Monday, March 28, 2016

In a Vase: Easter Roses

monday vase meme, small sunny garden, amy myers, desert garden, penstemon, rose, david austin, st. swithun, james galway
And the roses have come into bloom, just in time for Easter...
monday vase meme, small sunny garden, amy myers, amy myers ceramics, desert garden, penstemon, rose, david austin, wollerton old hall, alnwick rose, sterling silver rose
For an Easter Sunday bouquet I used mostly roses and penstemon.  I snipped a few blooms here and there from most of the shrub roses.  From the Central Bed came Wollerton Old Hall...
monday vase meme, small sunny garden, amy myers, desert garden, penstemon, rose, david austin, wollerton old hall
...and the Alnwick Rose.
monday vase meme, small sunny garden, amy myers, desert garden, penstemon, rose, david austin, alnwick rose
The Rose Border yielded a couple of buds from the Generous Gardener, as well as a frilly bloom from James Galway...
monday vase meme, small sunny garden, amy myers, desert garden, penstemon, rose, david austin, james galway
...and two blossoms from St. Swithun; these had a bit of windburn.  It is the westernmost bush in the bed, and winds have been strong lately.  The Rose Border could do with a little additional protection at both ends -- wind from the west and sun from the east -- but I don't have any brilliant ideas for it at the moment.
monday vase meme, small sunny garden, amy myers, desert garden, penstemon, rose, david austin, st. swithun
And of course, there was a bloom of Sterling Silver.
monday vase meme, small sunny garden, amy myers, desert garden, penstemon, rose, sterling silver, hybrid tea rose
Two types of Penstemon went in: P. parryi (centre)...
monday vase meme, small sunny garden, amy myers, desert garden, penstemon, parryi, desert penstemon
...and P. pseudospectabilis.
monday vase meme, small sunny garden, amy myers, desert garden, penstemon, pseudospectabilis
It is very interesting combining them in the vase as the flowers are surprisingly similar.  They are trumpets in slightly different hues of pink, with P. parryi being bluer and softer than P. pseudospectabilis with its brash magenta.  In the garden they are considerably different plants in terms of foliage and, to a lessert extent, growth habit.

Both are known by the common name "Desert Penstemon".  Both are native to Arizona, but P. pseudospectabilis has a much wider range, shown on the USDA map to include New Mexico, Utah, and California as well, whereas P. parryi seems to be found only in Arizona.
monday vase meme, small sunny garden, amy myers, desert garden, penstemon, rose, david austin, wollerton old hall, alnwick rose, ceramics, stoneware
Then there were a couple of sprigs of an unknown and, as yet, unplanted, Salvia.  I found it at one of the local box stores the other day.  Its delicate pink and white was irresistable, to me at any rate!
monday vase meme, small sunny garden, amy myers, desert garden, salvia
It was simply labelled "Salvia," grrrr...!  Some of us prefer to know just what it is we are growing.  Assistance with an ID on this one would be appreciated, but I'm afraid my photo doesn't give enough detail.  The blooms are elongated Salvia types, and the leaves are rounded with scalloped edges.  It may be something fairly common, for all I know!  Maybe I'll post separately on it later.  It's such a pretty little thing.  I suspect it will get a good deal larger despite the delicacy of the flowers.

The vase also contains a lone stalk of lavender.  Bought at the same time as the Salvia, it also was scantily labeled.  "Lavender", said the pot sticker.  Yes, lavender it is; and I believe it is L. dentata.  At any rate, I love the paler, silvery tones of the flowers.
lavender, lavandula, monday vase meme, small sunny garden, amy myers, desert garden
I used more sprigs of Ozothamnus diosmifolius in this vase too.  It is nice to have something that works so well as filler.
ozothamnus diosmifolius, monday vase meme, small sunny garden, amy myers, desert garden, penstemon
The completed vase, using an unglazed stoneware jar that I made a year or two ago...
monday vase meme, small sunny garden, amy myers, stoneware, ceramics, desert garden, penstemon, rose, david austin, wollerton old hall, st. swithun,
The pictures were taken outside at sunset, which is why the colours look the way they do!

Thanks to Cathy for hosting the Monday Vase meme at Rambling in the Garden!
monday vase meme, small sunny garden, amy myers, ceramics, stoneware, desert garden, penstemon, rose, david austin, wollerton old hall, alnwick rose
Weather Diary: Partly cloudy and windy; High: 81 F (27 C)/Low: 55 F (13 C)

16 comments:

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    1. We're getting there, Sandra ;-) But I plan to let the roses rest during the hottest months this year so I'm happy to be getting a good showing now!

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  2. the subdued light in the last image is just beautiful. I can relate to the frustration of incomplete information on plant labels - I am now working in a plant nursery, so have made it my mission to check them daily!

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    1. The light was fascinating and quite volatile as the sun was setting through a band of clouds; I had all sorts of exposures - some totally off, of course ;-)
      Good for you checking labels! I have a number of guesswork varieties now in the garden. I wouldn't have minded so much with these, but they were from a major US supplier and the ommission seemed to be deliberate. Very much in the 'people don't like that technical stuff so we won't bother' mode... sigh...

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  3. Oh how I love to see your WOH roses - and your others have such full blooms too. I wonder how these would cope with the wetter weather of the UK as some of the really full roses struggle to open once they are wet... Interesting to read that some penstemon are native to Arizona - and I know just what you mean about sparse labelling...grrr indeed! Thanks for sharing your pretty collection of blooms

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    1. I can't sing the praises of WOH highly enough, Cathy ;-) With the really full blooms I wonder whether the shape sometimes matters too, with the rosette forms like Crown Princess Margareta perhaps having an easier time than the really globular roses... just a thought as I wouldn't know! And perhaps not, as I could never get the flat-bloomed old gallica Charles de Mills to open in my Kansas City garden; it just browned.
      It's been great fun finding the Arizona side of the family for plants such as Penstemon and Aquilegia - quite intriguing!
      And as the plant info was printed directly on the pot, they could have added a species name, I think?! Must just get over it and get the little thing planted ;-)

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  4. Wow that is a stunning vase in that golden light....love the roses and even more the Penstemons!

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    1. Discovering the desert-native Penstemons has been a wonderful adventure, Donna! They are remarkable plants! So glad you enjoyed the vase :)

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  5. You've got roses galore, Amy! They're beautiful and your photos are stunning.

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    1. So sorry to miss your comment so long, Kris; I've been mostly away from the computer for several days! The roses are just coming into their first flush of bloom, and I'm thrilled :) Thanks so much!

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  6. That's beautiful Amy - the light and your lovely vase make it even prettier. :)

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    1. Thanks so much, Cathy! I don't usually photograph these outside, but it worked so nicely I might have to try it again... Glad you like the vase too ;-)

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  7. Just when I was wondering about when you photographed this I found the answer! How gorgeous! I think sunset was the perfect time to capture these lovely colors and this light makes them glow. Your roses are just beautiful and you have a wonderful selection already. I love the Wolverton Old Hall - what a color!
    So beautiful Amy. Thank you!
    - Kate

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    1. Thanks so much, Kate! I can't get enough of WOH, and that's saying a lot as the shrub is already some five feet across and loaded with blooms! It was my sister's idea to try a sunset shoot; I was going to wait till next day, but Sarah got the table and cover in place :) So out I went with the flowers and camera... will have to try this again sometime!

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