In a vase on Monday: hints of spring
Despite being mid-winter here in South Australia, there are little hints of spring here and there, reminding us that the demise of the current season is inevitable. Which is a-okay with this cold adverse gardener!
My arrangements this week are of 'firsts' and 'lasts': the 'first' newly opened flowers of jonquils and buddleja and the 'last' nearly spent blooms of strawflowers and roses.
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| Paperwhites Narcissus papyraceus, Narcissus tazetta ssp. italicus, no ID buddleja and Helichrysum bracteatum |
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| A closer view |
My second bunch uses blooms I trimmed before giving the roses their annual winter prune:
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| Rosa 'Candy Stripe', including the plain pale pink bud on the left - an anomaly I found when pruning |
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| A closer view |
It was so cold today that I followed my flower arranging with a brisk walk to get my circulation going. There were little signs of spring around the neighbourhood too, including almond blossoms, which are always the first blossoms to bloom in my area:
Next up were the gorgeous yellow globes of Cootamundra wattle Acacia baileyana:
And one of my favourites, cockie's tongues Templetonia retusa:
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| Templetonia retusa is native to South and Western Australia and is a member of the pea family |
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| The unopened buds really do look like a cockatoo's tongue |
The local park looked Game of Thrones-esque:
But even so, there were signs of spring:
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| Manchurian pear Pyrus ussuriensis getting ready to spring into bloom |
Winter cannot be over soon enough in my opinion. With many Australian homes lacking insulation and draught proofing (including our rental) I was not surprised to read that more people die from the cold in Australia than in Sweden.
Bring on spring!
As I am in opposite season from you it is interesting to see what is growing in your garden, and it is always fun to see Narcissus. I love your roses--gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteYes, it is interesting to see what's happening in other climates and gardens around the world. For a moment, I got to imagine it was summer when viewing your beautiful heat tolerant bunch this week, Susie!
DeleteYour spring flowers and posy of roses are terrific.
ReplyDeleteThank you :)
DeleteThat's an interesting - and altogether unexpected - combination of flowers, Horticat! You remind me that I'm lacking any strawflowers this summer, which is something I should try to remedy. I always love the first signs of spring, which generally shows itself in late February here where winter is really just a concept. How cold does in get in winter in your part of the world? Do you get frost?
ReplyDeleteI have only been growing strawflowers for a couple of years, but they are such good value - both in the garden and in a vase- that I don't think I could be without them now. Where we live, in the Adelaide foothills, it's really not that cold - yesterday was about 11C and today the maximum is 13C - it's just that most Australian houses (particularly older ones, like ours) are not really built to retain the heat. We rarely get frost at our place.
DeleteAt the nursery where I work, which is only about 17km away, on the highest mountain in our state, the climate is totally different. The maximum lately has been around 6C and we regularly get frost (and even occasionally - snow!). Working outside in that weather is pretty brutal! The area also has the highest rainfall in the state -about 1200mm per year. The climate is closer to what you might see in parts of England. Plants like such as rhododendron and azalea do really well there.
Yes, what an intriguing combination of blooms, and interesting to read about the dying from cold statistic! I enjoyed seeing the lead-up to spring photos too
ReplyDeleteThanks Cathy, your blooms this week are intriguing to me too, having never grown most of them. IAVOM is an educational experience in that regard - and fun, too. Thanks for hosting :)
DeleteOh, how lovely! Seeing buddleia, roses and jonquils all together is quite something! And the colour of your buddleia is unusual. I only know of the pink, blue or white ones, and an orange sort that has globe-shaped flowers. Hope it warms up for you soon! 😃
ReplyDeleteThanks, yes it is an unusual buddleja - the buds are purple before they open. I started it from a cutting but have no idea of the name :)
DeleteThat first bouquet is lavish! Beautifully done.
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed seeing all your photos. Very interesting plants, like the Templetonia. There are Acacia baileyana in my neighborhood, and when it rains the pollen leaves a layer of yellow on the surface of the rain collected in the barrels. The purple-y leafed version is particularly fetching.
Thanks, Hoover Boo. I like your description of the Acacia baileyana pollen in rain barrels. It's actually sort of a weed here (not native to this area) but the purple form seems less vigorous and appears non-invasive. I like it in flower arrangements.
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