The seasonal change is in the air. After a miserable heatwave, temperatures here in Southern California have returned to more normal levels. It's possible to work outside without melting and to sleep at night without feeling as though you're roasting on a slow spit. Days are becoming noticeably shorter. Fall arrives in Los Angeles at 7:29pm PDT this evening. The garden is responding. Even the most robust of my summer flowers are tiring out while the first of my fall flowers are making an appearance. It seemed appropriate to note the change with this week's floral arrangement, created in connection with the weekly meme hosted by Cathy at
Rambling in the Garden.
Summer is represented by
Eustoma grandiflorum 'Borealis Blue,' which has bloomed off and on since early June. Fall is represented by
Plectranthus ciliatus 'Zulu Warrior,' which has just begun to bloom.
![]() |
| The Eustoma blooms are smaller now but just as pretty as they were at the start of the season |
![]() |
| The delicate lavender-pink blooms of the Plectranthus are coming on in a rush now that the heat has abated |
I added bits and pieces of other plants to add fullness to the arrangement, including:
- Angelonia augustfolia (aka summer snapdragon)
- Leucadendron 'Pisa'
- Pseuderanthemum 'Texas Tri-star'
- Salvia leucantha (aka Mexican bush sage), also just beginning to flower
- Tanacetum parthenium 'Aureum,' which bloomed all summer
![]() |
| An Angelonia stem is seen here poking out to the right of the Eustoma |
![]() |
| The silvery Leucadendron is beautiful even without flowers |
![]() |
| A Salvia stem can be seen above the variegated foliage of the Pseuderanthemum |
Pipig resented the time I spent fussing over flowers, feeling that my time should be devoted to her. She watched me reproachfully during the photographic process until the vase was in place and she had my full attention.
![]() |
| She doesn't value plants unless she can chew them |
Do you feel the change in the air?
Visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden to see what she and other gardeners have put together to usher in the autumnal equinox.
All material
© 2012-2014 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
