Almost Time for Garden Planting!

The main color in this post is green, so I'm starting with a photo of colorful Crocuses from last week. The little beauties are just about done now, so it's on to the next phase—celebrating the plants that need warmth.

In the meantime, I thought it would be fun to include an update on the seedlings I started in the sunroom in March. Our last frost date is in early May: Soon, I'll need to harden these babies off before planting.

First we have the mixed Dahlias. They're doing well; I'm so thrilled!



The California Poppies (Eschscholzia californica) are happy and dancing.



The three Milkweed species (Asclepias spp.) took a bit longer to emerge, but they're making progress now.



Oh, and 'The Watchman' Hollyhocks (Alcea rosea) look healthy, too.



'Zowie' and 'State Fair Mix' Zinnias (Z. elegans) are always reliable.

Finally, I'm celebrating the Calla Lilies (Zantedeschia spp.) poking through the soil! Now the race is on to fast, colorful blooms.

That's my "Six" for this week, with extra flowers at the start. Thanks to Jim at Garden Ruminations for hosting "Six on Saturday"!

Grasses and Alliums for Floral Arrangements

We haven't had a hard frost or freeze at our property yet, so I grabbed a few items for a couple of bouquets. In addition to the Zinnias, Cosmos, and Hostas that I often use, I added some new items I haven't included much.









The tall grass sprigs are Hakone (Hakonechloa macra). Many Hakone stems were eaten by rabbits, but I rescued a few for both vases.

I also plopped a few 'Ozawa' Alliums (A. thunbergii) into the pink grouping. Though we haven't had truly cold temperatures (below 32F) yet, the tropical annuals in pots are slowly fading. And all the plants I'm overwintering are inside the sunroom. It's almost time to hunker down for the cold season ahead.

To see more floral and plant arrangements from around the world, head on over to "In a Vase on Monday" at Rambling in the Garden.

Wordless, Late-Season, Garden Visitors

(I'm linking in with Wordless Wednesday and Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day at May Dreams Gardens. Thanks to both for hosting!)

Warm and Cool Vases on Monday

I hadn't planned to do a post on cut flowers this week, because I simply cut the flowers and plopped them in vases. But the colors were so vibrant, I thought I'd share. The first vase includes mostly warm, vibrant colors that brighten their corner in the washroom.



A sprig of Dusty Miller (Jacobaea maritima) offers a bit of contrast.



'Zowie! Yellow Flame' Zinnias (Z. elegans) are the stars.



Also, a few warm 'State Fair Mix' Zinnias that compliment the color scheme.



Some sprigs of Lesser Calamint (Clinopodium nepeta) provide lacy structure.



False Sunflowers (Heliopsis helianthoides) frame the edges.



One warm spike of Gladiolus (G. grandiflora) crowns the middle.



And a few stems of Black-Eyed Susans (Rudbeckia hirta) offer structure and more warmth.



Next, I plopped the cooler-colored blooms in their own vase in a different washroom.



More 'State Fair Mix' Zinnias.



Many cuttings of 'Sensation Mix' Cosmos (C. bipinnatus), for their foliage and fabulous blooms, including white...



And pink.

Finally, I rounded up some Resurrection Lilies (Lycoris squamigera) and framed them with Ostrich Ferns (Matteuccia struthiopteris).

What's blooming in your garden and gracing your vases? Join the "In a Vase on Monday" meme over at Rambling in the Garden. Thanks to Cathy for hosting!

A Vase Full of Warm Colors

It's time for "In a Vase on Monday," the meme hosted by Cathy at Rambling in the Garden. I'd intended to use pink and purple and other cool-colored blooms, but the first-blooming Gladiolas were a warm red. This called for warm companion elements. The photo above shows the selections.

As mentioned, these Glads (Gladiolus grandiflora hybrids) are dramatic. They're the first I've cut for the season. They're healthy, and full, and ready for display.

I used three large Hosta leaves to frame the bouquet.



Next, I added False Sunflowers (Heliopsis helianthoides) as accents throughout the arrangement.



And ivory Asiatic Lillies (Lilium asiatica) added grace and structure.



While most of the Zinnias (Z. elegans) currently blooming in the garden are cool colors, there were a few warm ones, including this large 'State Fair Mix' red bloom: a nice companion to the Gladiolas.

Also, I included some 'Zowie' Yellow Flame Zinnias, full of bright, warm colors.



Finally, graceful 'Invincibelle Lace' Hydrangea (H. arborescens subsp. radiata) blooms added elegance and more structure. 

Tee hee: Notice how tall the Gladiolas are? I'll have to clip the stems every few days as the blooms on the bottom fade.

Thanks to Cathy for hosting In a Vase on Monday! Head on over to her blog to see more vase arrangements from around the blogosphere.