This is a very simple vase, and is again ‘found flowers’. They had to be cut as the hydrangea was smothering a small Nikau Palm, one which got eaten by cows last year around this time. And I don’t think these ones are attractive to bees. Having read that one bee hive visits about 225,000 flowers per day I am being careful to leave all I can for the bees.
Continue reading “Fading Hydrangeas on Daylight Savings Monday”
Well, first of all I have to admit to being wrong about bees and Jerusalem Artichokes. We had another storm and quite a few of the tall flowers were blown over, including one of the Cannas in my vase. With the Jerusalem Artichokes at a height I can see, and possibly now that they are more developed, they are attracting all sorts of creatures.
Including lots of bees.
So, anyway, I’ve picked a fallen over Canna, ‘Australia’, which has dark purple leaves and a Canna Indica warszewiczii which has dark purple stems and green leaves, and some of the stalwart Fuschia ‘Gartenmeister Bonstedt’ which has been flowering since before Christmas. It has purple stems and the backs of the leaves are purple, although that’s not very evident in the photo. While I was taking the photo in the last of the light the neighbour’s cows came up to have a good look while eating their dinner, and a couple volunteered to be Easter cows. So then I got distracted by them and ran out of light entirely and had to come inside.
Thanks to Cathy at Rambling in the Garden who hosts this meme.
The harvest continues with Pears to dry, Jalapeños to smoke, Tomatoes to bottle, and Capsicums to roast and freeze. There are lots of Jerusalem Artichokes and Anemones, and they are all taller than normal and covered with blooms, and don’t seem overly popular with bees, so I didn’t feel too bad taking a few away.
Continue reading “In a Vase on Monday – Jerusalem Artichokes”
I love the citrus colours of Kniphofia, especially the tall yellow ones, but all of them really. The spiky leaves in the vase are New Zealand flax, a ‘black’ and a purple version of Phormium tenax. I picked them thinking that the purple would set off the yellow, but I see that the thin line of orange along the edge works with the orange as well.
Of the new plants I’ve grown this year, the bulbs formerly known as Gladiolus callianthus have been one of my favourites. I prefer the name callianthus or Gladiolus murialae to Acidanthera – but in any case they blend in nicely with other plants in the garden and are beautifully scented. They are graceful, although like lillies the spent blooms remain hanging on the plant unless removed.
Continue reading “In a Vase on Monday – Acidanthera and Anemone”
My vases this week are a repeat of the last couple weeks in some ways. Lillies, because they just go on being beautiful and hydrangeas because these fading hydrangeas exactly matched the dusty turquoise at the center of the lily. Dahlias because the Akita Dahlia is finally making a flower that looks like the picture that made me want to order it to begin with, and just because there are lots of them.
Continue reading “In a Vase on Monday More Lilies and Lovely Hydrangeas”
My lillies are all flowering. I grew them from the seed of a lily that popped up in a plant from a nursery so I’m not sure what they are. They have a light scent, unlike the single Tuberose which has such a strong perfume.
I haven’t grown Tuberose before – it’s growing in rich compost with enough water and sun so has had an easy time.
I finally have Astrantia this year, although it’s quite small, and the variegated ones quickly became un-variagated; it’s probably too shady where I have them.
Also in the vase There are more of the Gladiolus callianthus, a Belladonna Lily, Hydrangeas, Dahlias, Hebes, Jasmine, Trachelospermum jasminoides, Salvia ‘Indigo Spires’ and Scented Pelargonium leaves.
Cathy at Rambling in the Garden hosts this meme and and also had the help of the wind in rearranging her flowers this week. Here we are experiencing a bit of turbulence this week as an offshoot of some tropical storms which have luckily largely missed us.
The vase this week is really just one flower, a gigantic Dahlia, with some Cosmos and Artemisa foliage for support and a few Salvia ‘Ember’s Wish’ flowers to echo the colour. The Dahlia had fallen right over and the bloom was at a strange angle so I wrapped some soft green garden wire around it to hold it up. I think this is supposed to be Akita, so I assume that the twisty petals are a result of having fallen over rather than by design.
I actually planned my vase this week, but I didn’t follow the plan, and then my next plan didn’t work out. I was going to make a vase with Magnolia grandiflora. The big white blossoms have been catching my attention with their lemony exotic scent as I’ve walked past. And then I discovered that the first of the Acidantheras were flowering. I’ve been waiting for these for ages. AKA Gladiolus callianthus or Gladiolus murialae these are related to Gladiolus but scented and triangular with a dark purple throat. Continue reading “In a Vase on Monday – all sorts”
My first gladiolus, quite a bit more salmon coloured than I was expecting, but still pretty. It just goes to show, flowers look different in different places, in bud, and open.
Absent Gardener 