Our marine layer is gone and our midday temperatures moved into the low 90sF this past weekend. That's not too bad, at least by comparison to our inland valleys. The forecast for the coming week predicts increased cloud cover for our area and lower temperatures, which would be nice if it's correct. I've become increasingly wary of putting trust in those projections.
I cut flowers for IAVOM early Sunday morning, ducking back inside before it got toasty. After taking ten doses of Paxlovid over a five-day period and subsequently testing negative for COVID, I experienced the medication's infamous rebound effect on Friday when my symptoms returned and I tested positive for COVID again. I'm feeling slightly better now but I'm also making a greater effort to rest and let my system recover.
The title of today's post reflects the 'Catching Fire' Dahlias I used as the centerpiece of today's first arrangement.
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| Most of the dahlias I've cut thus far have had relatively short stems because I've been reluctant to sacrifice too many of the side buds this early in the season. I chose this irregularly-shaped crystal vase to show off the short dahlia stems in front, stacking materials with longer stems behind them. |
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| Back view |
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| Top view: The Zinnia in the middle started off with white petals at first before turning the pinkish color shown here. Based on my record, it can only be either 'Zinderella Lilac' or a member of the 'Precious Metals' mix, still in an early stage of development. |
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| Clockwise from the upper left: Crassula pubescens ssp radicans, Dahlia 'Catching Fire', Leptospermum 'Copper Glow', Pandorea jasminoides, and the mystery Zinnia. |
My second arrangement makes use of the Lisianthus (Eustoma grandiflorum) in my back garden, which I've noticed have withered quite a bit since I returned from my tour of gardens in the Puget Sound. The flowers deserve some time in the limelight before they're gone.
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| The blue Lisianthus is the closest thing to a blue rose that I expect I'll ever see. I'd originally planned to pair it with Agapanthus but the few I have left are more true blue than purple in color so I sought out the few white flowers I have at the moment. |
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| Back view |
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| Top view |
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| Clockwise from the upper left: Abelia grandiflora 'Hopley's Variegated', Acacia cognata 'Cousin Itt', blue Eustoma grandiflorum, Nemesia hybrid 'Sunglow Bicolor', noID Scaevola, Tanacetum parthenium, and white Eustoma grandiflorum |
I can only hope that the Lisianthus may spring back and surprise me with another flush of bloom as they've done in years past but, given the increasingly hotter and drier conditions in my garden in recent years, that may be unrealistic. Meanwhile the dahlias are doing well in my cutting garden with regular watering and I'm counting on them to continue to deliver blooms into October.
For more IAVOM creations, visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.
All material © 2012-2024 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
