My calendar reads the same as yours but it IS spring here in every way that counts. While it's not nearly as warm as it was two weeks ago, new flowers are awakening daily. The pace of bloom isn't retreating even as daytime temperatures slip back into the 50sF (14C). I can also swear that I saw my first monarch butterfly on Saturday. (It could have been a painted lady as I didn't get a close look before it flitted away but massive numbers of monarchs were sighted on California's central coast in January so it seems within the realm of possibility.) Sadly, rain seems to be a pipe dream, although there's another small chance of precipitation between late Tuesday and early Wednesday. Last Tuesday evening, we got 0.08/inch (2 mm) of rain, which at least refilled my empty 50-gallon rain tank. If any rain manages to reach us this week, it's expected to be on the same order of magnitude.
Another sign of spring is the sudden arrival of masses of aphids on tender green foliage. On Sunday morning, I spent more time trying to eradicate those miserable sap-suckers than I spent cutting flowers but I still have two arrangements to share.
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| The flowers of Polygala fruticosa (aka sweet pea shrub) set the color scheme for this arrangement. I'm planning to pull out the shrub that supplied these flowers as it's developed a woody base and become much too large for its spot but there was no reason to waste the flowers! |
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| Back view, highlighting some of the Freesia that are popping up all over my garden |
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| Top view |
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| Clockwise from the upper left: Freesias in 3 colors, Polygala fruticosa, and Scabiosa columbaria 'Flutter Rose Pink' |
My second arrangement couldn't be more different in terms of color.
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| My Leucospermum 'Sunrise' is blooming for the first time after nearly a 3-year wait and I felt compelled to celebrate by cutting 2 short stems. In retrospect, the arrangement could have used more color variation. |
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| Back view |
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| Top view |
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| Clockwise from the upper left: Grevillea 'Superb', Leucadendron 'Cloudbank Ginny', red Freesia with Sparaxis tricolor, Lobelia laxiflora (shown with Agonis flexuosa 'Nana' foliage), and Leucospermum 'Sunrise' |
For more IAVOM posts, visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.
All material © 2012-2022 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
