Not that one Terri if it is the only one, it looks quite nice right where it is. I don't know what it is about the alstromeria, it comes in a lot of bought arrangements here and the leaves always look like weeds to me, no offense. Yours with the larkspur looks very nice and the leaves look quite fresh, perhaps it is just because the ones I get when the kids send FTD the leaves are drooping and sloppy looking, which ruins the look of the flower.
Yard to vase - spring 2009 series
Terri - cut only if you do not need it to go to seed.
Candee - even with freshly picked alstromerias, I tend to strip most of the leaves off of it too.
Asiatic lilies are the first lilies to bloom here. I have planted many kinds in the past, but they do not come back very well. After about 2-3 years, the patch diminishes to about one or two. This patch of Lollipops are the only "patch" that I have that returns - these are about 6 years old, but they are not very robust. I am going to have to find another spot to transfer them to and hope they will be happier. Could it be that it is too hot here?
Terri - those are my vegetables way in the back - I finally planted them last weekend. Nothing compared with yours LoL.
This message was edited May 28, 2009 10:24 PM
Here are the lollipop lilies in a vase. I added a couple of pinkish alstromerias to fill it out a bit.
those lilies are a lovely colour & the alstromeria tones in so well.
I discovered something nice in my garden today.
I was told it is Japanese iris but not sure if that is right...
only one flower so not going to pick it - hopefully there will be more in the future.
Beautiful lilies Dianne, Whats that pot hiding behind them? it's gorgeous! I spy new plants!?
Lovely fresh arrangement in the vase, what a perfect setting by the pool.
Pretty iris dalfyre, what a great discovery! Love it when we get surprises in the garden.
Those lilies are beautiful Dianne. I seem to have luck with lilies they multiply like crazy here and some reach giant heights, it is incredible how well they thrive. You sure have ones with lovely pinks and white and they look real nice in your arrangement.
Now I am with Terri, that urn or whatever behind them, that is really neat!
That is quite unusual dalfyre, and a pleasant surprise.
Thanks everyone.
I remember your amazing lilies, Candee. Are they opening up yet?
That urn was something that I purchased years ago because I thought it would give the garden a roman (?) flair. And I liked that grayish blue against the bricks. The intent was to put a potted plant in there on a rotating basis, but that never happened. The guy next to it was something that I saw at a friend's house, and thought it was neat, so it became mine LoL.
Terri - those new plants are my vegetables - 3 eggplant (was 4 but the snails got to one before I planted it, 2 bell peppers and 2 cucumbers, along with the 6 tomatoes - that is the extent of my veggie garden. Not at all as big or plentiful like yours.
Dalfyre - that kind of does look like a Japanese iris. At least you got one bloom - I did not get any this year.
Trumpet lilies are the next up on my blooming cycle. These are pink Perfections.This variety has been a really good mulitplier - I thinned this patch out three years ago, and it has been a little slow in repopulating. I gave some to my sister, and hers have quadrupled in that time - They liked my sister's yard better.
Here's a closer view.
And finally, here it is in a vase. We had a retirement party today for one of the professor's and this was used for the reception.
that is nice!
Divine Dianne, I just love lilies. No mine are still shooting for the moon and will be a bit before they begin to bloom. I tell you our property just smells so good this year, we are quite secluded and the smell of flowers is just over powering this year. Steve has been sneezing like crazy but we are lovin it.
Lovely Dianne, really pretty! Love your lab vases, how many mil in that one? lol.
Is it still spring in California?
Hi Terri - we are having an amazingly cool last few days of spring - high in the 70's. some years we are already in the 90's and an occasion 100's by now. I am enjoying this nice cooler weather. Last week, I went out to my garden and this is what the gardenia looked like.
Two days ago, it exploded into blooms. This shrub is 6 feet tall - as tall as the fence behind it.
I brought two vases into work. This is one of them. The smell wafts throughout the corridor.
Wow! Gorgeous Gardenia Dianne. I had a pot plant once!
Bet they love having your vases at work. love the bucket arrangement, simple, tidy and fresh!
Oh I bet those smell heavenly! I think they are one of the prettiest flowers around, lucky you to have such a grand bush of them.
Terri and Candee - yes, they do smell wonderful. short-lived in a vase though. But I really wanted to cut the bush back down to a reasonable size, so I trimmed off a lot more branches and replenished the vases at work. Here's a closeup.
here's the replenished vase on the 2nd floor
And the second set for the 3rd floor. Each vase was only good for about 2 days, but they are glorious days. I have had the most comment from the people in the building over these flowers. But, you can't miss the fragrance LoL. And the sad part is, very few people knew what the flowers are. Gardenias are not part of their need-to-know.
Absolutely Gorgeous! Not surprising everyone's talking about Dianne the flower Lady!
Thanks, Terri.
