As I am posting woefully late for the Monday Vase meme and fairly late for Wordless Wednesday, I thought I would simply present some of both in a single post. First, Monday (as always hosted at Rambling in the Garden)!
A lavender pink zinnia (courtesy of my sister's planting) and a rose from Sterling Silver combined to create this week's vase.
Also two lavenders, Lavandula dentata...
...and L. x "Goodwin's Creek Gray"...
There are also stems of Eremophila hygrophana whose gray foliage, of course, looks perfect with these colors, so near the hue of its own bell flowers, which are few at the moment.
I had a difficult time photographing this vaseful. Even here in Arizona the light is dimmer now and the days shorter! I am looking forward to the other side of tonight... But this arrangement seemed appropriate with its soft colors and gentle scents.
The lavenders are in their element outdoors as well as in...
...much to the delight of the bees! (Both photos are of L. dentata, which is proving another excellent choice for desert growing.)
It is also special to finally see the bright red filaments of Baja Fairyduster (Calliandra californica "Baja Red").
It looks like I will soon be seeing the first flowers from Limonium perezii, though the bloom stalks have certainly taken their time!
But there is no waiting on Gaura, which is once more a froth of bright pink blooms with white stamens.
And lastly I had to include this miniscule beauty. Blooms on the miniature roses often seem to be quite long-lasting - even more so with the pleasant weather we have been having. This bloom has been days in opening, always lovely.
So that is a quick tour for the winter solstice! And now, at last, we are getting some rain! It looks set to continue for several days, so I hope it will honestly drench the soil with sweet water, something my hose watering cannot duplicate, laced as it is with minerals and salts from the soil.
Happy winter - or summer, depending on your hemisphere!
Weather Diary: Rain!!! High: 69 F (21 C)/Low:57 F (14 C); Humidity: 35%-63%
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Kris P (Wednesday, 21 December 2016 22:16)
'Sterling Silver' is set off nicely by the seafoam green color of that vase. Your Gaura operate on a different schedule than mine - I expect I'll be waiting months now before I get a new flush of bloom.
I'm glad to see you got some rain! Us too!
Amy@smallsunnygarden (Wednesday, 21 December 2016 23:14)
Yes, hurray for rain :) So glad winter is being a bit kinder to us both now! I have yet to figure out Gaura's timeframe here... should go back and check my GBBD posts, but I believe mine took a break early last spring, then again in early autumn.
Cathy (Thursday, 22 December 2016 02:27)
The grey-green foliage of the lavender is a good choice to accompany Sterling Silver - as is your lovely iteself of course. Good to hear you are able to enjoy some rain - do you regularly have to water your garden otherwise?
Cathy (Thursday, 22 December 2016 15:48)
Your garden is full of lovely colour Amy, and I am terribly envious! Enjoy the rain! :)
Amy@smallsunnygarden (Friday, 23 December 2016 10:05)
Cathy@Rambling in the Garden - The desert does itself proud on gray-foliaged plants ;-) I do indeed have to water more or less continuously; it's a factor of plant-growing out here, with our 20 cm annual rainfall... not evenly distributed, either, but coming mostly in July and August, then in winter. Drip irrigation is the favorite as it's felt to be the most efficient method, but I've not installed any in the garden so far and have been trying to duplicate it with a hose...! Even cacti and agaves require a little supplemental watering for best results!
Amy@smallsunnygarden (Friday, 23 December 2016 10:12)
Cathy@Words and Herbs - It's certainly easier to get color this time of year here; I've had to work hard to make sure I had it in midsummer... ;-) I hope it warms your northern winter a bit... :)