January Blooms in a Vase

There was very nearly nothing to show for January’s Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day count. At any rate, nothing but one spritely little viola, which you have seen here repeatedly.

Viola ‘Primrose Picotee’

Our recent bouts of frosty nights have crisped out the remaining Salvia farinacea blooms and mushed most of the Catharanthus foliage. Nothing else was even trying to flower, except Lavandula stoechas.

It continues to try, much to my appreciation, though some of the blooms have browned.

Also I discovered one very shy wine-red flower peeking out from one of my bedding dianthus plants.

But then I went on a very small shopping spree and brought home pots of plants that do have flowers. I’m not at all certain these would be in bloom had they actually been in the ground here, but maybe they can have their spot in the January GBBD anyhow. They have certainly found a spot in today’s vase for In a Vase on Monday.

I was particularly pleased to find Lavandula dentata. This is a cultivar called “Imperial”, said to have “exceptional flower power”. As I don’t recall my former dentata having any lack of floral exuberance, I am waiting to see what real “flower power” from “Imperial” will look like!

L. dentata is possibly my favorite lavender of all, but it’s not as readily available here as Spanish lavender (L. stoechas). I wasn’t sure whether I could find it locally or might end up going with mailorder. So I was very pleased to find a chunky and inexpensive pot full of it.

I already had a place picked for it right at the front edge of the patio, so it was purchased, photographed for GBBD…

…and then planted out.

The other arrival which promptly found its way into today’s vase was a pot of carnations.

If they grow well here, I’ll want to keep them in the cutting garden as there is really nothing like that fragrance. It’s now wafting through the dining room.

They were joined by a tiny pair of Calibrachoa flowers donated from my sister’s container garden. They’ve continued to thrive and flower since she planted them at the end of summer, on through heat and now cold. She is so much more adept than I at growing plants in containers, and these have been properly fed, watered, and blanketed during our recent cold nights. They’ve responded by continuing to grow and bloom vigorously.

They combined so well with the carnation colours in the vase.

It was nice to really have some flowers for a vase today. I used my copper-glazed, stoneware teardrop vase.

While the other plants I purchased didn’t find a place in today’s bouquet, I am really looking forward to getting them into the ground. The candelilla (Euphorbia antisyphilitica) has no blooms, but my new Eremophila most certainly does. This is E. maculata “Outback Cupid”. The blooms seem to be just a shade darker and more purple than the similar E. m. “Valentine”.

All this means that I have a stack of plants needing to go into the ground, but I’m waiting (or trying to wait) till the more tender varieties won’t have to deal with frosty nights immediately. We haven’t had any serious cold, just two spells of temperatures around or just below freezing in the past few weeks. Still, the Eremophilas at least proabably won’t like it too cold.

So there is a handful of flowers for January and a small vase of carnations and lavender. I’m linking this post to Carol’s Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day and also to Cathy’s In a Vase on Monday. Do check them out if you haven’t already!