We had a couple of very warm days late last week and while that jump-started some flowers that have been reluctant to bloom, it's directed others to the nearest exit. I factored both circumstances in putting together this week's arrangements. That strategy also resulted in larger arrangements, requiring heavy vases to ensure that the contents wouldn't end up on the floor.
The peach foxgloves I planted from four-inch pots back in November cried out to be cut. I cut three stems but misjudged just how tall they were. Although I reduced their size, their height required taller accent plants to support them.
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| The foxgloves still tower over the rest of the vase's contents, even though I cut long branches of Grevillea to flesh out the arrangement |
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| Back view, showing the tall heavy cut crystal vase I use relatively infrequently |
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| Top view, which was harder to get than usual. Even with a step-stool, I couldn't get a full view. |
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| Clockwise from the upper left: Aeonium haworthii 'Kiwi Verde', Digitalis purpurea 'Dalmatian Peach', Grevillea 'Superb', and Xylosma congestum |
The Dutch Iris were among the flowering plants that didn't appreciate temperatures soaring from the upper 60sF to a peak of 88F (31C). I cut a lot of them for my second arrangement. This arrangement isn't as tall as it is wide and heavy. Although I tried to balance the weight of the floral stems I'd selected, I nearly tipped over the vase several times myself. When that happened the fourth time as I was photographing it, I acknowledged the inevitable and crammed the cut stems into a much heavier vase made out of glass block. However, the photos below show the contents in the original vase.
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| The Iris stems aren't heavy but the Echium and Leucospermum stems are very much so |
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| Back view: The Echium stems were cut from a self-seeded shrub that sits atop a slope along our southern property line |
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| Top view: One of the Leucospermum stems has twin flowers. Most of this Leucospermum's stems produce only single flowers, or at least that's been my experience. |
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| Clockwise from the upper left: Acacia cognata 'Cousin Itt', Echium candicans, Psoralea pinnata (which bloomed seemingly overnight this past weekend), Iris hollandica 'Sapphire Beauty', and Leucospermum 'High Gold' (formerly identified as 'Goldie' because that was how it was labeled at time of purchase) |
I transferred some of the contents of last week's vases into two smaller vases because I couldn't bring myself to toss the stems that still looked good.
The two new arrangements earned price of place. The second arrangement is shown in the glass block vase that replaced the lighter vase.
For more IAVOM arrangements, visit our host, Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.
All material © 2012-2023 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party