I cut my first foxglove of the season for In a Vase on Monday in early January. At that time, there were two more plants that also had flower spikes. They developed somewhat after that but, as our temperatures dropped, it was as if they'd entered a long period of stasis. I eyed them week after week, waiting for them to beef up - and for other flower spikes to appear. This week I finally got fed up and decided to go ahead and cut both. One is peach and the other is purple so they went into separate arrangements.
Vase #1:
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The peach foxglove has looked like it does here for weeks
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The back view shows off the interesting peach flowers of Grevillea 'Poorinda Leane' to greater advantage
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Top view
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Clockwise from the upper left: Digitalis purpurea 'Dalmatian Peach', Grevillea 'Poorinda Leane', Leucadendron salignum 'Safari Sunset', L. 'Winter Red'. Nandina domestica, and Pennisetum advena 'Rubrum'
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Vase #2:
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Foxglove flowers generally open gradually from the bottom of the flower spike. The bottom half of this one remained bare of flowers for weeks until flowers appeared midway up the flower spike and moved on upward.
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The back view looks much like the front with only slight differences in the color of the Dianthus flowers tucked in at the base of the vase
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The top view shows off the wiry stems and small round flowers of Gomphrena 'Itsy Bitsy'
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Clockwise from the upper left: 2 variations of Dianthus barbatus, Digitalis purpurea 'Dalmation Purple', Gomphrena decumbens 'Itsy Bitsy', and Prostanthera ovalifolia 'Variegata'. Included, but not shown in closeup, are stems of Coleonema album (aka white breath of heaven).
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After two warm days late last week, we were cold again (by our definition, that means daytime temperatures in the low 50sF/11-13C) on Sunday. We're expecting a gradual warm-up over the next several days, after which we'll cool down again. There's a small chance of rain next week. Overall, February, historically our wettest month, is expected to be drier than average but then again, everyone was surprised by the series of rainstorms we had in January so I'm taking no bets. Our chimney has yet to get a real test of my husband's latest patches as the last rainstorms we've had were very light so even he'd like to see a good, solid storm before our rainy season comes to an end in early April.
For more IAVOM posts, visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.
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Last week's vase containing the large Aeonium arboreum flowers and tall stems of Leucadendron 'Chief' looks largely the same as it did last week, except that the Acacia 'Cousin Itt' foliage has dried (while retaining its deep green color). This week's new arrangements ousted those I had in the front entry and kitchen island.
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All material © 2012-2023by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
