It's been a very quiet Fourth of July here, so far at any rate. I half planned to put together a vase in red, white, and blue. But three blooms of rose "Crown Princess Margareta" were available for the cutting...
...so I went with a simple summer combination instead.
The only true blue in the vase comes from Salvia farinacea, a plant which deserves a medal in this garden! It is still blooming heavily after weeks of temperatures well over 100 F (38 C) and that without very much water. I have it planted just off the patio in our most-traveled pathway, where its soft, deep blue is a very refreshing sight. I bought it on a whim, knowing little about it except the feeling that "most Salvias grow well here"; but it is proving a gem even among Salvias!
Not taking the summer quite so well but still blooming resolutely whenever watered, is the so-called Arabian jasmine (Jasminum sambac). Despite the name, it is actually a native of the tropics; but it is growing well considering its location: right against the east wall of the house, where the intensity of the reflected light during mornings must counterbalance the presence of afternoon shade. It is such a lovely and fragrant plant that I thought I would try it there under the dining room window.
I also added a couple of well-flowered stems of Catharanthus roseus, the only bedding annual I planted for the summer, though last winter's Dianthus is continuing to grow and bloom, very much to my surprise. But Catharanthus is known for thriving in the heat, and it is certainly rising to the occasion!
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| Yes, the blooms are nearly as large as the roses! |
For this arrangement in cool summer hues, I used a dark-glazed, handbuilt, stoneware vase completed in my last firing before the weather turned really hot. I like the way its base lifts free of anything it is set on. No additional foliage was needed; there is quite a bit of leaf from the Catharanthus stems and even the Salvia.
With all the blue tones, it is a pleasantly cooling posy on this hot July day!
Wishing a happy July 4th to all my friends here in the US and a lovely summer week to everyone! Do check the other wonderful vases posted for this Monday at
Rambling in the Garden!
Weather Diary: Fair; High: 108 F (42 C)/Low: 82 F (28 C); Humidity: 12%-45%
I love the rose but I've become increasingly impressed by your vinca. It never would have occurred to me that it could handle heat the way it does in your garden. I haven't grown this plant in many years but perhaps I need to remedy that. Best wishes for a very happy 4th, Amy!
ReplyDeleteThe vinca is the one summer-blooming bedding plant that is recommended even here, so it can definitely take the heat! It seems able to take any amount of heat, and mine seem to come back well when I let them get too dry. I am watering them about every three days currently, but not deeply; and temperatures have been quite high with some very drying winds. Hope you had a great 4th; I love your red, white, and blue arrangement :)
DeleteGood to see your CPM - mine were new last autumn and are just beginning to flower nicely although the colour of yours I see on my screen doesn't do them justice. She will certainly be a favourite here, I think. That salvia is lovely and I am wondering how it might do in the UK - but I am puzzled by your catharanthus which Kris has called vinca as the flowers are so huge! Thanks for sharing all your blooms, which you must be delighted to have with your high temperatures
ReplyDeleteCPM has been superb here, and I'll look forward to seeing yours as it is just such a beautiful rose. The bloom color varies a lot with our heat, ranging from pink to white just now, while at more normal temperatures, it is that lovely apricot color...
DeleteI'm astonished myself at the bloom size from the Catharanthus. I don't think it's related in any way to true vincas, but the resemblence is just enough to earn it the names of "annual vinca" and "Madagascar periwinkle" ;-) I never grew it before; I always found it a bit banal used as a container plant in the Midwest, but here I feel much differently about it as it's the one bedding annual that will bloom reliably in midsummer! So I'm finding what a nice plant it is after all, and I intend to use plenty of it in future!
Oh I love that peachy rose and fabulous purples and dark blues to complement it! A lovely vase!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Donna! It has been so pleasant to have those colors cooling off the kitchen ;-)
DeleteAbsolutely gorgeous! This is the perfect English posy as the colors are so lovely and soft. Pure perfection!
ReplyDelete