As I ran around my garden taking photos for Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day this coming Tuesday, it's overwhelming how much is in bloom. In dry years like this one, I wonder if every flowering plant is rushing for the finish line before the heat settles in for an extended stay and soil conditions get even drier. I know it's not spring yet in most of the Northern Hemisphere but it's well underway here. Meanwhile, the latest projections don't hold out much hope for rain in Southern California in March or April so I'll take advantage of the flowers I've got while I can.
The Dutch Iris are still building on their flower power but the Scilla peruviana, which only just started its bloom cycle at the end of February, are already fading after a couple of stretches of warm weather.
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| More blue and yellow to express solidarity with Ukraine. There are 2 varieties of Dutch Iris in this arrangement but they're very similar in color. |
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| Back view |
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| Top view |
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| Top row: Agonis flexuosa 'Nana', Freesia, and self-seeded Lavandula stoechas Middle row: Iris hollandica 'Mystic Beauty' and 'Sapphire Beauty' Bottom row: Phlomis fruticosa and Scilla peruviana |
Every time our daytime temperatures soar the Anemones fade, only to slowly recover when temperatures come down again, but I've got to wonder how many flip-flops they can handle.
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| A couple of months ago, I planted plugs of ornamental kale (Brassica oleracea) with the idea of using it to complement Anemone coronaria 'Admiral' but it never bulked up much and now it's preparing to bolt so I thought I'd use it before it fades away |
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| Back view: The vase is the thrift store find I picked up years ago featuring a lady's well-manicured hands clasped to hold flowers but those hands are mostly hidden in this arrangement |
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| Top view |
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| Clockwise from the upper left: Anemone coronaria 'Admiral' and 'Mount Everest', Boronia crenulata 'Shark Bay', Brassica oleracea var acephala, Coleonema album (aka white breath of heaven), and Scabiosa columnaria 'Flutter Rose Pink' |
I had a few leftovers I couldn't cram into the first vase so I popped them into a small vase rather than tossing out the stems.
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| The cactus-shaped vase of leftovers is sitting in the kitchen window (where it's impossible to photograph) |
The other two arrangements found spaces in the usual places.
For more IAVOM creations, visit our esteemed host, Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.
All material © 2012-2022 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party