I'm joining Cathy at
Rambling in the Garden again this week for her meme featuring a bouquet constructed from materials on hand in the garden. This week, an Iris, one of the first to bloom for me this season, is the central focus. I have no record of its name but I recall now that I picked it up a few years ago at the South Coast Spring Garden Show. Coincidentally, this year's show will be held this weekend, which may be what prompted my memory of the Iris' origin.
An Iris this beautiful doesn't want to be upstaged in a vase.
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| My unidentified Iris germanica in close-up |
I selected her partners carefully. In the photo above, you can see stems of Hebe 'Wiri Blush,' which mirrors the pinkish purple of the falls on the Iris. Although it's not readily visible in the photo, the Hebe's stem, as well as the underside of its leaves, picks up the same purplish hue.
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| Hebe "Wiri Blush,' photographed in the garden is just coming into bloom but it's pretty even without flowers |
The other ingredients in the bouquet take a backseat in the composition. They include:
- Argyranthemum frutescens 'Comet Pink'
- Brizia media (aka quaking grass)
- Cuphea x ignea 'Starfire Pink'
- Schinus mollis (California pepper tree) branchlets, currently sporting their spring flowers
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| Close-up of Brizia media stems with the Cuphea and Argyranthemum in the background |
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| Close up of Schinus molle branchlets sporting spring flowers and buds |
I have no "rejects" for a second vase this week. I considered using a few stems of the purplish pink Alstroemeria, still plentiful in my garden but I didn't think the Iris would be pleased with the competition so I left them where they're growing.
Please
visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden to see her floral creation this week. You'll also find links to other gardeners' compositions. If you have a vase of flowers sitting beside you, why not join Cathy and share your creation?
