Given the Red and Green theme, I’ve been picking flowers from my Red and Green garden, which is under Feijoa trees. It’s full of red Penstemons, leucodendrons, salvias, and small shrubs.
I have 2 types of Kangaroo Paws, one which is is called Red Velvet, and one which is Royal Velvet. They are both red and green, but Red Velvet is dark solid red where as Royal Velvet has red fading to green on the outside (bottom right of the second picture below), and seems to be taller.
The poppies were buds just opening when I cut them, but they came out over night so I took a few more photos. Iceberg roses and one Margaret Merril give it a lovely scent, and there are some white cactus Dahlias with no name, white penstemons, and a cosmos, as well as a Monarda ‘Squaw’, some geraniums, and thalictrum.
Take a trip over to Rambling in the Garden to see what others have found for their vases this week.
Absent Gardener 
How wonderful, Cath, to be there with the tropical plants and such pretty flowers. The fuzzy Kangaroo paws are intriguing, and I like the reds of the poppies and Monarda as well. The white flowers really make the reds pop!
Thank you Hannah. The Kangaroo paws are intriguing, and I have only just started growing them as I haven’t ever seen them looking good in a garden setting. However I think these are new hybrids which seem to be very accomodating and floriferous. The flowers do look like pairs of little paws at certain stages.
Love the bright sunlight lighting up those faming red flowers against the white blooms….I agree a wonderful spot to be with all those flowers blooming in celebration!
Thanks Donna,
It has been a perfect sunny Christmas and it’s nice that some of these ‘mixed cactus dahlias’ I bought popped up and bloomed early.
A beautiful mix of flowers. The blooms all look perfectly fresh. I love the red poppy.
Thanks! I burnt the bottom of the poppy stems, but I was surprised that they opened from the buds so well. I was going to put in holly but I ran out of space by the time I remembered.
Lovely!
Thank you 🙂
What a lovely contrast between the rest and whites – the shades of red are stunning. Is the poppy an annual? Thanks for sharing
I think the poppy is a ‘Soldier Poppy’ but I’m not sure, it came in a pack of mixed poppies. I’m pretty sure it will be an annual from the look of the smallish stems and leaves, but I’m only comparing it to the large bread seed types and orientals which are the only perennials I know.
I LOVE this bouquet, Cath! The kangaroo paws are particularly impressive. I’m watching with fingers crossed to see if my own (yellow ones) bloom again this year.
Thanks Kris, do you have one of the ‘velvet’ hybrids? I saw there is one called ‘Amber Velvet’. Mine are drowning in weeds so I need to give them some help if I want to see them again next year.
LOVE this! It does my heart good to see your blooms fresh from the garden as the wintry wind whips around my house. The kangaroo paws are so attractive. Wish I could grow them!
Thank you Eliza. 🙂 They are attractive if a little stalky so far. My challenge will be to keep them from getting overwhelmed by weeds. I have them in sandy soil in a hill so the best I can do in terms of drainage.
Gorgeous. love the colors.
I love the close up you took of your Kangaroos’s paws Cath. That green and red are just the ticket for Christmas time, and to have collected other flowers like the White Dahlia and the poppy to go with them….perfect!
Thanks Noelle,
The little green and red kangaroo paws (the regal velvet ) would be perfect in a vase on their own if I had enough of them. Maybe next year. 🙂