With the extra rain we've had for two years in a row, my garden exploded this spring. I spent a good part of last week just pulling weeds and clearing paths covered by excessively exuberant plants - and I've barely made a dent in many areas. When it came time to cut flowers for "In a Vase on Monday," I decided to see if I could find any vase-worthy Matilija poppies at the bottom of our back slope. As I headed down there, I realized that, despite my efforts to tidy-up the area two weeks ago, it's more chaotic than ever now.
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| I took this photo after my first pass at cleaning things up earlier this month. It was relatively neat even if the pathways were narrow; however, while I moved on to other areas of the garden, blissfully believing everything was tidy enough on the slope for awhile, the plants didn't stop growing taller and wider at lightning speed. |
I had to cut tall, flopping stems of Centranthus and succulent flowers and artichoke plant foliage just to make it down the concrete-block stairway. And a machete would've been useful to reach the poppies! I spent more time cutting back and pulling spent plants and weeds than cutting flowers.
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| I managed to get 4 intact poppies (Romneya coulteri) and one promising bud, while shattering the petals of a few more in the process. Some readers may remember that I've tried to rid my garden of this plant, which spreads by adventitious rhizomes, and repeatedly failed. Another attempt will be made this fall. |
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| Back view: The Japanese honeysuckle, which came with the garden and is firmly entrenched within the rampant ivy that blankets the upper level of the slope, is also impossible to get rid of without resorting to poisons. At least it has a nice scent! |
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| Top view |
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| Clockwise from the upper left: Leucospermum 'High Gold', Lonicera japonica, Romneya coulteri, and Tagetes lemmonii (aka Mexican marigold) |
While I was down there, I was astounded to see that the bearded Irises were more floriferous than ever before. I cut two tall stems with multiple blooms as the starting point for a second arrangement.
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| This is another arrangement that looked better to me when stuffed in the bottle I used to collect my materials than after I formally arranged them in a proper vase. I probably should've picked a different vase and left out the Limonium, both of which come across as too blue by comparison to the Iris, although the differences are less jarring in person than in these photos. |
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| Back view: In addition, the delicate Renga lilies (Arthropdium cirratum) got lost among the other elements |
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| Top view |
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| Clockwise from the upper left: Arthropodium cirratum (aka Renga lily), Limonium perezii (aka sea lavender), Nemesia, 'Nessie Plus White', noID Iris germanica, Polygala myrtifolia, Prostanthera ovalifolia 'Variegata', and Salvia canariensis var candidissima |
I still need to haul two piles of debris up the slope and I plan to spend at least a couple more hours there this week in an effort to rein in the mess. Meanwhile, the march toward summer continues and the cutting garden needs to be cleared out soon to make way for dahlias and other summer bloomers.
For more IAVOM creations, visit our host, Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.
All material © 2012-2024 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
