Pickings in my garden are still sparse as Mother Nature insists on following her own schedule, regardless of my efforts to hurry her along. Every January I find myself clipping the same flowers - and flower substitutes - to fill a vase and this year is no different, although I did throw in one element this week in an effort to elevate my first arrangement.
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| A rosette of succulent Graptoveria 'Fred Ives' was added as an afterthought and positioned front and center |
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| Grevillea and Leucadendron stems dominate the back view |
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| Top view |
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| Clockwise from the upper left: Agonis flexuosa 'Nana', Correa pulchella 'Pink Eyre', Leucadendron 'Summer Red', Graptoveria 'Fred Ives', and Grevillea 'Peaches & Cream' |
As I stripped the house of most of its Christmas finery over the weekend, I wanted a second arrangement to add color to the front entry. We got a healthy amount of rain here last week and, although we're drying out now, it's remained cold (by our standards). I chose a yellow and white color palette in an effort to create the illusion of warmth.
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| Short stems required a squat vase |
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| Back view: Leucadendron 'Wilson's Wonder' is one of the few "flowers" (actually colorful bracts) in ample supply this month |
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| Top view: Narcissi are making their first appearance of the season |
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| Clockwise from the upper left: Argyranthemum frutescens 'White Butterfly' and 'Yellow Butterfly' (aka Marguerite daisies), Leucadendron 'Wilson's Wonder', 2 noID Narcissi, Prostanthera ovalifolia 'Variegata', and Phlomis fruticosa (aka Jerusalem sage) |
Last week's rain was welcome, although it looks as though at least a few of my smaller succulents drowned (!) despite my sandy soil. There's no real chance of any more rain in the next 10-day forecast, giving us a chance to dry out. Meanwhile, the local mountains are flaunting lots of snow.
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| This is a view of the San Gabriel Mountains east of us from our back garden. The tallest peak in the range, Mount Baldy, rises over 10,000 feet (3069 meters) above sea level. |
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| The mountains are approximately 70 miles away, a 90-minute drive on a good day (probably existing only in the imagination of someone promoting ski resorts) |
The Sierra Nevada Mountains in Northern California, which are more important to the state's water supply, got even more snow. Unfortunately, my sister-in-law and her husband have been snowed in without power for the past week in Nevada County in the northeast part of the state. They've been told their power might be back tonight. Despite our unusually cold and wet December, California is still considered to be in a persistent state of drought. Current projections suggest we're heading into another extended warm, dry period during what's supposed to be our rainy season.
For more IAVOM posts, visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.
All material © 2012-2022 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
