo was taken at 9am PDT on Sunday. The Los Angeles harbor below us was invisible. The marine layer began breaking up at our elevation shortly hereafter but it hung on around the harbor, keeping our daytime high temperatures at a comfortable level around 80F (26.7C). |
There's a chance of a surge of monsoonal moisture here later this week. The thunderstorms created by that condition are usually limited to the mountain and desert areas but occasionally they make their way as far as the coast. Forecasters still aren't clear whether that will happen this time but, dry as we are, rain would be greatly appreciated, provided of course that lightning strikes don't start any fires.
It was nice to putter in my garden on Sunday, cutting flowers without sweltering. Once again, I cut more than I'd planned, ending up with three arrangements.
The plentiful blooms of Daucus carota inspired the first arrangement.
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| I stuck to a red theme, with just touches of white. The red foliage below the Daucus at the front of the vase is provided by a single stem of Leucadendron 'Ebony', which I don't think I've ever cut for inclusion in a vase before this. |
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| Back view |
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| Top view |
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| Clockwise from the upper left: Allium schaerocephalon (aka drumstick allium), Cosmos bipinnatus, Perlatgonium cucullatum 'Flore Pleno', Daucus carota 'Dara', Leucadendron 'Ebony', Myrtus communis compacta, seedpods of Penstemon digitalis 'Onyx & Pearls', and Leptospermum 'Copper Glow' |
The second arrangement was inspired by the flowers of Rotheca myricoides (formerly known as Clerodendrum ugandense). It's common name is blue butterfly bush but it's not related to Buddleia.
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| The flowers of Rotheca myricoides really do look like small blue butterflies. I grew the shrub without difficulty years ago when we lived in Santa Monica but I failed to make it happy in my current garden until I plopped a plant into a large terracotta pot in partial shade. |
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| Back view: Two Osteospermums contributed flowers to serve as fillers. As temperatures climb, the Osteospermums will lay low, ceasing to bloom until cooler weather returns in the fall. |
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| Top view |
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| Clockwise from the upper left: Abelia grandiflora 'Hopley's Variegated', Globularia x indubia (aka globe daisy), noID Agapanthus, Lavandula angustifolia, Osteospermum '4D Silver', O. 'Violet Ice', and Rotheca myrcoides |
My discovery of the first Lisianthus (Eustoma grandiflorum) blooms required me to create a small arrangement for the kitchen island.
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| The green-flowered Lisianthus had already been nearly flattened by the winds that have been blowing through here daily |
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| Clockwise from the upper left, the small vase contains: more Abelia grandiflora 'Hopley's Variegated', unripe berries of Auranticarpa rhombifolium, Eustoma grandiflorum, and Tanacetum parthenium 'Aureum' |
Before I close, I have to share a current shot of last week's vase featuring the artichoke. It held up very well overall and the artichoke actually bloomed in the vase, which was a big surprise.
For more IAVOM contributions, visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.
All material © 2012-2021 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