Easter lilies bloom here in June. Only one batch bloomed this year. I normally have to replenish the Easter lilies periodically - which is not a problem because I just get the ones that people discard. In my sister's house in southern California, however, hers spread widely and thickly.
And here it is in a vase. Since there were so few blooms, I had to augment it with some gardenias and calla lilies. The larger variety of calla lily bloomed much earlier, but this smaller headed ones are blooming now. Deb - I "borrowed" your idea of draping daylily leaves. Thanks!
Hi Dianne, What a classy arrangement! Lovely. Very elegant and such a nice shape.
Love the daylily leaves going up and down too.
You are so lucky lilies do well for you, no problems with the lily bug? They always get eaten before the flowers open in my garden! Thanks for sharing your arrangement, one of your best I think!
That is spectacular! You have outdone yourself Dianne, I may need to copy that one when my lilies come into more full force if you don't mind ?
Thanks, Terri and Candee.
And Terri - I am not sure what you mean by the lily bug, but my lilies are prime food for snails. If you look at the flower at the lower left, you'll see that part of the petal has been eaten.
Candee - can't wait to see your lilies. They are the tallest I have ever seen. and Candee - you can copy all you want, seeing as I stole that idea from Deb.
Spring is in it's last leg, and summer is around the corner. Have just enough time for another entry or two. I love calla lilies too - and thank goodness, the snails seem to leave them alone. This is one of my oldest batches - I really like the bright yellow of this one.
I picked the flowers about a week after the above photo, and it is past their prime. You can tell it is darkening around the edges, and some of the gold is turning green. Paired it up with the purple larkspur that freely resows itself every year.
In the same brick planter, behind the yellow calla, is a maroon colored one. It is being overtaken by the peony next to it, so I will have to move it to a better, more visible spot next year. This is year 3, and it is spreading nicely. Hopefully the transplanting in the fall will not set it back too much.
Did not have much time for an arrangement, so this is more of the "just stick it in a vase" type.
And Terri - started off with just a little over 1000 ml in this one. LoL Hope you are having a good vacation!
Well Dianne your just stick it is "dreamy", those colors look like popsicles. I just love you callas, one plant I have never tried, but will surely enjoy yours! Wow almost summer here and my lilies just opened this morn. Really raining and heading to the cabin tomorrow so hope I get a chance to photo them tomorrow before leaving.
Hi everyone, I watch this forum but never have participated. I am impressed by the pretty arrangements! It comforts me to know that somebody 1/2 way around the world (not soils of course, she might be right down the road, but some of the rest of you) is also wandering through their yard with a pair of clippers, looking for a pretty bloom or a colorful leaf, snipping this and that, to turn it into a beautiful one of a kind arrangement. I am in the same boat as many of you, small urban lot, everything I want for the vase needs to work in the landscape as well. I had some mutant wallflowers this year, they got as big as a minor planet. So I took some of those flowers and then snipped odds and ends around the yard and from my patio pots and came up with this. Besides wallflower there is butterfly bush, salvia, zonal geranium, gaillardia, chrysanthemum, euphorbia, coral bells, and rose of sharon.
Hello Nasturtium28, Welcome to cut flowers. Nice to have someone new to share flowers with us!
Thank you for posting your beautiful colourful arrangement, lots of pretties there!
love your vase, it holds a big bunch really well.
Have you got Nasturtiums growing, or is that a silly question? lol.
Great arrangements Dianne, like the red vase with the yellow and purple!
2000ml would look better LOL, it's gorgeous, love the leaves!!!
Thanks, I had a nice relaxing time with flowertips. I 'borrowed' a couple of her containers to experiment with!
Hi Narsturtium - welcome to this forum. Maybe we have run into each other in the local nurseries? I often go to the sales at the Shepard garden center, and try to make it to the arboretum sales in Davis. What a nice variety of flowers you have.
Terri - the brown/red vase probably has 2000 ml in it!! It is another old piece of glassware from one of the labs. Sometimes we have to store light sensitive solutions in opaque bottles.
So, we will expect some arrangements soon with your "borrowed" containers??
Candee - have a great weekend at the cabin.
This message was edited Jun 20, 2009 3:46 PM
Spring will officially end here in California at 10:45 PM our time tonight, which means that the title of this thread will also be officially untimely. One of my goals was to have a new arrangement at least once a week, and I have more or less done it. But, it is fairly easy task in the spring. I will end this thread with one of my favorite colors in calla lilies. I will cheat and not cut it. It is a solitary bloom on the only remaining plant, so I am hoping to let it go to seed and maybe get more plants for later years.
oops - forgot the photo.
that is a pretty colour.
Love the foliage too, I have always liked spots & speckles -
Maybe that's why I have dalmatians :)
Well hello nasturium, this is my second year of planting their seed and I really like them. So glad you have joined us. That is a nice grouping you have there and lovely setting. Can't wait to see more.