Two flashy flowers demanded center stage this week so of course I have two arrangements, not that you wouldn't already expect that from me. However, I made an effort to keep both arrangements simpler than usual so that the ancillary elements wouldn't take the focus away from the flowers used as my centerpieces.
The inspiration for the first arrangement was Hippeastrum 'Aphrodite'. I planted three of these bulbs in pots in November 2020 and all bloomed in 2021. Last fall, I thought I planted all of them in the ground to naturalize but apparently I mixed in another variety by accident. The one remaining 'Aphrodite' in a pot bloomed last week on a single short stem that called out to be displayed in a vase.
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Although all growers describe 'Aphrodite's' flowers as white and pink, the "pink" has a reddish-orange tone to it that didn't combine well with many of the pink flowers I currently have in bloom so I selected flowers with peach and bronze tones as complements
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The back view makes it look like and entirely different arrangement
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Top view
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Clockwise from the upper left: Agonis flexuosa 'Nana', Callistemon 'Cane's Hybrid', Cuphea 'Honeybells', Antirrhinum majus 'Double Azalea Bronze', and Hippeastrum 'Aphrodite'
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The second flower that grabbed notice this week is the first lily to bloom this year. The plant was a surprise gift from two lovely ladies several weeks ago. There are three bulbs in the pot and I cut a single stem from one bulb, partly to make room for the blooms in bud on either side of it, but I also wanted to enjoy the beautiful flowers up close while I can. Despite one noID gift-with-purchase lily bulb I received years ago that's insisted on returning every year, I never thought I could grow Asiatic lilies until I planted two varieties in fall 2020 as a pandemic project and got blooms from every bulb. I planted three more varieties in fall 2021 and all appear to have sprouted. They may slowly die out as many bulbs do here but I plant to celebrate them while I can.
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The hybrid Asiatic lily lives up to its name: 'Royal Sunset'
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Back view: I recycled last week's Leucadendron foliage for this arrangement
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Top view
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Clockwise from the upper left: Leucadendron 'Jubilee Crown', Antirrhinum majus 'Chantilly Bronze' and 'Chantilly Peach', Leucadendron 'Cloudbank Ginny', and Lilium longiflorum x Asiatic hybrid 'Royal Sunset'
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I hope you have a colorful week. For more IAVOM creations, visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.
All material © 2012-2022by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
